Question about goggles...somewhat made in China

[lurkingknight]

we have a saying in racing... '5 dollar helmet, 5 dollar head.'

[BennyBoy]

Okok i get it Ill order a nice one thanls again guys

[Drake]

Originally Posted by BennyBoy

Okok i get it Ill order a nice one thanls again guys

Check out CP Gear if you're in a rush, they carry ESS and I always get my stuff real quick.

[Crunchmeister]

There are some things you can save a few bucks on. Like buying a cheap vest or BDU. You may have to re-sew shit constantly to keep it from falling apart, but it's little more than an annoyance or inconvenience. The point is, you can always fix or replace losses due to that.

Cheaping out on eye protection is a bit no-no. You can't replace lost eyes.

[Endymion]

If you absolutely have to have something in-hand to play now, and budget only permits one set, I highly recommend paintball goggles only because that one purchase will allow you to play at just about any field. A set with detachable goggles/mask like the JT Flex series go a long way. Bonus is that you can pick up a set locally at just about any paintball field or proshop.

Never, ever, *ever* cheap out on eye pro. I've probably spent more on eye pro than any other single piece of gear just trying to find the perfect set for me. But in the midst of all of that experimenting, the JTs have been a staple. And *all* of them have been purchased from trustworthy vendors.

Tried list: Revision Sawfly, Revision Bullet Ant, ESS Profile NVG Turbofan, ESS ICE, JT Flex-7/8, V-Force Profiler, Raven NUVIS-1, Bolle T-800, generic mesh-lens mask (I put them on, decided no, ripped the lower off and attached it to my JT goggles)

[BennyBoy]

My old paintball full mask is my closet but i loathe it! I get so sweaty hehe

[Endymion]

You aren't playing hard enough unless you get sweaty! To be honest, depending on how quickly and how much you sweat or generate heat, you'll likely find any set of goggles to be a bit on the damp or foggy side eventually. Due to differences in design, some will be more susceptible to fogging than others, but there are ways to help prevent that (DIY fans, anti-fog solutions, etc.)

[BennyBoy]

I sweat like here's no tomorrow lol
Painball goggles are cheap and they still can protect my eyes? Jt pb goggles at canadian tire for 35

[The Chad]

Paintball goggles are favorable by companies that insure paintball fields.......makes sense, you're probably going to need a pair one day anyway. As for fogging, how much gear are you wearing? I'm out of shape and used to have tremendous fogging issues until I ditched the CIRAS and cut down some of the bulk.

[BennyBoy]

When i use to play pb i'd go in tshirt n long pants

[lurkingknight]

if you have full seal goggles, remove the foam on all the ventilation holes... it's there for the military guys to prevent dust from getting in... for us we aren't fast roping in under a blackhawk, so not much issue with dust... but once the foam is gone, the goggles are less prone to fog.

On top of that, you can add a fan.

I'm a fairly big dude, 5'8" 220ish and I've worn a full vest and gear and no fog. As opposed to just a bdu with the goggles with none of that crap removed and no fan.. fog almost instantaneously.

[BennyBoy]

Are the bauer anti fog sprays good? I'm 6' 230lb

[ccyg8774]

If they comply with the protection standard (I think it is ANSI Z87.1?), it should not matter where it is made.

Now the question is whether the cloned frame can comply with ANSI Z87.1. Based on my experience with Chinese clone gears, NO.

Don't get me wrong, many things made in China have good quality, but ANSI Z87.1? No. The frame might be build soild (or not), but the company that made it won't pay to get it verified for ANSI Z87.1. Never gonna happen.

If they will get their products verified for industrial standards, they will make their own goggles instead of clones in the first place.

[lurkingknight]

It's a good point.

A lot of legit shit is made in china... so where are the clones coming from?

Are they off the same factory floor that have been 'appropriated' by employees looking to make an extra buck?

Are they factory rejects that did not meet quality assurance inspection, or defective in some way?

Are they they manufactured to the exact same specification, plus material, but they have not paid for the certifications to put that stamp on it?

Are they shitty reproductions made of the cheapest material, using the cheapest manufacturing method that can be found to make it a reasonable copy of the original, by a company that is there one day, but gone the next, only to have a new name somewhere else?


This is why buying unknown china made stuff is dangerous, you don't know which one you are getting. The question is if you want to roll the dice on matters of safety.

To me, paying for that certification is paramount. It means there is a paper trail to follow in terms of accountability if a product fails on the job. Where is the accountability in a fly by night manufacturer?

What makes it more muddy is that companies can reproduce trademarks and etchings so well that you think you are getting legit, tested product with proper certification when you aren't.

[BennyBoy]

a lot of things now say "Assembled in <Insert Country>" but parts are all manufactured in China, silly way to get around the "Made in China" tag