Written Review: VForce Grill
Aaron from Modern Intel reviews the VForce Grill paintball mask. Read the written review now!
Overview
The VForce Grill is a high-end paintball mask equivalent to the JT Proflex and the Dye I4 masks. You can pick from an assortment of colours including black, white, blue, red and green. The Grill comes with a standard single-pane anti-fog lens, a mask visor to decrease glare and direct sunlight, a chin strap to help keep the mask secure and some soft ear attachments which help to absorb impact on the ears and make the mask more comfortable for the user.
Specifications
The VForce Grill is a full-face paintball mask which uses sunglass-inspired spherical style lenses to increase your peripheral vision and help you see things you might not in other masks. The single-pane lens is anti-fog treated, this means that there are not two lenses attached together, possibly preventing the amount of problems with dual-pane lenses, such as the two panes separating from each other.
The styling is a very “hardcore” look, and allows for a low-profile and a very comfortable fit. The sizing will fit almost any user’s face, this mask is not too big and not too small, allowing for any face shape or size.
The mask incorporates some of the most advanced technology in masks today including a quick-change lens and a quick-change “clickdry” foam system, both allow the user to remove these parts of the mask in less than 30 seconds.
The Mask all disassembled
Materials
The mask is made up of two different materials. The upper part of the mask, surrounding the lenses is a hard plastic, this is not flexible whatsoever. The lower part of the mask, protecting your mouth, ears and jaw is a flexible rubber to prevent mask hits and increase bounces. Both materials do not feel cheap or low quality in any way. The rubber is flexible enough to help with bounces but not enough to create a hazard, so your face will always be protected.
The rubber mask vents allow maximum breathability
Pros
The quick-change system with both the lenses and foam allow for a fantastic user experience. It is awesome, being able to swap out ruined or fogged lenses for a new lens or even swapping out the foam for a fresh, dry foam. Some other masks may include these features but the ability to remove them as quickly as you can with the Grill is unmatched so far.
The single-pane anti-fog lens is nice, knowing you do not have to worry about the dual-pane lenses separating from each other and the anti-fog system works well and will help keep your vision clear through mostly any type of play. Although, no paintball mask is totally anti-fog, under the most rugged, hot and moist circumstances the lenses will begin to fog but this is no different than any other mask.
The styling of the mask allows for a amazingly comfortable user experience and there are plenty of air holes to help you to breath more air when getting rough. The looks are just amazing, creating a huge amount of intimidation for the opposing team.
The quick-change system allows you to tear down your mask in less than 30 seconds
Cons
There is a reason why some companies have chosen not to adapt the single-pane lenses. Cleaning the inside of the lens is a pain due to the fact that the anti-fog system is a soft coating on the inside of the lens that never actually dries. When cleaning you can expect your lenses to leave streaks, this can only be prevented by wiping the entire lens with warm water and leaving to air-dry, which obviously isn’t a choice in some paintball games.
The styling of the mask allows for a fantastic look, but decreases the middle of the forehead protection. Everyone has heard stories of people being shot right where the mask “dips” down and leaves an unprotected spot on the user’s forehead. This is a very small issue, I personally have never been shot in the forehead.
For all the features of this mask you can expect to pay a fairly high price. For some, this is an issue, but this is a high-end mask and most of them are priced in the same area.
The single-pane lens is clever, but is hard to clean on the field
Final Verdict
Overall, the VForce Grill paintball mask is a fantastic product. It is amazingly comfortable and will fit most anyone’s head without an issue. The small problems with the single-pane lens and low forehead protection are not enough to bother mostly anyone. The high price may turn off some buyers, but a mask of this caliber cannot be purchased without spending a little more cash.
September 3, 2010