Black Bear Airsoft Reaper mask

[chas]

I recently got back into active airsofting and, after chipping a tooth (no biggie, but it did hurt a bit and cost me 150 € to have it rebuild) I decided I needed a decent mask as much as my goggles.

I’ve tried wearing bandanas, balaclavas and neoprene masks, but they all tend to rush the fogging process of my goggles, so I decided to try one of these mesh masks for their obvious breathability.

 

There are actually quite a few companies making at least 10 different models, so it wasn’t easy choosing one model without trying it on first. I decided to get this one for 2 reasons: 1) It covered my whole face but not the ears, which I feel must be uncomfortable, and 2) the strapping system (there’s one long strap, adjustable at 2 points, going from side to side of your head and going through a big piece o double-sided Velcro, wich also acts as the top strap and covers 20 cm x 10 cm on the back of your head, thus preventing slipping and keeping the mask in place without excessive pressure).

Also, these masks are cheap enough that you can buy one and, should you not like it, sell it on. I don’t buy on impulse much and the reselling capability of most airsoft products (as a counter-measure against buyers remorse) is always one of my decision points.

 

One thing I was afraid of, though, was the mask getting deformed during the shipping or when the mailman tries to shove it in my mailbox, but thankfully this company thought ahead and the mask comes in a nice little box.

Another concern I had before getting it was if it would adapt to my face well, because I have a pretty big nose. No problem there either, as the design is big enough and yet, if you have a smaller face or skull, the adjustable straps will allow you to fit the mask to your physiognomy. This might sound obvious, but the shape of my face prevents me from wearing any eye protection that isn’t goggles, as any glasses I have tried on leave a big gap under my eye sockets through which a BB could come in (read on if you are interested in knowing whether you can wear this with glasses).

 

Is it comfortable: obviously not as much as wearing no mask at all, but its like eye protection: the uncumbersomness is the price to pay for your safety. Its not only the chance of having tooth broken or chipped: its the not having to tell people the welts on your face are mosquito bites on Monday (I rather not even bother to explain airsoft to people in the office). Anyway, just the breathability makes this mask way more comfy than a paintball mask.

This reminds me of another issue I had about full-face masks: peripheral vision. As you can see in the pics below, the vision slit is pretty wide and (after wearing it without my goggles) I determined that the goggles hindered my vision more than the mask could.

 

I decided to try this out wearing a friend’s ESS Ice under the mask and it was completely fine. Now the gap under the glasses is protected by the mask itself, so I might consider getting a pair for myself to wear with the mask.

 

The straps are elastic, so I have adjusted them once and only pull a little on them top put the mask on. The piece of double-sided velcro that goes over the back of your head prevents the mask form moving around, and avoids the mask slipping down, which is a serious problem (as in having to adjust it all the time) with half-face masks, is removable, apparently to wash it (I don’t wash my skirmish BDU, sure as hell wont do it with this).

 

Now for the last and most important part: does it actually protect your face? To find out, I decided to give it a good testing with my Cyma M14 clocked at 395-400 FPS, shooting at the mask form close range, both in semi and full-auto. You cant see it in the pictures, but the mesh on this mask is almost twice as thick as the one on most other masks, so it barely got one tiny dent. I was using KSC 0,20g BBs and, while a lot did break on impact, I couldn’t find any noticeable fragments that could have penetrated the mesh.

 

 

http://www.acmgear.com/black-bear-airsoft-reaper-mask-black-assassin-style-mask-p-1440.html

 

Edited June 30, 2011 by chas