VForce Grill Paintball Mask

Table of Contents

Until getting the VForce Grill Goggles, I was resigned to the belief that I would look and feel like a total geek every time I put on my paintball mask. My previous mask was top-heavy, poorly ventilated, and about as menacing as a rainbow. And I'm not even talking about a particularly evil looking rainbow, unfortunately. My main gear obsession with paintball has been markers, so I never really put much thought into masks. I figured all masks must be as flawed as mine was, and it's just something you endure while you play.. Boy, was I wrong.

How Does It Look & Feel?

Let's get the obvious part out of the way here... The Grill looks hardcore. The styling of the mask is like a cross between your standard paintball mask and DARTH VADER. If that doesn't turn your crank, go back to tending your rosebushes, Granny. With the way this mask looks, you can expect your friends to be envious and your foes to be intimidated. That said, we all know that looks aren't everything, especially when it comes to a device designed to protect your dome and eyelids.

As far as functionality, the Grill delivers. The unit comes stock with a clear thermal lens, with replacement lenses available in the standard array of colors. The lens is extremely easy to exchange, a feature it shares with all of the parts of the mask. This is a huge plus in those fast-paced games where you end up taking a shot straight to the lens and want to get back into the action ASAP. As soon as you're in the safe zone just pop the lens out, replace with a fresh one, and wipe the other one down later. This holds true for the pads and straps as well.

The Grill features much better ventilation than the mask I'm used to. I was actually able to breathe in cool fresh air rather than the warm sweat-infused stuff I'm used to with the old mask. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost, as I realized in my second game with the mask. Feeling invincible after taking down two of the opposing force by myself, I became over-confident and got sloppy trying to pop off shots at a third guy from behind a tree. I leaned out to get a better bead on him, and BAM, I took a mouthful of paint. I wish that was just metaphorical, but I actually did end up with my bottom lip covered in paint. The Grill is definitely a bit behind the curve as far as mouth coverage goes. It's certainly not a deal breaker for me, but it's definitely a low point for the mask and deserves mentioning. Just remember, this is paintball, and you're bound to get a facefull sooner or later.

In comparison with my old mask, the Grill is extremely lightweight. It's made from a a very flexible polymer, which means you don't have to worry about it cracking. It also means that this mask succeeds where so many other paintball masks fail. Get ready for it... It's legitimately comfortable. This may just be the joy of finding a superior product talking, but this mask is comfy enough that I would wear it out in public if it were socially acceptable. OK, so I'm exaggerating a bit there, but putting hyperbole aside, it is far more comfortable than one would generally expect a piece of safety equipment to be. Kudos to V-Force for a job well done.

Final Thoughts/Summary

Overall, I'd say that the VForce Grill gets a solid 9 out of 10. It's comfortable, lightweight, and very well ventilated. The construction quality is great, and it's a definite bonus to be able to swap parts so quickly. If I hadn't taken a mouthful of bright orange paint, this mask would be getting a perfect 10. At just under $99, it's a tad pricey, but I feel that it's worth every penny. Unexpected paint snacks aside, pros and newbies alike owe it to themselves to check out this mask. You can find them here at paintballmountain!

About the author

Niko Brain is a freelance writer and offers sound advice on the sport of Paintball. He runs his own personal paintball site and enjoys writing reviews on Paintball Guns and Paintball Supplies. For more information check out Your Paintball Sitemap.