Airsoft is one of the fastest growing war-game sports, not only in America, but all around the globe. One may question the overall safety and responsibility of the players and staff that are involved in the sport, since the replicas used do resemble a real fire arm so closely. Luckily the airsoft community is one of the most safety conscious hobby/sport industries around. Here at Airsoft GI we are dedicated to the safety of our customers, and offer many items in our catalog to protect you from the risks you face when airsofting.

Airsoft, by definition, is a War-Game sport that employs the use of airsoft replicas (of real firearms) that typically fire a 6mm plastic pellet at relatively low velocities. A typical airsoft game involves two teams that are differentiated by colors such as tan versus green with a specific goal such as domination or capture the flag. More advanced and larger games involve much more in depth “objectives” that involve a story or scenario. In an airsoft game a player is eliminated or “killed” by taking a shot from a 6mm pellet to either their body or gear. When the player is struck with a 6mm pellet or BB, as it is commonly referred to in the industry, the player is supposed to loudly call “hit” and take out their red rag to notify other players that they have been eliminated. As the BB does not provide any form of a definite and clear hit airsoft is known as an “Honor Sport” meaning that the game play depends on the participants honor to call themselves out when hit, unlike paintball which actually leaves a mark on the target.

The 6mm pellet, while fired at a low velocity, can be dangerous if proper safety equipment is not employed. As a War-Game style sport most players opt to build their “load-out” and safety gear to resemble that of the armed forces. As such there are a few types of “load-outs” that players employ for the two main types of play, indoor CQB and outdoor. CQB focuses mainly on face protection, as high velocity BBs at close range can take out eyes, chip teeth, and even break skin. Outdoor protection focuses on protecting the player from outside elements such as nature, hazaards like rocks, glass, sharp metal fragments, and even the Sun. This spotlight will break down the different forms of protection offered so that you may be properly prepared to play Airsoft.

Face Protection is one of the most important pieces of gear that players would need in an airsoft game. Protecting your face is essential for those that play in the CQB environment. Most fields require players to wear a full face mask to not only protect your eyes but also his/her entire face. Airsoft GI carries a large inventory of full face masks ranging from a different array of prices.

Protecting your eyes is the most important when it comes to face protection. Shooting glasses provide some sort of eye protection but the best resort is full seal goggles. Full seal goggles form a complete barrier around your eyes to prevent bbs from entering from the sides. Seeing the need for eye protection, we carry a large variety of eye protection with different designs in a range of prices for you to choose from.
Upper body protection can be useful in some occasions. Plate carriers are a great way to protect your upper body as they offer the user to ability to carry the needed necessities on the battlefield as well as protecting the user during engagements from high velocity airsoft guns and close quarter action. Chest rigs and crossdraw vests offer less protection but come with a wide variety of pouches, pockets, and MOLLE to add more essential accessories for your gear loadout, offering cover from BB fire and storage functionality.  Airsoft GI carries many different style of these items.
Protecting your hands, feet, and joints can often be overlooked until the moment you hurt yourself on environmental hazards, turn a corner too hard and bump an elbow, or take a knee on a BB or rock and realize a little foresight would have saved pain. It is important to protect all parts of your body to be in top shape when taking on a game. We offer a wide variety of glove, boot, and pad styles to better protect you from field hazards and common mishaps.

It is important that you always treat your airsoft gun like a real firearm. The 5 firearm safety rules always apply to airsoft gun.(1) Always Treat A Firearm As If It Is Loaded. (2) Always Keep The Firearm Pointed In A Safe Direction. (3) Always Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Ready To Shoot. (4) Always Keep Your Firearm Unloaded Until It Is Ready For Use. (5) Always Be Sure Of Your Target and What Is Beyond It. The use of a barrel plug will prevent any bbs from exiting the chamber in case of accidental fire. Additionally, protecting your gun and keeping those who are unfamiliar with airsoft guns safe is just as important. Always store your airsoft guns properly: in gun bags and cases, away from public eye, until you reach your destination.

There are numerous brands of full-coverage face masks to choose from. Generally, they start at the bottom of the chin, continue up to the upper part of the forehead, and wrap around the back of the head to hold it on. They have lenses to protect the eyes, and are constructed of a hardened polymer to protect the rest of the face. Many of them also come with visors that can be attached to the top of the mask or are built onto the mask to help block the glare from the sun. Many players prefer to use this style of mask to protect not only their eyes, but their faces as well, while others prefer to use standard goggles instead to avoid the lens fogging that happens in many of the less expensive face masks. Full coverage face masks also tend to make it more difficult to use ate standard sights on your Airsoft gun because they bump into the cheek rest on your stock and do not allow your head to sit low enough to see through them. Recently, however, more companies have been designing their masks to be slimmer in the cheek area to avoid this problem.

Players who choose to wear goggles instead of full face masks often use half masks to help protect the lower section of the face. Half masks are made of either a metal mesh as shown here or hard plastic to help protect from BB fire. Utilizing the half mask and goggle approach to face protection often solves the problem of goggles fogging up, as it allows more airflow to be circulated throughout the area. This set up also takes away from blocking your sightline to your sights, so you may properly utilize your weapon's sights.

Balaclavas, also known as recon wraps, helmet liners, tactical hoods, ski masks, etc., are a form of fabric headgear that covers the majority of the wearer’s head but often leave the eyes and/or the mouth exposed.  Their primary function is to provide warmth to the user but for airsoft purposes also provides some light face protection when used in conjunction with goggles.  Higher end models also boast moisture wicking features.

Balaclavas, also known as recon wraps, helmet liners, tactical hoods, ski masks, etc., are a form of fabric headgear that covers the majority of the wearer’s head but often leave the eyes and/or the mouth exposed.  Their primary function is to provide warmth to the user but for airsoft purposes also provides some light face protection when used in conjunction with goggles.  Higher end models also boast moisture wicking features.

Although Airsoft helmets do not provides any ballistic protection, they are still very popular amongst many airsofters, especially those that play Mil-Sim. Most helmets are made with highly durable ABS plastic, which offers light weight. However, higher quality helmets are made with Fiber Glass, which has a more realistic weight compared with their ballistic counter part. The PASGT style helmet is the older generation of helmet that utilizes a suspension system and a 2 point strap system. MICH or ACH style offers foam padding and a 4 point strap system, making this style of helmet a lot more comfortable and stable. The design also allows the operator to use headsets and hearing protection underneath. The FAST style helmet offers ultimate comfort, stability, and versatility. Using the integrated Head-Lock Shin Strap Retention system, it gives the helmet 4x more stability than standard issue ACH or MICH Style helmets. The FAST style helmet has reduced side protection, allowing operators to use headsets or hearing protection comfortably. The FAST style helmets are truly the next generation of helmet.

Ballistic shooting glasses are the low profile approach to eye protection. They offer just the essential protection to the eyeballs and do not cover any other area, nor do they have a protective seal around the glasses to keep elements out, much like normal sunglasses. Some models come with multiple lenses in different shades to help protect from the Sun's glare.

Full seal goggles are very popular in airsofting and Airsoft GI carries a wide variety of styles in our catalog. These goggles offer full seal protection around the eye area, made possible by soft foam or rubber frames and elastic bands used to keep the goggles fitting snug on your face. Most models come with vented airholes along the top rim to help circulate air and keep fogging to a minimum. Unlike a full facemask they do not block other areas of the face which makes the issue of blocked sights non existent. However, since full seal goggles only protect the eye area, many players will couple these with other pieces of face protection such as half masks, balaclavas, recon wraps, helmets, or even hats.

Unlike plate carriers, tactical vests do not offer any ballistic protection. Tactical vests generally do not accept ballistic protection also. They are designed to carry equipment such as magazines and mission essential equipment. They are lighter than plate carriers but a little bit heavier than chest rigs. Some tactical vests also come with a pistol holster on the opposite side of your dominate hand, which require you to do a cross draw motion, hence the name crossdraw vest.

Chest rigs are personal load carrying equipment that hold only the essential equipment, such as magazines, medical equipment, and essential utilities. Chest rigs are for people who like to have a lot of mobility and carry the minimal amount of equipment into the battlefield. Chest rigs are designed to be light weight, but at the same time able to carry all the mission essential equipment. Generally, there are 2 types of chest rights, MOLLE chest rigs and preassembled chest rigs. Some MOLLE Chest rigs come with pouches and let you decide where to put them. Other MOLLE Chest rigs do not come with any pouches and require you to purchase pouches. Preassembled chest rigs are not customizable, and most of them are gun specific.

As their name implies, the main purpose of plate carriers is to carry ballistic plates. Plate carriers do not offer any ballistic protection by themselves; however, with a ballistic plate inserted in the plate carrier it does offer the level of protection stated on the ballistic plate. For Airsoft purposes a plate carrier does offer very good protection against BBs. Plate carriers are most popular amongst Mil-Sim airsofters because majority of plate carriers are equipped with MOLLE. MOLLE or Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment is the standard system for attaching pouches on to the plate carrier.

Boots can prevent unintentional and unnecessary injuries while running drills on the range with your firearms or playing airsoft. Selecting a good pair of boots not only minimizes the chance of getting injuries, but it can also maximize your experience during a training session or at an Airsoft game. Boots also have better traction compared to other shoes and sneakers, preventing the operator from slipping on slippery surfaces. Taller boots also can prevent you from twisting your ankle, which by the way, is the worst thing that can happen while chasing a bad guy.

While gloves may not be at the top of your list of tactical gear to buy right away, you should not overlook them.  There are many types of gloves on the market that are designed for specific purposes, and choosing the right ones for Airsoft can be a chore.  The idea Airsoft gloves protect the wearer’s hands from BB hits and provides cushion for gripping and moving; even one layer of fabric is better than nothing.  Gloves also protect your hands from the harsh outside environments you might come in contact with such as glass or sharp metal.   Hard knuckle gloves offer the most protection but are bulky and aren’t as maneuverable as soft-style gloves.  The choice is completely up to your preference and play style, as we offer both types in our catalog.

Safety gear such as elbow and knee pads are also highly valuable while on the field to protect you when coming in contact with the ground or any other hard surface. These will protect you when rounding corners or taking a knee, ensuring if you do happen to bump yourself on a wall or kneel on anything dangerous that you will not be hurt by it. Pads usually go over your BDUs, strapped on by velcro staps that wrap around your knees and elbows and attach to the opposite side of the pad.

As a responsible airsofter and firearm enthusiast a gun bag is a “must have” in your tactical gear arsenal. It is also a legality issue because for some states, transporting your firearms without a gun case/bag is considered brandishing a weapon. To transport your firearms and / or airsoft gun safely and responsibly, you need some kind of case or bag. By having the right case you can not only safely transport your firearm, you can also preserve your firearm and / or Airsoft Gun a lot better. Therefore in a sense, a gun case is just as important as your other tactical gear such as your vest, pouches, and other supporting equipment.

When not in play, barrel plugs are required by many Airsoft fields for safety reasons.  Although they should be considered a last line of defense, barrel plugs prevent BBs from leaving the barrel of an Airsoft gun if one were to accidentally discharge in the staging area or parking lot.  They also visually confirm for other players and field refs that an Airsoft gun is safe.  Airsoft players should ensure that their Airsoft guns are empty and safe when off the field.