An important note on buying a new paintball mask:
A paintball mask is not just another piece of equipment in your gear bag. Not only does it protect your eyes and ears and face, it can be the deciding factor in enjoying a day of paintball. Before you buy a paintball mask, TRY IT ON. This is the best advice one can give when you are shopping for a new mask. A mask will fit everyone differently, I may like a mask that you hate, but that does not make it a "bad" mask. A paintball mask is personal preference, get out to your local Pro-shop or paintball store and try it on before you buy.
Some background information:
I have used many different masks. Everything from the lower end Scott and Tippmann Masks that came with my first 98 Custom to the Empire E-Vents, V-Force Grill and Dye I4's with almost everything in between.
I have been using the JT Proflex almost exclusively for the past couple years (since I first tried them on).
How does it look and "making it yours?"
This is all opinion, what do you think? The Proflex has more options to make it look different or more the way you want than any other mask I can think of. Every part is interchangeable with a different color or option.
Below is one of my Flex's; Chrome lens, pink bottoms, blue frame, blue and pink checkered KM strap, Black soft ears:
Field of Vision and Fog?
As with the other high end masks, the field of vision is excellent and rivals its competition. I have also never had an issue with fog. I have used the above mask in Massachusetts for almost 2 years, as well as a hot summer day of play in Florida and not one fog issue.
Weight and Overall Comfort:
This is a very light mask. For comparison, it is lighter than the E-Vents I used to use. This is the most comfortable mask I have ever used in paintball. I don't have any complaints here. The foam on the lens frame has held great over the course of my use, and shows no sign of wear yet. The picture below is the frame (upside down) showing the foam has yet to show any issues.
Below is one of my Flex's; Chrome lens, pink bottoms, blue frame, blue and pink checkered KM strap, Black soft ears:
Field of Vision and Fog?
As with the other high end masks, the field of vision is excellent and rivals its competition. I have also never had an issue with fog. I have used the above mask in Massachusetts for almost 2 years, as well as a hot summer day of play in Florida and not one fog issue.
Weight and Overall Comfort:
This is a very light mask. For comparison, it is lighter than the E-Vents I used to use. This is the most comfortable mask I have ever used in paintball. I don't have any complaints here. The foam on the lens frame has held great over the course of my use, and shows no sign of wear yet. The picture below is the frame (upside down) showing the foam has yet to show any issues.
Ventilation and Sound:
Ventilation could only be better if the face protection wasn't there. You can see just by looking at it how well it vents. Row after row of holes all around the mouth (and whole bottom for that matter) allows the air to dissipate quickly in all conditions, even heavy breathing.
Also, when yelling to others on the field, there is no "echo" as with some other masks. The only way it could be improved would be to have nothing in front of your mouth (and we could all guess how that would end up).
The Proflex utilizes "soft ears" meaning instead of hard plastic covering your ears (grill, vents etc) you have a piece of foam attached to the mask and held in place by the strap. These are pictured below.
These soft ears allow you to hear excellent. This means a lot to me, as my hearing isn't too great in the first place. Some companies also offer soft ears with designs or in different colors.
Lens Changing:
Changing the lens. This is the downfall of the Proflex for many people. Think about it, between games you don't want to be wasting those few minutes struggling with a lens. V-Force, DYE, Empire and others have a far faster system for changing the lens quickly. If you are looking to get a Flex, you have to face the fact you won't be changing your lens in 10 seconds any time soon.
To some, this is the make or break feature. To me, its no big deal. I don't mind taking a minute or two to change my lens. The first few times, it will be mildly difficult. After that, it tends to get easier, because you now understand how to do it better, and the part has gotten a bit "softer" around the clips, allowing you to do it faster.
The Proflex uses little clips around the lens to attach to the frame. You insert these "clips" into holes in the frame to lock it into place. It is a very secure system and the lens will not come loose.
You can see in the pictures the "clips," in the picture above you can see "clips" on the underside (2 near the nose area, two near where your cheeks contact the foam).
Coverage and Safety:
The Proflex provides excellent coverage for everyone I know who has tried it on. Unlike some others (I4...) you don't need a small head to wear it. You will have to get used to a couple features though if you are coming from another mask.
For one, the soft ears. They are.. soft. I know who would have thought, right? This means when you get hit in that soft ear, you will feel it a bit more than the hard ears or the thicker soft ears on others (in my experience, DYE uses thicker ears).
The second is the mask bottoms:
The whole black part you see is much softer than most other masks. Yes, this promotes bounces. But once in a while you will get a hit farther down on that piece and it will flex a bit much and you feel it more than you want to.
As you can also see in the pic, the Proflex comes with a non-removable (without modification) chinstrap. I know most people prefer just to cut this off or drill out the rivet, but I like it there. I had a nasty incident with barbed wire on a renegade/outlaw field that pulled my mask off, and since then... you get the point.
What does it come with?
If you choose to buy a Flex brand new, you will receive the mask with a clear lens. You will also receive a visor (not pictured, I prefer to run without one) and a drawstring bag to keep the mask from getting dirt/dust on it or the lens from being scratched. The bag I received was not the same material as the Empire ones though (which was microfiber, excellent for cleaning paint off your mask).
Overall Quality:
Again, not a bad thing to say after all my use of it.
Other Information:
Like I said above, everything on this mask can be customized the way you like it. This is one of my masks and I am about to build another. I prefer KM straps based upon quality and what is in this image:
At the moment, I can't see myself switching to a different mask as long as parts are still being made for the Flex and I can get a new lens once in a while.
Below are a couple pictures of me "in action" with the Flex (a cooler way to say "I am wearing it"):
Center in the multicam. This is one of my other Flex's (black with a rose lens)
