I want to start of by saying both my wife and I wear BitterEnd Goggles. I love these and have no problems buying more.
Having said that, other mesh goggles are coming on the scene and my local players are buying them up...which is GOOD cause I think stamped mesh ROCKS! But I felt I should buy a couple to review and see.
I posted this to their website as well. If quality safe mesh goggles can become mainstream for Airsoft, it would be for the better for us all, regardless of supplier.
http://www.ebairsoft.com/metal-wire-gog ... -3351.html
For protection to be considered properly it should be tested to the point of failure. That is what I have done. I found a couple issues that may or not apply to how hard they are depended on.
I just finished testing this with a 2.5j weapon firing from 30, 50, 90 feet with .43s.
The wire held up VERY well. They dented slightly at all ranges and more deeply closer up. I would consider the stamped mesh lens EXCELLENT protection.
At the same distances I tested shooting glasses, and a spare ess paintball z78+ (high impact) replacement lens.
The shooting lenses shrugged off all hits, even at those ranges that dented the mesh. The paintball lens fractured immediately and 30 and 50, and started to survive hits at 90. What i do NOT know is how they would hold up to extended use.
I like the mesh because you can FEEL when they are distressed and then act accordingly.
But back to these goggles. What DID fail was the frame in 2 ways.
at 30 feet the right frame edge (side of nose) SPLIT immediately allowing the lens to leave the frame backwards towards the face. It was hit low on the mesh near the check edge. Question: Is this a polycarbonate frame?
2nd observation. There is an inner lip that stops the lenses from leaving the frame backwards towards the face. On the top and nose side edges of the frame this lip is present and of a reasonable depth (1.4mm). The bottom lip however is very small(0.35mm), and allows the lens to kick backwards. Both lenses did this. The first movement also popped the frame at the same time.
This was an test of worse case, ie sniper engaging with upgraded weapon too close. Pictures will be available shortly.
I would like that one lens lip increased, and I would like to know if these frames are a polycarbonate.
Otherwise I like these... which is why I tested one to the point of failure. I want a product like this to succeed.
Thanks Paul for bringing these stamped steel goggle out. But please look at these 2 questions.
end post
Pictures to follow.