If you have any questions about ESS, its products, or its services, you may find the answers below.

1. Does the fact that a goggle passes ANSI Z87.1 or the US Mil Spec test MIL-DTL-43511D mean that it is safe for Airsoft use?
2. What ESS products are recommended for use in Airsoft?
3. I currently own a pair of ESS military goggles (the Profile TurboFan)...is there a way to make this safer for use in Airsoft?
4. Why is it important to use a Cortex Clip on ESS Profile Series goggles?
5. What are some important considerations to keep in mind when evaluating eye protection for Airsoft use?
6. In terms of ballistic impact protection, what level of protection should eye protection provide for use in Airsoft?

1. Does the fact that a goggle passes ANSI Z87.1 or the US Mil Spec test MIL-DTL-43511D mean that it is safe for Airsoft use?
   Not necessarily.  ESS believes that both ballistic impact protection AND coverage are essential for Airsoft-safe eye protection.  ESS does recommend that only goggles that pass or exceed the US Mil Spec test MIL-DTL-43511D be considered for Airsoft use.  Additionally, the goggle should also provide an extra level of coverage protection to prevent Airsoft rounds from indirectly penetrating the goggle through vulnerable areas around the lens. An example of such additional coverage protection is the ESS Cortex Clip.
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2. What ESS products are recommended for use in Airsoft?
   Whether for training or recreation, ESS military/tactical products should only ever be worn on the Airsoft Battlefield when accompanied by an ESS Cortex Clip^TM.  These products include:
   
   
   
   • ESS Profile NVG^TM goggles with a Cortex Clip^TM
   
   
   • ESS Profile Thermal^TM goggles with a Cortex Clip^TM
   
   
   • ESS Profile TurboFan^TM goggles with a Cortex Clip^TM
   
   
   
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3. I currently own a pair of ESS military goggles (the Profile TurboFan)...is there a way to make this safer for use in Airsoft?
   Yes, the ESS Cortex Clip^TM can be purchased separately and installed on any existing Profile NVG^TM, Profile Thermal^TM, or Profile TurboFan^TM goggle.
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4. Why is it important to use a Cortex Clip on ESS Profile Series goggles?
   Even a goggle with MIL SPEC–rated lenses (such as ESS Profile^TM Series goggles) can still be hazardous. High-speed Airsoft rounds pose a unique threat to goggles that even military goggles are not intended to protect against.  Because Airsoft rounds do not typically penetrate and embed in the skin, they can bounce and redirect in ways that shrapnel, for example, does not.  Just about any goggle currently in existence can be indirectly infiltrated around the perimeter, especially if an Airsoft round hits a user around the cheek/nose area.  In these cases, the round may continue to push its way underneath the goggle and into the eyes, where it can do extreme amounts of damage. 
   
   Thus, despite the high level of ballistic impact protection inherent in ESS Profile^TM Series goggles, it is extremely important to use an ESS Cortex Clip^TM in conjunction with these goggles on the Airsoft Battlefield. 
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5. What are some important considerations to keep in mind when evaluating eye protection for Airsoft use?
   Perhaps the most important thing to ask yourself (or the manufacturer) is: Does this product provide an adequate level of both ballistic impact protection as well as coverage from projectiles?
   
   There are numerous products that may protect against one or the other, but it is important that Airsoft eye pro provides BOTH impact protection (US MIL SPEC MIL-DTL-43511D is recommended) AND coverage (so that a round cannot sneak around the lens into the eye area).
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6. In terms of ballistic impact protection, what level of protection should eye protection provide for use in Airsoft?
   Although the ANSI Z87.1 standard is often referenced on many fields as the baseline level of ballistic protection for Airsoft, ESS recommends that Airsofters only use products that can meet the more rigorous US Military’s Mil Spec Test: MIL-DTL-43511D.  This standard, which demands for more than six times the level of impact protection as required by ANSI Z87.1, requires that goggle lenses can withstand impacts from .22 chisel-point projectiles fired at 550 feet/sec (~167m/sec) without penetrating the lenses.  ESS believes that this same standard should be required for Airsoft.
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