What Are The Best Paintball Vests | Buyer Guide + Reviews

A paintball vest is a garment worn over the body, typically made of nylon or leather, that covers most of the torso and arms. It may have pockets for storage of paintballs and other gear.

A paintball vest is an essential part of the gear. It provides protection from splashes of paint and other hazards that might cause injury or even death if they hit you directly. It also ensures that you stay hydrated when playing in hot weather conditions or during strenuous activity.

Tactical Vests vs Plain Vests

Military styled heavy duty paintball vests are with multiple storage pockets for ammo and other equipment. These tactical paintball vests protect your chest from high-speed paintball and other potential hazards. But these are heavier than plain paintball vests.

Unlike tactical vests, plain vests do not have storage pockets and are much lighter in weight. But they differ in the sense that you would be carrying a separate carry bag for your ammo.

In short tactical vests provides all the space needed to store required equipment on the field. 

How to Choose The Best Paintball Vests?

The best paintball vests will be comfortable to wear and provide maximum comfort during your game time. They should also be lightweight so that you don’t feel weighed down by them while playing. In addition to this, the best paintball vests should come with extra storage space for your gear so that you don’t have to carry everything separately each time you go out to play.

What to Consider When Buying a Paintball or Airsoft Vest

There are many types of paintball vests on the market. Some are designed for specific purposes such as tactical vests or tactical pants, while others offer more general purpose designs for all-around use. You should be able to find a vest that is right for you based on your intended activities, but there are some general rules that apply regardless of what type of vest you buy:

1) Snugly Fitted

Make sure you want to wear a vest and not just a shirt or jacket. A vest is designed to be worn over your clothes and keep you protected from paintballs, but it also can add bulk if you’re not wearing it correctly. The vest should fit snugly around your chest without restricting the movement of your arms or shoulders and should provide enough protection for the most common types of injuries that occur during play. If you’re having trouble finding a good fit, try on one at a store first before making your purchase online.

2) Aesthetics

Choose a color that suits your personality and style preferences. There are many different colors that are available, ranging from basic black to military green, camo patterns, and plenty of other options. Some players prefer colored vests because they look more stylish than black ones, while others think they’re easier to see through or don’t like being in the dark when wearing one. Whatever color suits you best is up to personal preference!

3) Price 

Now that you know what kind of paintball vest you want, it’s time to figure out where in your budget it should be placed. This will depend on how much money you have available for this purchase as well as how often you plan on playing paintball with friends or family members who don’t want to spend their hard earned money on a new vest every time they come over for a game of paintball with you!

List of 6 Best Paintball Vests with Prices 

When choosing a vest, only choose the best.

PREVIEW	PRODUCT	PRICE
Best Seller Paintball Vests	GZ XINXING Black Tactical Paintball Vest Features: Large Capacity Nylon Buckle Closure multiple pouches and pockets	Check on AmazonCheck on Ebay
Heavy Duty Paintball Vest	Actionunion Tactical Vest Paintball Vest – Airsoft Vest Features: EVA & Sponge Cloth 1.4 kg Max No built-in storage	Check on AmazonCheck on Ebay
Thick padded Tactical Vest	Maddog Lightweight Tactical Paintball Sport Vest Features: Nylon Standard Lightweight	Check on AmazonCheck on Sears
For Pro Players	OneTigris Griffin AFPC Modular Vest Features: 500D Cordura Nylon 1.3kg Multicam	Check on AmazonCheck on Evike
Versatile & Affordable Paintball Vest	MGFLASHFORCE Tactical Adjustable Modular Paintball Vest Features: Polyester 1.6kg Adjustable fit for Medium – XXL	Check on AmazonCheck on ebay
Best For Fatter Players	ThreeH Outdoor Protective Tactical Vest Paintball Features: Large 1.6 pounds 600 D oxford fabric	Check on AmazonCheck on Ebay

Top 6 Paintball Vests to Buy in 2023 

An equipment vest is a thing for every paintballer to enhance their safety on the field and it shall not only protect you from being hurt but should also carry your paintball markers, shells, air tank, and extra apparel. Here are some useful reviews that will help you choose the right vest depending on the paintballing styles or tactics.

This is the first and top seller of body armor for paintball on my list of Best paintball vests. 

It has a huge storage capacity with multiple pockets. We can easily store our ammo at the head with extremely easy reach. This Vest has three standard sized pouches for magazines, one for flashlight, and one media pooch. Other than these, the vests also have two communication pouches. 

It was quite large in size, almost 50 inches on the chest but came with a buckle strap for adjustable fitting. Anyone from small size to Extra large can surely buy this tactical jacket. GZ XinXing has also three other color variants listed on the site including some blue and a camo one. 

The only issue was with its heavy-duty weight and breathable mesh. The vest felt very hot during higher temperatures and I Sweat a lot. But I expected this from a 100% Nylon material. Overall it’s durable and sturdy in design and gives a real feel on the field. 

Expert Recommendations 

I recommend this paintball tactical vest to all the players looking for a real feel vest and that too under $50. It’s a great and affordable paintball vest that really serves the purpose well.

If you want to stand out from the crowd of paintballers, go for this Action Union Vest. This is well made, sturdy and lightweight comparatively. The design and feel of the vest is also superb and I really enjoyed wearing this in my tournament battles.

Unlike Xinxang tactical vests these vests do not have pockets. But it has a Molle system where we can attach storage pockets and pouches but it doesn’t come with built-in storage to keep everything within reach.

It’s basically a tight-fit vest with adjustable shoulder and waist straps. Shoulder straps are fine in quality but waist buckles on the side are low quality and one of them broke after a couple of weeks. So I had to replace it with a new one manually and it was a headache.

Expert Recommendations 

I recommend this vest to anyone using electronic markers and doesn’t need magazine storage. Other storage issues can be managed by installing pockets etc. It is very solid, stylish, and well designed.

It’s another tactical vest on my list of best vests for paintball. Maddog has many vests and their variants but this one is better in terms of lightweight and affordable price point. Due to its lightweight, it’s the best bet to be used in hot weather and outdoor speedball.

Another major plus of this vest is that it has the capacity for air tank storage at the back while still being lightweight. It has also thick padding at the shoulder and back which feel extremely comfortable. It is my go-to choice on hot days when carrying heavy vests is quite a tough job.

One thing important to mention is that this Maddog vest is in standard size. Usually, this size fits all players. But if you are a petite or plus-sized person look into the size measurements carefully before buying. It has another variant with four Standard Paintball pods & remote coil. You can choose from both of them according to your budget and needs.

Expert Recommendations 

I found this paintball vest suitable for outdoor fields in hotter regions especially. It’s lightweight, well stitched, and sturdy. This vest is also suitable for day-long competitions.

This Multicam modular vest is my personal favorite on this list. I ordered this back in Winter and was amazed to see the exact match of the original product with the pictures on the listing. Because I was a bit skeptical about choosing this color. (Usually, Multicam and camo-colored products are a loose match of the pictures shown on the listing.) But I am happy with OneTigris that they are doing a great job. 

Other than color, its weight is also very light and easy to manage on the ground. Comfortable foam padding on the front and back saves you from the impact of paintballs and grenades. This has panels for the back and front plates and can be updated to a bulletproof vest simply by inserting bulletproof plates. 

But one thing I really want you all to know is its size. It’s standard size and probably won’t fit a big-sized player. Overall a great stylish vest to stand out from the crowd.

Expert Recommendations 

If you want to enter your paintball field in style, this is the protective chest rig for you. This vest is worth some extra bucks.

This stylish vest has a large capacity and all the necessary equipment can be stored in this. It had several pockets and pouches. The Vest is well stitched and constructed with 600D polyester. The side seams feel loosely stitched and I fear they will fall apart after some use. But I guess it is expected for this price. 

Padding at the back and front is also sufficient to block the impact of a high-speed paintball shot. Everything about the vest is great except its free sizing. It won’t fit a small person. But anyone between medium to 2L can fit well in this vest. 

One of my friends borrowed it and it was a bit loose for her and was moving badly while running. 

Mag pouches are also smaller and don’t fit my g36c mags properly. All in all a good purchase for less frequent players. 

Expert Recommendations 

I found this paintball vest suitable for medium-sized players. It’s versatile, and a great value for money overall.

ThreeH Outdoor protective vest is suitable for many purposes and sports including paintball, and airsoft. One of my young trainees was obese and we were on a hunt for a large sized protective tactical vest for him. We chose the Three H protective vest for him.

It has many other variants with and without detachable pockets. This variant is great in terms of sizing and impact resistance. It saves you from high-speed shots and provides good value for the money spent. 

Foam padding on the back and shoulders is also great and comfortable and do not feel heavy on your back even with protective plates.

My trainee was happy with this purchase and happily recommended this to everyone in the field.

Expert Recommendations 

I tried and tested this tactical vest for plus-sized players. And found it suitable for larger bodies. 

Final Thoughts 

If you want to enjoy the game when you are going to play paintball, you need to consider some points. So you can select the best product for yourself. Hope I have shared some good information with you. Best of luck with your purchase!