What Kind of Clothing Should You Wear for Airsoft

What to wear for airsoft is a common question that those who are just venturing into the sport tend to ask. While it's a given that you will need to put together a protective loadout that includes gear such as face and eye protection, the rest of your airsoft apparel is a matter of choice. With that said, though, choosing the right airsoft clothing can give a few competitive edges in addition to ensuring that you stay comfortable on the airsoft field. In this article, we will address the question of what to wear for airsoft by taking a detailed look at the various types of clothing that you will want to consider as you go about compiling airsoft outfit ideas. 

Footwear

When choosing the boots or shoes that you will wear into battle, it's important to take into account comfort, traction, and ankle protection. You'll be spending a lot of time on your feet, so start by selecting footwear that provides a snug and comfortable fit that won't cause any nasty blisters after you've been running around in them all day. Next, it's important to choose footwear that provides a good deal of traction since you may find yourself needing to navigate wet or muddy surfaces. Finally, no matter if you are playing outdoors or in an indoor arena, it's important to find a pair of boots that give you good ankle support. When you are running around, especially on uneven surfaces, you don't want to roll your ankle, and boots that allow you to hold your ankle in place are quite important while playing!

If you are going for a milsim outfit, a good pair of combat boots is a great option to consider and the most popular choice for airsoft footwear. If aesthetics isn't too much of a concern and you would like to save a little money, a comfortable pair of sneakers that provide plenty of traction is a more than adequate choice for airsoft as well. A third option is opting for a good pair of hiking boots, this gives you the best of all three aspects of finding good footwear. However, they are usually slightly more expensive.

Headgear

Protective airsoft headgear such a face shields, eye protection, and helmets are a necessity for any airsoft engagement. In addition to this protective headgear, though, there are some other types of headgear that you will want to consider as well when figuring out what to wear for airsoft. A Helmet such as the WoSport FAST Helmet, for example, can serve as a great way to protect your head against BBs hits, while a balaclava such as the Pentagon Apokripsis Balaklava can be a great choice for colder weather that also serves as additional protection for your face.

Gloves

A good pair of gloves accomplishes a couple of important purposes. For one, gloves are great for keeping your hands warm and loose when you are playing in colder weather. Wearing gloves can also help you keep your hands protected from cuts, scrapes, and blisters. Finally, it also adds a better gripping feel when your pistol grip or handguard gets slipper. When choosing a pair of gloves for airsoft, though, it's important to select a pair that provides plenty of dexterity and sure grip. You don't want to wear gloves that are going to impede your ability to operate your airsoft gun or perform other fine motor movements, such as reloading or operating switches. So it's best to stick with gloves that are a little thinner and more playable. Our PIG Full Dexterity Tactical are a great product to consider since these gloves offer a decent level of warmth and protection while still allowing for complete dexterity. These high-quality gloves also feature a touchscreen-compatible forefinger and thumb, allowing you to operate your smartphone without having to take off your gloves. Lastly, the gripping surfaces are textured for a better hold.

Shirts

Since airsoft BBs pack quite a bit of sting when they hit bare skin, you'll want to stick with long sleeve shirts so long as the outside temperature isn't too hot. It's also a good idea to prioritize shirts that are camouflaged since camouflaged clothing can give you a competitive edge when you are in a wooded environment. Lastly, you will want to choose a shirt that is plenty comfortable and one that won't impede your movement. Thankfully, there are plenty of great airsoft shirts on the market today that meet all of these requirements.

Over the years, many manufacturers and brands that traditionally make military clothing have started to use more modern, more comfort-oriented materials that allow prolonged wear and do not feel bulky or uncomfortable. Many of these practices are found in combat shirts made for airsoft as well, such as the GK Tactical British Army Style S95 Combat Field Shirt, which, features lightweight yet high-strength, moisture-wicking fabric. If you would like to purchase a complete airsoft clothing set that includes both pants and a combat shirt then take a look at the Flash Force Industries Camo Gen 3 Combat Set. This pants and combat shirt clothing set offers a number of impressive features, including a Multicam Arid camo pattern, comfortable and durable nylon fabric, and built-in kneepads.

Pants

The considerations that go into choosing airsoft pants are the same considerations that go into choosing an airsoft shirt. You want pants that are lightweight yet durable, ideally camouflaged, and comfortable enough to wear all day. Once again, it is hard to beat the pants that come included in the Flash Force Industries Camo Gen 3 Combat Set. If you are just looking for a pair of airsoft pants and aren't interested in the shirt that comes included with this set, though, we recommend you check out the LBX Tactical Assaulter Pants. These high-quality pants come available in several different camo patterns and feature a 65/35 poly-cotton ripstop construction, numerous pockets, reinforced knees with pockets for kneepad inserts, and a reinforced seat patch. 

Much like the aforementioned combat shirts, these pants or combat pants use modern manufacturing processes that greatly enhance the comfort levels which allow you to easily wear them all day without feeling much discomfort or overheating if you live in hotter climates.

Additional Apparel

In the end, the sky is the limit when it comes to what to wear for airsoft, and there are plenty of other clothing accessories to choose from depending on the look you are going for and the conditions that you will be playing in. One thing you will definitely need is face protection, the Laylax (Battle Style) AeroFlex Face Guard is a great product to consider. If you would like to make yourself as stealthy and difficult to spot as possible, a Gillie suit is an excellent (albeit pricey) piece of clothing to purchase.

Chest rigs and tactical vests, meanwhile, can provide you with plenty of great storage options for your airsoft gear and extra magazines in addition to providing an additional layer of protection for your body. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of different airsoft clothing and apparel products to choose from, and the clothing and apparel that is ideal for you will ultimately depend on your own needs and preferences, your budget, and the conditions where you will be playing. 

What Not to Wear While Playing Airsoft

There are plenty of things that fall under the category of clothing that you will want to avoid when choosing your airsoft outfit, but a few are worth pointing out. To start, shorts and short-sleeved shirts are better off avoided unless the weather is particularly hot. There's no risk of real damage if a BB hits your bare skin, but it can leave a painful welt if you are hit from close range on an uncovered area of your body, so it's best to not leave any skin exposed if possible. Any footwear that isn't designed for active use should be avoided as well to prevent injury and blisters. You will also want to avoid any clothing that restricts your movement. Lastly, be sure to avoid wearing any insignia or badges from real military regiments/platoons. While it is perfectly acceptable to wear realistic military clothing, wearing clothing that features real-life insignia or badges ventures into the uncomfortable territory of stolen valor.