y first ever quality eye pro was the ESS ICE 2.4 that shipped with clear, black and yellow lenses. However when they got worn out I upgraded to the Crossbow-series that was a later add-on to ESS' selection of eye pro. If you haven't heard of ESS before they were founded in 1998 and they specifically create eye protection systems for military, law enforcement, fire/rescue and shooting sports market. They're also the only authorized eye wear provider for the USMC and also a subsidiary of Oakley Inc.
So when it comes to eye wear you can definitely trust that ESS products are some of the best on the market.
As such the Crossbow is compliant with U.S. Federal OSHA, ANSI Z87.1?2015, CE EN 166 and U.S. MIL-PRF-32432A standards.
The Crossbow is also advertised to have a great fit thanks to ESS Tri-Tech Fit, and for me Crossbows with the standard frame are definitely the most comfortable eye wear that I've owned. However when trying out the Suppressor frames I've found them to dig into my ears from time to time especially when wearing a headset. However I think ESS has also changed the Suppressor design along the way and I'm now testing a newer pair of those frames.
Another key feature of the model is the interchangeable lenses that are held in place in the frame with ESS Dedbolt Lens Lock. The lenses are definitely easy to switch and I've never had the lock fail even though I've had several impacts on the lens and frames during airsoft games.
Optical clarity on ESS lenses are great, although not maybe quite on par with Oakley although they're a subsidiary of them. However you won't be disappointed.
One key gripe users of eye pro often have is how easily they fog up. On the Crossbow lenses ESS has applied "ClearZone Flowcoat Technology" which they claim prevents fogging completely on the inside and stops scratching on the outside of the lenses. From what I've seen over the years fogging is extremely dependent on the user, due to differences in perspiration levels around the face. Another attribute to finding less foggy eye wear is paying attention to how closed or open the eye wear design is. More air flow between the lenses and your face = less fogging. I personally do not sweat that much from the face and thus have had very little fogging problems, close to zero problems when using ESS Crossbows. Keeping personal differences in mind I would definitely recommend Crossbows for those who have fogging problems with their current eye wear.
I can also recommend the Crossbows for being very scratch proof, I've only had to replace lenses after putting them through quite a bit of use. Especially if you have the possibility to take care of your eye pro the lens will last long.
Note also that if you need to fit prescription lenses to your eye pro the Crossbow's support that with Rx inserts.
Finally, one small detail I really like about the Crossbows is the strap that comes with them. It's great for securing the frames so your eyes aren't compromised after sudden movements or lenses impact making your frames move out of place.
All in all the ESS Crossbow is an excellent piece of eye pro and definitely my go-to pair, actually I just bought another pair with the Hi-Def Copper Lens as I've been so pleased with my first pair.
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