EXFIL® Face Shield or EXFIL® Ballistic Visor? How to Decide What’s Right for You

Ballistic helmet visors and face shields should be deployed in very different situations

It’s hard to complete the mission when you can’t see.

A face shield or ballistic visor from Team Wendy can make the difference between sight and blindness. They both protect your eyes while still allowing you to run accessories like NVGs or thermal optics on your helmet.

But ask yourself this: do you need to shoulder a rifle?

That’s a key difference between the EXFIL® Face Shield and the EXFIL® Ballistic Visor. The face shield’s long polycarbonate lens covers the entire face of the operator, preventing debris or liquid from getting into your eyes or burning your skin. It signals an end to the days of carrying both a ballistic helmet and a riot helmet on the job. When an emergency situation arises, simply grab your face shield and you’re ready to go – and without sacrificing the ballistic protection you could need. The Team Wendy EXFIL® Face Shield mounts to the EXFIL® Rail 3.0, available on our EXFIL® Ballistic SL, EXFIL® Ballistic, EXFIL® Carbon or EXFIL® LTP that you’re already comfortably wearing.

The face shield is not made for individuals who need to shoulder weapons, whether it be a rifle or launcher. If your weapon requires you to achieve a solid cheek weld or look through a sight, then the EXFIL® Ballistic Visor would better serve you.

It too protects your eyes from liquids and projectiles. It too features a solid seal lip at the top that blocks substances from running down the front of the helmet and getting into your eyes. It too clears the helmet shroud. In fact, the visor and face shield use the same frame, which can be set in down, up or stowed positions. When in the stowed position, both products provide clearance for NVG mounts. Finally, both the ballistic visor and face shield can be donned, removed or adjusted for ventilation while running accessories on your shroud.

However, the shape of the visor – made with ESS Lens Technology – still allows for shouldering a weapon. We tested the visor with various weapons in the lab to ensure our measurements would allow operators to achieve a solid cheek weld. First and foremost, we had to accommodate rifle use, which is commonly regarded as a primary weapon for most SWAT teams. It’s a question we get a lot – can I shoulder my rifle while wearing a Team Wendy visor? Yes, you can.

Here are other commonly-asked questions about the EXFIL® Ballistic Visor and EXFIL® Face Shield.

By Joe Nagy
U.S. Law Enforcement & SAR Market Manager