What Is The Best Alternative To Paintball?

Paintball has long been one of the top recreational activities in the world.

Since its birth in the mid-60s, hundreds of thousands of players have participated in this game. Paintball tournaments and professional paintball teams are becoming more and more common each year.

It's understandable why so many people find paintball exciting. It's highly competitive, and it takes a specific set of skills and precision to be great at it. It not only entertains the players, but it can be just as exciting to be a spectator.

But like most sports, paintball has its problems, and some serious ones too. That leads many to wonder - what is the best alternative to paintball? One that provides all the same fun, excitement, and exercise without the drawbacks? Read through to the end - we'll give you our #1 recommendation.

First, we're going to talk about the various issues surrounding paintball that have plenty of parents concerned. 

What are some of the problems with paintball?

Before we discuss each possible alternative to paintball, it's good to know what exactly is making people worried. Here are a couple of issues with paintball that has people concerned:

Cheap Pellet Fillings

In an effort to be more eco-friendly, some paintball arenas use pellets with a shell made of biodegradable gelatin that dissolves in due time. Well-established paintball arenas can afford these high-quality pellets. But not all paintball pellets are equal.

Some paintball pellets may use the same biodegradable gelatin shell, but the filling or the paint inside the pellet might not be as safe and eco-friendly as you think. Cheap pellet fillings often use an oil-based filling that may be harmless to humans but can damage the environment and are toxic to animals.

Another type of filling, called polyethylene glycol or PEG, is actually made of food-grade materials. Again, they are non-toxic to humans and are less harmful to the environment, but they are still toxic to animals when consumed.

It's a problem since most paintball fields are inside woodlands where wildlife live. Not only is there a possibility for the wildlife to consume the pellet fillings, but the existence of a paintball field itself may also disturb any nearby wildlife habitats.

Pollution

Pollution does not only pertain to littering. Believe it or not, noise is also a form of pollution, and during paintball tournaments, pollution is a big problem.

With crowds gathering to watch these tournaments, it's common for large amounts of trash to accumulate during these events. The cheering from the fans may quickly turn into noise pollution too.

If you're wondering how noise becomes pollution, it mainly affects wildlife. Just like humans, animals can be stressed by noise, even more so than humans.

Animals will often flee their habitats to get away from the noise or change certain behaviors, such as the pitch of their mating calls. That can cause a significant change in that habitat's ecosystem which will cause a domino effect on all the other animals present in that ecosystem.

Paintball Gun Batteries

A paintball gun only works through the use of batteries, and though it may seem harmless to use batteries, you'll be shocked to know just how many of these end up in landfills each year. Because the reality is that modern-day paintball guns are incredibly inefficient.

Batteries contain all sorts of toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and sulfuric acid. These chemicals can be absorbed into the soil when thrown into landfills.

They can also find their way into water supplies. Once again affecting ecosystems, harming the wildlife and plants. Not to mention, the amount of mining to get resources to create batteries is detrimental to nature.

Injuries

The biggest problem with playing paintball? It's painful, and it has caused plenty of injuries. Most paintball gun injuries aren't that severe - but who wants to have welts that last for weeks?

Bruises and welts from being shot by paintball guns have become such a common experience people just see it as another part of the game. Other injuries are caused by overexertion or falls.

But, statistics show that between 1990 and 2016, the rate of severe eye injuries from paintball jumped up to 30%. The worst part is that it mainly affected younger kids.

Paintball is often advertised as a safe game to play for all age groups, but that clearly isn't the case. Children shouldn't be allowed to play paintball without proper protective gear and supervision.

What Are The Best Alternatives To Paintball?

Now that we understand what's causing people to seek superior alternatives to paintball, what are the possible paintball alternatives and their pros and cons?

We'll weigh a few options you have, but keep in mind that the very best is saved for the end - so read all the way through!

Airsoft

Airsoft guns shoot tiny 6mm to 8mm pellets made of plastic. Although it hurts less to get shot by an airsoft pellet, and severe injuries are less common in airsoft than in paintball, they are much worse for the environment.

Airsoft pellets are so tiny. There are a lot more pellets used in a single round of airsoft compared to paintball. By the end of each game, thousands of plastic pellets are scattered around on a playing field. It is a big problem for the environment since plastic doesn't degrade. 

Archery Tag

Archery tag is a better alternative to paintball than airsoft. Not only does it avoid the use of pellets, making it much safer for the environment, it is also less painful.

The arrows used are foam-tipped and blunt. It may feel like you're getting hit by a tennis ball, but it definitely won't leave any bruises or welts, making it a great option for kids as young as 10 years old.

The only downside to archery tag is that it's not as easy to get the hang of. With a paintball or airsoft gun, all you have to do is point and shoot. Archery tag takes a lot more effort and skill. It's not easy to shoot an arrow, you need to have the proper form, and it takes a lot more precision and practice to hit anything in archery tag.

And let's face it - many of us want to shoot guns, not a bow and arrow!

Laser Tag

Laser tag is as harmless as it gets while still providing the excitement and energy of a battle royale. This is all thanks to the infra-red rays used to target sensors on an opponent's gear.

The few downsides to laser tag are it can be quite pricey to play. You also play laser tag in the dark. If you aren't careful, you can trip and fall, which may cause injuries. 

Children with photosensitive epilepsy may also get seizures in a laser tag arena. So, always proceed with caution and do your research before playing any sport. 

Reball

Reball is basically paintball without the paint. Instead of oil-filled pellets, reball uses reusable rubber balls. This makes it much cheaper to play than paintball.

You're probably thinking, "if it comes without the paint does it comes without the pain too?" That's where it gets a little disappointing. The rubber balls don't explode, but due to the high power of reball guns, it still hurts to get shot by a reball gun. And since nothing splatters - there is no way to tell if some actually has been hit or not.

Why Gel Blaster Is The #1 Alternative To Paintball

Are you looking for a paintball alternative that's safe for the environment, painless, cost-efficient, and perfect for all ages? We've created a fun alternative to paintball that checks all these boxes. Introducing, the Gel Blaster Gel Gun!

Gel Blaster is the #1 alternative to paintball! The Gel Blaster pellets, or Gellets, are made of super absorbent polymers or SAP that are 100% biodegradable and non-toxic for humans and animals alike. 

Once the Gellets explode, they evaporate almost instantly. It's completely mess-free! So, you can play in your backyard or inside your home.

The Gel Blaster Surge is the gun used to shoot the Gellets. They are rechargeable, so you don't have to keep replacing and throwing out batteries every time it dies. Each Gel Blaster surge comes with its own charger and cable.

It also comes with a set of protective glasses, 3,000 rounds of orange Gellet packets, and 3,000 rounds of blue Gellet packets. Other colors of Gellets are available such as purple, yellow, green, and clear. You can even customize the color of the Gel Blaster Surge's barrel and fins — and who doesn't love customization? 

The Gel Blaster offers you a way to have fun, compete, and stay active while being eco-friendly, mess-free, and safe from injuries. Plus it's fit for all age groups so the entire family can bond! Grab your Gel Blaster Surge and enjoy all that this revolutionary little game has to offer you and your friends or family.