ICE(Interchangeable Component Eyeshield) 2.4 Ballistic Eyeshield by ESS.

by David Crane

Eye Safety Systems, Inc. ( ESS) bills their ICE 2.4 ballistic eyeshield as "the most complete system available for high-impact eye defense in any light conditions", and they may just be right about that. "ICE" is an acronym for "Interchangeable Component Eyeshield", and the "2.4" refers to the thickness of the polycarbonate lens material, which is a relatively thick 2.4mm.

Not only have the ESS ICE 2.4’s passed the ANSI Z87.1 test, but, according to the company, they are the only eyeshield that passes the…

MIL-V-43511C .22 caliber ballistic impact test. In this test, a "shaved" .22 caliber projectile is fired at the polycarbonate lens from a certain distance(DefRev does not know what distance this is). Let’s just say an eyeshield has to be pretty tough to pass this test.

DefRev has received a set of the ESS ICE 2.4 ballistic eyeshield for T&E, and so far we are impressed. Actually we were impressed from the getgo, since the ICE 2.4 eyeshield comes with three lenses(grey, yellow, and clear) inside a very nice protective padded soft case. Inside the case is an anti-fog cloth for cleaning and a snap-on neck leash. The whole package really impressed us, especially since you can find them on the web for between $25 and $30 at verious retailers/wholesalers.

The ICE 2.4’s have a very functional, business-like look to them, with a touch of cool. During one of our outdoor shooting sessions on a sunny day, the grey lenses worked well. The design of the eyeshield and frame gives the wearer a totally unobstructed field of vision that was appreciated by this reviewer. The yellow lens is perfect for indoor ranges with dim lighting, and the clear lens is probably the way to go for shoothouse drills, although DefRev has yet to put the ICE 2.4 through it’s paces in a real shoothouse.

Basically, everyone at DefRev is very impressed with the ESS ICE 2.4 eyeshield. LE tactical operators, military Spec-Ops personnel, and civilian shooters undergoing tactical shooting instruction would all do well to take a serious look at the ICE 2.4’s. ESS also makes a whole host of goggles which DefRev will be writing about in the not-too distant future. If you decide to contact ESS by phone (877-726-4072 or 208-726-4072) or email (ess@essgoggles.com)
about their ICE 2.4’s, please be sure to let them know where you read about them.

Click on this link to go to the (Eye Safety Systems, Inc. (ESS) Interchangeable Component Eyeshield (ICE) 2.4 page on ESS’s website.

Click here to see another high quality pic of the ESS ICE 2.4 ballistic eyeshield.

Clicking on this link will take you to the ESS page on the excellent Army Technology website.