What to Wear for Airsoft: Your First Game

What to wear for airsoft? Long sleeves, long trousers and sturdy boots with ankle support, in clothes you don't mind ruining. You don't need camo. If you hire, the site supplies the gun and eye or face protection; only 9 of the 43 sites we checked include clothing in the hire package. Bring water, lunch, a change of clothes and some cash.

This guide covers what to wear, what footwear matters, how eye protection works, what hire kit does and doesn't include, what else to pack, and how to time your arrival.

What to wear for airsoft: a first game checklist

Wear:

• Long-sleeved top or hoodie
• Long trousers - jeans are fine
• Sturdy boots with ankle support
• Gloves if you have them

Bring:

• Water and lunch or snacks
• A change of clothes - especially socks and footwear
• Cash - a handful of sites are cash only on the day
• Any personal medication

The sections below explain each item and where the rules vary between sites.

Cover your arms and legs

Sixteen of the 43 sites we checked advise long sleeves and long trousers; two make them a rule. AIM Airsoft Swindon: "We require long sleeved clothing and full-length trousers." Revolution gives the reason: "Arms and legs should ideally be covered; even in hot weather, as to limit harm/pain from BBs." Covering up helps reduce the sting. It won't stop it, and our guide to whether airsoft hurts covers what a hit feels like.

Ten of the 43 say to wear old clothes. Area 66 puts it plainly: "Only wear clothing you don't mind getting dirty."

Layers work well. Four sites suggest a hoodie, and Revolution explains why: "Hoodie and T-shirt is a great combo because you will get hot and it's easy to take the layers off in the break." Avoid anything you would mind losing to mud.

Can you wear jeans to airsoft?

Yes. Four of the 43 explicitly say so, and none discourages them. OP-Tac: "Yes. Jeans are a great first-timer choice: tough, cheap to replace, and they take the sting out of hits." Two sites - Battle Camp and Revolution - ban shorts. Three more discourage them.

Do you need camo?

No, not for a standard game day. None of the 43 require it for normal skirmishes. Four say it is not essential - Ace: "Camouflage clothing is best for concealment but not essential." OP-Tac is direct: "Do I need camouflage clothing? No." Some themed or milsim events do list camo requirements; three in the 43 have them on event pages. If your booking is a battlesim or night game, check what the event page asks for.

Boots matter most

Footwear is the most common clothing rule at the fields we checked: 29 of the 43 say something about it. Eight require boots, and Players of War warns "you will not be permitted to play if you show up in trainers". Ironsight: "BOOTS MUST BE WORN BY ALL PLAYERS. NO TRAINERS." A further 17 recommend boots or ankle support.

Trainers are banned at three fields - FRV, Players of War and Ironsight - and allowed at five, including Ace in summer and The Fort. Wellies are banned at The Fort. Skirmish Wycombe says to "avoid wearing wellies or crocs, as they don't offer the support or grip needed". Sandals and flip-flops are banned outright at Revolution and District 23.

Most outdoor sites have uneven, muddy ground. Area 66: "Sturdy boots are recommended and running is at your own risk." Humber hires a limited number of pairs of boots. We found no other field in the 43 that hires out footwear. Check your site's rules page before you travel.

Eye and face protection

Twenty-four of the 43 sites state that eye protection is compulsory in the game zone, and five more imply it. We found no rule on the pages we read for the other 14, so check with your site. Every hire package that lists its contents includes eye or face protection.

For adults, 16 of the 43 recommend a full-face mask, though most fields we checked accept eyes-only protection. One field makes full-face mandatory for adults in a specific zone: Commando Force requires it inside its CQB area. Five sites also advise covering the lower face and teeth. For a first game, a full-face mask is the straightforward choice.

Seven of the 43 name a protection standard - EN 166 at five, a 500 fps point-blank test at four. The requirements differ between sites, so ask yours what it accepts for any eyewear you bring. Fields disagree on mesh eye protection: two allow or supply it, one bans it outright. If you wear glasses, expect them to steam up under a mask; Gunman suggests contact lenses if you have them. Our guide to UK airsoft FPS and joule limits explains what to expect at the chrono before play.

Kit for under-18s

Juniors wear the same airsoft gear as adults. The difference is the mask rule: 19 of the 34 sites we checked for our age and parental consent guide make a full-face mask compulsory for younger players. The threshold varies - 13 sites set the rule for under-18s, five for under-16s. No field in the 43 publishes hire sizes for junior overalls or masks. If fit matters for a younger player, call the site when you book. Our airsoft safety rules guide covers what the briefing involves.

Gloves, hats and other extras

Gloves are advised at 15 of the 43; none require them for adults at standing game days. OP-Tac explains why they matter: "Hands: any gloves. Fingers are a common hit and they sting, so cover them." Six sites advise some form of head cover. Commando Force: "You do not need to wear a helmet, but we recommend having some form of head wear on, to help protect your head from BBs." Five sites mention knee pads; six recommend ear protection, mainly for indoor games or sessions with pyrotechnics.

Groin protection comes up as a search question with airsoft. None of the 43 sites mentions it - to require it or advise it. We have no field source to advise on it either way.

Hire kit or your own?

What hire includes

Every hire package that lists its contents comes with the core airsoft gear: a gun and eye or face protection. Clothing is included at 9 of the 43. S51: "Rental packages provide everything you need to jump into the action: Overalls, a high-quality Airsoft weapon, BBs, and a full-face safety mask." At First & Only indoor and at Gunman, clothing is not part of the hire - Gunman states "We do not provide any clothing." Boots are in the hire package at Humber only; gloves at Scorpion only. First & Only offers a new sealed mask you can add for £10 and keep.

A full day with hire runs to a median of £45.50 across the 30 fields in our set that give an all-in figure - about £20 more than the own-kit day fee.

You don't need UKARA membership to play a first game or to hire. Two fields require hire players to use only BBs bought on site. Nine of the 43 allow biodegradable BBs only, so check the rules page before you pack your own.

What to bring on the day

Five of the 43 sites say to bring water. Lunch varies: two sites include it in the standard day fee (Skirmish Wycombe and OP-Tac's booked Skirmish Day), six welcome you to bring your own, and three, including Fife, say there is no hot food on site. Check the booking page for your site.

Seven sites recommend a change of clothes. Ace: "A change of clothes is recommended for the journey home especially socks and footwear." A couple mention a towel. OP-Tac's list adds an inhaler as an example of personal medication worth packing.

Five sites are cash-only or strongly prefer cash on the day. Players of War: "There are no card facilities on site, so payment is cash only once you are on site." Check before you travel.

Twenty-one of the 43 require all players to sign a waiver. Several let you do it online beforehand - First & Only, Skirmish Wycombe and Alpha 55 all offer this. Photo ID is not required just to play a first game at any of the 43. Some sites ask for ID for UKARA registration, membership or age checks. If you're completely new, our guide to how airsoft works walks through a typical game day.

Dressing for the weather

Twelve of the 43 give weather-linked advice. Sixmil: "Warm and waterproof outdoor clothing is recommended during autumn and winter months, and light breathable clothing during the warmer summer months." Players of War: "Waterproof jackets are recommended for damp days and gloves are good in cold weather."

Layers are the most practical answer for a variable UK day. Skirmish Wycombe notes that players use them to adjust through the day and adds that in torrential rain it may temporarily pause a game. In hot weather, stay covered - Revolution says covered arms and legs matter "even in hot weather" - and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Airsoft clothing for women

The airsoft clothing advice in this guide applies to all airsoft players. None of the 43 sites we checked sets different kit rules for women.

No field in the 43 publishes hire sizes for overalls - men's or women's. If fit matters to you, call the site when you book. Seven sites state separate male and female toilets; none states a dedicated women's changing room. Two sites - Cotswold and Gunman Battle Lakes - mention a covered changing area.

South Coast CQB has run a women-only session, the Trigger Sisters Social, listed for 10 October 2026. Hen-party bookings are available at five sites in the 43, including OP-Tac, whose kit guidance for those sessions matches this guide: "Long sleeves, long trousers and sturdy boots or trainers."

Arriving on the day

Across the 19 fields that give times, gates open between 7:30 and 9:00, with the safety briefing starting between 9:15 and 10:00. Five sites ask hire players to arrive earlier than own-kit players. Tac House: "We ask all hire packages to be on site for 0900hrs for gun brief."

Arrive on time. Revolution: "if you are not there on time or haven't completed your disclaimers by then you will be sitting the first games out until the first break." Check your booking confirmation for your site's own times. Our airsoft safety rules guide covers what to expect from the briefing itself.

Find a site near you

Browse airsoft fields by city or search by postcode on the Airsoft Fields homepage. Each field page links to the site's own booking and rules pages - worth a read before you pack.

Sources. Clothing, kit and arrival guidance comes from the websites of these 43 fields, checked on 3 October 2026. Sites update their rules, so check before you go. The 43 lean towards organised, well-documented sites with a working website and a published power limit; smaller or Facebook-only sites are not in this set and may differ. Ace Combat, AIM Airsoft Swindon, Airsoft Plantation, Alpha 55 Airsoft, Area 66, Battle Camp Activity Centre, Biohazard Airsoft, Black Ops Bristol, Blackout Airsoft Cornwall, Combat Action Games, Commando Force Airsoft, Cotswold Airsoft, CQB Arena, District 23, Dragons Lair Airsoft, Fife Wargames, First & Only Airsoft (The Vault), Frontier Airsoft, FRV Airsoft, Gunman Airsoft, HQ Airsoft, Humber Airsoft, Ironsight Airsoft, Killzone Airsoft, No Man's Land Airsoft, Northern Skirmishing Club (NSC), NTAC, OP-Tac, Players of War, Revolution Airsoft, S51 Airsoft, Scorpion Airsoft, Sixmil Airsoft, Skirmish Wycombe, South Coast CQB, Tac House Spartan, Tactical Delta, TeamGreen Airsoft, The Fort, The Killhouse, The Mill NI, The Siege Project, Ultimate Wargames