Seeing the Novritsch Anti Fog shatter like that is a no go for me. Not to mention the large battery positioning and shape would be dangerous with a shattering impact like that, rapid thermal expansion in a battery is no joke.
Novrtisch just released Batch 3 of the Anti Fog Unit that has improved impact resistance. They claim it can withstand 3J impact without any issues, but I would wait before someone confirms that.
That is good, but it still is not close to the performance of the exfog. Using a broken review unit that is very old kinda screws the results💀💀💀. However, learning from the exfog could help you and Novritch improve the unit.
@@tacocat5901 I just read the Tridos Design blogpost "We were exposed?" and it seems the ExFog unit was totally fine, also updating a product without any changelog/blog post/website update is kind of weird if you ask me. I would recommend reading it if you are considering an antifog unit, as I am also about to get one and it did help disclose some rumours about the Novritsch antifog unit being a cheap knock-off.
EXFOG is some of the best money I have spent in over 25 years of paintball. I have beat mine up and it's still going strong without issue, battery is lasting long enough for an entire weekend of play. No cracks in the housing.. unlike this copy. I'll stay with the original and suggest others do the same.
I haven't had my hands on yet of the Novritsch one but the Exfog I returned the next day without even trying it out on the field as I couldn't stand the noise and vibration. Using my own made coolers attached on the back of the battle belt or chest rigs.
Paintball masks are great at not fogging though. I don't really play anymore but I used to play tournaments. My Proflex, Profilers or Events never really had fog issues. I can only imagine that tech has improved with something like an EVS or i5. I recently found out the empire proflex's have mesh bottoms (E-Mesh) specifically for airsoft. That sounds like it would never really fog up. But I haven't looked into it much yet.
Great test to compare the two. I dont see a problem one of the units are an older version. I was surprised the Novritsch one was shot out that easily.... Keep up the good work.
When a LiPo battery is 2 yrs old it naturally loses integrity, not to mention care of the unit in 2 years impacts the power and longevity, this basically makes the voltage testing, fan power testing, longevity testing irrelevant.
Thanks for the review, obvious bias aside. I had to comment when you said "many consider this the original" regarding the ExFog....it IS the original, so the only people who don't consider it the original are those who don't know about it. Arguing it "isn't user repairable" is pretty slanted given it is literally just glue and a few pieces. Pretty simple repair compared to most devices nowadays. I'm glad Nov is giving some competition in this field but weight, durability, noise, and battery life all mean I'm glad I went with the ExFog. Do think I'm going to pick up the magnet kit for the goggles to see how well that works.
Appreciate the constructive criticism! Honestly it was a nightmare to open it up and the case got damaged on ExFog quite a lot. Unfortunately I had done this way before and don't have it on video. I agree that ExFog is still a great choice but the interface and price (in EU) is what makes this a no-brainer to go with Novrtisch one for me personally.
@@Xxxxxxxxxx3582 I usually run it on lowest setting and I have not noticed any dry feeling on my eyes. Have had it on me for several hours at a time with no issues. On highest setting or turbo you can definitely feel a breeze going across your eyes / face but that should be used only temporarily in my opinion.
The update unit by novritsch is more harder plastic, the unit has rubber plugs protect the usb c socket from water, but the exfog has non of that and i return my exfog unit due to bad build quality as you can see the glue lines of the unit
Have the gen 2. worked like a charm! I was actually able to play airsoft again and it was fantastic! Tried the ESS turbofans and they didn't work for me at all. Lasted me an entire day batterywise.
Our response to ExFog's video: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed We suggest giving it a read before jumping to conclusions. Unlike us, ExFog has direct monetary incentive in this so everything they say should also be taken with grain of salt. Update 27/08/2023: Novritsch just released Batch 3 of AFU which is now produced from a different material and they claim is now BB resistant. We haven't tested it but just to put into perspective - in 6 months they improved and fixed the main concern of the device. ExFog visibly had not changed anything about the device in 5 years. A few notes: 1. It appears that we have an older version of the ExFog and they have made improvements internally, however, we could not have known this since this is not mentioned anywhere and externally the device has been the same for several years. 2. Even thought the plastic case did break, it is not as brittle as it may seem on the video. I've had it thrown around in my gear bag and used it roughly for several months without an issue. 3. Some have had issues with the mounting piece coming apart and needing to use super glue to fix it. It's not great but it's an easy fix and this will most likely be improved. 4. ExFog did come out and point to the patent finally - you can find it under application number 20190373978 here: image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20190373978
I would simply add that it isn't simply improvements, but it is common knowledge that a LiPo battery naturally degrades over time. They are warrantied by manufacturers for 1 yr and that assumes no use. If you have not been properly cycling the battery when not in use every 30 day a LiPo will further degrade. Given that this unit is 2 yrs old, the simple LiPo degradation will affect the air flow test, the voltage testing, battery life, etc. So while the improvements are also important to note it is also important, generally speaking, that one doesn't review a used product vs a new product. They should be in like condition to be a fair assessment.
You say you no longer worked for Novritsch at the time but his video was recorded, but your response says “our response”….yeah, pretty fishy and negates much of what this video claims, In my opinion 🤷🏽♂️
@Evol1HipHop our response as in TRIDOS.DESIGN company. Always look for more than one opinion and in this case we suggest reading at least both sides of the story before jumping to conclusions. At least we didn't accuse the other side of fleeing to mexico to avoid legal action, as per exfog's "legal team".
I really like the setup with the boonie hat. The velcro on the back and routing for the tubes seems like a good system. Ive never really cared for wearing helmets.
Maybe a test when both units are attached to goggle connector. There is a huge difference when you just fit in tubes in to the goggle so air goes any direction and when then the air is directed at lenses. For those who has contact lenses (including me) it is a huge impact. How noticeable is noise when you wear it on helmet and boonies. Well this is relative test, but a general feeling and opinion will be interesting.
The relative performance will still be the same when both units attached to the goggle connector. But I did see comments from several people on Facebook groups that have been running AFU with prescription inserts and have had 0 fogging. On helmet the noise transfers a little better since it's attached to a hard surface but on boonie I barely notice it. It's like white noise and you quickly just phase it out. You only notice when you are in a complete silence and you're trying to listen for footsteps in distance.
At no point we claimed it didn't work - I personally ran ExFog on the field and it did it's job for me functionally. However, I knew personally more than one person for which the power output (airflow) wasn't good enough and he was still fogging. In the video I said - they are both going to do the job for most people. And no, the hoses were not kinked or hoses plugged (we actually had a take where we had this happen with AFU and we were surprised it wasn't doing much either).
A couple weeks ago I attended an event in Ocala, FL. It rained heavily the night before, and was overcast the entire game play, with tiny sprinkles. To say the least it was humid. Event coordinators tried something different and had the game briefing on the field. For the briefing, I wore my ESS turbofan goggles. They could not keep up with my sweat and I could barely see. Went off the field, put on my hat and helmet with my novritsch system, and went to play. The goggles I used were standard ESS goggles with prescription inserts. Kept the fan at about half speed and worked beautifully. I did have an issue where I adjusted my goggles and my sweat dripped on my lenses. Had to go off field for a short bit to dry my lenses completely. I would recommend making sure your lenses are super clean and dry on overly humid days.
Did you use the connector to send air or just dropped the hoses into goggles? I have no issues with fogging in ESS Turbo fan, but when I add RX insert - they keep fogging like crazy
Protip, use heat and isopropyl alcohol when opening these kinds of things. Both substantially help in breaking down adhesive. Just makes your life a lot easier.
Ive made my own, easy to do with some fusion 360 knowledge 3d printer, bits n bobs from amazon, i run mine with a 7.5 small lipo and push the 5v fans to its limits but when you make it and it costs pennies to make theres no matter if the fan goes pop now n then.. but mine hasnt popped yet on full power..😂 plus you can make it fit any googles when you are the designer 😂
We just made a blog post regarding the claims Aaron made in his video. You can see most of the points he raised being addressed with full transparency here: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed It also includes a chapter about R&D and copying.
I assume you are referring to claims Aaron made in his video. If you're interested to hear our side of the story, you can check out our response here: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed
The shoot test a few comments. 1. The exfog unit having give by the manifold after being shot has everything to do with the loss of integrity when the lid was removed. This does not occur on a fully intact unit. Even not secured it still did not break. In comparison the nov unit blew a hole through it after 2nd hits and further broke apart after subsequent hits. I can't stress enough the unscientific nature of this test. In addition the exfog unit was knocked over and it was continued to be shot at angles not consistent with angles in the field. Even with that it didn't break. Hmmm
Good review. Was considering the exfog, but the high cost just made it not worth it. The nov one is cheap enough that the case issue isn't a direct dealbreaker for me as I can just 3D print a better case, but that should be changed asap.
@@jenniferbennett3540 hahaha no. it's 130usd to get it here. You guys can't work out a decent shipping deal and are losing customers here. And after seeing how ye guys have been going about this online I've spread it to the airsoft community here and most are in agreement it's better to go without rather than your product
In europe, most places are out of stock and the only place it is reliably in stock it costs 130€ incl. shipping - I literally inserted a screenshot from the cart and exact store. And ordering directly from you guys is not an option, as importing goods in EU is applicable with 21% VAT (varies slightly from country) and 5% duties. Not to mention the shipping cost from US is pretty significant as well.
Pyramax V2G goggles (those that Novritsch sells) and just a regular soft side face mask, that is zip-tied to the frame of the goggles and have some camo added
Because on the lowest setting Novritsch AFU blows more air than ExFog on the highest setting. Since recording of this video ExFog has released a newer version of their unit with increased power output.
This is one of the best videos that I’ve watched in a while. Super in depth and definitely informative. Covered every aspect and then some! Well done man.
You sayd something about the novritsch device draining battery when not in use. What does that do to the battery? If i play 2x a month, do i need to recharge 1 day befor game day or like i do with the exfogg unit, directly after use?
Hmmmm, that would be the next upgrade then. A battery disconnecting swich so you can't unload the battery pack. That is absolutely not good for any battery when you dont use them for a longer period of time like a summer vacation or a winter stop.
Use the money you save one the Novritsch to buy $1 of plastic for a shield. The teardown made it pretty clear that the Novritsch had far more design optimization, and apparently more power.
@APSupernary that might not even be necessary anymore - Batch 2 came with protective rubber patch included and Batch 3 that was just put on sale has supposedly improved material that is much more durable and no longer shatters.
Thanks a lot for the video. I am interested of getting couple of Novritsch coolers. I didn't like the ex fog and returned it the very next day without trying out on the field. Couldn't stand the noise and vibration but then you have proven that Novritsch one is even louder. Where to get Black Latvia morale patch seen in your Video?
Have an ExFog but never used it. If mounted on a Helmet with attached Sordins the sound is transmitted straight to your skull which is unbearable in my opinion. I now use a Smith optics OTW turbo fan which is great. I can hear it but it is low enough that it doesn't bother me. Thought about trying the Novritsch, but seeing ad it has pretty much the same fan I bout it is different
We just made a blog post in response to claims Aaron made in his video, if you're interested to hear our side of the story: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed
Nah, for europeans the AFU is better just because of the price and its better designed than a ex-fog, costs less, its much more effective, and they didnt steal it they have inspired them to make it better and worth buying.
I wanted one of the nov units until the shooting test. that's very thin and brittle plastic. I would worry about dropping the unit or even banging my head against something and the entire case cracking.... The fact the bb went through as if it was paper is very concerning to me about their plastic builds of other items.....and now the pipe points in to the box unit as if you hook up your pipping you might snap the nozzles too.... I think they need to take it back off the shelf and redo the casing. Maybe a metal version
I agree that it should be improved but it is not as dramatic as you think. I've been throwing this unit around in my gear bag for several months and been fielding it since August, 2022. Chances of getting hit directly in the back from 1m are very low - normally people tend to aim for body in such cases but there's a reason why Novrtisch has a customer support and warranty. ExFog was such a pain in the ass to use compared to Novrtisch AFU that there is no way I'm going back, not to mention the better performance.
Uhm we have video, of 1.5j .32g at 20 feet and blew a hole through in 1 shot and then tore it completely apart with subsequent hits. And with the battery positioned as it is it appeared to damage the battery as we started to smell burnt plastic. We ran it outside and stopped testing after that
We also can confirm the tube connectors do break off and make the unit unusable. The magnet connector also comes apart and the air funnel drops into the user's goggle when. Independent review is available on that and we personally have 2 nov units where the magnet components separated and won't stay together without superglue
For anyone reading these, please note that Jennifer is directly involved in ExFog so it's also important to take bias into account. Unless you shot the device from the velcro side where it mounts on the head, I have no idea how you damaged the battery as there is a fan and a PCB completely in the way of the battery even if the BB goes inside the case. And yes, there are some videos already out other than this and overall feedback has been positive from those who have been using it for a while. It's not as bad as you make it seem.
Well you get what you pay for. You can check some other review, but you should also make sure to have plenty of superglue since the magnet falls apart and the side tube connectors break off and since they are part of the unit your 50 dollars is trash. There are videos if anyone would like a real review. Oh by the way, the battery life is on the lowest setting. 6hrs at best on high vs exfog 10 hrs on high and 13 hrs on low.
We left both of the units (fully charged) with a security camera and attached small strips of cellophane to see if they are blowing air. If you would like, I can send you full 11 hours of footage to show that Novritsch Anti Fog unit lasted 10h40m on a single charge while having higher airflow on lowest setting. I have to agree that the attachment mechanism has broken for some people but they will improve it and ExFog doesn't come with any attachment mechanism whatsoever.
Sorry, not sure what you mean. Based on the performance testing it was clear that ExFog on highest setting could not move any of the flour, whereas Novrtisch AFU could do that a little bit on the lowest setting - which means that the power output in terms of air speed / volume / strength was around the same. There is no point in comparing runtime in high power output on AFU as it is clearly several times more powerful and obviously consumes more power.
As for airflow 1. Your using a 2 year old unit. We don't know what care was taken of the battery in all this time, not mention general use wears down a battery. This isn't a current reflection of our newest gen. Finally, you are comparing a unit that is designed to blow large amounts of air vs one designed to regulate temperature using a little airflow as possible to accomplish the task. Of course the will perform differently
You can most likely stretch the smaller tubes from ExFog onto the manifolds of the Novritsch unit. However, keep in mind that those smaller tubes do restrict some airflow so it will not be the same power output as using the original tubes that come with the unit.
As of now, that's true ;) Competition does wonders, ey? Since the release of AFU, they dropped their prices, improved the device, introduced magnetic tube attachments and a few more things. It's suprising how much can be actually achieved if your ass is on fire unlike the previous 5 years when they had 0 competition.
There is no way that could happen - even if it got hit, it is extremely unlikely that any of the debris vould get into the goggles and even then, there is no way any of that debris will have any momentum to it. But if you're still worried about that, you could just resort to using the tubes in the goggles method.
Am i able to use the novritsch ones without the magnet? cuz the googles im using sit flush with the helmet so my idea was just use the tubes inside the helmet and blowing air to the googles
Of course - you can just remove the magnetic piece and do whatever you want with the tubes. And you can always get an extra set of the tubes on the cheap. The difference is that the AFU comes with the magnetic piece for those who can use it but ExFog just comes with bare hoses without that options.
Good review! While I typically like to root for the little guy, Exfogs should have made updates to their product, it feels like they kept it in the prototype faze and left it at that. (shoving 2 hoses under your goggles is not a secure mounting solution) Unfortunately, that means that sooner or later someone else is going to come up with a better version. Having said that, I don't see this as an Exfog killer, but more as a kick in the pants for them to update their design.
Exfog has some edge over the AFU, but honestly just seeing their joke of an employee and their channel test video and their whole demeanor I wouldn't ever give them a dime 🤷 I'd rather make my own or buy a AFU and put it in a self built case, or reinforce it. 😂
This is an old prototype Exfog unit that's malfunctioning, he didn't even use a current or working Exfog to test against. I've held both the Nov unit and I have an Exfog, tested against one another it was clear the Exfog was more well-constructed and pushed way more air. This comparison is wayyyyy off base and clearly meant to shill for Nov.
Unfortunately that's just not the case. If you're interested to hear our response to claims Aaron made in his video, here's our side of the story: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed
No thanks, there’s a video of an exfog employee along side yours you’re using a broken unit just to make your better. They even tested there’s with flour without a broken unit and it moves the flour just as good.
Please read the blog post we made in response to their video before jumping to conclusions: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed Moreover, they used a brand new, more powerful ExFog that was released after this video was shot.
Pretty disingenuous to test a product for its performance after you've already ripped it apart. You can see the tape on the exfog unit in the beginning of the video
We just made a blog post regarding the claims Aaron made in his video. You can see most of the points he raised being addressed with 100% transparency here: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed
@@kyleg7296 That is correct - but it seems like you didn't read the rest of where it was not possible for me to know that there have been internal upgrades to the device, the unit was lightly used and that it was not broken.
The fans used in these are made to blow air. I don't see how this would be possible in this setup - it would have to be engineered in a completely different way.
@@sergeysoff the price for the ESS goggles honestly are out of budget for most airsoft players and the comfort for those goggles is not the best. But I do see how it's more convenient. I've heard quite a few people for which ExFog was not powerful enough - I can assure that AFU is a looot more capable if you're a really sweaty person.
Unfortunately the ess were the only option for me. While I don't have issues with paintball masks, they never fog up, ESS were the only one that do not fog for airsoft and I have to run on high all the time. Really waiting for trittech release. Hopefully, they work well.
@@TRIDOS.DESIGN I thought it might be possible, if you out the fan in the unit upside down. that way the air should be moved into the other direction. I assume it isnt that easy?
Whether it works or not it’s still a direct ripoff and it’s crappy to undercut someone who’s been in business in the air soft community for so long with selling junk
So in your opinion, no one should be allowed ever to make a similar product to what's already out on the market, even if they attempt to make it better / cheaper? It would be such a lovely world living in where in every possible market segment would be a single monopoly company that makes an average product and no one else is allowed to compete, right :P?
@TRIDOS.DESIGN the reason people have issues is that it is predatory. We have no problem with competition, just look at Tritech. No issues with them at all. What we object to is big companies like this waiting for small guys to put their life savings into building something and then ripping it off to make a quick buck because they didn't want to take the time or money to develop an original idea. Patent law would argue with your premise, this is why we spent the money to protect it and why there are protections in place for things like this and you knowingly violated that when you designed this.
@@jenniferbennett3540 Agreed, if Nov wants to use something already patented, great, but he should pay due fees after these have been negotiated. Anyway, as soon as Tridos said he was involved in the design and worked with such scum, we already knew the video was not being honest. Well, maybe the fact that Xfog is expensive as hell in europe, but that doesn't give nov the right to rip people off
This review also does not have the current internal components of the exfog and this is not accurate decription of either availability of the components nor the functionality of the pcb board which include multiple safety features.
My apologies. This was purchased 2 years ago and to a regular person there are no indications that ExFog has different versions or internals. This was definitely not done on purpose. And due to the high cost in Europe, we did not feel like purchasing a brand new unit especially since I was not aware there are "newer" version of the ExFog since externally it is still the same. This is something that should be communicated more clearly, like for example when Novrtisch released an updated version of SSX23, it was called v2020 or Gen2 so that it is clear there have been improvements made.
It would be great to hear what exactly the differences is between the version I have and the current gen ExFog and what are the performance differences customers should expect to be different from the version in the review.
1. We don't use gds time fans and have a custom fan made to avoid the balance issues and failure rate experienced with gds time. 2. Likewise our battery is not off the shelf and has been designed to maximize life and ensure safety. 3. The hot glue you reference was not hot glue, but waterproofing to protect the wires, we now waterpoof the full board for a more complete protection from the elements. 4. The pcb board has been redesigned precisely controls the fan usage, battery safety, shut off percentages, etc. Much more than running an indicator light and a usb port. As for claims about force of air, it is irrelevant. While nov may have been designed for air volume, exfog specifically is not designed for this because of dry eye concerns and the like.
I'll stick with my ExFog. Most of the negatives he pointed out were nit-picky. I will admit that I would like a stronger fan and bigger battery in my ExFog, but Nov's unit really needs some significant improvements (most notably, the case) before it can really compete with ExFog.
If anyone here is only concerned with gameplay performance and just wants something that works and doesn't care about the morality war in the anti-fog industry, just get the Nov system. I can confirm it works. I don't even use my old Exfog anymore. I've slammed hard and been shot in the head multiple times, it's survived. Battery's never died on me. I haven't had any fogging problems since getting it, whereas the Exfog was always more finicky because the hoses are loose and will wander rendering the unit useless if you don't secure them somehow. The magnetic mount erases all that trouble and makes it way more convenient, even if you don't use Nov goggles ( which I don't). The power output and controls are also better than Exfog. It works.
Tridos I like your designes and products but I think you gotta be honest with novritsch products. I definitely like some of his airsoft stuff and am not a hater by any means. You make a lot of products for novritsch guns making me think you have a partnership. This review really made me not respect your brand as much cause of the dishonesty. I have a exfog and have none of these issues and it is quieter and less flimsy then my friends NEW nov unit.
I appreciate the feedback! Did you have a chance to read our blog post that's in the pinned comment? If not, I would highly suggest checking it out. We went over each of the points that we were called out upon and hopefully showing that our intentions was to be 100% transparent and to make the best review possible with the resources we have at hand. That said our goal with this video was to bring awareness to a product category that seriously lacked competition and as we said in the video - both options will do the job. I have personally met people who have tried both systems and some still prefer ExFog and some AFU. At the end of the day what matters is that there is now more competition which made ExFog improve their product, improve their pricing and it's a win for the end user. It's a shame that ExFog took the easy route of making false accusations and spread hate with the help of their community instead of focusing on their product and engaging in a constructive discussion. Airsoft community is already toxic enough as it stands and the last thing we need is companies to start arming their communities to spread negativity (that has no basis). We've been nothing but constructive and polite in our conversations with everyone which cannot be said about the other side :\
No way sorry, ex fog is more durable, been around longer plus the way your case degrades with bbs is shocking convidering its airsoft!!! and once the shell has been penetrated you have a lipo mini bomb on the back of ya head for stray bbs to kick off, we dont want cheaper we want safty, plus you use a faulty ex fog to compare and thats just out right sly so ill never trust novi, and ex fogs customer service is the best and thats far more valuable then the product itself because a product is usless if it has a fault and you need help or too return it. Dgmw novies device will suit others over the ex fog, but if you want to look trust worthy remake this video with the latest ex fog xt brand new out the box and if it has a fault like this one then replace it then make a fair comparison.
We made a response to the claims made by ExFog in this video: tridos.design/blogs/news/we-got-exposed You should be critical of any information posted on the internet even if it comes from what you think is a "trustworthy" source like the manufacturer or a reviewer like this. I would suggest checking it out before jumping on the negativity train.
The audacity to steel someone’s design and make a rigged video about the ripped off product vs a multiple years old defect unit and then claim the video isn’t biased 😂 Guys do yourself a favor and buy the original. But I guess this comment will be deleted anyway because that’s how novritsch and co are handling criticism
The audacity to leave a comment after learning only one side of the story shows the person you are. Do yourself a favour and read our blog post in response to their video. It's the pinned comment. Oh, and fun fact - competition drives innovation. In the first 5 years of existence, ExFog made 0 improvements to their design apart from reliability improvements. Ever since Novritsch released their unit, they have improved numerous things and borrowed a few ideas as well which resulted in overall a better product for the consumer. You benefited regardless whether you support ExFog or Novrtisch. And that's a fact.
@@TRIDOS.DESIGN why should I read some random blog wich is nowhere connected to your false claims in the video. Update your video with an actual fair comparison if you are really unbiased. But that wouldn’t give you the right outcome wouldn’t it? And the claim that the ripped off unit made the competition better is something else. Steeling someone’s design and price dumb the original is nowhere near fair competition
@@Doc_Vega Ah.. right, so it's always better to learn opinion from only one biased source which is reliant on the income they make through the product in question and they would lose money if competition turned out to have a good product. Hope you still drive Ford Model T as your daily driver because every other car is clearly a ripoff ;)
