Headband vs Vest For Laser Tag

With the introduction of outdoor laser tag, a bit of a controversy has surfaced regarding where the laser tag signal receivers, or sensors, should be placed on the head using a headband or on the chest using a vest. Most people with a basic understanding of laser tag only know it to be played with a vest, not a headband.

Outdoor laser tag uses headbands for practical reasons.

In fact, some people who see sensors placed on the head during outdoor laser tag view it as somewhat barbaric. Why would you shoot someone in the head? Isn't that a bad example for the kids? Well, the answer is... sensors are placed on headbands in outdoor laser tag for practical reasons. That's it. Nothing nefarious about it.

Outdoor laser tag is usually played in a large open area where players can run, crawl, roll, and slide on grass or other surfaces. So, if a player crawls on the grass while wearing a vest, then it becomes extremely difficult to hit that player's sensor because he is, in fact, using the grass to cover the sensor. Also, excessive crawling by many players over time may eventually damage the vest. This is a reason why crawling in indoor laser tag is prohibited.

In outdoor laser tag, players also hide behind bunkers where they poke their heads out to see where the opposing players might be. While their heads are exposed, their bodies are still guarded by the bunker they're hiding behind. An opposing player cannot hit their sensors if the sensor is a vest because it is also blocked by the bunker he hides behind. But if the sensors were placed on a headband, a player could be hit as soon as he peers his head from behind the bunker. This simple and practical adjustment to sensor placement allows for a more fun laser tag experience.

If you place the sensors on the headband and someone shoots at it, doesn't the laser hurt the player's eyes? In a word, "no." The signal in laser tag is not a laser like a laser pointer. It is instead an infrared signal similar to what is used in a remote control for your television. So it's safe for the eyes. See my earlier post What is Laser Tag?

Ok, what about shooting at someone's head instead of the chest. Doesn't that just seem wrong? Well, it depends on your perspective. If you are already allowing yourself or your child to play a shooting game like laser tag in the first place, then you have already crossed the threshold of what some perceive to be considered "wrong." After that, you are just questioning the practical placement of laser tag equipment and the effective use of that equipment for best-play scenarios. If you allow yourself or your kid to play a video game such as Call Of Duty, would you then question why you or your kid "shoots" an opposing video game character in the head instead of the chest?

The bottom line is laser tag is just a game no matter where the sensors are placed.

Laser Tag Man