Newbie - Laser Tag- Dangerous at all?

[magnoliaparadise]

I am planning on taking my kids and their friends to an indoor laser tag place for the first time (until this year, we lived elsewhere and were not near laser tag). My kids don't know about the plans, but a family who is visiting our area wants to go there and it's the only time we could see them so we were planning on going together. So if we go to laser tag, we can see them and if we don't, we won't be able to before they leave.

I mentioned that we were going to laser tag to my father who happens to be an ophthalmologist and he said that lasers from the laser tag were dangerous to the eye, both when looked at directly and even for those not looking at them.

??? Who knew. I googled researched and found surprisingly little, but did find an article (hyperlink below) and some consumer report articles that said the same thing. It seems like there is a "3R" or "IIIa" threshold of laser light that hurts the eye and it's assumed that most of the laser tag places use them; they are the same things used on laser pointers. The place we are going (the only place in area) is not open until the day that we are supposed to go this week (they are updating their lasers) so I can't contact them beforehand to see what they use. They have nothing about their products or safety on their website.

In the past, I had no issue with lasers - My kids have gone in those challenge laser maze rooms at Great Wolf Lodge. Also, this post is *not* about the gun aspect of laser tag. For me, the only thing I am looking at is the possible danger to the eye and if that's legitimate.

Grr. So now I'm not sure if I'll take my kids. I'm not sure whether this is a legitimate concern and I should refrain from going or if this is just too much fretting about every single possible dangerous thing there is out there. Most people seem to go with no problem.

I did a BBB search and it seems like people on this board are pretty comfortable going to laser tag? Has anyone heard about this? Has anyone decided not to go because of safety issues to the eyes or do you think this is no big deal/not necessarily legit?

Thanks.

https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm363908.htm

[o_mom]

Most laser tag does not involve lasers. They use infrared signals. The ones I could find that used lasers for targeting used class 1.

I would try calling the place. Even though they are closed, they probably have someone answering phones to take reservations and such.

[TwinFoxes]

Most laser tag does not involve lasers. They use infrared signals.

This. It's how the "laser" lights up the sensors and tallies points. Laser tag just sounds cool. ETA: At our local place, they mention this during their safety spiel. Does your local place have an "about us" section on the website? It might tell you what equipment they use, and you can google that. But honestly, the "laser" is more like the light from TV your remote than a laser.

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi O_mom and TwinFoxes,

Thanks for this. There is no information on the website, but I did leave a vm and even though they are closed, they are renovating and around so called me back.

They basically said that they believe that it's very safe and that most places, including them, use an infra red (sp?) system to deliver the information/signals and that a 'laser' is used to make the light visible to the eye (same as with laser pointers). He said that they use a laser class 2, which is the lowest he knew in which a laser was still visible (I think he might be wrong and it's class 1 that is the lowest, but that's neither here nor there). He said that the equipment from almost all these places comes from a company called Lasertron in NY and they are 30 years old with no problems. He said that their laser tag system was very common, called LT12, and had a 'diod laser of less than .95 diod output max' which meant nothing to me, but might mean something to some future ophthalmologists reading this.

They don't wear goggles because he said that the eye's own involuntary reaction blinking and looking away is enough to stop any laser on the eye.

Thanks for your advice and input!

[redstone]

When I saw the thread title, I honestly didn't think about the lasers themselves. But the two times I have taken my kids to laser tag I've seen someone who was hurt.

In order to see the "lasers" it is often very dark. It can be hard to see in the arena. The first time my kids played, I stayed outside waiting for the match to be over. Halfway through a dad came out with a kid about 5 years old who was crying hysterically. Apparently an enthusiastic large teenager was running around trying to shoot and just plowed over this little kid hurting his arm. Never saw him in the dark. So watch who they throw together in the arena. SOme places are better about putting same-age groups together.

The other time a kid about 13 ran head first into one of the obstacles and split his forehead open. They stopped the match to clean up the blood (and kid).

But the lasers themselves were fine, lol.

[AnnieW625]

I haven’t been to laser tag in years (DH and I did this on our first date) simply because there were no laser tag places near us, but a few have opened recently and we are going to laser tag with Dd1 and a few friends on Friday for her birthday. We can’t wait because it is fun and tbh I have never thought about the lasers as being damaging and honestly my only hesitation with kids is them not liking the dark.


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[DualvansMommy]

Ds1 had his last year for his birthday, and what I liked about that specific laser tag place is they group kids by age. Only one or two groups in arena that are close in age. No chance of 13 or 15 years old running around among 7/8 year old group.

It also glows in the dark too. So it isn’t always pitch darkness with only laser light to guide the kids, I liked that extra feature as some other laser tag places don’t do that.


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[TwinFoxes]

Hi O_mom and TwinFoxes,

Thanks for this. There is no information on the website, but I did leave a vm and even though they are closed, they are renovating and around so called me back.

They basically said that they believe that it's very safe and that most places, including them, use an infra red (sp?) system to deliver the information/signals and that a 'laser' is used to make the light visible to the eye (same as with laser pointers). He said that they use a laser class 2, which is the lowest he knew in which a laser was still visible (I think he might be wrong and it's class 1 that is the lowest, but that's neither here nor there). He said that the equipment from almost all these places comes from a company called Lasertron in NY and they are 30 years old with no problems. He said that their laser tag system was very common, called LT12, and had a 'diod laser of less than .95 diod output max' which meant nothing to me, but might mean something to some future ophthalmologists reading this.

They don't wear goggles because he said that the eye's own involuntary reaction blinking and looking away is enough to stop any laser on the eye.

Thanks for your advice and input!

Interesting. I looked up the system that our local place uses. It's this one, and they say it's not a laser.

https://www.steradiantech.com/info/laser-tag-faq

I'm having a hard time imagining that actual lasers are used in places frequented primarily by children. And if they were, I wouldn't believe that blinking and looking away would be enough to stop a laser from getting into your eye (if that's the case, why do patients have to wear eye covering during laser cosmetic treatments?) My curiosity has been piqued! Although, the bottom line is I think the games are safe. :)

[essnce629]

I've never thought twice about it. We have a laser tag place walking distance to our house and my kids go a few times a year.

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[JamiMac]

It is definitely not that dark in there in any place I’ve seen. I would not think twice about it. Kids love those places!


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[magnoliaparadise]

Interesting. I looked up the system that our local place uses. It's this one, and they say it's not a laser.

https://www.steradiantech.com/info/laser-tag-faq

I'm having a hard time imagining that actual lasers are used in places frequented primarily by children. And if they were, I wouldn't believe that blinking and looking away would be enough to stop a laser from getting into your eye (if that's the case, why do patients have to wear eye covering during laser cosmetic treatments?) My curiosity has been piqued! Although, the bottom line is I think the games are safe. :)

Funny - in googling, one of the things I found was a Quora article by the owner of Steradiantech who thinks his is the safest. Here is is Quora response to a question about laser tags. I think it was written in October.
https://www.quora.com/Should-I-use-eye-protection-when-playing-laser-tag-If-so-what-kind

[TwinFoxes]

So, are you going and trusting that blinking will protect your kids from lasers, or do you think your dad is right and lasers will harm players' eyes and you'll keep your kids home?

[PZMommy]

I’m pretty over the top when it comes to a lot of those game places, like indoor trampoline parks or bounce house type places. However, I have no problem letting my boys go play laser tag. It is at a glow in the dark place, and it really is not that dark in there. I’ve never worried about eye damage.

[magnoliaparadise]

So, are you going and trusting that blinking will protect your kids from lasers, or do you think your dad is right and lasers will harm players' eyes and you'll keep your kids home?

I didn't have to make this decision in the end because my friends changed their plans and we are meeting them elsewhere. I guess my view is that I probably won't initiate going there, but if my kids get invited to go to a birthday party or ask to go to the laser place in the future, I will certainly let them go.

Funny enough, the laser place website was open on my computer so my kids asked to see the video of the laser tag game (that was also on my screen) and they watched it with interest, but didn't seem all that excited and moved onto something else after I showed them. I expected them to ask if they could go and they didn't. I'm not sure why, honestly. It looks like fun to me :). Maybe they just assumed it was very far away or maybe they didn't understand it. Most likely, they just got distracted and moved onto the next 'thing'.

About blinking, here is what that Steradiantech owner said in his Quora response that I thought was really useful and interesting (and makes me wonder why all places don't use his product) which is consistent with what the guy in the laser place told me:

"Indoor laser tag companies often use visible lasers to show where you are aiming. Many of these lasers are class IIIa. These are similar to laser pointers you can buy at the general store. They are capable of hurting your eyes. But usually only through magnifying optics, or if you can’t look away. Class IIIa relies on your built-in avoidance reflex, counting on you looking away from a bright light. Steradian Laser Tag doesn’t use these lasers, and instead uses red-dot sights for optics, which still presents a dot for the player to shoot at, but does not emit a laser for others to see."