Things to Consider before Buying a Paintball Hopper

If you are researching for days and still can’t find the clear cut winner, considering the following buying guide will lead you to the winner. Take a look!

Capacity

Loader capacity is one of the very first facts that you need to consider. Capacity refers to the maximum number of paintballs a hopper can hold in it. The quality paintball hopper can hold about 200 balls. However, there are plenty of other products which can hold even more than 200.

Feed Rate

If you play professionally, you must need a super-fast hopper with a reasonable feed rate. The professionals recommend using the loaders with at least 50 balls per second speed.

Weight and Size

While considering the capacity and feed rate, you should take a look at the weight too. You know the larger paintball hopper weighs more than the smaller hoppers. Massive guns will affect your comfort, precision, and overall performance in the field.

Durability

Paintballing is an intense game with hard hits, drops, and fall-overs. That’s why durability should be a significant concern. However, the strength mostly depends on the construction material of the product. Let’s take a look at the materials.

• Aluminum: Aluminum hoppers are lightweight, durable, and easy to use.
• Polycarbonate: Polycarbonate-made products are less durable than aluminum. But it is still a good choice in terms of customization. 
• Plastic: Plastic is less fragile, transparent, and highly customizable.
• Ceramic: Ceramic-made loaders are the least durable among all of these, but it is also expensive.

Water Resistance

Rainwater and wet fields are the main reason to select a water-resistant hopper. It ensures the freedom of playing in any situation. Let’s move on to the next section.

Top 10 Best Paintball Hopper Reviews

Paintball already became a billion-dollar industry in the previous year. So, you can easily imagine how many companies are competing in the market. Do you think all of these products are up to the mark?

Nah!

That’s why our researchers spend days to find out the best products exclusively for you. Let’s explore!

01. Virtue Spire III Electronic Paintball Loaders/Hoppers

Virtue Spire III Features

The Spire III built with hinged shell technology. It makes the product easier to assemble and disassemble. Furthermore, the cleaning, battery changing, speed-feed modifying can be done in a matter of seconds. The internal height of this tool is quite smaller than the other similar products.

But Virtue applied some geometry in the bottom and increased the capacity up to 230 rounds. Thus the size increased without changing the height. Even you don’t need to check the current paintball situation all the time. Virtue added a speaker alarm to notify you whenever your hopper is running low on paintball.

Another most compelling feature is its smartphone connectivity. You can operate this tool by using Virtue’s iOS or Android app.

Along with the features, this loader is highly energy efficient too. It comes with a powerful battery. Additionally, it’ll consume 50% less power when the gun isn’t active.

Moreover, the magnetically attached spare drive, tool-less disassembling feature, and the responsive G-force sensor made this tool almost unbeatable within this budget range. This sensor increased the functionality by reducing unwanted spinning.

What we don’t like-

✘  Color kit installation is kinda clumsy
✘  Gets jammed after using for a long time

Verdict

If you need an overall decent hopper with extreme efficiency, this Virtue Spire III should be on your choice list.

02. Empire Paintball Halo Too Loader

Empire Paintball Halo Too Loader Features

Finding your position will turn into a daydream if you use this Empire Halo. This tool is the quietest among all of the tools I’ve tested to find out the best hoppers.

Even with such a lower sound, this tool can shoot more than 20 balls per second. And it can hold about 180 balls into its shell. This is pretty good if you compare this with other products with other similar loaders.

Additionally, you can shoot continuously with this too. To be honest, you can shoot the whole box without any jamming issue, thanks to its highly effective anti-jam technology!

It ensures that the tool will never break any paint inside the gun or get jammed. Even though it gets jammed, use the anti-jam trigger, and you’re good to go within a moment.

Another trump-card is its matte black polycarbonate shell. This shell is very sturdy and can withstand any hits from your opponents.

What we don’t like-

✘  Not possible to dismantle in the field
✘  Quite difficult to program

Verdict

With all of these features within a limited budget, this is the best tool for the beginners. Especially if you play speedball a lot, you shouldn’t think twice before purchasing this one.

03. Virtue Spire Electronic Paintball Loaders

Virtue Spire Electronic Paintball Loaders Features

This Virtue Spire is made to enjoy the intense moment of a paintball match without thinking about the loader. It comes with a strong nylon back shell that can withstand your opponents’ shot with ease.

It is small yet powerful. This device can store about 200 to 260 balls. Storing such a massive amount of balls in this 1.2 lbs tool is really commendable. Furthermore, this smaller size, along with the Optimal Crown SF technology, makes the movement as smooth as butter.

Virtue Spare paintball loader comes with a spring-loaded anti-jam mechanism. This ingenious mechanism slides the unusable paints underneath your gun and pushes the jam away even before it happens. Even though it gets jammed unintentionally, there is a slide-to-lock mechanism to make the disassembling process easier.

Besides the jam-proof design, a loader must have the efficiency of removing the lid and speed feeding. Fortunately, there is a small tab attached to this device. A simple press of your thumb can remove the entire lid within a twinkling of your eye.

What we don’t like-

✘  Software isn’t up to the mark
✘  Additional tool required for disassembling

Verdict

The Virtue Spire Electric Hopper is a fantastic choice for the players who love to play fast. If you’re one of those, order this tool today.

04. Dye LT-R Electronic Paintball Loader

DYE LT-R Electronic Paintball Loader Features

Unlike its predecessor, the Rotor R2, this LT-R comes with innovation without swelling the price. Its body is made of high-quality plastic, which is highly durable as well as able to withstand speedy shots.

The power button is located on the lower rear portion that is easy to spot. This is an excellent feature for professional loaders. In case your paint gun gets jammed, you can shut it down to prevent any further damage.

Maintaining this LT-R is exceptionally convenient and useful too. There’s a push-button located near the rear side. Just push that button, and you’re set.

Pushing that button will lift off the top. Inside that, you’ll get the central electronic system of this tool. This unit holds the rotor system, the gear, and three AAA batteries. These batteries can feed more than 80k paintballs.

To enjoy paintball in every weather condition, DYE made this unit water-resistant. You can play in the rainy season without worrying about the internal components.

Like every professional hopper, this Dye LT-R also comes with an anti-jam Sharkfin release trigger. You can use this trigger for fast feeding without any jamming issue. Furthermore, the Rotor Force Fed Technology allows shooting 30 bps.

What we don’t like-

✘  Not compatible with some speed feeds
✘  Comparatively lower feed rates

Verdict

With the latest innovations like Rotor technology, this DYE LT-R is an excellent deal for every paintball player.

05. Proto Primo Paintball Hopper

Proto Primo Paintball Hopper Features

We’re talking about a standard gravity-fed hopper here. So, don’t expect any alarms or whistles! Without that, this tool is a pretty good deal for beginners.

The simplistic design with high-end engineering is the main attraction of this tool. If you split the device, you’ll notice a small-bar into the box. It keeps the upper and lower balls aside and ensures a continuous flow of the shots. This feature solves the jamming and ball-breaking issues.

By the blessing of this unique engineering idea, you can load 200 balls within this smaller box. It can last you for a casual match without reloading again. If you want to play a longer game, just carry some extra ammo in your backpack and you’re good to go.

This Dye Proto Primo has a reasonable feed rate with an average speed of 8 bps. As it doesn’t have any motor inside, it works by relieving the pressure on the match. Thus you can play without facing any jamming trouble.

Another significant feature is the spring-loaded lid. It makes the reloading feature even more efficient than you can imagine. Furthermore, the toughened plastic made body can tolerate any severe abuse from the user.

What we don’t like-

✘  Not lightweight
✘  Requires shaking while running low on paintballs

Verdict

If you want a budget-friendly solution and don’t like to deal with the batteries, this Proto Primo might be the right solution for you.

06. Dye R2 Electronic Paintball Loader

Dye R2 Features

Dye R2 is a combination of simplicity, reliability, flexibility, and mind-blowing feed rates. The Dye R2 electric paintball hopper includes a groundbreaking patent for the multi-capacity shell.

This uniquely designed shell allows the user to use almost 200 to 260 rounds of paintball on the fly. You can fill in such a massive amount of paint without using any additional tools or shells. Pretty amazing, huh?

With the most advanced Rotor Force Fed Technology, this tool can feed more than 30 balls per second. This R2 can shoot more than 100,000 with the help of 3 AA batteries. Thus this tool will never fail you for any technical difficulties.

Furthermore, it has a 20% larger mouth than its predecessor Dye R1. And the low battery indicator and reload alert system helps to determine your battery life before starting the game. When your battery needs to recharge, the R2 circuit board will blink red.

The new Shark-Fin jam releasing technology runs this device more effortlessly than the similar hoppers.

With all of these features, Dye doesn’t compromise the outer shell quality. The shell is too durable to run, jump, or even throwing towards your teammate won’t damage the quality of this tool. And it is easy to clean and requires very little maintenance.

What we don’t like-

✘  Not easy to field strip
✘  Changing the batteries requires some expertise

Verdict

With the combination of professionalism and technology, this tool is perfect for every technology enthusiast.

07. Dye Precision Rotor Loader

Dye Precision Rotor Loader Features

The unique designed Dye Precision Rotor hopper is an excellent tool for die-hard paintball players. If you are one of those, you must go for this lightweight yet beautifully designed loader.

Dye Precision Rotor comes with almost similar capacity like the previous L2 motor. It can hold approximately 200 balls at ease. There’s a small slider on the backside of this tool. This slider lets you adjust the capacity if needed.

Also, this sliding feature helps both beginner and advanced level players to use this tool more efficiently. If you are a pro player and require more capacity, simply slide the backport, and you’re done. Pushing the back-shell will automatically increase the capacity without purchasing a new one.

Moreover, the feed rate of this device is 50 balls per second. This feed rate with Dye’s traditional spring-loaded feature makes this tool unbeatable among the competitors. Also, the extremely lightweight feature allows the user to play for a longer time without facing any weight-related difficulties.

To avoid the jamming issues, there’s an anti-jam rubber hand installed in the box. It ensures that you can play flawlessly in the field. Even though it gets jammed, you can use the built-in shark fin trigger. This trigger will empty the magazine and avoid any unwanted situations.

What we don’t like-

✘ Plastic-made body
✘ Hard to disassemble

Verdict

Though it has some drawbacks, overall, this is a good choice with this budget range. The advanced shark fin technology and higher capacity make it an excellent choice among the players.

08. HK Army TFX Paintball Loader

HK Army Paintball Hopper Features

The outer shell of this hopper is made of Combat Contour. It can withstand any rough use in the field. To ensure continuous performance, this device comes with a patented drive system.

HK TFX has a load rate of 22 bps. This is a perfect speed for the professional players. Not many loaders can handle such a higher bps rate within this budget. This unit uses rechargeable batteries as the power source. These batteries can last about 30,000 shots within a single charge.

This product can hold about 216 balls at a time. So, you can play medium to moderate matches without any reload. Furthermore, you’ll get reactive eye mechanisms to activate the swoop stack facility.

Additionally, the availability of a swoop stack can feed the paintballs to the market automatically. It reduces the possibility of getting jammed. Even if it gets jammed, there’s a 3-slip feature to remove that.

What we don’t like-

✘ The LED is too bright
✘ The body gets scratched easily

Verdict

HK Army is a decent electric paintball hopper that can load balls very quickly. With these high-quality features, you can win several matches without facing any difficulties.

09. Virtue Spire IR Electronic Paintball Loader

Virtue Spire IR Features

The Virtue Spire is a smaller and reliable unit for die-hard paintball fans. It weighs only 1.2 lbs, which makes it highly maneuverable. Virtue used durable Nylon shell to make this unit sustainable enough to undergo every hit in the battlefield. It is designed specially to enjoy the optimal performance in every shot.

There is a spring-loaded unit to feed the paint. In case you are curious about the capacity, it can feed 200/260 balls at a time. The Virtue CrownSF II feature makes the feeding more efficient than other traditional hoppers.

Cleaning this loader is a piece of cake. Even the tool-less disassembling feature makes this product efficient to use.

What we don’t like-

✘ Isn’t as versatile as expected
✘ Doesn’t work well with all guns

Verdict

With the pro features and easy maintenance feature, this is a good hopper for the beginners. Just keep an eye on the lid when things get hectic.

10. Empire Paintball Prophecy Z2 Gun Loader

Empire Paintball Prophecy Z2 Gun Loader Features

Prophecy Z2 comes with a toughened metal body to take any blows from the opponents. Not only the outer shell, but this loader is also specially designed to protect the internal tools from any damage. Thus Empire ensures the ultimate durability of their device.

The combat-ready Empire Prophecy Z2 comes with a fantastic loader with force-feeding technology. It can load 200 balls at a time. So, it’s an ideal tool to win an intense paintball match without carrying any extra weight. Another major upgrade of this tool is it can handle both regular balls and ReBalls.

Feeding the balls isn’t burdensome for this Z2 hopper. With the blessings of the “Sound Activated Force Feeding” mechanism, even the novice users can load this hopper with ease.

While talking about force-feeding, jamming comes forward as the real villain. But, Prophecy Z2 has successfully defeated that by its infrared sensor. This sensor can clear the paintball jams automatically.

What we don’t like-

✘ Battery housing is constructed poorly
✘ Controlling isn’t up to the mark

Verdict

Empire Prophecy Z2 has everything that you may ask from a loader. Overall it’s a good hopper that can serve you for days, months, and even years.

How We Wrote This Review

The market is full of thousands of paintball hoppers to choose from. So, selecting the best paintball loader wasn’t an overnight process.

Our professional researchers thoroughly checked numerous popular products around the market. After using each of those for several days, we’ve selected the final products.

Then the final products undergo few additional tests to get a crystal clear notion about the fitness of these top 10 products. The researchers left no room for any skepticism or doubt before you opt for our recommended product.

This review has its own stance with the latest information from authentic sources and also real-life experience. Hence, we can ensure that you’ll find your desired product from our top 10 best paintball loader list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we have some of the most commonly asked queries regarding the best paintball hoppers:

Final Verdict

Paintballing is fun. But you need a fantastic hopper to enjoy it properly. It doesn’t matter what your price range or skill level is; there is a paintball hopper for everyone.

As you’ve completed reading our best paintball hopper reviews, I hope that you’ve already found yours. Don’t forget to inform us about which one you’ve selected as the best paintball loader for your next match. Good luck!