Much like real-life laser augments to firearms, airsoft tracer units help players. Lasers assist players to aim at their targets more accurately. Tracers are useful at night or in situations where lighting is a problem. The best airsoft tracer unit is bright, compact, and inexpensive.
Indoor airsoft players can benefit from products like the Xcortech XT301 Mini. It’s small, bright, and priced accordingly. Airsoft tracer units are necessary equipment during low-light scenarios. It doesn’t matter if it’s outdoors or indoors. These laser guides should give you an edge during competitive airsoft play.
We’ve listed three other products on the list that work really well with airsoft guns. Check the specs and see which one is the best airsoft tracer unit for the money.
Top 4 Airsoft Tracer Units: Comparison Chart
The table below includes the name of the product, a small description, where you can buy them from, and for how much. We’ve also included a picture to help you visualise its usefulness.
| Image | Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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ACETECH Airsoft Gun 14mm AT1000 Tactical Tracer Unit |
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Check Price |
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ACETECH Lighter BT Airsoft Gun 14mm/11mm Pistol Tracer Unit |
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Check Price |
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Xcortech XT301 Mini Tracer Unit |
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Check Price |
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ACETECH iTracer Airsoft Gun Control System Tracer Unit |
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Check Price |
Best Picks of Airsoft Tracer Units
You may already have an idea of what to buy, but there’s more information regarding airsoft tracer units. They have other features aside from the type of batteries they use. It also goes beyond their exact measurements. If you’ve already chosen one from the table, you can go over each product to see which one fits the bill.
#1: ACETECH Airsoft Gun 14mm AT1000 Tactical Tracer Unit
- Dimension: diameter 37mm, length 156mm
- Weight: 140g without battery
- Battery: Alkaline
- Use 4 AAA alkaline batteries lasting for 20,000 rounds, or use 4 eneloop rechargeable AAA batteries lasting for 100,000 rounds.
- Sustained ROF up to 1800 RPM
- Supports green tracer BBs
- Auto power off.
- 100% Brand New & Made in Taiwan
Our first entry on the list is the AT1000 tracer from ACETECH Airsoft. It measures a total length of 150cm , so it’s one of the longer tracers on the list. Longer tracers usually work well with sniper rifles, AR’s, or bullpup-configuration rifles.
It should fit most 14mm barrels. The internals section of the AT1000 has threads running clockwise. This helps BB pellets fly faster. This tracer unit helps maintain 1800 RPM. It also helps you determine if the batteries need replacement or charging. LED indicators show information about the battery level.
For extended games, the AT1000 tracer turns off if it’s been on for too long. We strongly advise against leaving the tracers, or any equipment, turned on. For any electrical equipment, extended use is detrimental. The AT1000 is a smart and cheap airsoft tracer unit.
- Good product lifetime and made with high-quality polymers
- Fits most 14mm barrels, and threaded for faster shooting
- Recommended for rifles and sniper rifles
- Very lightweight and should not interfere with airsoft games
- Works well with green BB’s
- Auto-switch could be shorter to save more power
- Total length may not be best for tight spaces
#2: ACETECH Lighter BT Airsoft Gun 14mm/11mm Pistol Tracer Unit
- Support green and red tracers.
- Support 35PRS running fire speed.
- Built-in li-Poly battery with charge time of 2 hours
- Charging once can provide the shooting of 30000 tracers.
- LED power and electricity quantity display
- FCC, CE, ROHS
- Size: diameter 34.5 mm, length 100.5 mm
- Weight: 78 g
If you’re looking for a tracer unit for smaller airsoft guns or pistols, ACETECH Lighter BT is the answer. It fits either 14 mm barrels or 11 mm barrels for pistols. It weighs only 78 grams, which is half of the weight of the first entry.
The ACETECH Lighter BT is chargeable for a playtime equivalent to 30000 rounds fired. If the AT1000 works with only green tracer pellets, the Lighter BT has more options. It can work well with red or green tracer pellets.
What’s unique about the ACETECH Lighter BT is a mobile app to go with it. We don’t recommend using your phone DURING an airsoft game though. Unless you want your screen to have dents and cracks from BB’s.
- Unique mobile app to help use the accessory
- Power button located on top of the muzzle.
- Power indicator beside the button tells you if the batteries already need charging.
- Works with either red or green tracers
- Made with high-quality polymer plastic
- Works best only with barrels that have a counterclockwise threading
- The batteries charge for 2 hours
#3: Xcortech XT301 Mini Tracer Unit
- Diameter: 29mm
- Length: 60mm
- Threads: 11mm CW
- Weight: 41g
- Material: Aluminum
- Included: 14mm CCW Thread Adapter
Another ultra-portable tracer is the XT301 from Xcortech. It has the same configuration like the ACETECH, and can fit both 14 mm and 11 barrels. It’s lightweight and weighs only around 41 grams.
What sets this apart from the other tracer units is its diminutive size. It’s the shortest one at 6 cm long. It’s ideal for pistols. Despite its small size, the XT301 lasts long as it has a built-in Lithium ion battery. It also has a fancy LEd indicator to tell you the battery levels.
This tracer unit is rechargeable with a micro USB. It also has a neat motion sensing feature so it knows when to turn itself on, off, or be in sleep mode. This feature along makes it a top rated airsoft tracer unit.
- Extremely lightweight and compact
- Bright with dual illumination
- The battery is rechargeable
- Made with aluminum instead of polymer plastic
- Does not interfered with shooting – can support firing speeds of up to 35 RPS
- Due to its small size, it’s prone to getting lost (Note: take care of your accessories)
- Battery needs recharging every three 3 months if not used, else, risk battery caking.
#4: ACETECH iTracer Airsoft Gun Control System Tracer Unit
- Operating voltage: 7.4~12.6V
- Supports Li-poly 2~3cell
- Max machining current：50A
- Operating teperature: -10 ~ 80℃
- Dimension: 51 x 17.5 x 6 (mm)
- Wire length: 12.3 cm
- Weight: 12g
Last but not the least, the iTracer by ACETECH is a premium version of the AT1000. In terms of features, this tracer unit has a lot going on. It has a LED display that shows information on the FPS. It also functions as a clock.
The iTracer is ideal for airsoft gun testers. There are separate equipment that specialize in measuring firing rate. The iTracer also has this functionality. Not to mention this is a mountable piece of object instead of a clunky looking apparatus.
The iTracer can fit a variety of airsoft guns. It can fit on AEG’s, spring pistols, air pistols, or a hybrid.
- LED display shows how fast bullets are travelling
- It has different modes to save battery.
- Ammo counter included in the display
- Gives warnings if the magazine is running out of bullets
- Can store up to 25 rows of data
- Some features tie in to the type of airsoft gun you’re using.
- LED display may not be readable in a few lighting conditions.
What is an Airsoft Tracer Unit?
An airsoft tracer unit is essentially a laser. They’re airsoft accessories and are usually sold separately. They give players an advantage at night time or during indoor airsoft games. Most airsoft tracer units have built in batteries. Some tracer units need connection to the airsoft gun’s power source. This setup may mean complications during setup though.
Airsoft tracer units are available at most airsoft gun shops. They rarely come in as inclusions to an airsoft gun, but there are kits which already have a basic tracer. For beginners, airsoft tracers aren’t necessary. Purchasing one for later use isn’t a bad idea either.
Tracer units are available online. Sites like Amazon and Ebay offer selections of tracer units. There’s also the advantage of seeing reviews about the product. Reviews offer a unique perspective on the product. This should give you additional information on if the product fits your needs or not.
How Does an Airsoft Tracer Unit Work?
Airsoft tracer units work by using lasers. The laser component is within the circular barrel. This barrel is what you see and what you attach to the airsoft muzzle gun. Without the laser, airsoft tracer units are simply flash hiders and extended barrels.
There are different types of lasers used in airsoft tracer units. Most tracers use solid state lasers. Solid state lasers use reflective mirrors and other materials. For example, a red laser will mostly likely have a small piece of ruby to help redirect the light.
There are also gas-powered lasers. These are common in most laser attachments to real weapons. Gas-powered lasers can either use oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and other noble gases. Gas-powered lasers emitting green light use a mixture of helium and neon.
The least common type of lasers are liquid lasers. These types of lasers use organic dyes to help light focus. The light emitted by these types of lasers approach that of infrared or ultraviolet rays.
Most lasers manufactured today use semiconductors. They’re cheap and easy to make. They consume less power, making them ideal candidates for AEG’s. Semiconductors also have a smaller setup than the three lasers mentioned. This helps bring the cost down.
Tracers can either have their own power source. Semiconductors are power efficient. They will not run out of juice in comparison to gas-lasers or solid state lasers. For example, the iTracer connects directly to the AEG’s power source. This means it doesn’t have to use its batteries.
Most tracers use LiPo batteries but if that’s not available, they can get their power from any type of battery. The standard size for batteries used in a tracer are triple A’s. They can also use Lithium ion cells if they’re built compact.
Tracer BB’s will have a coating of fluorescent paint so that when the laser light hits them, they glow. This is the main mechanism of a tracer pellet and tracer unit.
Why Use an Airsoft Tracer Unit?
Two words: Indoor airsoft. Airsoft tracer units give players an advantage. For the shooter, it gives them a visual indication for potential targets. This also helps to avoid “fouls”, if ever the game would be comparable to a sport like basketball.
For the opposing team, airsoft tracer units offer the exact same advantage. It works as a preventive measure, and the would-be targets have an idea of how fast BB pellets go. They can also estimate how far the BB’s travel along their path. This gives them an idea of how far they should avoid their enemies.
Of course this only works if the indoor airsoft facility is a lights-off situation. Tracers won’t really be useful in bright light and tracer pellets will merely work like normal BB’s. Tracers work best with pistols since it’s one pellet for every pull on the trigger. Follow-up shots are easier to make thanks to the projectiles being visible.
There are cases where competitive play isn’t center stage. Airsoft tracers also offer a unique perspective on ballistics. Most of the research done with airsoft relates to eye injuries (Kratz et al., 2010, p37-44). But that doesn’t mean airsoft tracers do not have advantages. Ballistics, or projectile physics, help criminology students in their studies. Tracers can assist in determining the relationship between wounds and bullet trajectory.
The airsoft industry is not seeing a decline anytime soon. This table shows how much airsoft has grown and maintained itself since its rise in 2013. The pandemic limits people’s access to public facilities. Since airsoft can be an “indoor” business, it has a positive potential growth.
Things to Consider Before Buying Airsoft Tracer Unit
Are you going to play indoors?
Buying airsoft tracer units only make sense if they have a practical application. You would waste money using tracer units in broad daylight. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself first. Question yourself on whether or not you’re going to equip your airsoft BB pistols with a tracer.
No one is going to stop you from playing BB inside your house. Tracer units become fun experimental devices if you’re reviewing airsoft guns. You can also test the tracers on various airsoft guns. If you have a high-speed camera, that makes it all the better.
Pricing
There’s no reason for tracer units to be expensive. Sure, we have a tracer unit on the list which goes over that amount. It has a lot of features that make it expensive. Tracer units should be cheap since companies can already mass-produce them.
If you want extra laser power, gas-powered types are available on the market. Don’t expect a cheap price tag though. These lasers are incredibly powerful. They will be bulkier because of the space needed for the gases. They also consume a fair amount of power compared to semiconductor lasers.
Weight and Dimensions
Tracer units work better when they’re smaller. It will not interfere with the FPS. If the AEG has a threaded barrel, consider looking into brands that give the same pattern. This affects how the bullets fly.
Longer tracer units give some form advantage when used for pistols and rifles. Due to a smaller FPS, they tend to fall short of the target. The additional barrel gives it accuracy. Pistols have a lower FPS so players can appreciate the BB units light up when they get hit by the laser light.
A lighter tracer is also better. Take a look at the XT301 by Xcortech which weighs 41 grams only. Putting this tracer on any pistol or rifle will not make any difference. There are tracers made with a metal frame so bipods need to support the front weight.
Conclusion
XcorTech XT301 is the best airsoft tracer unit for the money. The cost averages neatly between $60 to $120. The small size isn’t noticeable when attached to either an AEG or a pistol. It also has powerful Lithium ion batteries that are rechargeable.
The XcorTech is small but durable. The other tracer units on the list are polymer-based. The XcorTech uses aluminum which makes it sturdy and light. The other tracer units on this list require manual switches. The XcorTech relies on motion sensing technology. Turning it on or off is easy.
The second best airsoft tracer unit on the list is the ACETECH Lighter BT. If you’re willing to spend an extra $6, you will get the option to mount this accessory on either pistols or rifles. The lighter BT can go over 14mm or 11mm barrels.
For more airsoft tracer unit reviews, click on the pricing. You can check customer opinions about the product as well as updates to its pricing.