Deciding on what kind of paintball air tank to use is an important choice for players. The less expensive carbon dioxide tanks are most often used by casual, less dedicated paintballers. Carbon dioxide propellant is generally considered to provide less consistent velocity and thus lowered accuracy when firing paintballs. Serious paintball players choose high pressure air tanks to supply propellant to their markers. High pressure air tanks are also called HPA, nitro, nitrogen, and N2 tanks.

Things to consider when purchasing a high pressure paintball air tank include the size of the tank rated in cubic inches (ci) and the amount of pressure it can hold in pounds per square inch (psi). Both of these factors determine how many shots may be fired before the tanks needs to be refilled. The higher the number for either ci or psi the more shots may be fired per fill. For example, a 48ci HPA tank at 300 psi may fire roughly 500 shots before needing to be refilled while a 68ci HPA tank at 4500 psi may fire more than 1,000 shots before needing a refill.

The size of the tank also determines how a paintball player may wish to attach it to the paintball gun. A smaller, slimmer tank is often attached to the marker via a drop or drop-down. The drop or drop-down is an extension of sorts which allows the paintball player to determine the location of the tank in relation to the marker depending on the style purchased. Some are more utilitarian in appearance, being nothing more than a short tube with an attachment, while others have a more aesthetic design.

For users of larger ones, the use of a drop would make their marker clumsy and unwieldy. In these instances a coiled remote, which is a good length of coiled tubing, is used instead. The larger HPA tank can then be strapped to the player’s belt or back.

The material of fabrication is also a consideration when purchasing an air tank. As they are considered fragile, they are often protected using a cover. This is especially a concern for tanks made from carbon fiber or carbon fiber wrap. These tanks are required by law to be inspected periodically at a U.S. DOT location. This inspection should also be performed if there are any significant dents, scratches or other types of damage to the tank. Aluminum and steel devices are significantly more durable and do not carry the mandatory periodic inspections of carbon fiber tanks. However, if these devices do suffer significant damage, an inspection may be performed for the safety of the user.