I heard face shields may actually protect better since there is eye coverage. They look a heck of a lot more comfortable as well as having somewhat of a storm trooper vibe.
That would be true only when someone is not already wearing eyeglasses, in that it might prevent a direct splatter.
But please realize that actually a face shield only protects from those
direct frontal splatters, and even then, some droplets get past it.
So most expert opinions conclude that there's no "true" and effective eye coverage if there's an aerosol,
and as we know, sneezes & coughs are aerosols of body fluids. We've seen the animated videos.
Shields are nothing more than a windshield with open sides--- top, bottom, and 2 sides.
Single direct "blasts" are all they're good for,
not to minimize their positive effects, but they are limited.
In hospital, surgical, and patient treatment instances, it's the front-line defense,
mainly to deflect droplets from entering or trying to enter or moisten the mask or hit the eye area.
To address your second point, comfort has nothing at all to do with efficacy of preventive barriers.
IMHO, comfort is the last concern when comparing options. It's also more comfortable NOT to wear seat belts, or latex gloves,
or wound dressings, or sporting gear like helmets, etc, etc.
I would say in isolated instances, a face shield would be sufficient for a few people, but that would include only certain
specific environments----- but not in the real world where people are prone to expel Covid19-laden droplets.