Best type of masks

[Rogar]

My first mask was a neck gator made from some sort of microfiber. I would wear it doubled up. This is supposedly not a good mask choice anymore, but it also was hard to keep in place, it pressed down on my nose and restricted some air flow while cycling. I also had some N95 masks that I would use in higher risk areas, like the grocery store or Home Depot. It fit my face really well and I felt rather secure with it, however the ones I'd stored in the garage have the exhalation valve, which again is not recommended. I didn't try it while exercising but I suspect the air flow would be restricted to a degree and they might be uncomfortable for all day use.

Then, I googled recommendations for people who bike or jog and ordered three masks from Adidas for $20. with shipping. Black was sold out but they had blue, the only color choices. The Under Armor masks were also recommended but were sold out. It's made from recycled polyester that is sort of a stretchy light neoprene like material with a inner layer that looks like a filter pouch that's a lighter material. These are pretty comfortable. Super soft, lightweight, washable, fairly cool, and doesn't restrict breathing as much as the earlier masks. They do not have the metal strip that fits around the nose, so I did not feel like they fit as securely around the face. What I like about them is that they are easy to pull down when not needed. Say you're out walking and want a mask only when others are around but not all the time, the stretchy material makes them easy to pull up and down below the chin or nose as the situation requires. I haven't tried disposable or cotton masks, but these seem like they would be relatively comfortable to wear all day, for what they are. They tend to fog sunglasses when exercising. There are a few uTube reviews of these.

Thinking I might want to try something with a little tighter fit I saw the forums recommendation for the Beau Ties with the metal nose band and adjustable ear straps. $12 dollars from Amazon and free shipping. I ordered a dark red color which might have some visibility when cycling in traffic, but there were several fashionable colors and patterns. I've not received it yet.

[happystuff]

Jeppy: I don't think anyone would deny that wearing a mask is unpleasant. Those of us who wear them willingly don't do so because we like them or find them comfortable.

Agree! And most of us do so because we care about ourselves AND others. And, while conversing about them - negatively and positively - is one thing, constantly bitching and moaning about them is something else.

[JaneV2.0]

Maybe gaiters aren't so bad after all (from the Seattle Times):

Both gaiters prevented 100 percent of very large, 20-micron droplets from splattering another foam head just 30 centimeters away. Both masks blocked 50 percent or more of one-micron aerosols. The single layer gaiter blocked only 10 percent of 0.5-micron particles, while the two-layer gaiter blocked 20 percent. Notably, when the single-layer gaiter was doubled, it blocked more than 90 percent of all particles measured. By comparison, a homemade cotton T-shirt mask, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blocked about 40 percent of the smallest particles.

Tests show wide variation in how much protection cloth masks provide. Some homemade masks perform far better than the gaiters tested in the Virginia Tech study, and some perform worse. Overall, tests of fabric masks have shown that two layers are better than one, and that a snug fitting mask with no gaps is best. Most experts agree that the average mask wearer doesn’t need medical-grade protection, and that any face covering, combined with social distancing, probably offers adequate protection for the average person against spreading or contracting the coronavirus.

“I’ve been recommending neck gaiters, and my kids wear neck gaiters,” Dr. Marr said. “There’s nothing inherent about a neck gaiter that should make it any worse than a cloth mask. It comes down to the fabric and how well it fits.”


https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-...2020&utm_term=

[Yppej]

Jeppy: I don't think anyone would deny that wearing a mask is unpleasant. Those of us who wear them willingly don't do so because we like them or find them comfortable.

It is good to see this acknowledged after some people in these forums have written that wearing a mask is no big deal, isn't bothersome and my favorite, is just another item of clothing. Maybe if you're into S&M and like your breathing restricted, or to see others suffering, it's just another item of clothing.

[iris lilies]

I don’t even know what a neck gator is. I had to look it up.

[iris lilies]

Another area of discomfort is steamy glasses. My brother,,who treats Covid patients, showed a product on his Facebook page That keeps eyeglasses from steaming up.

[Alan]

I don’t even know what a neck gator is. I had to look it up.

I didn't know what it was either until I started searching for face masks online. We ordered a couple of the gaiters and used them during our vacation this summer without much complaint other than several comments along the vein of "You look like a bank robber."

Now competing forces are telling me that they're bad or they're better than simple cloth masks. My wife starts school again tomorrow and the gaiters have been banned from use there so we've bought several different types of face masks that all make my glasses steam up every time I exhale. I hate them.

This is a neck gaiter:

[Rogar]

I talked with a local small business retailer who said some of his employees quit when they started having to wear masks. I'm a little out of touch with the work a day world, but for most places around the country I don't know where else they could go. Either you working at home or in some sort of work isolation, or masks are probably a big part of the work day? I've heard of see through masks and ones you can have printed with the lower portion of you face from a selfie, but none that look terribly comfortable to wear for long periods. It just is what it is.

[bae]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...-guidance.html

[Tammy]

Yes, and I also realize it makes you dizzy after a few minutes and you "can't manage" certain masks. Thank you for proving my point that mask wearing is onerous.

The N95 makes me dizzy. All the others don’t. We wear paper masks almost exclusively,