I have been using the ubiquitous blue paper face masks throughout the pandemic and they have worked fine for me. Thing is, I generally only need to wear them for less than 30 minutes at a time. That’s worked fine for me so far but I am looking at a long flight so will need to wear a mask for an extended period. Those blue face masks get wet fast from condensation and uncomfortable as a result.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a comfortable mask for long-term wear? It needs to be suitable as a mask for COVID purposes but no need for N95 or anything serious. Comfort is the main thing as long as it serves its primary purpose well enough.
Early in the pandemic I scored a sleeve of N95s, kept my beard short, etc. After vaccination I switched over to a clothe mask, with a surgical mask under it in certain situations.
Basically a washable cotton mask with a filter pocket. I like it because it cups under the chin, and with the wired nose-piece, it gives me a nice tight fit. It’s a bit on the larger side for masks, which is good for me, because I have a larger face. The two features I like on this the most is the adjustable ear loops (elastic) so I can get a tight fit without having too much pressure on my ears and the connected lanyard so if I do take it off for eating/drinking, it just hangs down my chest where it is less likely to be lost and/or picking something up from the table.
If you get one, absolutely follow the instructions to wash before using, it’s much more comfortable after a few hand washes than fresh out of the bag.
When wearing a mask for a long time, I actually prefer a N95 because it sits away from my face. That way any condensation on the mask doesn’t get pressed against my face. This one is very easy to breathe through. The wavy shape gives it a lot of surface area which reduces air resistance. I’ve worn it on plane trips and almost forget I’m wearing it.
The fold closed into a neat, small strip that can be folded to fit in a pants pocket but open into a larger-than-normal space that makes talking easy and doesn’t require constant re-adjustment of the mask. Very comfortable. Nose wire. Filter pocket. etc.
I wanted to second filmore’s point. Masks that are super tight against the face do tend to be soggy. The mask I recommended it more comfortable with the filter in, because it’s a bit more rigid and gives you that little bit of space away from the mouth without compromising the fit on the top/bottom/sides.
When I’ve worn it without the filter, it can get a bit of condensation.
Based on the responses in a previous thread, I bought these 3M daily face masks. Like my review says in that thread, they’re fine. Not magically comfortable, but they fit my needs, and are good for 30+ minutes in a store situations. I also use one at work for when I’m in common parts of the building, so on and off throughout the day.
Since that thread, I bought another 10 pack of them, so I can keep a spare at work, in all vehicles, and still have plenty to get through a week or two of use between washes.
I also bought some KN95 masks from ProjectN95 and I wear those at the hospital or other places I’m likely to be around sick people.
They’re the pyramid type ones, and are pretty comfortable to wear for hours at a time.
“Comfortable” is, of course, all relative. I might not be bothered by something that annoys you.
In Asia, there are marks called LVTA KF94 or something like that. The front part is extended so it doesn’t tough the lower part of your nouse or mouth, but the sides fit right. I also read that they are reusable and washable.
I’m not sure if it changed, or if it’s just that @filmore linked to a quantity they don’t sell anymore, but it looks to me like the 10-packs are still available. These are significantly different from, and to me much better than, the smooth rigid cup style like the one in the Home Depot link. The smooth cup ones do fog my glasses, get hotter, and are harder to breathe through. Here’s a link to a page where it seemed like I could purchase the Moldex pleated ones for delivery within a week.
There’s another one Grainger has that is highly rated for breathability, but which I haven’t tried myself:
That one is backordered into October. You may be able to find it elsewhere, though. I’ve linked to Grainger because I trust that the products they offer are genuine.
I find KF94 masks pretty comfortable too, but trickier to not fog up my glasses. The stiff ones will stay away from your face and not collapse in when you breathe. I have the black LG Airwasher and I think it’s good.
I bought the Airwashers after seeing a review on YouTube from Aaron Collins, an aerosols expert who has been testing masks and collecting data at home for comparison purposes. If you look him up on YouTube, there are links he provides to spreadsheets of his data.
They are probably best for those times when you need N95-level protection for a long time (like a plane). The extra cost is worth it for the comfort over traditional N95 masks. But if you’re just running into the store to pick up a few things, then a regular mask is fine since you’ll only be wearing it for a short while.
I bought a box of KF94 masks from Amazon (see below). They are very comfortable, and my glasses don’t fog up when I wear them. My only complaint is that they tend to leak air on the sides, which means that every time I exhale I get this WHOOSH of air over my ears. I don’t know if this is a peculiarity of KF94s in general, or the specific brand that I purchased.
