I bought face masks from 6 different brands & here are my thoughts

< FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK OR PINTEREST >

As we embrace Phase 2 re-opening in New York (as of Monday June 22, 2020), in addition to continue practicing social distancing whenever possible, the best way to protect yourself is still to wash your hands and to wear a mask in public spaces. And to be honest, I believe even when masks are no longer required later on, it is still best to develop a habit of wearing them when you’re feeling ill or have a cold.

That in fact is what happened to Taiwan post-SARS (I was in Taiwan in 2003 when SARS happened). People have gotten into the habit of wearing masks whenever they’re feeling unwell or weak and don’t want to catch anything (or give anyone anything). I strongly believe this is why the confirmed cases of COVID-19 remained low, and now remained ZERO for the past 2 months in Taiwan — everyone immediately knew the first thing they needed to do was to take out those masks and wear them on public transportations and in confined public places before the government or any health officials asked people to do so.

The types of face masks and their protection level

There are various types of face masks available and different ones offer different functions. I learned a lot about the N95, medical masks, and cloth masks when The New York Times published this article about the different functionalities. It was the first time I understood what I really need for myself and why we should leave the N95 masks to people working in the hospital or in the front line. I do have medical masks at home but I’ve saved them mostly for my husband to use since he started working in the office. We also save them in case we ever need to visit the hospital or travel on a plane etc. Which is why I started looking into getting cloth masks for myself to use on a daily basis.

The article mentioned, a good cloth mask would be one that uses “a material that is dense enough to capture viral particles, but breathable enough that can tolerate it.” Their example was cotton. They also mentioned that materials “with a higher thread count — which allows very little light to filter through — will likely offer the best protection.” So when I started searching for cloth masks, I kept these things in mind!

Throughout the month of May, I ordered masks from several different places, and here are my thoughts on them:

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY PANDEMIC TRAVEL OUTFIT

The Alice + Olivia mask looks cute but it isn’t as breathable compared to others.

1) The face masks from Alice + Olivia — 6/10

The design of this face mask is really cute, featuring the iconic Alice + Olivia logo. The fabric is soft to touch, too; it’s mostly made of viscose — which is a breathable material. It’s machine-washable which makes it really easy to maintain.

However, I didn’t actually find it that breathable when I wore it for a rooftop hangout with my family the other day. I think it’s okay for an hour or two, and will work when you run quick errands, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you need to wear it all day long. I also had trouble removing the foundation stains on the inner white layer and that annoyed me a little bit because now they don’t look “clean” anymore.

So in my opinion, unless you’re a fan of the brand or really like the design, I think you can skip this one!

2) The face masks from Marta Scarampi — 10/10

The Marta Scarampi pink face mask with folds offers a large coverage from my nose down to my chin. It is extremely breathable — it’s been my favorite go-to mask lately.

The cloth masks from Marta Scarampi are my absolute favorite out of all of the cloth masks I now have. The designs are simple but I love the pink. I loved them so much that I later got men’s versions for my husband, too. The masks are made of 100% Italian organic cotton with a high thread count and not only are they comfortable to wear, but they’re extremely breathable.

I actually wore their masks to go hiking twice already, and both times although I’d be out of breath at times, the mask never bothered me.

The masks are machine washable, too (they recommend to use the “Delicate” program), but I actually hand wash them after every use because that worked out easier for me. And it also allows me to use it again sooner rather than waiting for laundry to be done.

Most recently, I also got a set from their waterproof collection, which I thought is a genius design because the fabric is designed to repel water — i.e. droplets!

The waterproof face mask handmade by Marta Scarampi is designed to repel droplets.

The Deco face mask by Marta Scarampi matches their waterproof travel jumpsuit.

3) The face masks from Vivian Chan — 4/10

I was really exited about getting the face masks from Vivian Chan. I like supporting independent designers and I’ve always loved her clothing designs so I thought it would be a great chance to try something from the brand. The masks were made of really elegant fabric and chic patterns.

However, sadly, I ended up not liking the masks. Mostly because they were so big and didn’t fit my face. The design was a little strange and I felt like I looked like a duck from the side when I had it on.

Having said that, one thing I really like about Vivian Chan’s masks is the pocket she designed inside the mask for you to insert filters in. I felt like this definitely would have provided more protection.

4) Random black face masks on Amazon — 2/10

My husband wanted to get plain black masks that he could go running or biking with and toss them into the laundry so we searched for some on Amazon and got a pack of 5. They were cheaper than the other cloth masks I mentioned here and you could definitely feel the difference in comparison. They were thicker and very hard to breathe in, and a little scratchy on the skin, too. We don’t use them anymore.

5) Embellished face masks by Lele Sadoughi — 8/10

I’m subscribed to Lele Sadoughi’s e-newsletter because I’ve been a fan of their headbands. When they mentioned they were making masks, I decided to order 2 sets of 3 reusable cotton face masks when pre-order became available. The six masks in total are all in different designs — the ones with embellished faux pearls are my favorite — they were just too cute to pass on, to be honest! I actually only saw sketches of the design when I pre-ordered the sets. When I eventually saw the photos of the actual products, I was excited about getting them.

The comfort level of the masks are surprisingly high. The masks have ear straps that are adjustable which I really like. They are designed with 2 layers, including a little pocket which allows you to insert filters if you wish to. You can buy filters here.

I think they’re great because now I can also match them to whatever I’m wearing and to be honest, they lighten up the new normal mask-wearing situation a little for me!

6) Cotton face masks by Jeff Wan — 8/10

Based in New York City, Jeff Wan is more known for his award-winning lunch box bags. But over the summer, the brand started offering handmade cotton face masks, too.

The face masks are uni-sex — very simple and chic — which is great because you can get couple matching ones! There are 3 styles and all of them come with an open pocket for filter inserts.

I love that they are made of 100% cotton and breathable. My favorite style out of the 3 is the brand’s signature red pineapple motif.

Let me know if you have any questions about the masks I got by leaving a comment! I’d love to discover more comfortable masks if you came across any, so please do share them with me!

Thank you for stopping by Happily Ever Style.

xoxo,

Tricia

What others are reading now: