Mask recommendations?

Athenor

so we're a few months into this hellscape, and at least here in America it doesn't look like things are going away anytime soon.

Which means one thing: Masks are the new fashion item!

Early on, a friend of mine made me a black cloth mask with a blue interior that's functional. It's not terribly tight, but it gets the job done. But only having 1 cloth mask is a pain in the ass.

So I wanted to get feedback:

• Where have people been buying masks? I'm okay with looking to local production or etsy or something.
• What do you look for in fit? I've seen a couple articles on various shapes, but I admittedly have a big head and a goatee.
• What about features? The biggest things seem to be the ear loops and if they have removable filter pouches.
• Any cool designs out there? If this is going to be a fashion item, I'd like to have some cool shit. Like I would love nothing more than to get some kind of stylized dragon or something on the side of the mask, or other cool designs that show off my personality. I am too wussy to get a tattoo, and there isn't much in the way of nerdy shirts that fit me, so this is a good way to express myself.
• Finally, how many masks do people own/use?

Quid

We've got about a dozen or so masks in our household, picked up from crafty friends selling online, local market, and a coworker who made a bunch. It lets us wear a new one each day without having to constantly wash them.

My personal favorites I'm pretty sure are made out of spandex. They're soft and stretch easily which is a big plus for me with a big head and a beard, compared to linen with elastic bands that are usually small for me and make my ears ache after a while.

Ear loops vs tying behind the head seems to hinge on personal preference.

As far as designs there are a ton of options available. If you type "X mask" in to google I'm sure you'll find what you want.

zepherin

My wife has been getting ours from Etsy.

I have a few gaiters, before science told me I was wrong, so I'm using hers.

That_Guy

I bought this one from Amazon a while back.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086SZH1QG/

It's generously sized and pretty comfortable to wear. The air vents don't really do anything but that's fine. I like that you can swap out the inner filter quickly and easily. I bought a few others that I ended up giving away. None were as good as this one.

These filters are a good fit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087JTZ56X

Monkey Ball Warrior

I've never found an elastic-based one I can stand, they all seem too small... either i have a big head or my ears are set back further than most. Either way, I bought a set of them a while back that tie on, and wash well (I think it's just layered cotton), so that all I use, but I do admit the tie-untie cycle is a bit frustrating.

The worst part is they don't have anything in the nose, so my glasses fog up when I wear them. I've gotten used to this, but it also makes them marginally less effective. If I could find quality tie-on masks that have a functioning nose-wire and wash easily and well, I'd buy a box of them.

DouglasDanger

Hey, those masks with the filter holes are bad and probably spread the virus if you have it

That's what they're saying at the hospital where I work

This is another hospital saying the same thing
https://healthnewshub.org/health-news-hub/top-news/do-not-use-a-mask-with-a-filtered-valve-it-can-spread-covid-19/

Follow WHO guidelines, please

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks

Elvenshae

Don't get masks with vents, because that defeats the entire purpose of wearing a mask.

Look for masks that tie, rather than use elastics, for long wear.

Shadowfire

Old Navy sells packs of masks made from scrap fabric from their clothing. They've been pretty comfortable.

djmitchella

I got some from https://sendusmasks.com/products/cloth-face-covers -- I wear glasses, and these ones have a nose wire, which means that my glasses don't fog up all the time, and the actual mask itself is pretty big so covers my nose/chin without riding up / down all the time. (context: I hand-sewed one from a pattern a while ago and needed to use the biggest version for it to fit my face, the 'normal' sized ones didn't seem to tuck under my chin far enough). (edit: I have a beard; not a giant mountain man beard or anything, but it might make a difference to fit)

DoctorArch

Small plug, but my wife has been making masks since this whole thing started and they're pretty popular in the local stores.

Here's her link: Link

And if you prefer the over the ear type, she's started making custom lanyards as well.

Creagan

I work full time and wear a face mask about eight hours five days a week. I bought 16 of the white cotton ones from this etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/791676581/linen-cotton-3d-nose-wire-mask-4-layer?ref=shop_home_active_5&crt=1. (sorry, can't make the link pretty on my phone)

They're expensive, but I'm wearing two a day (because it is SO nice to switch to a fresh mask after lunch.). And I have to do that for the foreseeable future so I wanted something that felt comfortable.

The nose wire's really good, and if you adjust the toggles so the plastic bit sits where you might have earrings, they don't hurt. They wash really well, and don't irritate my skin or cause acne as long as I don't use fabric softener on them.

ceres

Don't necropost.

mts

i mean its a useless post, but masks are still relatively relevant.