If you ask people what they hate about their face mask, you will mainly hear a few problems:
"My mask gets damp."
"It sticks to my face."
"It's hard to clean."
"My glasses fog up."
With the Woobi Mask, we set out to solve all of these issues and a few more. For example:
"Disposable masks are creating a ton of trash."
"Cloth face masks don't filter that well."
So, let's go through some of these and see how the Woobi Mask stacks up.
Surgical masks are great for their intended purpose. The fibers used are quite sophisticated and be very useful in preventing the spread of disease. However, they don't create a good seal on your face. So, for issues like pollution or wildfire smoke, surgical masks won't provide a lot of benefits. Surgical masks are disposable. So, reusing them, again and again, is not advised. Unfortunately, this is creating a massive problem with PPE pollution. Cloth face masks can be a lot more comfortable and are washable and reusable. However, there are no standards for how well cloth face masks filter. So, picking a mask that protects can be rather tricky. While wearing one for a quick walk outside can be helpful. There may be activities or situations where you want more protection. With cloth masks you also need to keep a few on hand to have some clean one's handy while others are in the laundry.
A significant issue with both of these types of masks is fit. Most disposable or cloth face masks do not produce a good seal, and therefore don't offer that much protection to the wearer. So, if you live in the pacific northwest and there is a smoky day, these are not the best option. If you wear glasses, you can see your mask's fit issue each time your glasses fog up. The fogging occurs when the moisture in your breath flows around the mask and up against your lenses. Just as the air can get out around your mask, so too can the air get in that way. So, how does the Woobi Mask tackle all of these issues? First of all, the Woobi Mask has excellent performance. We like to say that the Woobi Mask is the best performing consumer face mask in mass production. But, don't take our word for it; check out how the Woobi Mask passed the N95 fit test. Superior filtration and an excellent seal mean you won't breathe in air pollutants. But, the good seal also means that, for glasses wearers, you won't fog up your lenses.
The Woobi Mask frame is food-grade silicone that is firm enough to hold its shape, yet flexible enough to sit comfortably against your face and create a reliable seal. The mask won't collapse in on your face, providing you room to breathe normally without sticking to your face. Moisture and heat levels are maintained with an exhaust vent in the standard configuration. If you choose to disable the vent and filter your exhaled air, the mask can be configured for that as well. The innovative micro HEPA filters can be used day after day, as the filter stowed safely in the filter pod. Woobi filters are suitable for up to 15 days of continuous use. Compared to disposable masks, that's a huge reduction in the amount of trash ending up in landfills and our ocean.
For regular cleanings, wipe down the mask with an alcohol wipe, or disassemble and wash with soap and water: no harsh cleaners, no need to do laundry. The head strap is a comfortable fabric that can be cleaned easily with a mild detergent.
What about NIOSH certified respirators? Don't those perform well too? Yes, they do. The Woobi Mask uses a lot of the same design principals as industrial masks. However, those masks are bulky, expensive, heavy, and hard to obtain. And most often, they are overkill for regular activities. The Woobi Mask is small, light, easy to carry in a small bag, and easy to put on quickly. There are no tools required to disassemble the Woobi Mask, so using it is intuitive and straightforward. There are accessories, like essential oil filter pods, different colored caps, sticker kits, face shields, and more coming soon.
