The first mask I tested was the super-popular Athleta mask. To start off, I would like to say that I love the brand. I have some leggings and shirts from there and they are all wonderful. However, the first item that I didn’t like from there wasn’t a clothing item, but a face mask. Looking back a year ago, I never thought I would have to buy a mask, of all things, from Athleta. But I did, and it is time to review it. First of all, I noticed right away that the embedded nose wire was not wanting to cooperate with my glasses. They would immediately fog up the lenses, completely obscuring my vision. Because I was walking into school while first trying on the mask, I had to go back to my car and grab my emergency surgical mask. Lately, I have realised that I am one of the very few people in our school who wear glasses on a daily basis. So, I decided I should try wearing the Athleta mask at home, without my glasses on. Apart from falling down the stairs (only once) and ramming my hip bone into the kitchen island a couple of times, I was pleased with the performance of the mask. The cloth was very smooth on my face, and the loops felt comfortable around my ears. Unlike SOME masks, with each breath I didn’t feel the inside becoming a condensation station. I think this is because Athleta is an athletic brand (who would have known?), so they made their face masks workout-friendly as well. The Athleta mask would be great for a huge athlete like me, at least when I’m wearing my contacts.
The next mask I reviewed is considered by some, not a true mask. At least to fight covid, that is. The gaiter mask has been used in pre-covid times to keep your face warm while you’re out in the cold. While it does a good job of covering your lower face area, it isn’t great for condensation. While wearing this mask, the mouth area got quite “condensated” which was very uncomfy. And no, I don’t drool or spit when I wear a mask, it’s just the act of literal breathing that causes this mask to act up. I wore this mask at home as well, (mostly because they don’t fully protect from covid,) and when I brought my dogs outside it did in fact keep my face nice and toasty. However, I do not like how it is wrapped around my neck like that. I never really wear scarfs either for that same reason. I definitely prefer my masks to have the ear loops. So all in all, I really did not like this gaiter mask. It was uncomfortable on my face, it got gross from just breathing in it, and it has been shown to not be fully protective.
If you couldn’t tell, out of these two masks I definitely prefer the Athleta mask. If it really came down to me only having an Athleta mask and a gaiter mask, I would rather walk around without my glasses than wear a gaiter mask. Plus, I could put in my contacts so it wouldn’t be too bad.