Nice to see these tests run, thanks! I have some of these mask covers from LoveTheLookStudio. I find them very breathable and don't notice a difference with them over my Auras. I'm almost always the only one in a respirator when I go to stores, post office, etc. It gives me a feeling of slight dread each time I have to go in somewhere. After 5 years, that's just tiring. Wearing something fun or lovely rather than going around with "3M" printed in bold on my face helps a lot. To me the covers are like a piece of clothing. They'll last years, and it's nice to have a choice of color and pattern from day to day. I find the fabric choices exceptionally nice. I ordered Auras in bulk for my family and still have about 400 of them, so I was glad to find mask covers made specifically for Auras!
@@JessicaTPeterson That's great to hear! :-). I think people deserve to have masks that are both protective and meet their style choices, just the way footwear should be able to do the same, to have footwear that is protective as well as fashionable. (We probably still have some room for improvement in footwear, too, since lots of fashionable footwear is not good for feet. 😬 )
@@gerardhughes So true, and a mask is much more obvious (in your face?) than shoes. It's unlikely we'll ever have masks themselves offered in such a variety of colors and patterns. Much easier to have a few different covers.
Hi there! Thanks so much for posting this video - and for your kind comments. I've addressed some issues/concerns below. - Cost: Yes, the Aura mask covers may seem to be priced on the high side for "a bit of cloth," but I use ultra-thin premium Liberty London Tana Lawn (at approximately $36 a yard) for maximum breathability and durability. The mask covers are cut, sewn, hand-finished and packed and sent individually by me, a small business in Northern California - not mass produced. - Washable: The mask covers are hand washable and reusable (dry flat, iron if needed with a medium-to medium high iron). - Durability: I've used interfacing to keep the mask covers single-layer, but they're also hand-finished at the edges with a sealant to help stop fraying. With careful use & storage, they should last for some time. - Cut: I've left the cut at top a bit on the low side to allow for smaller faces, but generally covers the edge at top for many faces. - Designs: I currently have three listings - one with 70 assorted prints, one with solid colors, one with Christmas / Holiday designs, and one with some Halloween prints (I've used quilting cotton for the Halloween prints, so they're a bit thicker/less durable than the Liberty London prints). Please feel free to reach out with any question you may have!
Cool. Thank you for the details and updated information. It's clear from the product and packaging that a lot of thought and care has gone into the design and production of the covers. The covers use some of the thinnest material I've seen that is still opaque - it's not easy to choose breathable fabrics because they generally don't come with air permeability ratings. I was happy to find that it is pretty permeable in spite of being very opaque. I've looked into what it takes to do industry standard air permeability testing and the machines, while perhaps cheap by industry standards, cost thousands of dollars. Not something that even most medium sized business could cough up for let alone a small business. Although I couldn't justify an air permeability tester, I am putting together a way to do something similar to NIOSH-style breathability testing (sounds like they should be the same, but are different because air permeability is based off of a standardized cross section, whereas mask permeability is measured based off of what surface area the mask design has). I'll update the breathability measurements with more precise measurements when I've got that up and running, but that won't be for a few months.
The price is significant, which is why I specifically mentioned the cost. For me the blame is more on 3M for refusing to make any color options for their popular Aura line of N95s. Just adding a black Aura option would be very helpful and very popular. But 3M's market is institutions, not individual consumers. Institutional buyers don't care about having color options. I don't think I could swing these covers as daily drivers because of the ongoing expense of Auras plus the covers, which have an unknown but limited lifespan, but I do think they may make sense for specific events. Fortunately, this is also a very accessible DIY project for anyone who sews, with the caveat that choosing a breathable fabric is extremely critical and makes all the difference. Using fabrics from the Liberty London line might be a good starting point. And the pattern can be derived by folding an Aura into the bifold shape and then conforming the fabric with darts top and bottom as needed. The sides have a folded over hem to contain the clips. I'm not sure where the clips come from. Extras were provided, not shown in the video. That being said, the appearance of these are very good because they have been precisely cut and sewn. My finishing skills on a sewing machine are not up to that level, so these look better than what I can make without doing a lot more practice.
@@gerardhughes Agreed, that 3Ms target demographic is medical professionals/institutions. I wonder how their sale numbers are looking now though, because in medical settings these seem to be severely underutilized. I recall emailing and signing petitions for black auras in the past, I guess they just want the wide appeal of white. Another thought is that white masks show dirt/soiling easier than black would, which could be another consideration. I'd be curious if places like Aliexpress sold something like this for dirt cheap (the long term usability would be the real question) I've secured cheap things like sweatbands and such there prior to 2020 before... A bit off topic, and I thank you for your videos and reply here; I've messaged you on twitter wondering about portacount results on a readimask+Aura setup? My friend swears by it for "double filtration" and it seems like it would be something that might be relevant to your style of videos. We're both hopeful you will consider :)
@@ReggieNaicken It's purely decorative. If you want the highest performance, leave it off. However, many people would like to have a mask that fits their style preferences, so they can be more of themselves even while still wearing a highly protective respirator. Or some people just would like to stand out less when wearing a respirator. If you don't need either of those things, then it's not necessary to have one of these covers.
@@valdir7426 I'm not sure. The geometry is kind of different, especially with the plastic lug for the head strap. It would fit the small or large equally well or poorly since they are the same exterior dimensions. I will double check when I get a chance.
the airflow towards the eyes is a nogo for ppl wearing glasses in somewhat cold environments IMHO (but I am not too interested in such products anyway since the "medical" look of white masks is a plus as it keeps stupid people away :D).
