Coming soon! Six-layer V6 Face Mask

[m_cycle]

I got a V6 version yesterday and wore it while jogging (which for me means lifting my feet above a walk) for an hour. The additional stiff layers kept the material away from my face during heavy breathing which is nice but moisture did build up. Several times I had to take the mask off and let it hang from the lanyard when nobody was around. I think any mask that doesn't have a vent will tend to have moisture build up, especially during cardio exercise. That's why I exercise without a mask, away from other people.

I can see how some folks perceive this mask as more breathable. I'd say that's because the extra layers keep the fabric away from the mouth. I like this aspect of the mask but unfortunately I'm having a heck of a time keeping my glasses from fogging up. I think the thick layers near the nose makes it almost impossible to place glasses in a comfortable position and keep fog from forming. I changed the nose wire but that hasn't helped.

My favorite mask is still the V2. It works well for me since I don't need to wear a mask all day and only use one when going to the market for short trips. It fits well and accommodates my glasses. I rarely have problems with my glasses fogging up when I wear that mask. The adjustable ear loops makes the fit comfortable and the lanyard keeps me from forgetting or loosing the mask when I take it off while riding in my car.

Thanks to the TB crew for posting the pattern for these masks. I've made a couple dozen V2 masks for my family and they love them.

[Cristina]

USPS just delivered the 3 V6 masks that I ordered on 01/12/2021. That is some fast shipping from Seattle to Miami, Florida.

I ordered the S/M. I like the Pacific Blue color. It looks greyish blue to my eyes. I am glad that I bought 3 because I tried one on - and it is the best fitting of all the masks I have thus far.

Thank you so much to the Tom Bihn crew for these useful and quality masks.

Question: can I put an iron-on patch on the V6 mask? Reason: to distinguish which one is which since my 3 masks are same color.

Otherwise, I can just use a sharpie to label the masks 1, 2 and 3 in an inconspicuous spot.

Have a great day everyone.

I asked about ironing the V6 somewhere, and Darcy recommended against it. Glad you’ve got a Sharpie-based alternative. Numbering them is a clever idea!

[John]

I just ordered six V6 masks and head straps.

My only problem with my V1 masks is that the ear loops can become uncomfortable if wearing for a long period. Hopefully the V6 with its adjustable ear loops will be much more comfortable and - when the world returns to a new "normal" - I think a V6 plus head strap may best if sat on a plane for 10+ hours etc.

[Darcy]

I just ordered six V6 masks and head straps.

My only problem with my V1 masks is that the ear loops can become uncomfortable if wearing for a long period. Hopefully the V6 with its adjustable ear loops will be much more comfortable and - when the world returns to a new "normal" - I think a V6 plus head strap may best if sat on a plane for 10+ hours etc.

We look forward to your feedback on the V6 Masks and I'm excited for you to try the adjustable ear loops. Let us know what you think if you get a chance

[vickik]

Adjustable ear loops are nice, but the whole mask is ill-fitting and uncomfortable. The nose bridge piece is painfully uncomfortable to wear after I adjust it to fit. If the nose bridge is left unadjusted to avoid the pain, there is a large gap between the mask and my face. I have the V1, V2, and V4 masks, and never had issues before. This one is unwearable. Very sad, because it's expensive for 2 masks plus shipping and it's not returnable.

[Darcy]

Adjustable ear loops are nice, but the whole mask is ill-fitting and uncomfortable. The nose bridge piece is painfully uncomfortable to wear after I adjust it to fit. If the nose bridge is left unadjusted to avoid the pain, there is a large gap between the mask and my face. I have the V1, V2, and V4 masks, and never had issues before. This one is unwearable. Very sad, because it's expensive for 2 masks plus shipping and it's not returnable.

I am so sorry to hear that the V6 didn't work for you. Have you sent a note to emailus@tombihn.com? Our masks are satisfaction guaranteed and I'd encourage you to reach out to our Customer Service crew.

Interestingly, the nose bridge piece included with the V6 is the same piece included with the V4. It might be that a softer piece (like a twist-tie or pipe cleaner) might work better for you with the V6. I know it might sound unusual to suggest a softer nose piece, but what we've learned is that it can sometimes actually work better for some face shapes than the firmer pieces. We'd be glad to send you some softer nose pieces if you'd like to try that.

[ayazgood]

I bought 2 large and 1 medium v6. Looks like I'll be sending them all back. I thought they were going to be on the same pattern as the flannel v4, which has so far worked best for me. The sewn in folds of the v4 make the mask break or crimp in just the right places to keep the mask edges well below my glasses, give a good seal, and greatly reduce fogging. I don't see any way to get the same crimping effect with the v6. The top of the v6 large mask is riding much higher on my border line long face than the v4, and feels weird. Pulling it down further feels less secure (due to my downward sloping nose) and does not give as good a seal as v4. I also confirmed the small v6 is too short for my face.

The v6 did seem more breathable and have more open space in front of my mouth. I'm not sure whether the breathability was due to the different shape, greater leakage or the material. I just wish I could get the v4 in the more breathable, less lint collecting material. FYI, I don't notice that much difference in breathability between the v3 and the v4.

[Darcy]

I bought 2 large and 1 medium v6. Looks like I'll be sending them all back. I thought they were going to be on the same pattern as the flannel v4, which has so far worked best for me. The sewn in folds of the v4 make the mask break or crimp in just the right places to keep the mask edges well below my glasses, give a good seal, and greatly reduce fogging. I don't see any way to get the same crimping effect with the v6. The top of the v6 large mask is riding much higher on my border line long face than the v4, and feels weird. Pulling it down further feels less secure (due to my downward sloping nose) and does not give as good a seal as v4. I also confirmed the small v6 is too short for my face.

The v6 did seem more breathable and have more open space in front of my mouth. I'm not sure whether the breathability was due to the different shape, greater leakage or the material. I just wish I could get the v4 in the more breathable, less lint collecting material. FYI, I don't notice that much difference in breathability between the v3 and the v4.

Thanks for this feedback and I'm sorry the V6 didn't end up working for you. Interestingly, the V6 is the same exact pattern as the V4, and the sizing is the same too. Did you machine wash/machine dry the masks before wearing? I ask because I wonder if the stiffness of the new mask might be part of what's going on here. I just tried on a new V6 and didn't experience the issue you're describing, but so much of this depends on face shape!

As our masks are satisfaction guaranteed, we'd of course be glad to refund you Just emailus@tombihn.com

[moriond]

I bought 2 large and 1 medium v6. Looks like I'll be sending them all back. I thought they were going to be on the same pattern as the flannel v4, which has so far worked best for me. The sewn in folds of the v4 make the mask break or crimp in just the right places to keep the mask edges well below my glasses, give a good seal, and greatly reduce fogging. I don't see any way to get the same crimping effect with the v6. The top of the v6 large mask is riding much higher on my border line long face than the v4, and feels weird. Pulling it down further feels less secure (due to my downward sloping nose) and does not give as good a seal as v4. I also confirmed the small v6 is too short for my face.

The v6 did seem more breathable and have more open space in front of my mouth. I'm not sure whether the breathability was due to the different shape, greater leakage or the material. I just wish I could get the v4 in the more breathable, less lint collecting material. FYI, I don't notice that much difference in breathability between the v3 and the v4.

@ayazgood ,

Did you see @Darcy ’s posted reply from yesterday regarding the v6 masks? This was from the thread started yesterday, V6 mask – stiffness an issue? I’m going to highlight the portion about the fold design and the difference in the fit for a brand new v6 mask

I am sure others will share some thoughts/feedback here @TehShrike but in the meantime I wanted to offer a few tips:

1. The mask, when worn as intended, should look pretty much exactly like the photos and, specifically, have the fold as shown in the photos. This is a little difficult to describe, so bear with me: the V6 Mask, when new, doesn't have that fold. When you wear the mask, and form the conforming nose piece, it creates a fold that's more customized to your face. While other mask designs have a sewn-in fold, we found in our own personal testing that the V6 style fold (though it does require customization/nuancing the fold for your face shape) actually resulted in a better seal. (Interestingly, some of the sewn-in folds actually felt like they pulled the mask away from our faces. However, it's important for us to note that one thing we've learned is that all of us folks have a wide variety of face shapes, and some mask designs that work great for one person may not work as well for another.)

2. We do recommend machine wash / machine dry (per CDC washing instructions) for the V6 and, after a few washes, the mask will soften a bit.

Hope this helps!

There was also a separate discussion thread about the v6 mask, started on January 15, 2021, V6 MASK AND HEAD STRAP REVIEW
I’m not sure how to respond to your sizing comments, which may well be correct about the small/Medium being too small for your face. In terms of measurement, I think I fall on the cusp between the two sizes (about 4.5” using their measured guidelines of nose bridge to jaw), but use small/medium. I can use medium/large in the version 1 and 2 masks and have them fit. In the version 4, small/medium is the correct size, but feels to me as though it could handle a slightly larger face size than small/medium in the version 1 and 2 masks. I’ve just received my ordered version 6 masks. While I could perhaps use a new small/medium version 6 mask out of the box, the way the original poster of the review thread did, I’d say that the fit is not as good as it is with the same size version 6 mask that was sent to me for long term testing. Since I have no earlier experience of the other size of mask, although there may be some folks who were sent samples very recently who can do a comparison, I’ll just say that the medium/large size, on me, would definitely leak on the sides if used out of the box because of the stiff design, and that I don’t believe that this is meant to be a good measure of its ultimate fit.

However, I realize that people are going to assess these masks based on how they fit out-of-the-box, and really don’t know how to answer that. For me, version 4 is comfortable, but he flannel doesn’t work as comfortably in Hawaii as it would at a cold site.

HTH

moriond

[ayazgood]

Thanks for this feedback and I'm sorry the V6 didn't end up working for you. Interestingly, the V6 is the same exact pattern as the V4, and the sizing is the same too. Did you machine wash/machine dry the masks before wearing? I ask because I wonder if the stiffness of the new mask might be part of what's going on here. I just tried on a new V6 and didn't experience the issue you're describing, but so much of this depends on face shape!

As our masks are satisfaction guaranteed, we'd of course be glad to refund you Just emailus@tombihn.com

I just realized I was committing operator error! Since the mask arrived with the nose piece folded down and in, I was leaving it that way when I put it on. Whoops.

Still not sure about it, but I'll try washing and drying it, and playing with the crimping some more.

[G42]

I just realized I was committing operator error! Since the mask arrived with the nose piece folded down and in, I was leaving it that way when I put it on. Whoops.

Still not sure about it, but I'll try washing and drying it, and playing with the crimping some more.

I found that after I had washed it a couple times and got used to how to wear it, it fits well on me. I'm the S/M in all the TB mask sizes. The stiffness was disconcerting to me at first and took some getting used to.
Good luck and do please check back in once you've washed and tried it out a few times.

[ayazgood]

On a more important note, why are the M/L masks always in the boring grays or blacks, while the S/M masks get the pretty blues and other colors? I may be a guy, but I don't necessarily want to look like Darth Vader.

[Walker]

I just realized I was committing operator error! Since the mask arrived with the nose piece folded down and in, I was leaving it that way when I put it on. Whoops.

Still not sure about it, but I'll try washing and drying it, and playing with the crimping some more.

Glad you sorted this out! I was going to respond to your OP to suggest looking at the product photos and video to see how the mask is supposed to be worn. I got distracted with work .

I did what you did! The discomfort made me to go back to the product page to look at the photos carefully.
@Darcy and crew - this is a good argument for using different color fabric for the inside. Like the V3. For people like me who need more help finding my way inside a paper bag .

[NWhikergal]

I have tried all of the other versions of the Tom Bihn masks and had the most success with correct fit for my face with size small in the V1 and I appreciate the V4 in the soft flannel. I just received the V6 in size small, and it is the first TB mask with which I have a significant fit issue with it seeming too big and having a tendency to slide down, even with the nose bridge formed and the ear loops almost uncomfortably tight. I will try laundering multiple times to see if that makes a difference, but it feels massive on my face, and I cannot imagine putting this into my regular rotation. While it seems very well made (like all TB products), and I had very high hopes, I think it may be a miss for my face. Note: I do have a small oval shaped face.

[Darcy]

I did what you did! The discomfort made me to go back to the product page to look at the photos carefully.
@Darcy and crew - this is a good argument for using different color fabric for the inside. Like the V3. For people like me who need more help finding my way inside a paper bag .

I think that's a good idea. I'll ask Nik if that'll be possible in future production runs.

I have tried all of the other versions of the Tom Bihn masks and had the most success with correct fit for my face with size small in the V1 and I appreciate the V4 in the soft flannel. I just received the V6 in size small, and it is the first TB mask with which I have a significant fit issue with it seeming too big and having a tendency to slide down, even with the nose bridge formed and the ear loops almost uncomfortably tight. I will try laundering multiple times to see if that makes a difference, but it feels massive on my face, and I cannot imagine putting this into my regular rotation. While it seems very well made (like all TB products), and I had very high hopes, I think it may be a miss for my face. Note: I do have a small oval shaped face.

Thanks for your feedback here! We are curious to know how laundering the mask will impact the experience, so keep us posted on that if you can. Since the V4 and V6 patterns are the same, we're guessing that variance in fit would be due to the additional stiffness of the six layers. And if the V6 just doesn't end up working out for you, please do emailus@tombihn.com