V6 MASK AND HEAD STRAP REVIEW

[Willowbreeze]

Thank you Tom Bihn, (and Countron, of course), for giving me a V6 mask and head strap to try!

WHO AM I as it pertains to the mask review? I am an over 50-year-old female who wears glasses. I like to walk and I have no breathing issues. I work from home so I only need a mask when I run errands or on visits to friends/family.

I was on my way to pick up some take-out from my favorite asian fusion restaurant, and the mask just happened to be sitting in my mailbox. I put it on, just to try it with my glasses on, thinking it would have to come off simply because I have NEVER found a mask that I can wear with my glasses on that don't fog them up. My collection of masks is large and diverse and I had stopped trying to find one that worked, so my strategy was to remove my glasses each time I entered a store. I wore it all the way to the restaurant and what a joy to not have to go in blurry! How easy life can be when there is NO FOG! The plot thickens after I leave the restaurant, later in this review, so STAY TUNED for that...

I was surprised too that the mask was so BIG. I chose SIZE MEDIUM. It covered 2/3 of my face, went under my chin to my neck, about 1/2" away from both my ears, and topped out at my eye socket bones. That is a lot of face. I realize now that it has to be bigger to allow for air flow, it just took getting used to the new-found COMFORT of this mask; and reconciling HOW IT LOOKED ON MY FACE compared to my other masks. (The movie, ALIEN comes to mind...) I also noticed right away that I was not inhaling part of the mask during each breath, again, due to the spacious design. It has some stiffness to it and keeps its shape well.

The mask was very COMFY on my face and very LIGHT. My old masks weighed anywhere from .3 oz to 2 oz, and the V6 was 1.2oz with the optional head strap, and .9 oz just the mask, according to my postage scale. It also feels substantial though, I can feel the layers in there between my fingers. The BREATHABILITY was excellent. I walked on my treadmill wearing it for about 20 minutes at a brisk pace of 3.3 mph (no hills, mind you...) and it worked just fine, plenty of fresh oxygen passing through those layers. I did notice that if I am sitting and looking down at my phone, and have a collared shirt or coat zipped all the way up, it will push the mask up toward my eyes and I need to readjust it.

While I do not need the functionality of the OPTIONAL HEAD STRAP, I did try it just for kicks. It made the mask more secure for sure, and it will benefit the folks who need to wear masks all day long. The HEAD STRAP SNAPS, which are secured to each ear strap, are hard to snap closed for my hands (I have a bit of arthritis starting) and they are pretty much LOCKED IN PLACE when snapped, a very good thing, they WILL NOT MOVE when snapped. If they need to be moved up or down to fit better, you will need to unsnap them and re-snap, as the elastic does not slide through the snaps.

I so appreciate the extra AROUND-THE-NECK ELASTIC of the V6 mask. It allows me to keep it on, yet pulled off my face. With all those errands I save up for the same day, that is a lot of on/off of a mask! This extra elastic goes easily over my hair and under my coat neckline; so great to not have to wrestle with my glasses, hair, clothing, AND my mask, as passersby might think I need an ambulance.

SMELLABILITY: So AFTER I picked up my asian food, and got in my car and started to drive, at which time I ALWAYS take off my old mask right away so I can put my glasses back on, well I just sort of forgot I was wearing it! Got halfway home before I removed it, and WOW, my whole car smelled like only yummy asian food can smell: POWERFUL. I did not smell it with the mask on, is my point, so if you don't want to smell your surroundings, THIS IS YOUR MASK.

Here are some PICTURES for you to enjoy:





MASK WITH OPTIONAL HEAD STRAP


EAR ELASTIC/NECK ELASTIC TIED IN TO MASK


NOSE PART


NOSE PART FLIPPED UP, IT IS NOT SEWED DOWN


CLOSE UP OF SNAP SNAPPED OVER EAR ELASTIC


A NICE PRETTY PICTURE FOR THE END

[moriond]

Thank you for your detailed review @Willowbreeze ,

Your comments are particularly useful given your remarks about no fogging with glasses and your comparisons with previous masks you have tried. I would like, however, to point out for other readers that for mask sizing, although your mask is medium, in terms of the available sizes of the version 6 mask, it is actually the larger of the two available mask sizes, since the True Grey color of your reviewed mask is designated as Medium/Large, while the smaller Pacific Blue version of the version 6 mask is designated as Small/Medium. (I have the Medium/Large size on order; but I’ve been using the Small/Medium size).

I’ll just say that I really like the use of the interior layers of spunbond polypropylene, which is brand new to the design of this mask, since it seems to provide the combination of lightweight breathability and structure in the design.

ETA:My order for the version 6 mask in both sizes is scheduled to arrive next Tuesday. I’ll give impressions on the two sizes if someone else with access to both sizes doesn’t comment more on this. For me, the Small/Medium size of the version 4 and version 6 masks does feel slightly larger than Small/Medium in the original version 1 mask.

[Willowbreeze]

I am probably a small/med then. Thanks for the heads up on that!

[Cristina]

Great review @Willowbreeze ! You’ve just made me hungry though

[Just]

Two questions.
Ordered and received the V3 mask (3 layers) recently. Had some concerns:
- Could definitely feel and hear my breath coming out the sides of the mask and past my ears. This wasn't a problem with the 2-layer TB masks. Thought the problem might be worse with more layers, but with your comment about not being able to smell the Chinese food, I feel better about the V6. Perhaps it's just a sizing issue. I did order the Medium/Large sized ones due to the color, when I normally go small.
- Washing and drying the masks: I had a heck of a time drying the 3-layer masks. Had to hang-dry them after running them through the dryer, because they still came out damp-ish. I trust you had no issues with the V6 in this regard?

May go ahead and order the V6 in small anyway, but would feel better if at least the drying part is confirmed OK.

[backpack]

Two questions.
Ordered and received the V3 mask (3 layers) recently. Had some concerns:
- Could definitely feel and hear my breath coming out the sides of the mask and past my ears. This wasn't a problem with the 2-layer TB masks. Thought the problem might be worse with more layers, but with your comment about not being able to smell the Chinese food, I feel better about the V6. Perhaps it's just a sizing issue. I did order the Medium/Large sized ones due to the color, when I normally go small.
- Washing and drying the masks: I had a heck of a time drying the 3-layer masks. Had to hang-dry them after running them through the dryer, because they still came out damp-ish. I trust you had no issues with the V6 in this regard?

May go ahead and order the V6 in small anyway, but would feel better if at least the drying part is confirmed OK.

I have V2's as well as V1's, the first has two layers and take longer to dry. I dry both inside a cloth bag for added protection and minimization of wear and tear, the masks inside their cloth bags are placed in a lingerie bag.

I wash them in the same load as lightweight cotton items, all in their separate lingerie bag to balance the load.

I also wash heavy cotton items before, that I dry during the masks wash. So when it is time to dry the masks, the dryer is already pretty hot.

I do that because one time, when I just did the mask wash in random order, one of the mask wasn't dry and I had to air dry it, it is no problem but I'd rather have the masks ready to use as soon as they are cleaned.

I live in an area where high awareness is mandatory because, there are some reckless or unaware individuals, who don't wear masks everywhere or wear them under their noses and also some surrounding areas when no one wears masks.

Luckily masks are mandatory in my county.

[G42]

The V6 mask will take longer to dry than the masks with fewer materials.

I air dry my masks to make them last longer and it takes a couple days, depending on temp & humidity (I keep my home cool and it's humid winter in CA right now).

The gaping on the side is probably due to sizing...I have consistently been on the S/M size on all the mask variations, and the V6 is in the same range.

[Darcy]

Just popping in here with a note on washing: we recommend following the CDC mask washing instructions for the V6 Mask, which include machine wash/machine dry. I machine wash and machine dry my V6 Mask.

[Walker]

Wore 1 of my 3 new V6 masks last Sunday outdoors, a bit of walking; mostly driving, through the Everglades National Park. It was low 60 degrees Fahrenheit - warmed up to mid-60s later in the day.

When I got home, I threw the mask in a bucket with plain water.

I wore another V6 mask today to go to the doctor, lab test, pharmacy to pick prescriptions and then to the grocery.

When I got home about noon, I hand washed the 2 masks with warm water and soap. Then I dried them outdoors in my patio. No sun - cloudy and cool today. I forgot about them. I saw them when I took the trash out at 4 pm. They were completely dry.

Conclusions:
1) easy to breathe through, although I was not exerting much energy in my activities.
2) my eyeglasses fogged half the time. That is due to the size/shape/fit of my eyeglasses and where it likes to “sit naturally” on my face. It takes a bit of time to find a good place for the eyeglasses to sit well away from my fog-causing breath.

Otherwise, I like the mask very much. I look forward to paddling with it this weekend.