Musings on face masks

Musings on face masks: different styles I've tried and what I thought of them

Masks are now a part of life here. In Montgomery County, it's required to wear a mask inside stores/businesses and on transit, so if you want to go somewhere that's not outdoors, you'll need to wear one. (I assume if you're reading this, you know that the mask should be worn properly, which means it covers both your mouth and nose)

I do think there is a bit of nuance here: depending on how many people you're likely to encounter and how closely (or not), there may be occasions in which it's not necessary to wear a mask outdoors. When I go outside in my suburban neighborhood, I don't wear a mask because the sidewalks aren't crowded and if I pass some other people, it's only for a brief moment (and doesn't happen too often).

In an area with more crowding/pedestrian activity where you'd be more likely to walk closely past others (such as at a protest or on a busier sidewalk), it would be more advisable to wear a mask while outside.

Different styles of masks and what I liked or didn't like about them

I have used four different kinds of masks so far: three are reusable fabric masks. I've also used the single-use surgical masks sometimes. My favorite thus far is the hand-sewn mask I made for myself back in April.

• Hand-sewn mask: I constructed this one myself out of materials I had on hand -- oh, the advantages of being a packrat and keeping random fabric from the remnants bin around... I figured I'd find a use for it someday! I don't remember the exact dimensions I cut, but this one happens to fit my face quite well.
  
  In the interest of simplicity (in a way) and lacking elastic, I decided to make this mask one that ties on instead of having ear loops. My design consists of a single, long strip of fabric that loops around the neck and then ties once at the back of the head -- it's fully adjustable. The strip runs through channels on each side of the mask.
  
  Sewing this mask by hand made me feel pleasantly quaint; I do love any excuse for a craft project. I used flannel fabric in light pink with a slight floral pattern for the mask front -- interesting enough to not be boring, but not too flashy that it clashes horribly with clothing. I used another pattern of fabric for the strap because that's what I had on hand. My fabric choices were limited/dictated by the random fabric remnants I happened to have laying around. 
• Fabric masks from work: I was given these at work. They're standard woven cotton fabric, pleated, two layers with a pocket for an optional filter, ear loops. They seem to fit larger (the main thing is that they're noticeably looser around the chin) than my hand-sewn mask; I attribute that to the non-adjustable ear loops. Other than being sort of loose around the chin, these are fine. 
• Surgical mask: The typical pleated surgical masks with ear loops and the bendable nose shaping piece. These seem to fit well and I don't really have any complaints about the times I've worn them. While the nose shaping piece is useful, it's better to use reusable cloth masks if possible to minimize waste. 
• Knit fabric cat mask: non-pleated, knit fabric, two layers (cotton interior, polyester exterior), ear loops. According to the description, these measure 6 1/2″ wide x 4 1/2″ high plus 2 1/2″ of elastic on each side. They have a slightly curved top and bottom edge instead of pleats. This mask fits too loosely for my face without shortening the ear loops -- I safety-pinned them shorter which seems to help. The knit fabric is also oddly... flexible; I can feel and see it moving when I breathe; my other masks don't do that. The cat design is quite nice though. 

These are the factors that I think affect comfort/fit/functionality.

• Pleated or non-pleated. 
• I prefer pleats because they allow for some adjustability; you can arrange/adjust the pleats to a slight extent. 
• Woven or knit fabric. 
• My personal preference is woven fabric.
• Ties or ear loops. 
• Ties are better because they offer more adjustability, even though they take slightly longer to tie or undo. This also prevents your ears from hurting due to ear loop elastic.  
• Nose shaping. 
• it's nice to have but not essential
• Size. 
• Masks are not necessarily one size fits all; depending on the size of your individual face, you may find certain sizes/styles of masks to fit better than others. I can only speak for my individual face!  

Glasses

While mine do fog up to some extent when wearing a mask, I usually can get them to settle a bit lower on my nose which helps to keep them clear. That would be my primary suggestion on this issue. Being outdoors also helps and breathing gently, not too deeply/heavily can minimize fogging. The trick of washing glasses with soap and letting them air dry didn't seem to make a difference for me the one time I tried it. 

Conclusion

Since I don't often go places that require masks, these four that I currently have are sufficient; I have enough time to wash them after use before I need to use one again. If I were in a situation where I needed to wear a mask more often, I might try to buy or make more so I'd have more of a rotation.