Face mask fit and design analysis
Since the last time I posted about face masks, I've had the opportunity to try some additional designs. None of the newer designs have turned out to be great -- I'm still happiest with the design and fit of two masks I already had. But I've done some analysis and made some new insights on face mask fit and design.
I assessed the masks on the following factors:
Comfort: self-explanatory, although perhaps somewhat subjective. Is the fabric comfortable against the face? Are the ear loops or ties comfortable?
Fit: How well does the mask fit my face? Does it provide enough coverage over my nose and chin? How does it work with my glasses?
Measurements/size: dimensions of the front of the mask and how long the ear loops are
Stability: How well does the mask stay in place while breathing and talking? I tested this by talking a bit while wearing each mask, as well as moving/scrunching my face in various ways, and yawning.
Features: adjustable or not, nose wire, filter pocket, etc
A note on fit considerations: Since everyone's faces are different sizes and shapes, the considerations that follow are only relevant to the characteristics of my own face. I wear glasses. My face is perhaps somewhat on the smaller side. My nose is not large or pointy; I have a low nose bridge. Low nose bridges affect how glasses frames fit, though I'm not quite sure how exactly this comes into play regarding face masks.
My thoughts here are that I prefer to wear masks relatively high on my cheeks, which means the top edge rests right in/around that low nose bridge area. So it needs to not interfere with my glasses, which also occupy that part of my face -- both the bridge of the glasses and the lower edges of the frame over my cheeks. I think I wear my glasses a bit lower on my nose when wearing a mask which may help slightly to minimize fogging on the lenses and also helps keep the top of the mask in place.
Depending on the shape of one's face/nose and glasses frames, there are probably lots of individualized, different fit considerations here.
A thought about pleat styles: I've seen some masks online that have box pleats instead of knife pleats (Baggu, PlatterCats). I have not tried a box pleat mask so I don't know if that style is an improvement over a knife-pleated mask. I find pleated masks to offer better fit and stability because they can expand/flex more when you move your face (such as when talking) without slipping down. The pleats can be adjusted to conform over your face more closely than a non-pleated style, allowing for a more customized fit.
Anyways, here are my thoughts on the various masks! You can see fit photos of each mask in this Twitter thread. I'm not quite sure how much difference in fit is visible in the photos, but I thought they could potentially be a useful reference.
Comfort: tolerable for short periods of time (under five minutes), like picking up food at a restaurant. The fabric is noticeably somewhat stiff and a little bit scratchy.
Fit: Slightly too small for me, but potentially may work for other adults with smaller faces? Ear loops are a bit tight and uncomfortable (they may stretch a little with wear?), and there doesn't seem to be quite enough room for my nose. Along with that, the top edge of the mask kind of pulls at and digs into my face slightly. I also wish it had a little more chin coverage. It also doesn't quite sit so well with my glasses.
Measurements/size: 8 cm height and just under 15 cm wide. 6 inches ear loops. 3.25 in tall pleated and 5.5 in tall with pleats fully expanded.
Stability: Decent while talking, but there are the aforementioned fit issues due to it being a bit small.
Features: Pleated, not adjustable, no nose wire, no filter pocket.
Comfort: Fabric is somewhat stiff and scratchy, as with the kids' size mask. Maybe this would change if washed by machine? The nose wire is almost a bit too stiff.
Fit: Good coverage vertically and horizontally over the face, but the nose wire actually seems to cause more problems than it solves. The bulk and stiffness of the nose wire and seam across the top of the mask interfere with the way my glasses sit on my face. This could potentially be avoided by wearing the mask upside down? Ear loops are way too loose as-is and, will need alterations. The pleats are... shallow, which means the mask doesn't shape that well over my nose or over the top edge along my cheekbones (this may also be exacerbated by the stiff fabric).
Measurements/size: 7.25 in wide and 3.5 in tall pleated. 6 in tall with pleats fully expanded. 7 in. ear loops.
Stability: Relatively good, but not the best.
Features: Pleated, not adjustable, nose wire, no filter pocket
Cat mask
Comfort: soft and comfortable against the face! It is made of knit material as opposed to woven.
Fit: Ear loops are too long as-is. I safety-pinned them shorter. The mask does not really conform to the shape of my face that well and could perhaps have more chin coverage. The seam over the top edge interferes with my glasses.
Measurements/size: 4.75 in tall and 7.25 in wide. 7 inch ear loops? (estimate because I didn't want to unpin my alteration to measure)
Stability: Not so good; it tends to slide around either too high or too low
Features: flat mask, not adjustable, no nose wire, no filter pocket
Comfort: very comfortable, soft knit material
Fit: Good horizontal coverage, could use more chin coverage. Adjustable ear loops mean it can be adjusted to actually stay on my face. The depth of the curved front center seam is... fine, but again, the mask could be longer at the bottom.
Measurements/size: 5 inches along center nose seam, 8 inches across horizontal center of mask. Full length of ear loops is 6 inches but they are adjustable to be shorter.
Stability: alright, maybe somewhat better than the cat mask, but not the best and it also slides around a bit. It might have better stability if I added ties and wore it that way, instead of using the ear loops? I haven't done this because I'm lazy.
Features: shaped mask (center seam over the nose), adjustable ear loops, filter pocket, no nose wire
Comfort: Woven cotton fabric is relatively pliable and the texture is not scratchy.
Fit: The pleats are very shallow so this mask does not conform to my face that well. Ear loops are slightly too loose as is. When holding the ear loops to test how the mask would feel if they were tighter, it seems to pull on my nose a bit.
Measurements/size: 6.75 in wide, 3.6 in tall pleated, 5.25 in tall with pleats fully expanded. 6.5 in ear loops.
Stability: Mediocre.
Features: adjustable or not, nose wire, filter pocket, etc
Comfort: Woven cotton fabric is pliable and not scratchy. Ear loops are comfortable.
Fit: Good horizontal and vertical coverage, ear loops fit as-is, no bulky seams at the top of the mask so it does not interfere with my glasses. It conforms to the shape of my face well, particularly along the top portion of the mask -- it's flexible enough and sits nicely beneath the lower edge of my glasses. There's plenty of space for the contours of my nose and facial features; I don't feel that this mask pulls anywhere.
Measurements/size: 6.75 in wide, 3.5 in tall pleated. 6.25 in tall with pleats fully expanded.
Stability: very good! I'm not really sure why exactly this mask is the best regarding stability, but it is and it's the only manufactured one I can yawn in and have it still stay in place.
Features: pleated, not adjustable, no nose wire, filter pocket
Homemade hand-sewn mask
Comfort: soft, flexible cotton flannel fabric. Fabric texture is comfortable.
Fit: Good around the top edge (doesn't interfere badly with my glasses, doesn't pull at my nose), sufficient vertical and horizontal coverage. Since I made this mask with ties instead of elastic ear loops, the fit is fully adjustable. I also think the ties allow for a closer fit along the bottom of the mask; they allow for a stronger anchor point at the bottom corners (and they pull the mask close to the face there at a better angle as well?) compared to ear loops.
Measurements/size: 7 in wide, 3.5 in tall pleated, 6.6 in tall with pleats fully expanded.
Stability: Also good! It stays in place while talking and even during some test yawns! It is somewhat more difficult to take off or put on, but this isn't a terrible inconvenience for me. Good for long periods of continuous wear.
Features: pleated, adjustable ties (not ear loops), no nose wire, no filter pocket
Pleat depth ratio
I've come up with a term to describe an aspect of mask fit and design that I don't think has been discussed much, if at all. The pleat depth ratio is mathematically determined and applies to pleated masks. It quantifies how deep or shallow a mask's pleats are, which I find affects how well the mask fits (based on my fit preferences).
Calculate pleat depth ratio by measuring the mask vertically while pleated (p) and expanded (e). I took the expanded measurement with the mask opened and pressed over the top of my knee.
e/p = pleat depth ratio
The expanded measurement divided by the pleated measurement gives you a pleat depth ratio. A completely flat mask (no pleats) would have a pleat depth ratio of 1. The deeper the pleats, the greater the pleat depth ratio. Shallower pleats mean a smaller pleat depth ratio value. Note that the number and position of pleats do not matter in this calculation, although those factors may also influence mask fit.
| Mask | Pleated height (p) | Expanded height (e) | Pleat depth ratio |
| Old Navy kids' size | 3.25 | 5.5 | 1.57 |
| Gap adult size | 3.5 | 6 | 1.71 |
| American Eagle | 3.6 | 5.25 | 1.46 |
| J. Crew | 3.5 | 6.25 | 1.79 |
| Handmade | 3.6 | 6.6 | 1.88 |
Based on these calculations, it seems that deeper masks (those with higher pleat depth ratios) seem to fit me best (again, according to my personal fit preferences). My best fitting masks (underlined in the table) have pleat depth ratios of 1.79 and 1.88. The deeper the pleats, the more adjustable the mask is, the more closely it can conform and adjust to the contours of your face. I think this also means it will have greater stability.
I am quite curious to know about any detailed analysis of fabric mask fit and design from other people whose faces (and fit preferences?) differ from mine. Maybe other (most?) people aren't as picky about these things and don't care to painstakingly analyze it like I have done here. But if you'd like to talk about mask fit and design analysis with me, I would be very interested.
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