Jason’s Mask Review!
So after a 3 month battle to find a face covering isn’t the worst, (in my own woefully uninformed opinion) during my workouts, I have my victor. I’ve tried everything, from neck gators, to disposable surgical masks, to store bought and homemade cloth masks, to N95 masks, training masks, and even a close friend following me around and keeping his hand over my mouth and nose. Frankly nothing felt right. Either the masks would continuously fall off my nose/mouth during working sets, or they’d get hot, sweaty, and moist, or they’d be miserable during bouts of heavy breathing. Nothing felt comfortable. The mask I have finally discovered which has worked best for me is the Under Armour Sports Mask (no, I have not been paid to say this). Below I will share some of my experiences with the mask and a link to find it online (I bought mine off Amazon FYI).
The mask, while still not “comfortable”, is definitely MORE comfortable than the others. It is soft and pillowy, and it fits properly over the nose and mouth, but away from the face due to its solid structure and design. The ear straps are soft, and I barely notice them as opposed to some of the more coarse, irritating straps on other masks I’ve tried (this holds true even while I wear my Beats Studio 3 Over-The-Ear Bluetooth Headphones which are pretty heavy duty). The nose bridge is pliable and can be worked to a snug, custom fit for your nose. The mask does not move/slide much while talking or breathing (although it does move some). The mask definitely gets a little warm when you are resting especially if you wear it for an extended period of time, but not much more than other masks I’ve tried. However, once I started working out and getting a good sweat going, the mask remained surprisingly cool/dry relative to the rest of my body. This morning, I wore it during a workout that included a dynamic warm up, 8 x 40 yard sprints, a heavy leg session in the weight room, and plenty of stretching/foam rolling after. My other clothes were soaked with sweat, but the mask held up nicely – it was a little damp, but still felt much cooler than any other mask I’ve worn. I also loved how the mask did NOT suck into my nose and mouth while breathing heavily. Obviously I’d prefer to have NO mask on, but if I have to wear one in order to workout these days, then this will be my go to. It’s machine washable, and I’d recommend this mask for any physical activity – cardio, sports, weight lifting, yoga, etc. It’s the best I’ve used by far. It is a bit pricey at $30, but for as often as I workout, the price is worth it.
