There is a surprising lack of masks that really work in this category, and there really need to be more,
FloMask with the "Pro" filter - if it fits you well. Good speech intelligibility. Compact. Expensive $$$$. Not yet approved as an N95, but they did get FFP2 approval recenty.
Forged Air - I've not tried one myself. Bulky, but it should have good speech intelligibility becase of the flat central filter. Expensive. $$$. Not yet approved as an N95.
The black Dentec NxMD is used by some folks - meh speech intelligibility. The N95 filter cartridges are poorly designed and the filters aren't always properly sealed in the cartridges. Fairly reasonably priced. Approved as an N95, but I think the N95 filter cartridge design needs to be re-done.
GVS Elipse Source Control P100. Not really "fashionable" in the sense of going with your outfits, but it is more compact and nicer looking than the 3M masks. It has to be the source control model for speech intelligibility - the regular valved version has internal baffles between your mouth and the inhalation filters that muffle sound. Reasonably priced. Narrow mask, stiff seal, leaks on some people including myself at the chin.
Take a look at some of the work [@nic](https://twitter.com/nickelpin) has done on twitter. She does a lot of really excellent looking revamps of existing masks.
Sadly you won't find many that look "good", and most elastomerics will muffle you a bit regardless of having a diaphragm.
FWIW you can wear regular masks and put a more fashionable cloth masks or pretty glitter mesh over it and it just hangs from your ears, look up "mesh mask cover" and you'll see some options.
Nice one,I think there’s a few people doing similar for different kinds of masks. Some people make embroidery panels to put across the front of disposable respirators, maybe that’s something to look into as well
Many users customized the Dentec respirators (NXMD valveless, NX valved) N95 version - not P100 cartridges, to their own fashion / goth style. GVS does not fit well everyone, and is blue. Flo too expensive and not always fit (1/4 mask design)
To me, fashion is subjective. I had a cybergoth friend in the mid 00's who had cystic fibrosis and was facing a lung transplant. Just a plain old "bulky" North (Honeywell, now?) 5500 half mask cartridge respirator was what she wore to protect herself (very depleted immune system). It was matte black and had thick black adjustable straps, the top one being a "halo" (that is, with a cross strap laying on top of the head). One big circular filter canister on each side, each with a white prefilter. It looked good to me on her. It went with her gothy clothing.
Some of the masks (including respirators) you see being sold because of COVID basically, seem to be a lot of fashion over function. It's always safer to consider function first. I think deep down we all know that.
This is all from somebody who has spent lots and lots of time in the hospital, so masks aren't an aesthetic concern for me. You do what you need to do. You get bad comments and stares? Well, those aren't your friends.
Yeah, you're right. My partner and I are both immunocompromised (he's got an autoimmune condition that they're still figuring out and I have what may be the start of MS) so safety is my main concern. I just know that there are also new masks being certified all the time so I want to keep an eye out.
I'm thinking I'll either stick with my big 3M and just use decals or smth that won't block the filters/compromise the fit, bc I've already been fit tested for it, or a dentec since it's less of a money sink if my little customizing projects dont work out.
Thank you for the support and reminding me to check my perspective. The most important thing is to keep myself and those around me safe.
There is a surprising lack of masks that really work in this category, and there really need to be more, FloMask with the "Pro" filter - if it fits you well. Good speech intelligibility. Compact. Expensive $$$$. Not yet approved as an N95, but they did get FFP2 approval recenty. Forged Air - I've not tried one myself. Bulky, but it should have good speech intelligibility becase of the flat central filter. Expensive. $$$. Not yet approved as an N95. The black Dentec NxMD is used by some folks - meh speech intelligibility. The N95 filter cartridges are poorly designed and the filters aren't always properly sealed in the cartridges. Fairly reasonably priced. Approved as an N95, but I think the N95 filter cartridge design needs to be re-done. GVS Elipse Source Control P100. Not really "fashionable" in the sense of going with your outfits, but it is more compact and nicer looking than the 3M masks. It has to be the source control model for speech intelligibility - the regular valved version has internal baffles between your mouth and the inhalation filters that muffle sound. Reasonably priced. Narrow mask, stiff seal, leaks on some people including myself at the chin.
Not elastomeric but definitely reusable - Moldex M4620 (M4621 small); black, adjustable headstraps, cleanable faceseal.
Take a look at some of the work [@nic](https://twitter.com/nickelpin) has done on twitter. She does a lot of really excellent looking revamps of existing masks. Sadly you won't find many that look "good", and most elastomerics will muffle you a bit regardless of having a diaphragm. FWIW you can wear regular masks and put a more fashionable cloth masks or pretty glitter mesh over it and it just hangs from your ears, look up "mesh mask cover" and you'll see some options.
Oh sweet! Yeah, stuff like what she does is what I was looking for, I knew someone had to have done it already!
Nice one,I think there’s a few people doing similar for different kinds of masks. Some people make embroidery panels to put across the front of disposable respirators, maybe that’s something to look into as well
Many users customized the Dentec respirators (NXMD valveless, NX valved) N95 version - not P100 cartridges, to their own fashion / goth style. GVS does not fit well everyone, and is blue. Flo too expensive and not always fit (1/4 mask design)
To me, fashion is subjective. I had a cybergoth friend in the mid 00's who had cystic fibrosis and was facing a lung transplant. Just a plain old "bulky" North (Honeywell, now?) 5500 half mask cartridge respirator was what she wore to protect herself (very depleted immune system). It was matte black and had thick black adjustable straps, the top one being a "halo" (that is, with a cross strap laying on top of the head). One big circular filter canister on each side, each with a white prefilter. It looked good to me on her. It went with her gothy clothing. Some of the masks (including respirators) you see being sold because of COVID basically, seem to be a lot of fashion over function. It's always safer to consider function first. I think deep down we all know that. This is all from somebody who has spent lots and lots of time in the hospital, so masks aren't an aesthetic concern for me. You do what you need to do. You get bad comments and stares? Well, those aren't your friends.
Yeah, you're right. My partner and I are both immunocompromised (he's got an autoimmune condition that they're still figuring out and I have what may be the start of MS) so safety is my main concern. I just know that there are also new masks being certified all the time so I want to keep an eye out. I'm thinking I'll either stick with my big 3M and just use decals or smth that won't block the filters/compromise the fit, bc I've already been fit tested for it, or a dentec since it's less of a money sink if my little customizing projects dont work out. Thank you for the support and reminding me to check my perspective. The most important thing is to keep myself and those around me safe.
My first thought is the GVS Elipse since it doesn't have have the gas mask-type filter pucks or floppy disks on the sides and is more compact!
I'll second that.
I'll third that.