At a time when personal protective gear (PPE) is in short supply across the country dozens of outdoor industry mainstays have stepped up to pivot manufacturing facilities to focus on PPEs for frontline workers and the public alike—from Arc’teryx committing to making 90,000 reusable medical gowns to Petzl and Goal Zero making reusable PPE face shields.
Though the N95 and KN95 masks, which block at least 95% of “very small” airborne particles, are the most effective masks for halting the spread of Coronoavirus, fabric masks are now the public norm worldwide. These particular masks are non-medical grade, but generally help slow the spread of droplets or spray either from your mouth or nose and breathing in the same from someone else.
For those not interested in making their own, a variety of outdoor companies are producing face masks that’ll offer some protection when venturing into crowded, open spaces, or even just to the grocery store. [Care Tip: if your mask is made of specialized athletic fabrics, it may be worth using a cleaner like Nikwax TechWash, which better removes dirt, sweat, and body oils that can compromise fabric performance.]
The following are our top picks for non-medical grade face masks from outdoors adjacent brands we trust.
