Face masks in flights

What face masks are you currently wearing? Is there one that is more comfortable than others if you wear it for 8 straight hours? I encourage you to try this in advance. One thing I learned when I wore masks all day for work was to wear a hairband with buttons sewed on and loop the ear loops around the buttons rather than my ears. This made long hours of mask wearing far more comfortable.

You should probably check with the airline to see if it must be a specific kind. Some don’t allow cloth masks.

Is there one that is more comfortable than others if you wear it for 8 straight hours? I encourage you to try this in advance.

For an international flight from the US it will be way more than 8 hours of mask time. Adjust your 'test time' to reflect the real time you will be masked ( i.e., from airport entry to exit at the other end)

I agree with Carol. Airlines now have specific requirements. Cloth masks in general are NOT allowed. Nor do they protect you.

I wore an N95 on board. It was totally ok. The fabric did not touch my mouth and nostrils, and so I could breath normally. They are slightly more expensive, but they provide maximum protection against Covid.

As for type of mask, no need to really ask, you can if it makes you comfortable, but you are safe to assume cloth masks and "gaiters" are not allowed, and that a typical surgical mask or an N95 are safe bets.

Some airlines in Europe may require the N95.

All airlines will also provide you a compliant mask in the event ir is needed.

We recently wore KN95 masks on a long Delta flight, they were comfortable and got the Job done.

When I flew Delta back to France in May, they handed out surgical masks at boarding and made anyone who was wearing any other type of mask switch to a surgical mask.

We just flew to Rome on American. Cloth masks were being worn by many and they were left alone. We wore surgical and had a couple of extra in our carry on so we could change for the long flights. I also am more comfortable using one of these under the mask. It also seems to help my glasses from fogging up. It definitely is cooler. https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Protection-Stand-Comfortable-Breathing/dp/B088CT535G/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1BRUG4PBEU2MW&dchild=1&keywords=face+mask+guards+for+under+mask+made+in+usa&qid=1631522429&sprefix=face+mask+guard%2Caps%2C349&sr=8-4
You can search for them using "face mask guard"

With the findings that cloth masks don't do a great job, I was surprised that the airline allowed them.

All 3 of my group wore the KN95 masks, but many passengers had the lightweight, disposable masks on. The poor flight attendants - constantly having to monitor people that continually take their masks off - the lady with 2 kids flying in the seat in front of us, did not like to wear her lightweight mask and kept taking it off. The attendant had to ask her multiple times and then informed her she was being reported to the captain - I believe her family was detained upon departing. Such a fuss. Just wear the mask.

The best mask I have found for any longer term wearing is an N95 mask by Kimberly Clark Co. Granted, it is ridiculous looking as it is in the duck style (horizontal vs vertical), but I don't care as it is the only mask I have found that doesn't fog up my glasses. It also has light elastic that goes around the back of the wearer's head so no ear discomfort or continual adjusting. They fit really well. It is very secure on the edges but provides lots of space on the interior for one's face/breathe. YMMV

From what I understand, our airline requires either a surgical mask or an N95. We bought a pack of the N95’s, and I recently tested it out at work for an 8-hour shift. I have to wear a mask every day at work anyway, but I’m used to a triple-layer cloth mask. The N95 actually wasn’t as bad as I thought, and as some have said, it touches your mouth and nose a little less than a cloth mask. We will of course have to wear it longer than 8-hours, since our flight is not direct. So either way, I know it’ll be unpleasant. BUT, I really didn’t notice a huge difference between the cloth and N95. And since the N95 offers more protection, that’s also a win. We also bought some surgical masks to switch to in case we have trouble sleeping with an N95 since it stick out more than a surgical mask (the longest portion of our flight is a red eye, so we are concerned about not being able to sleep more than normal on a flight).

Definitely check with your airline if they have a mask requirement as far as type. Most do now require a surgical or N95. Hope this helps!

I just ordered these - they are very comfortable and KN95.
They sell out quickly when in stock, best to keep checking back often.

https://evolvetogether.com/collections/kn95-masks

I’ve tried various options & plan to wear kn95. I’ve had survivals that don’t fit well at all & ended up double masking under cloth as the surgical was required but it’s not doing any good when it doesn’t sit on my face right!

The other thing I like are mask lanyards. Not for flying where it has to be on all the time, but handy when going in & out of places walking around.

I'm with Wray regarding the Kimberly Clark N95 "duck mask". They look funny but they are the most comfortable masks. No latex and non-irritating to my eczema prone skin.

I stumbled upon this company called Lanz Graf in the beginning of the pandemic. They make organic cotton masks and they donate $ to feed America. They're located in Los Angeles CA. I own 3 of their masks but one is red so I'm not taking that color with me to Italy. I went to order 1 or 2 more for my trip but they're out of all masks so depending on when you leave check back.. They're super comfortable to wear as they bill out like a duck as someone calls it. https://graf-lantz.com/collections/individual-masks I plan to get an N95 for the plane but will wear my Graf masks in museums If someone is wearing an N95 then you don't need a cool protector unless I'm brain farting. On the other hand I do have some Prana masks that don't breath like my Lanz Graf so I'll probably pick a pack up to share with my travel friend. Whoever suggested that thanks.

Per Delta Airlines website, 2-ply cloth face masks are accepted for domestic and international flights. Some foreign airlines have stricter mask requirements, but I am not aware of any US airline that has done so. Of course a codeshare flight booked on a US carrier but operated by a foreign airline could have stricter requirements.

You might want to try out masks with loops that go around the back of your head, rather than ear loops - avoid sore ears. I just got some KN95s with the head loops.

Lots of good advice already; I will just add that a face shield is probably more trouble than it's worth when you are in the same "room" as other people for 8 hours straight. It protects you somewhat from one-off projections, but definitely not from ambient aerosols.
But of course, if it makes you feel safer, no issue!

I haven’t flown yet during pandemic times, but I have read on another forum that many have found that the dry air on planes is more conducive to comfort wearing masks. I find that humidity makes mask-wearing more uncomfortable, this is a happy thought!

We did find it difficult to sleep with our cloth masks and eye mask on a red-eye on United next month. Will get Kn95 or N95 for our Italy trip.

Looking forward to travel without the mask. I make a point to keep eating so that I don't have to wear them.

My doctor says the the ordinary cloth or disposable masks don't provide much protection at all.

Yet so many of us are able to follow the rules geova. Please try not to make flying harder than it has be be right now.

We bought 3M Aura N95 masks for the approximately 8 hours it took to travel by air from Ohio to Los Angeles with layover and airport time. It's a decently comfortable mask and fits securely except for around the nose (for us). We both had trouble with glasses fogging up despite efforts to shape the mask to the face. And the mask's effectiveness is lessened when the 'seal' around your face isn't complete. I saw a surgeon online who uses a butterfly band-aid to secure the top of the mask to his face; he has done so for many years. We tried the same on a few test walks with white athletic tape. Just keep the tape off the sensitive skin nearest your eyes. My first thought was how incredibly geeky i must look with tape, mask and glasses, but actually since the mask and tape are both white it's not that noticeable. It seems to work really well to eliminate fogging. And should be more protective. If you've experienced this problem you might want to give it a try. re: 3M Aura, buy from an authorized distributor as there are reports of counterfeits on the market.

Can anyone recommend a face shield that checks the boxes in terms of protection, fit and relative comfort? There are so many options. I'm having difficulty visualizing the best shield design to use while wearing a mask.

This is my favorite mask: https://kollecteusa.com/collections/kf94/products/blunak-kf94-black

They are KN94 - which are pretty comparable to the KN95 - and they have little loops on each side that tighten the mask as needed. I prefer 'boat-style' to 'duck style' and boy have I used these. For flights and for choir rehearsals and I've sung two major concerts in NYC in these. Right now, with the numbers so high, I actually nestle two of them together for a double mask - and will do that also for my next flight. The trick is to make sure the nose piece is actually bent across your nose and holding and to tighten up the sides. I also don't love the N95s because the straps really pull on my already-fine hair and I need all the hair I can keep!

Best of luck.

bean

Couple things...

1. This thread is pretty old -- OP posted in it early September, 2021. Hopefully, they enjoyed their trip safely and responsibly months ago. Still, masking is even more important now...

2. CDC and medical pros are now urging all responsible people to upgrade their mask game. Toss the cheap, paper-like surgical masks -- while (slightly) better than nothing, they're too leak-prone, and just are not up to the task when you're in a sea of omicron (which we are now). Same for the fabric masks (it's a shame, they're often comfortable and some are even nice-looking). With omicron, it's time to upgrade to more-effective, and better-sealing N95 (or KN95 or KN94....maybe doubled-up with a cloth mask over it to help it seal well).

In recent days I've seen this website recommended by local medical pros (that happen to appear on TV sometimes, but I trust them). You can find real N95 and similar types, all NIOSH certified and validated as authentic (lots of fake "95" masks on amazon and elsewhere).
Hint: Look for masks that have straps that *go behind your head*, not just earloops -- that's apparently key for a good seal.

Lots of good options here:
projectn95.org

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional (though I am married to one). This source for real N95 masks appears highly credible to me and is endorsed by medical professionals that I trust. Before I get on a flight (or set foot in an airport or other crowded public place), I'll be wearing a real N95 mask from these guys (and will be wishing that everyone else there was, too).

The next month or so may be rough sledding for us all. Please be careful and responsible. Hope this is useful to folks here.