One more time I had the opportunity of getting a half face mask this time by Vogmask and of course I couldn’t resist not writing a review on my blog.

As I have already mentioned in my preview article effectiveness and elegance are the key points of my evaluation.

Many people are spending a lot of time during the day travelling from one destination to an other on foot or by bike or by car/public transportation. There are 1.25 Billion Vehicles on World’s Roads right now and they increase steadily. (There is an estimation of 2 Billion Vehicles by 2035).

What kind of pollutants do we face everyday: Particulate matter (PM), Hydrocarbons (HC), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Carbon monoxide (CO), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and other air pollutants/toxics such as Benzene, acetaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene.

Characteristics

Vogmask offers the N99 respirators (Not oil resistant), with options of a carbon filter layer (C), and an exhale valve (V). I have the N99CV.  These respirators are made to seal tightly around the mouth and nose and they are made of material certified to block 99% of particles 0.3 μm or larger in diameter including PM2.5.

• Outer layer Faceblank of non woven microfiber
• Filter media of Nanofiber PP Filtering Textile middle layer
• Filter layer of Active Carbon coconut shell derived charcoal bonded to textile 
• Exhalation Valve of ABS Resin with silicone stopper
• Nosebridge of coated aluminum wire
• Trim and ear loops of latex-free spandex
• Inner layer Faceblank (comfort inner layer closest to lips) of woven microfiber

Design

They have a huge collection of print designs which meet everyone’s taste. Of course all face masks are noticeable. The materials are soft to the touch and face. The mask doesn’t touch your lips and mouth.

Effectiveness

The exhale valve is quite big and helps a lot with the moist that may build while you are breathing, in my case I will rate the valve at 85% efficient. I have a beard and facial hair is enough to break the seal and let in particles and gases. They have a solution for that. The Head Strap Accessory which snaps onto the ear loops of the Vogmask for a tighter seal and more security. I have been wearing the mask during three weeks now while I am riding my bike or motorcycle and I have noticed that I don’t smell anymore some of the gasses that come out of the cars or buses.

The mask is CE Certified reusable which means that you can rinse it with water and liquid soap. Although it may work with the Nanofiber PP Filtering, I think the Active Charcoal filter won’t work as well as a new one, because a lot of the nano pores that trap gases will clog up by the impurities and minerals of the water.

It is designed to last up to 3 years but it is recommended to replaced it after 4 months when a sudden increase in inhalation resistance is noticeable. In this case the middle filtering layer is saturated with particles and the mask needs to be replaced.

Conclusions

All in all it doesn’t require extra effort to breathe with the mask and the exhale valve helps a lot with the moist. The maintenance is minimum but recommended after a while. Good filtration against street air pollutants.