Ireland/EU-market: Comfortable masks for the large of nose

July 10, 2022 1:54 AM

My current FFP2 masks aren't comfortable to wear for more than about two hours because they will chafe my rather prominent nose bridge raw. I have a couple of long-haul flights with airport transfers coming up and I'll be masking the whole time so I'd like to find a mask that better suits my face shape. Must be available for purchase in Ireland or from a vendor that will ship here from within the EU. Many previous mask recommendation threads are US-centric hence this region-specific question.
posted by 4rtemis to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

FFP3 masks in this style have foam top & bottom and are the most comfortable I’ve found for planes.
posted by dame at 2:10 AM on July 10, 2022

Simplecase FFP2s are cheap, available at amazon, have a foam thingy over the nose, and are pretty big.
posted by melamakarona at 4:52 AM on July 10, 2022

Best answer: 3M Aura? Foam on the nose.
posted by chiquitita at 8:06 AM on July 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

If this sounds obvious forgive me, but I was the doofus who wore an FFP2 mask for way too long before realizing that the flexible metal strip on the bridge can be pulled off (making things much more comfortable). Not every style allows you to do this tho, so YMMV.
posted by jeremias at 10:41 AM on July 10, 2022

Best answer: You may want to look into the 3D boat-shape mask. While I don't have a huge nose, I find them gentler around the nose than the type that folds in half down the front.

The 3M Aura is that shape, as are a lot of KF94s (which is essentially the South Korean equivalent). I don't know specifically what brands are available in Ireland, but look for the 3D boat shape.
posted by wondermouse at 12:18 PM on July 10, 2022

I also got on with the Aura on my pointy nose (my problem is usually with sealing rather than chafing). There is a metal wire with a thick piece of foam under it. The foam had a smell for the first ten minutes but it quickly fades, so don't give up on it because of that. Wore it for a ten hour flight, no complaints.

Since it's a standard house painter's mask, you may find it's available wherever house painters hang out if it's hard to source otherwise.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 1:32 PM on July 10, 2022

The metal strip is part of the functionality and reliability of the mask’s ability to filter the air, so don’t expect the same reliability if you alter the structure of the mask.
posted by chiquitita at 5:29 PM on July 10, 2022

Gentle reminder that for the masks that fold down the middle, you're supposed to flatten the nose wire before putting it on, then fold the wire around your nose so that it gently seals, not try to squeeze your nose into the pre-folded mask.
posted by meowzilla at 9:17 PM on July 10, 2022

I got these shipped to Ireland (but not from within the EU):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002840680548.html

There the most comfortable I found, as they are seperated from the mouth, and have a large breathable surface area, so the least noticeable masks to wear.
posted by Boobus Tuber at 2:56 AM on July 15, 2022

Response by poster: I was able to order some of the 3M Aura masks recently and those have been a lot more comfortable. In the future I'll look for the boat shape rather than fold-in-half duckbill shape. Thanks everyone.
posted by 4rtemis at 2:56 PM on August 3, 2022 [1 favorite]