Yet another mask question

September 1, 2022 9:00 AM

Looking for my personal holy grail of N95/KN95/similar protection masks: 1) foam bit over the nose 2) fits petite faces 3) comes in colors/patterns.

I have mostly been wearing these kids/petite masks from Wellbefore, which fit my face well. I recently bought these masks from 3M and they have a bit of foam over the nose that is much more comfortable. I feel like I get a better nose seal with these, but they feel too loose around the chin for my comfort.

Lastly, since I am going to be wearing masks everywhere for the foreseeable future, I would love to get some in cool colors/patterns, but the fit/comfort is most important. I’ve been eying these because they’re super pretty but I’m hesitant to pay that much when I don’t know how they’ll fit. Thanks!

posted by skycrashesdown to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

Just as a data point, the 3M Auras you linked work well for my smallish face, but the Masklab masks you shared are much too big all around for me. Which is a pain because they're more fashionable!
posted by twelve cent archie at 10:32 AM on September 1, 2022

I have those MaskLab ones and I would say I have a larger head/face and they fit me nicely, so might be too large for you
posted by raccoon409 at 10:46 AM on September 1, 2022

I like Enro masks, KN95-rated, comfortable.
posted by theora55 at 10:50 AM on September 1, 2022

Other than MaskLab, the best kind I know with good range of color patterns is the Posh brand; they run small and have color patterns. They don't have nose foam. They do have adjustable ear loops although the adjustment is a little hard to see at first (see video linked here). They have adult (smallish) and kid size (if you're really very petite) - there's a 10 piece Mix-and-Match sampler pack of Posh brand KF94 masks with colorful patterns at BeHealthyUSA (currently it's about $35 for this sampler pack, but check their site for a coupon code you can enter at checkout)
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:05 PM on September 1, 2022

I echo the concern that MaskLab will be too big on someone with a smaller face. (My head/face is let's just say... not petite, and I find that MaskLab fits me well).
posted by oceano at 3:46 PM on September 1, 2022

Yep, I bought those masklab masks and they are too big for my face. I normally wear these KF94 in the small size; there are a few colors but unfortunately the patterns aren't available in small.
posted by misskaz at 5:30 AM on September 2, 2022

If you like the Masklab ones and they are a little bit too big, you could do a small knot on each side of the ear loop which should help it fit more snugly.
posted by VyanSelei at 5:45 AM on September 2, 2022

I bought the earloop adjuster buckles from Masklab and although they are genius and I'm glad I have them, they only help fit so much. It's still baggy around my chin because the mask is too tall for my nose to chin distance, and pulling it tight enough to fix that is 1. painful behind the ears and 2. makes the sides buckle out.
posted by misskaz at 9:30 AM on September 2, 2022