The latest in a sea of face mask launches is designed to stretch, sweat-ready, and designed to smile – these key features are all salient in the new Gap Athleta brand Made to Move face mask, its second edition in the mask space.
As the coronavirus continues to spread, face masks are mandatory in more than half of the US states. The masks help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, blocking large droplets that would otherwise spread further to the cough or sneeze. Masks work best in combination with safe practices of social distancing and regular hand washing, and are often emphasized indoors. Some facial mask rules, however, include wearing one while exercising in densely populated areas where you can’t socially distance yourself. As we reported in our exercise face buying guide, masks can be uncomfortable to wear when working on fitness routines; after all, the breathability and particle blocking characteristics of the fabric are in conflict. On top of that, cloth masks can get wet and soggy when mixed with sweat. And depending on how tight the mask material is, masks can make breathing difficult. Athleta, one of the most popular providers of fitness-focused face masks, hopes to find the latest in a balanced face mask with its Made to Move Mask.
Unlike the brand’s daily non-medical masks, the Made to Move Mask is a lighter, easier-to-make mask to stay on the face during exercise, says Jana Henning, product manager at Athleta. Its binding is made of soft elastic to keep your hair from getting caught while you exercise, and two layers of the company’s proprietary featherweight stretch fabric – a blend of polyester and spandex with a polyester and mesh lining. The brand’s lightweight fabric combines comfort and performance, creating less friction on the face and preventing heat and oil build-up, the Athleta design team told NBC Shopping.
Unlike the company’s ‘Everyday’ mask, Athleta’s ‘Made to Move’ mask has a contoured design that stays in place during movement, with an adjustable nose bridge for a more comfortable fit. The mask covers her mouth and nose, but specifically leaves the upper cheekbones visible, making it easier to tell when the wearer is smiling (helping others understand body language cues), according to the Athleta design team.
Flexible seams running through the center of the mask help keep fabric out of your mouth while you exercise, a new mask feature. The mask also wicks away moisture to keep the masks from getting wet during exercise, and includes a pocket for an insertable filter.
Both the ear muffs and nose bridge are adjustable, allowing the mask to fit a wide range of faces. The masks come in two sizes: women and girls. Girls’ masks are similar to ‘Made to Move’ adult masks, but the packs come in different colors:
- Warm: pink, blue and gray masks
- And cool: gray, bluish gray, and yellow camouflage
The company wanted to design a mask that was “really easy to wear,” Henning said. For this, they received comments from customers. An Instagram poll gave Athleta 4,500 responses from women and girls evaluating what they wanted from their exercise mask.
One pain point was getting people to wear the masks, so comfort was “key” to the design, Henning said. The survey specifically asked what colors customers would actually wear, leading to the aforementioned cool and warm color palettes. The company consulted medical experts from the University of California, San Francisco and used their feedback to ensure that the shape and fit of the mask conformed to the guidelines, leading to the addition of features such as a head strap. and a pocket for filter inserts. The end result came after three design iterations and months of wear testing.
How to buy exercise face masks
Whether you’re opting for the Athleta face mask or another, be sure to consider the best face mask for you and the guidelines set by the CDC. When buying any mask, prioritize material quality and breathability. Look for masks with multiple layers of tight yet breathable fabric like cotton, Scott Segal, MD, MHCM, president of anesthesiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine, previously told NBC News Shopping. Segal led a peer-reviewed study that tested the effectiveness of different fabrics for filtering particles. A simple test of a mask’s effectiveness is holding it up to the sky. If you can see sunlight through the fabric, it’s not taut enough, he said, you can try something similar with a flashlight.
“The most important thing to look for is a mask that fits comfortably and can stay in place covering your nose, mouth and chin. For some, having a less comfortable mask leads to less frequent use, ”Richard Martinello, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Yale School of Medicine, told NBC News. “Keep in mind that physical distance is also important, even if you wear a mask.”
The breathability and flexibility of exercise fabrics, such as moisture-wicking material, can affect the effectiveness of a face mask to filter out some types of particles, Segal said. Their study found that knitted materials were less effective at filtering particles than woven materials. But it is more important that the mask fits perfectly on your face and covers your nose and mouth. If you find it difficult to train with a mask, consider avoiding situations where you need to wear one, said Melanie Carver, mission director for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
“Consider exercising at home or in private spaces where you are alone or can maintain a safe physical distance from others,” he said.
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