THE Covid-19 crisis has negatively affected many industries but a few have been thriving. Companies making toilet paper, hand sanitisers, bread and so on are all doing well. Another industry that's booming is the mask industry.
Most of us wear the typical light blue-coloured masks that you can buy in pharmacies and supermarkets. Some wear more decorative masks, which can include designs such as the Malaysian flag on it.
If you want to find some really innovative masks with special functionalities, the place to go to is Kickstarter, a leading crowdfunding platform.
Just search for "masks" and you'll find loads of masks being developed by entrepreneurs from around the world.
Here are five unique masks that I found which are worth highlighting.
AUSAIR
As its name implies, this mask comes from Australia. It was created by two brothers, Elias and Isaac Honor, and their friend, Jack Graham.
They were motivated to create the mask after travelling abroad and experiencing a high-level of pollution over there.
To give their mask a uniquely Australian touch, they leveraged on Australian botanicals. They offer a blank filter but for those who want to experience their botanical filters, they have coastal tee tree, Sydney eucalyptus and Tasmanian lavender.
"There is a unique scent and feeling when you are in the lavender fields of Tasmania or the eucalyptus forests of New South Wales, and that's what we've aimed to capture," says Isaac Honor. "We want to allow people around the world to breathe Australian air."
UVMASK
UVMask is a reusable air purification mask that disinfects the air you breathe in and out using the most powerful UV-C technology on the market. UV-C light is an ultraviolet light that breaks apart germ DNA, leaving it unable to function.
Equipped with a passive air filter, and a patent-pending Sterile-Vortex active purification system, it filters and purifies air in real-time as you breathe.
The UV-C light is sealed within the Sterile-Vortex, which means no UV-C leakage is possible during the filtration process.
The advanced filtration system uses CE-FFP2 air filters to purify 0.1-0.3 micron particles (particles up to 100 time smaller than a grain of flour).
The UV-C lights purify both the air that you inhale and exhale, increasing safety for both yourself and the people around you.
DRINKSAFE
One of the inconveniences of having to wear a mask all the time when you're walking about outside is that you can't drink anything with the mask on.
Getting proper hydration is important when you're outside, especially in a hot and humid country like Malaysia.
But with a mask on, you can't drink any beverages. You might not want to take the mask off if you're in a crowded place. So, you end up having to stay thirsty until you reach home.
With the DrinkSafe mask, that problem is solved. Its unique design allows you to drink through a straw without taking off the mask.
As a bonus, they have also designed the mask so that it doesn't fog up your glasses which is another common problem.
BREEZE
Not being able to drink is one thing. What about not being able to take or make phone calls with your mask on? Of course, you could speak through the mask but your voice won't be so clear.
Breeze is a mask equipped with anti-microbial silver-galvanic filters, face-cooling technology, exhaled air filtration, and "clear sound" valves for phone calls.
These designer valves are windproof and are shaped to direct the sound of your voice to your phone in case you need to make or take a call while outdoors (and having a mask on).
HIDE-A-MASK
What if you're tired of walking around looking like a medical officer? You could get a stylish designer mask. Or you could get Hide-a-Mask, which incorporates a mask into a baseball cap.
It looks just like any ordinary cap but tucked inside its brim is a mask that's held there through magnets.
Whenever you need the mask, you just pull it down to cover your nose and mouth. And when you no longer need it, perhaps when you've entered a restaurant or a cafe, you just tuck it away, inside the cap. The mask easily unclips for easy washing.
UVMask can be found at www.indiegogo.com/projects/uvmask-all-day-uv-c-air-purification-face-mask#/
All other masks can be found at www.kickstarter.com.
Oon Yeoh is a consultant with experiences in print, online and mobile media. Reach him at oonyeoh@gmail.com.
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