Many of you will have read articles stating ‘this’ or ‘that’ is the best face-covering. The simple fact is what’s right for one might not be suitable for another. In our efforts to find the ideal all-around face mask, we’re putting the Facelet to the test.
Finding the perfect face mask/covering, particularly if you’re planning to wear it for long periods is no easy task. Recently, some well-known consumer magazines conducted their own testing to find the best face coverings and their opinions are already causing heated debates.
In this article, we’re not going to be making side-by-side comparisons, we’re going to provide first-hand feedback on the reusable Facelet mask and our opinion on whether it is the right product to meet the current needs of consumers.
There are 100,000s of face masks available, and they’ve gradually improved thanks to a greater understanding of consumer needs. Over the past quarter, we’ve been offered the opportunity to try out a few types of face masks, and at the time, they seemed ideal. However, time moves on, and opinions change.
One of the first face masks we tried was from the shoe manufacturer Keen, which offered many positives such as it being reusable and robust. As it was one of the first ones onto the market is was what we would consider being by today’s standards expensive. Although it is a robust mask, a few months on, it has been confined to the cupboard as a ‘back-up’ as it is difficult to breathe through. We also found that after a few washes, the interior layers started to deteriorate. Admittedly, its robustness might offer more protection than other masks from an unwanted punch on the nose, but today, it’s usability over more extended periods gives it a thumbs down.
Another mask we tried was the RXMask which was produced by a company specialising in medical undergarments. The mask was extremely thin (single ply) and was said to have particles embedded in the fabric to help protect the user. This is another of the masks now confined to the cupboard. Our gripes with this mask are it is tough to work out which way up to wear it and the face-hugging thin fabric offered us less confidence than we would like and tended to get in the way of our lips when talking.
What do we think of the Facelet?
First and foremost, this mask is very comfortable to wear. Two members of our editorial team chose to wear the Facelet for a full three-hour stretch, and both remarked about its comfort on the face and most importantly found it very easy to breathe through.
One of our testers also discovered is when positioned correctly, the mask didn’t cause his glasses to steam up. This is due to the way it has been designed with a scallop like cutaway underneath the eyes. This allowed it to fit flush across the bridge of his nose and face.
Many of the masks we’ve purchased, tended to have a visible gap from the nose to the cheeks. This resulted in an instant steaming of the lenses with each breath and the question of whether they were actually doing what they were made for; protect the wearer from harmful viruses.
The Facelet is a three-layer mask which is recommended by health officials around the world. It also has an anti-bacterial fabric filter sewn into it. This filter is made from a non-woven polypropylene which is also very lightweight.
On the front of the mask is a button; this enables the mask to be worn on the wrist when not needed. Although this is a handy feature, it didn’t add to our extremely positive opinion of the mask. Even without this feature, the Facelet would still be the best-dedicated face-covering we’ve experienced.
We’re not the only ones to be impressed by the Facelet
As many of our regular readers know, we work very closely with the hospitality industry, and if a product is good enough for the industry, we’re quite sure it will be more than adequate for the majority of others.
To add weight to our findings, Fraser Hospitality who run Hotel du Vin, European Malmaison and the Fraser Place locations recently started to use the Facelet.
They placed an order for 6,000 custom-branded masks which they’ve now received and are currently in use by their staff in the UK and across Europe. Although we have been somewhat non-plussed about the ability to store the Facelet on the wrist, this particular feature has proven to be of significant benefit to the staff at Fraser Hospitality as many of their staff uniforms don’t have pockets.
Martyn Ball, People & Development Director at Fraser Hospitality, said; “The fact that The Facelet’s products can be worn around the wrist when not in use is a huge benefit as it minimises the risk of masks being misplaced or staff finding themselves without one when they need it the most.
It’s a much more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to using single-use masks as staff need to change their face coverings several times throughout the day in line with Government advice.”
Steve Pole, the co-founder at the Facelet, added; “We’re delighted to be working with Frasers Hospitality to provide a solution that really works for them. Our masks are practical and easy to use, making them the perfect choice for those who work with the general public.”
The Facelet is, without any doubt, the best face-covering we’ve tried. It is obvious a great deal of thought has gone into its design, and it is far more comfortable to wear when compared to other masks we’ve tried. The fact that a well-known hospitality group considers them essential to their operations says it all.
Facelet – Where and how?
The Facelet is available to purchase online from www.thefacelet.com. The masks we tested were the Eclipse and the Dark Knight both very reasonably priced at £5.95. There are two sizes available – medium and large and free delivery is offered on orders over £20.00.
Read more lifestyle reviews and articles in our dedicated section here.
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