While we are all focused on the COVID-19 today, it’s important to keep in mind that it may not be the only reason to wear a mask. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing an unsafe level of pollutants.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck us, you probably have seen many people wearing masks in polluted cities. As you can easily understand, children need to be protected as well. In fact, they need them more than adults because their lungs are still under development. Some children with asthma need protection as well.
So, what’s the issue here? It isn’t hard to find a pharmacy that sells masks, but the question is, will they fit and protect your children?
What makes a good mask for children?
When it comes to masks, good protection means a good filter with a good face seal. After all, you need to make sure that the air your child is breathing can only enter through the filters and not through any gaps under the mask. Effective protection only exists when the mask forms a good seal on the user’s face.
Surgical masks, common cloth masks, and the well-known N95 masks are commonly seen these days. However, most people do not know that these masks may not fully protect them or their children. Here’s why:
Surgical Masks
To begin with, surgical masks are not designed to protect users from air pollution. Instead, they were specifically designed to “Protects others from the wearer.” It works as a loose-fitting barrier. While these masks do a great job at preventing droplets from the wearer, they don’t protect you from air pollution or airborne viruses. The gaps between the mask and the user’s face let pollutants and viruses enter easily.
Cloth masks
A cloth mask, similar to a surgical mask, is designed to be loose-fitting and serve pretty much the same purpose of “Protecting others from me.” It does not protect the wearer from airborne viruses or particles. Cloth masks are made of soft fabric, they touch the mouth and gets uncomfortably wet and smelly pretty fast. While it can be washed and reused, it takes a long time to dry.
N95 Masks:
N95 masks are made with proper air filtering material. They are also called “Respiratory”. N95 masks do a great job of filtering out pollutants and particles, if, (and that is a big IF) they form a good seal on the user’s face.
It’s important to keep in mind that these masks are only available in adult size and certainly won’t fit children. Besides, there is another issue: there’s no way to check whether an N95 mask is providing a good face seal, unless with professional equipment which is costly and usually only owned by hospitals or big institutes.
Regarding hygiene, it is not an issue if the N95 mask is used one time only. However, consumers often reuse these disposable N95 masks. The germs and bacteria accumulated on the mask after each use can be a threat to health. A disposable mask can’t be washed and is tough to dry if wet.
Top 3 reasons why the Totobobo mask is better than the rest?
If you understand the issues explained above, you will appreciate the solutions provided by the Totobobo mask. Let’s go through them one by one:
#1: Flexible Size and Shape:
Some masks come in 3 sizes – S, M, and L. However, it is not easy to decide on which size to get without opening the package and letting your child try the mask on. Most shops do not accept returned products as it compromises hygiene.
What the Totobobo Mask offers is the flexibility to shape and/or trim the mask down according to the child’s face. There is even a template for you to print and construct a “dummy mask” for testing before getting the real mask.
#2: Hygienically Reusable:
The world is getting more polluted and we certainly don’t want to add to the problem by throwing away more disposable masks. The Totobobo mask body is embedded with BioCote®, a silver-based antimicrobial agent. BioCote® technology is known to work against bacteria, mold, fungi, and influenza H1N1 virus. Recently, it has been tested independently and proved effective against a virus from the coronavirus family as well. Plus, the plastic body is easy to clean and dry, reuse is effortless and safe for your children.
#3: Easy Seal Check:
Totobobo masks are made with a transparent material, unlike most masks in the market. With a transparent mask, the user can easily check the seal it provides with a bit of “watermarking”, a patented process. Here’s how: https://totobobo.com/blog/how-to-perform-a-seal-check-with-the-water-mark-method/
Here are some of our family users with their children:
