Totobobo in front of the Heroes Square! Budapest, Hungary - photo creadit Akos
Totobobo is now in Hungary. Welcome Akos!
Yeah! Our first dealer in Europe has launched Totobobo last week. This is good news for our European customers who need protection from traffic pollution, flu virus, pollens or even volcanic dust.
Totobobo launched in Hungary
Cyclists should wear an effective air mask or better move away from the busy roads. That’s the conclusion I got when looking at the animated 3D ‘Pollution map’ video of London. The orange yellow color, mainly along the main roads, indicates high level of air pollution where the blue color are area with better air quality. It is intuitive to think air pollution level is higher along the main roads and lower away from the main roads, but I could never imagine the differences can be so huge!
In the short video below you can see the highest air pollution concentrated right along the main roads and junctions, likely the result of slow moving vehicles there. Most of the area away from the main roads are much better.
If you are waiting for the green light at any of such junctions, hold your breath. Because the ultra fine particles (0.1-0.3 micros, currently not being regulated) can travel deep down into the lungs and stay longer there than their bigger brothers (>2.5 microns). Ultra fine particles reduces the health benefits of physical exercise. There are increased evidence showing these ultra-fine particles are the silence killer closely links to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
April 14, 2011 — Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
In a show of compassion and cross-border cooperation following Japan’s devastating earthquake, Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd. announced today that Kakuta Kodomo (Children) & Allergies Clinic in Miyagi Prefecture has received a donation of 50 Totobobo masks and 500 pairs of filters from FI Corporation, Totobobo’s main distributor in Japan.
The donation comes just weeks after the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and a powerful magnitude 7.1 aftershock on April 7 that rattled Miyagi Prefecture, temporarily shutting off power to over 3.6 million households and injuring more than 140 residents.
Situated in one of the hardest-hit regions, Kakuta Kodomo & Allergies Clinic specializes in treating children with respiratory allergies, immune deficiencies, chemical sensitivities, and heart conditions. These vulnerable patients are particularly at risk from pollution and airborne irritants that often worsen after natural disasters.
To help safeguard these young patients, the donated Totobobo masks offer a much-needed layer of respiratory protection. Made of transparent, soft, anti-microbial plastic, each mask features flexible edges and a customizable fit — it can be trimmed with scissors to suit the size and shape of a child’s face.
The masks also stand out for their comfort and practicality: the elastic strap is hypoallergenic, and the reusable design allows parents or medical staff to easily clean the mask and replace the inner filters, reducing both waste and costs.
Developed by Singaporean designer Francis Chu after the 2003 SARS outbreak, the Totobobo mask was created to address a challenge many parents faced – finding small, effective masks that seal properly on a child’s face. The transparent design makes it easier to check for gaps, ensuring a better seal and protection from airborne threats.
FI Corporation, headquartered in Gifu Prefecture, has been distributing Totobobo masks across Japan as part of its commitment to public health and safety. According to the company’s statement, the donation reflects Japan’s spirit of community support and technological innovation in times of recovery.
Miyagi Prefecture was among the areas most affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which caused massive destruction and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate. As the region continues rebuilding efforts, initiatives like this donation underscore the importance of protecting weakened immune systems—especially among children recovering in compromised environments.
“Totobobo masks are particularly suitable for our young patients who are still rebuilding their immune strength,” said a staff member at Kakuta Kodomo & Allergies Clinic. “We are deeply grateful for the thoughtful support.”
Both companies reaffirmed their shared mission: to provide safe, clean air protection for children and families, particularly in times when health vulnerabilities meet environmental challenges.
Source: Dream Lab One, FI Corporation, Wikipedia (April 2011 Miyagi Earthquake)
cool-tools.org, a popular website which provide reviews of innovative new ‘tools’ posted an approving review of Totobobo mask by Pamela Bumsted.
Unique features of Totobobo mask
This is a new design of respirator which has advantages for mass distribution, emergency preparedness, and multi-ethnic populations. I’ve been using/testing it for 5 or 6 years in the Unorganized Borough in Alaska.
The respirator can be cut with scissors to fit faces properly. Because they are clear, fit is easily ascertained. A clear respirator may mean they are more acceptable culturally (the face is not hidden).
The filters are replaceable. They allow a lot of air to pass through so can be useful in bike riding and outdoor work. They also allow moisture to pass through; I haven’t found the exhaled moisture to be a problem except in subzero temperatures (quite a bit of condensation then).
Instead of storing respirators of every size, only one size needs to be stored for emergency use. One doesn’t need to check sizes before distributing the respirators. Respirators can be cleaned and re-used by the individual (replace filters). I have seen them be used for pandemics, volcanoes, dust, woodworking, and cycling, and I am hoping to continue testing them in Alaska where we have faces from many different populations.
— Pamela Bumsted
About Cool-Tools
Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We only post things we like and ignore the rest.
While the footage of the devastating triple-disaster (Earthquake, Tsunamis, Reactor leak) in Japan dominate the international media and our TV screen, it is difficult to imagine life goes on in some other parts of Japan. At one point some even believe that the radioactive dust has reached Hong Kong and soon to Singapore and therefore everyone should stock up Betadine. It is hard not to over react when the media keep feeding the dome news.
Over the last week, we have the privilege of hosting a student, Keisuke, from Fukuoka, Japan. The group of Japanese students were on a mission of cultural exchange between Singapore and Japan, called APCC mission. Through the faces of this group of cheerful, innocent students, I started to appreciate the resilient characters of human nature. Life has to go on and we just have to deal with the situation at hand, step by step: Rescue, Rebuild, and Rethink how to reduce our energy footprint in the future.
Say hi to the camera, Little India, Singapore
APCC mission: Japanese student from Fukuoka
See? my hand
APCC mission: Japanese student with Singapore host
APCC mission: Japanese student from Fukuoka
Cool right?
APCC mission: Japanese student with Singapore host
Sayonara!
For the month of April, 15% sales of Totobobo mask from Japan address will be donated to the Red Cross and Merci Relief to help their effort in Japan. More detials in flyjin.com
Passing Point, 24x24
Sometimes the most powerful testimonial comes in very unexpected way.
Pastel artist Brenda Boylan make a point to show that she is wearing Totobobo mask when producing a time lapse video showing how a beautiful pastel painting was created. Here is what she has to say about Totobobo:
You may notice in these small productions that I wear some sort of mask on my face. Protecting my lungs from the airborne pastel dust is serious business. I’ve tried heavy ventilators and they don’t fit my small featured face. I’ve tried 3M, and a few other disposable face masks, but it seemed like they were not protecting me enough. For my own health I searched high and low for a small, comfortable, and highly effective filter and found another pastel artist, Paula Ford using a Totobobo. Artist’s are always at risk by their mediums, especially soft pastel dust! I wanted to bring this up because recently my favorite online blogger friend Loriann underwent lung surgery and so I wanted her to see that she too, can continue working in pastel! I still have to gently wipe up any remaining dust with a damp rag to keep from getting airborne. I’m not sponsored by Totobobo, but I certainly do encourage pastel artists to check them out for their own health.
Still not convinced? read other’s comments on Brenda’s blog “Dusty Fingers”
Kimberly Vanlandingham said…
Masks are so important! I got Pneumonia when I was in college and they think it was triggered by dust from glazing particles. I had a really big scare even though we didn’t use any of the “dangerous” glazes in school.
loriann said…
Hi Brenda,
I loved watching you at work and yes I see your totobobo. On another note,do you find that by painting on a toned surface it imbues that color light?I love your work.
Thanks for turning me on to the Totobobo. And thanks for taking the time to discuss, by phone, about the toto. Now I have that and my artist’s air filter. I am beginning to feel safe.
Thanks also for your kind mention.
Loriann
PS Now my husband uses a totobobo when he is cleaning the cat litter box- 5 cats lots of floating matter.
Singapore company Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd. today announced the arrival of the world’s first UNIVERSAL reusable Ear-loop respirator, called Earloop-UNIVERSAL or UNI in short. The new entry is the latest of a series of innovative anti-pollution respirators including the Classic, Earloop (L,M,S,XS sizes) and SuperCool (Mouth mask).
Typical reusable respirators by major producers are designed for heavy duty occupational use. They are able to achieve good face seal and protection. However, due to the weight, these respirators require heavy duty head bands to secure the respirator. Such head bands can be irritating and sometimes entangle with the users? hair. On the other hand, normal users prefer to use cloth mask, like people in Japan or motorcyclists in Vietnam, as these are light enough to be hung on the ears with a pair of ear-loops. The ear-loop design is easer to use and is preferred by ladies with delicate hair styles. However, these cloth masks provide neither good seal nor protection for airborne contamination.
World’s first UNIVERSAL Earloop respirator by Totobobo
The new UNI achieves the best of both world by combining the best-of-class light weight property of Totobobo with an adjustable ear-loop design. The 20 grams reusable mask is the only one in the market that can be secured with a pair of flexible ear-loops. Through innovative ways of looping around the filters, the tension of the ear-loop can be adjusted to suit anyone including adults and children. The UNI is comfortable and easy to use, just like a cloth mask. Most importantly, the protection is not compromised either.
Scientific tests in the Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong) have shown that the Totobobo filter is able to achieve a 135-fold reduction of airborne particles as fine as 0.3 micron, compared to a 195-fold reduction of 3M N95 mask. Such performance is considered by experts like Doctor Richard Saint Cyr to be ‘Very impressive’.
“I think Totobobo is a good and affordable option for people. And a 135-fold drop in pollution is very impressive; even on an emergency day with the AQI over 500, the mask would bring your air to WHO-safe levels”, wrote Dr. Saint Cyr in his popular blog “MyHealthinBeijing”.
The Totobobo Earloop-UNI is available now from the website: http://totobobo.com/buy.html
Easy to put on and take off, suitable for most adult size
About Totobobo and Dream Lab One
Totobobo is the world?s first customizable respiratory mask designed to fit all faces from children to adults. The highly effective mask uses a patented advanced technology that ensures respiratory seal, offering users guaranteed protection from pollutants. Tipping the scales at 20 grams, Totobobo is by far the lightest reusable respiratory mask on the market. The mask is made from FDA approved material, using a custom-engineered ?SoftTech? plastic formula which makes it remarkably flexible and comfortable. Launched in 2008, the Totobobo mask has since hit sales in over 40 countries. The masks are available at www.totobobo.com. Totobobo is a product of Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd.
For more information, photographs or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Francis Chu
Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd.
Tel: +65 81183083
Email: totobobomask@gmail.com
New released in Medical Product Asia
We received many feedback regarding the experience of using Totobobo mask. Most of our users like the comfort of Totobobo mask and the ease of breathing, some also commented on the ease of use and cleaning. Many also talked about how effective is the filters. From time to time there is someone come up with very special and truly innovative ideas, like the following from David:
I cycle alot in Toronto – about 10,000 km per year. I like the technology of the (Totobobo) filters and the mask stays dry unlike the techno which was too wet in the summer time. One funny thing is that I have kept and use the (Respro) techno mask and use without the filters as a cover for the totobobo mask – because the techno looks much better with cycling gear – and so I use the techno as a cover over the totobobo which looks to much like a lab mask to me.
David Harris
I have been hugely impressed by your web presence – Fantastic resources and tools for consumers to really get a sense of the product, before purchasing.
The technology of the products design was superior to any other mask I researched.
I’m asthmatic. Some new neighbours who have moved in across the lobby to my flat- they are smokers, and I need protection when I walk through the communal space.
I’m looking forward to trying the mask, and really hope it brings me relief.
Kind regards, Anita
The picture provided by otgonbayar from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, says a thousand words:
Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
According to Tumenbayasgalan, another reader of our blog:
In our capital city Ulaanbaatar we have heavy air pollution during November-March period as a result of traditional Mongolian houses (yourts) burn raw coal for their daily use such as heating, cooking, etc. We also have heavy traffic jam and blowing dust during springtime that contributes to air pollution. Air quality index has been recorded as high as 279 compared to WHO ‘s recommended index 0-20.
A recent Forbes article by William Pentland highlighted:
In December 1952, the Great Smog that settled over the city of London for four deadly days claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people that winter. In 1948, a similar soot-filled cloud was responsible for dozens of deaths in Donora, Pennsylvania.
Make no mistake about it: dirty air is dangerous to breath.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains why:
Particle pollution – especially fine particles – contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including [aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat and premature death in people with heart or lung disease] . . . People with heart or lung diseases, children and older adults are the most likely to be affected by particle pollution exposure. However, even if you are healthy, you may experience temporary symptoms from exposure to elevated levels of particle pollution.
As facemask becomes a must have during the winter month, some well connected residences of Ulaanbaatar started to discover the advantage of Totobobo: high tech protection, comfort , easy to clean and fit everybody including children and adult.
Ulaanbaatar resident wearing Totobobo mask
Monk users in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Nun user wearing Totobobo users in front of temple
Mother and son wearing Totobobo mask in Mongolia
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