Flo Mask Kids - Reusable Kids Mask, Ages 4 Up to 12 Years Old, Includes 5 Replacement Filters Made in USA, Washable, Easy Breathing, Adjustable Head Strap, Soft and Comfortable

I have a six-year old child who has been wearing his Flo Mask to school for the past 2 months. In my view, the most important features of a kid’s mask is a tight seal, filtration efficiency and compliance (ie, is it comfortable enough for the kiddo to wear correctly for long periods of time?). Here’s our critical analysis:· This mask has a tight seal. The Flo Mask has a silicone gasket that forms a tight seal around the nose and mouth, and although it looks weird at first, it covers only the necessary parts of the face. My son can run and play and it doesn’t slip down. Unlike cloth or disposable masks, he can talk freely without the mask bobbing up and down or gapping. We have struggled to find disposable or cloth masks to fit his smaller face correctly and always end up having to knot or modify them so that the mask will lay flush to his skin. Invariably, over the course of play or conversation, they either buckle or ride up on his face; however, with his Flo Mask, it remains sealed all the way around, nearly the entire time. One reviewer mentioned that laughing or smiling caused the seal to breach. That is true, but it is only momentary, and unless they open-mouth laugh or grin all day, I consider the overall tradeoff to be vastly tipped towards the Flo Mask.· Filtration efficiency. According to FloMask, the inserts have a 99.8% filtration efficiency of particles as small as 0.1 micron. For reference, respiratory droplet range from >1 micron to 1000 microns in size, respiratory aerosols between 0.7 and 1 micron, and most bacteria are about 1-2 microns (in width). So, these filters can ensnare a lot of culprits.· The around-the-head elastic band is a big plus. We love that the band goes around the back of the head and NOT behind the ears. A typical school day has him masked for 8 hours and we want him to keep it on, so comfort is a priority! Ear-loop masks put too much pressure on his little ears by the second hour and start to irritate his skin. We don’t have this problem with our Flo Mask-- a big plus for compliance. Nothing is perfect, and sometimes the elastic bands slip down the back of his head, but you can adjust the tightness to prevent this. The kit we got provided an extra elastic in case the first one wears out. We are currently two months in and haven’t had to use our back-up elastic yet.· Washable. Every day when our kiddo returns home from school, we dispose of the filter and wash the mask with water and a drop of dish soap and put it out to dry. This is one of my favorite features of this mask. We replace the filter daily, as recommended (after >8 hours of use).· Sizing. I agree with other reviewers that FloMask is better suited for smaller faces. It fits my 6 year old perfectly, but is too small for my 11 year old.· Environmental impact. I have been lamenting about our daily output of disposable mask garbage. With a replaceable cartridge, our environmental footprint is smaller with this mask.· Silicone gasket. Here’s a downside-- if your children are part beaver (like mine) and chew on everything, you have to be sure they fight the temptation to nibble on that delectable, soft silicone gasket. After two months of solid use, I noticed little tears in the gasket and wonder if this is what contributed to them (of course my little guy swears that isn’t the case). When I contacted the company to look for this replacement part, they replied promptly, explaining that they plan start offering this part separately, but would send me a replacement for free! Now we just have to be careful that it doesn’t get chewed again…They asked if I could write a review with my honest thoughts—and I knew that I could, being satisfied with this purchase and its performance so far. Although this mask is pricey, I feel that we have definitely gotten our money out of it with daily use. And most importantly, our kiddo will wear it without complaint. : )

My child doesn't feel limited in communicating by her cute mask. Her teacher even says she communicates so well, she is a role model to children in nursery. She once said to her teacher proudly, "I know how to arrange the mask all by myself." When she needs to clear her nose, the teacher gives her a tissue and allows her to go outside where she takes her mask off. Inside she keeps it on at all times and I pick her up for lunch times so that she does not have to eat inside and not have to take her mask off inside. She loves the lunch breaks with me and I do too. If she felt that the mask got too wet inside on a day where she was a bit under the weather, she can ask the teacher to give her her second flomask that is dry and ready. She learned to not lose the sponge ring that can fall out of the mask when taking the mask off. The ring helps keep the mask and filter mostly free from water collecting in the mask. Any marks on her skin from wearing the mask disappear within minutes. The filters are so safe and yet breathable because they were designed extra thin for small lungs, made to be much more breathable than most filters. This does not reduce their safety thanks to Ngo's innovations. He made the masks because his kids felt unwell from too much wild fire smoke. Thanks to him the masks are now ready for climate crisis and covid crisis. I feel infinitely greatful to him because my child is so confident thanks to the features of the mask and I can tell my child that yes this pandemic is dangerous but we do have ways to be more safe. When I introduced her to wearing a mask it felt like a big step. But once we did it we were all happy about it. It inspired others in nursery to order flomasks as well. The pandemic hurts us all in many ways. It is good that sometimes we have our small little successes despite it all. The flomask made it possible for us to feel like we are getting a little bit on top of things. Other children repspect my child's personal space around the mask and ask her why she wears it. She says, "Because my daddy asks me to do so and because I like to do so". The teachers also explain lots of things around covid to the kids anyways, so the children don't feel in the dark. I use dishwashing liquid to clean sponge ring and mask.In short: Breathable, comfortable, safe seal, cute, easier to speak through, well thought through, popular with my 4 year old.