There are many options for face coverings available out there and it is difficult to cut through all noise to see which ones work best for you.  Over the last few months, there have been many studies made on the effectiveness of masks and which features to look for.  Here is a brief summary of what we have learned so far:

• Cotton is more effective than polyester at filtering droplets.
• Neck gaiters have shown to be ineffective at filtering droplets, and in some studies have shown to be more harmful than not wearing anything at all.
• N95 respirators and medical masks are the most effective in providing protection to the wearer.
• Face masks with valves make it easier to breathe out but as the wearer is doing so, they are also exhaling their germs in the air around them making them ineffective in protecting others.
• Metal nose clips help to tighten that space around your nose to prevent droplets from entering or escaping through the area around the nose.

Levelwear offers 4 different styles of masks.  They are all reusable cloth masks that are not meant for medical use.  Here is the list of masks in price order:

Levelwear LW1 – This mask is a basic single layer solution that is both comfortable and breathable but provides the least protection of the 5 available. It comes in a pack of 5 masks and they retail for $14.99 in the US and $19.99 in Canada.  There is a “buy one get one free” promotion running now so you can get these masks for as $1.50 each in the US and $2.00 each in Canada when you buy 10.

Guard 2 – This mask is made from a soft cotton knit jersey fabric. The two layer construction features a filter pocket (filter not included) and darts along the top and bottom to give it more shape and keep the fabric away from the face.  The masks come in a package of 3 masks in many colors.

Guard 1 – This Canadian Made mask is made from woven cotton twill fabric.  The stiffer fabric gives the mask more structure and shape.  This is a 2 layer construction that and has no filter pocket.  The masks come in a 2 pack and is available in a variety of colors.

Guard 3 – This mask is an engineered knit mask and provides 3 layers of protection.  Each pack comes with PM 2.5 filter included.  With the filter in the mask – it provides a full 8 layers of protection (3 from the mask and 5 from the filter).  The engineered knit construction has pleats around the nose to allow for a more secure and comfortable fit around the nose and face.  The fabric is treated with a RUCO-BAC HAS CONC coating which effectively kills bacteria that comes in contact with the treatment.  There are adjustable tighteners around the ear straps which allows the mask to fit a wide range of face shapes and sizes.

Filters – Levelwear also offers PM 2.5 filters.  These are standard filters block out particles as small as 2.5 microns in diameter.  For reference, human hair has the thickness of 50 to 70 microns.  The coronavirus lipid is technically smaller than this, though research has shown that PM2.5 filters with a cloth mask will filter out 90% of particulate matter.  The filter is made up of 5 layers of activated carbon and non-woven melt-blown cloth.  Each filter is recommended for 24 hours of continuous use or about a week of occasional use and must be discarded after use.  Each pack comes with 10 individually packaged filters.  Filters can be used with Guard 2 and Guard 3 masks only.

Below is a chart that shows each of the 4 masks and their features: