I recommend trying a couple varieties and then picking one. Can also take a few with you to change out.
I have worn masks from my employer and medical masks, N95s, and nylon type masks…The masks from my employer (3 layer, cotton, T-Shirt material) are most comfortable. Medical masks are very light weight, but they always pull on my ears.
I wear masks 8-12hrs a day every day for work, and I regularly fly to Canada for work.
The cheap blue ruffled medical ones with string ear loops. Regular fabric masks make it difficult to speak clearly, inhibit breathing and pull on my ears. The blue ones don't because they fit so loose and are probably for all intents and purposes, worthless. But, they are legal and comfortable for a 15 hr flight.
None are worth the effort, so comfort should be the focus. The blue medical ones are lightest and easiest to breath through. Do not wear the N95 series unless the airline demands it (Austrian Air did in October, but they are an outlier). They are very fatiguing.
You will discover it is amazing how long you can make a glass of wine or meal last.
As an anesthesiologist, I’ve been wearing masks for over 25 years (damn that went fast!!!!) so I’ve got a reasonable perspective on wearing them for an extended period on a daily basis.
1) people are built differently, so what fits me may not fit you. You’ll benefit from trying different ones.
2) if you wear glasses, the fit around the nose is critical. A malleable metal band ensures a decent seal there to prevent digging your glasses. Even without glasses, breath blowing up into your eyes every exhalation becomes annoying. The latest masks that they are giving to visitors at the hospital have some sort of springy metal or plastic in there that holds the mask off the nose and is total crap, so make sure to check
3) You should try on your mask for more than a few minutes. I find the now-ubiquitous ear-loop style absolutely intolerable after a while. They cut into the back of my ears. And they don’t stay in place worth a damn. The tie-on surgical masks are far more comfortable for extended wear, and they are easier to deal
With as far as on and off: you just slip off the top tie and let it hand around your neck from the bottom tie. You can flip it around back while eating or just leave it. Either way, you don’t lose it or forget it.
Having been on 6 flights lasting 15 hours or more last year I find the K95 to be most comfortable. First it has padding, secondly the wire on top allows me to seal it properly so my reading glasses do not fog up during movies etc..
If protection from airborne particulates was the need and the object, the Avon M50 U.S. Armed Forces Joint Services General Purpose Mask (JSGPM) would be the one
But since wearing a facemask on airplane is purely a political correctness and political diversion requirement, anything acceptable to the specific flight personnel of the specific airline on the specific day will do
My above emphasis on specific people, airline and day comes from the fact that flying to and from Africa on Delta this summer, on the way out no-one annoyed us while I was wearing a bandana and my wife was wearing a very light UPF 50+ face and neck gaiter - which are infinitely more comfortable than a closed mask - but on the return flight the flight crew's primary mission seemed to be the mask-police with endless patronizing remonstrances to passengers to wear a mask, no face-covering substitute allowed, constant angry reminders to put it back between each bites during meals (the good old trick mentioned by Red Leg, which generally works, did not work on THAT flight), requirement to discard the mask and put a new one every 4 hours, etc. etc.
The lightest surgical mask available is unassailable from a regulatory compliance perspective, and likely the most bearable for long duration flights.
I see some people with masks that look like they're crafted from cheese cloth. I'm gonna look into them before I fly in July. Definitely improved air flow, but I don't know if the airline employees would let it "fly". Probably depends on the particular employee and what mood they're in lol .
I may be way off here, but I thought that the N95 mask some recommend requires a fit test? If so, it is totally inappropriate for the general public. I can’t begin to remember how many fit tests I had throughout my career. It’s not something that could easily be done at home. Oh, and it is virtually impossible to get a seal with any facial hair in the seal area.
I see some people with masks that look like they're crafted from cheese cloth. I'm gonna look into them before I fly in July. Definitely improved air flow, but I don't know if the airline employees would let it "fly". Probably depends on the particular employee and what mood they're in lol .
I've thought about covering my head with a golf shirt with the mask "in place" (Ha!) underneath. I don't golf, but those shirts are light and very breathable and I sleep with one over my eyes during the day as I work nights. Works great!
The NONE answer is the correct one but the workaround for the Twilight Zone theater we're stuck in may be what ever is acceptable for whomever in the flight crew who judges such things. I'd say anything from cheesecloth to a giant condom pulled over your head. Maybe put 3 or 4 of the most comfortable models of varying degrees of perceived acceptability in your pocket and start with a loose nylon weave with a LGB printed on it. Then work up until acceptable. I did two 8 hour flight stints a couple of months ago and suffered through OK with the common basic synthetic blue/white el cheapo. Wasn't too bad, and as has been posted, most everyone learns quickly to "milk" to the max the time spent on food and drink- both on the plane and in the airport. Which of course should demonstrate how stupid the whole exercise is even for those in the population who may be scientifically challenged.
The NONE answer is the correct one but the workaround for the Twilight Zone theater we're stuck in may be what ever is acceptable for whomever in the flight crew who judges such things. I'd say anything from cheesecloth to a giant condom pulled over your head. Maybe put 3 or 4 of the most comfortable models of varying degrees of perceived acceptability in your pocket and start with a loose nylon weave with a LGB printed on it. Then work up until acceptable. I did two 8 hour flight stints a couple of months ago and suffered through OK with the common basic synthetic blue/white el cheapo. Wasn't too bad, and as has been posted, most everyone learns quickly to "milk" to the max the time spent on food and drink- both on the plane and in the airport. Which of course should demonstrate how stupid the whole exercise is even for those in the population who may be scientifically challenged.
You know, this really could've been an episode on the Twilight Zone. Masked up "zombies" on aircraft and in airports awaiting their "escape" to massive unmasked venues like parties, concerts, casinos, nightclubs, NFL games, etc. Or thousands of unmasked cruise ship passengers returning to the US with no testing requirement and deboarding and travelling throughout the US spreading the Omicron and Bidetron virus variants everywhere. I guess it's all about science? WTF are we doing!
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