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How to fit a mask so it actually works
Filter media is tested in a laboratory. You wear your mask in the real world, where a gap at the nose passes more particles than the filter would ever let through. Fit is the whole game.
Putting on a disposable mask
Clean your hands and face
Dust and grease on the skin stop the edge of the mask from sealing.
Hold the mask against your face first
Rest the top edge on the bridge of your nose and let the bottom edge tuck under your chin before you pull the bands back.
Fasten the bands
Ear loops go behind the ears; headbands go over the crown of your head, with the lower band sitting at the base of the skull.
Mold the nose clip
Press with two fingers from the middle outward, then press again. Most leakage comes from a clip that was only pressed in the center.
Check for gaps
Cup your hands over the mask and breathe out firmly. You should feel air at the edges of the mask, not escaping under the top edge towards your eyes.
Checking the seal on a reusable facepiece
Block the inlets
Cover both cartridges or pads with your palms so no air can pass through them.
Breathe in gently
The facepiece should collapse very slightly against your face and hold that position.
Breathe out gently
Air should escape only from the exhale valve, with no leak around the edges of the facepiece.
If air leaks, refit it
Adjust the straps, move hair or facial hair away from the sealing edge, and try again. If it still leaks, try the other size.
Facial hair across the sealing edge is the most common reason a mask or facepiece will not seal. It is not a matter of technique — the hair physically lifts the seal off the skin.
Sizing
The disposable masks are one adult size, with adjustable ear loops or headbands. Most adults find the fold-flat mask comfortable and the headband model more secure over long sessions.
The reusable facepieces come in medium and large. Half-face fit is less about the size of your head than the shape of your jaw and cheeks, so if one size leaks, try the other rather than tightening the straps further. Over-tightening distorts the seal and is the usual cause of leaks.
Fit problems
My glasses fog up. What is wrong?
Air is escaping upwards past the top edge. Mold the nose clip more firmly and check the mask is sitting high enough on the bridge of your nose. On reusable facepieces, a fogging lens usually means the exhale valve is sticking or dirty.
The mask slips down when I look down.
The straps are either too loose or the wrong type for the job. A headband mask holds position far better than ear loops when you are bent over a bench.
It presses on my nose and leaves marks.
Try a model with a wider contact edge and a padded nose clip, such as the VQ-DM400, and avoid over-tightening.
Can children wear these masks?
These products are designed for adult use and are not sized or intended for children.