Next on my list of firsts, trying my hand at sewing! I never got the chance to learn from my master seamstress grandmother, but I hope I can do her proud with these masks! Since masks are becoming more and more a part of daily life, for the past several weeks, I’ve been on a quest to make the best mask for regular day-to-day use. Folding bandanas to put on my face is only fun for so long.
I started with a quick search on the Google for “best fit face mask”. With so many claiming to be the BEST MASK EVER, I decided to put them to the test! Please note this comparison mostly focuses on usability & fit (without doing a formal fit test) and not so much on the filtration performance of each material. If you’re interested in some findings about that but don’t want to read a research paper yourself, Gail Kollmar does a thorough review here on a study done by the University of Chicago.
I honed in on three different masks to see how they stood up without significant modifications.
Fit Goals:
- Mask hugs face at top and bottom with minimal to no gapping
- Comfortable around ears
- Stays in place without needing readjustment
The modifications I did make were more for usability. I modified the ends so that they would accept removable straps or ties. This way if the straps wore out, they could be easily replaced. I also sewed in a wire for the nose area; I used stainless steel so it wouldn’t have to be removed before washing–for risk of rusting if it’s sewn into the mask. Third, I looked at masks with filter pockets vs. without.
While there was a clear winner in the patterns I compared, I ultimately, came up with a 4th, modified pattern for one of the best fits. Detailed tutorials to come for this pattern and for how I modified the other patterns.
After finding a sewing machine in stock (this took a couple weeks in itself), here’s how they stacked up!
The contenders:
- The VERY BEST Fitted Fabric Face Mask, Pattern by Daisymultifacetica
- BEST FIT 3D Face Mask, Pattern by Dora Cary, Orange Dots Quilts
- The Olson Mask, Pattern by Clayton Skousen & Rose Hedges, UnityPoint Health
Pattern 1
This mask showed a lot of promise. It looked form fitted and had good face coverage in the video. Where it failed was around the nose bridge area. I don’t have much of a nose bridge, so this may not be as much of a problem for people with distinct nose bridges. The mask tended to gap a lot in this area, directing airflow toward my eyes (not good for glasses wearers). Even adjusting the ear straps tighter, I couldn’t get the top part to hug my face. This also made the ear straps very uncomfortable. There just wasn’t enough tension to be able to do this at the top of the mask.
If you look at the pattern, you can see the center of the nose is the tallest part of the mask, but by the time you get to the ear, the mask drops down significantly. Even considering the seam allowances, this is still ~1.5″ tall.
So you have to pull REALLY hard to get a snug fit. Because of that steep dip from the nose bridge to the ear, and because the mask isn’t rigid all around…the straps can’t quite provide enough direct, vertical tension to pull the tall part toward the face. Photos of the gap and a force diagram for fun (engineer brain couldn’t help it!). Yes those stitches are janky. Yes this was the first mask I ever sewed.
In an attempt to improve the mask, I tried adding more height to the ear area to make it more level with the center of the nose. After two tries to remake the mask, my alterations weren’t aggressive enough, and I decided to abandon this pattern.
Overall take: Looks better than it fits. Mask is too pointy/tall in the middle and gaps too much near the nose bridge. More of a face sling, best for smuggling goods.
Pattern 2
By far the easiest of the masks to make. Simple and creates less fabric waste since it uses rectangular pieces of fabric.
This mask is symmetrical from top to bottom, and connects the dots where Pattern 1 failed. The fabric at the top and bottom create more of a straight line from the tallest part of the mask to the ear loop. So all the pulling force gets distributed along the top and bottom edges of the mask to make a better seal.
This mask provides more room for your mouth and nose since the fabric isn’t pressed against your face. This makes it more comfortable for talking, but does give you a more duck-like appearance.
Though there wasn’t a pocket for a filter, the mask uses a thin cotton batting middle layer. This wins for ease of use since you can grab it and go–no prep needed.
One con to this construction is that it’s literally a thin quilt, so it can be quite warm when worn for long periods of time. Not great for summer months!
I did not attempt to improve this mask, since the fit was excellent.
Overall take: Easy to make, easy to wear, simple, good fit, does as advertised. Can get warm and make you look a bit like a duck. But you will be a comfy duck.
Pattern 3
The Olson Mask suffered from the same issue Pattern 1 did in the nose bridge area, but not as badly. There was more material overall used for the mask, which helped cover the gap a bit. Also, there was a shallower curve between the nose and the ear loops to support the tension. I think the curve (dip around the cheekbones) is meant to provide comfort near the eye area so the mask doesn’t feel so intrusive, but it sacrifices some snugness up top compared to Pattern 2.
The greater amount of material, however, caused a lot of fabric to hang past the chin. The fabric around the chin hugged the face well, though, most of the time.
To improve the mask, I added more height near the ear loops (not shown). Since the curve at the top was more forgiving than in Pattern 1, I was able to adjust the mask with a couple pattern iterations. I also removed some fabric around the chin before sewing in the modified version.
I made a couple versions with a filter pocket and without. I ended up gravitating toward the ones without for the same ease-of-use reason mentioned for Pattern 2.
Overall take: Not bad. Easier to modify than Pattern 1. Would recommend modifying to avoid face sling effect. Good for smuggling tiny goods.
And the winner is…
Pattern 2! The BEST FIT 3D Face Mask, Pattern by Dora Cary, Orange Dots Quilts
This is definitely my go to cotton mask pattern. So easy to make and scale.