Source for 2xl or 3xl face masks for public use

[Bill Dufour]

California just passed a law that everyone must wear a mask inside and outside within 6 feet. I would like to buy the cloth type masks with a vent valve. Not a rigid respirator like for spraying paint. I bought one and it is too small for my fat head. Fits the wife just fine. None I can find that have any mention of size. The simple cloth ones do come in large but I know they will fog up my glasses etc. It gets hot at 110 degress in the sun wearing one of those.

Sort of like this one looks with some structure to it so it sits off the face. I do not need the fancy filtration and all that stuff.
I have even heard of hot gluing in a extra exhalation valve.
I suppose I could rig up a 3.6 volt battery pack and use my Racal airlite face shield hat thing.
Bil lD.

https://www.echofavor.com/Research/12/22201-Solid-Black-Activated-Carbon-Face-Masks

Interesting that ebay does not have a catagory for face masks so they are lumped in with tee shirts and costumes including sexy fetish mask costumes!

[Jim Becker]

A vent valve renders the mask inappropriate for the purpose...the mask is to reduce the chance of "you" from expelling the virus directly from your respiration, etc. The valve lets your respiration pass and therefore will potentially let a significant amount of virus pass should you become infected with or without symptoms. This is why I don't use my RZ mask in public...only in the shop. Professor Dr. SWMBO made a bunch of very comfortable cloth masks with additional filtration for our immediate family and a few others.

[Bill Dufour]

A vent valve renders the mask inappropriate for the purpose...the mask is to reduce the chance of "you" from expelling the virus directly from your respiration, etc. The valve lets your respiration pass and therefore will potentially let a significant amount of virus pass should you become infected with or without symptoms. This is why I don't use my RZ mask in public...only in the shop. Professor Dr. SWMBO made a bunch of very comfortable cloth masks with additional filtration for our immediate family and a few others.

I know the valve defeats the purpose but at 110degrees? It felt cooler today only 105 this afternoon. And that is what people are wearing anyway. I suppose the valve slows down the air and lets the virus settle sooner. Seems like leaf blowers should be banned as well.
Once school starts in August, the hottest month here, the staff and kids will have to wear their masks for 6 hours straight. Maybe they can take them off at lunch somewhere, somehow. PE?
Interesting that the governor's law says prisoners do not have to wear masks 24/7. They will figure that out latter. The head of forest fire fighting said about one month ago only fires with structures or people will be fought this summer. It was very common for the crews to get and share lung infections all summer long in the fire fighting camps.
Bil lD

[Matt Day]

That valves defeat the purpose, that’s all there is to it.

[Paul F Franklin]

Amazon has a pretty good selection now of cloth masks with exhalation valves where the valves include little activated carbon filters to avoid or at least lessen the chance of spreading the virus via exhalation. I imagine the filter adds some resistance to the exhale, but they've got to be better than a mask with no valve. Some of the listings include dimensions so perhaps you can find one that will fit. The masks I bought do not have a valve, but they do have adjustable ear straps which I found helpful for fitting the mask to my big noggin. Some of the other masks I tried with non-adjustable ear straps would just pull off over my ears. Also helpful are the masks with a metal strip or wire to keep the mask snug to your nose; that helps avoid fogging of glasses. Searching for cloth mask with exhalation valve will help find the right kind.

[Ben Ellenberger]

I’m in California and here’s what I’ve been using. I agree with the folks saying that an exhalation valve kind of defeats the purpose. I’d also agree that the activated carbon is extra expense and complication for very little benefit. An actual respirator seals to your face so everything you breath goes through the filter material. With these masks, some air goes through the fabric, but a bunch comes around the edge. The main point of these masks is to keep infected people from spreading disease further. They also give healthy people some protection, but don’t need to be over the top.

what I like about these simple cloth masks with elastic is that they are easy to slip on and off. Mine isn’t too annoying to wear, but if I’m walking down the street and no one is nearby I can slip it off and stick it in my pocket. When I get near someone it just takes a second to put it on.

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[Paul F Franklin]

I’m in California and here’s what I’ve been using. I agree with the folks saying that an exhalation valve kind of defeats the purpose. I’d also agree that the activated carbon is extra expense and complication for very little benefit. An actual respirator seals to your face so everything you breath goes through the filter material. With these masks, some air goes through the fabric, but a bunch comes around the edge. The main point of these masks is to keep infected people from spreading disease further. They also give healthy people some protection, but don’t need to be over the top.

what I like about these simple cloth masks with elastic is that they are easy to slip on and off. Mine isn’t too annoying to wear, but if I’m walking down the street and no one is nearby I can slip it off and stick it in my pocket. When I get near someone it just takes a second to put it on.

0CBB7BE7-984B-491E-B421-BA972254EF0C.jpg

The activated carbon on the masks I was referring to is only in front of the exhalation valve. It allows the mask to have an exhalation valve yet blocks any virus laden droplets from passing through the valve.

[Ben Ellenberger]

Oh! That is really interesting and does solve the problem of the exhalation valves.

[Tom Dixon]

I bought a pair of this type of mask with the valve and filters a few weeks ago to wear the last couple of weeks since called back to work. I also bought a bunch of replacement filters since I don't think this requirement is going away any time soon and because I'm high risk. I've been replacing the filters once a week and hand washed it for the first time after two weeks.

61oO8FWjA6L._AC_SL1092_.jpg

[Ralph Okonieski]

I bought a few of these extensions and found them to be very effective. I wear glasses and have experienced a lot of fogging prior to using these. They pull the mask at a downward angle towards the neck. I do not put the ear loops over the ears any longer. Perhaps they would make a mask “larger” of sorts? They do make the mask tighter so not sure how well that would be in higher temperatures outside.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have no affiliation with amazon or the seller.

[Andrew Joiner]

California just passed a law that everyone must wear a mask inside and outside within 6 feet. I would like to buy the cloth type masks with a vent valve.

Does the California law allow vent valves?
Unfortunately with masks more virus blocking means less comfort. N95s without valves are hard to breathe thru. Surgical masks are more porous so more comfort.
I feel sorry for people who need to wear a mask all day.

[David Bassett]

Does the California law allow vent valves?
Unfortunately with masks more virus blocking means less comfort. N95s without valves are hard to breathe thru. Surgical masks are more porous so more comfort.
I feel sorry for people who need to wear a mask all day.

I haven't checked the California wide law's details. Santa Clara County's earlier order fine print did exclude valved masks. (Not that anyone was checking or even knew that.) Again, I didn't check CA law, but under SCC rules most of us don't need to wear the masks often, only when in close proximity to others or inside in public places. It's "front line workers" that can't separate easily and consistently and are suffering.

I think in general compliance is good around here, but we have counter examples. There are the "you can't tell me what to do" protester types occasionally making trouble and others in complete denial. (Eg, my wife bumped into an older lady, a retired nurse, on a dog walk at the park, who claimed there was no risk and it was a plot to wreak the economy and control us. Really? You're in a high risk group but apparently don't you talk to your former colleagues who are on the front lines and getting sick?)

Another example of trouble was reported by Sacramento news. They've seen a surge in cases recently, but have been doing good contact tracing. Apparently shops, restaurants, & bars are being very good about precautions and only have minor transmission. The hot spots they found are large extended family gatherings, e.g. graduation parties, where people relax and aren't as careful. This virus just isn't univerally understood yet. For now I'll continue to err on the paranoid side.

[Bill Dufour]

I bought a few of these extensions and found them to be very effective. I wear glasses and have experienced a lot of fogging prior to using these. They pull the mask at a downward angle towards the neck. I do not put the ear loops over the ears any longer. Perhaps they would make a mask “larger” of sorts? They do make the mask tighter so not sure how well that would be in higher temperatures outside.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have no affiliation with amazon or the seller.

Thanks for the idea. I found them on ebay in my state. Not silicone so I will see how I like them. $8 for four. There are cheaper ones that have punched out hooks and look like they would cut the elastic fairly soon.
Bil lD.