By now you probably own more than one face covering. Study after study has proven that they are effective at preventing the spread of germs that make us sick including the coronavirus.
By now you probably also know that not all face masks are created equally. Some are more comfortable than others. Some fit better than others. Some are cuter than others.
Perhaps you’ve been shopping for face coverings for back to school, and perhaps you’ve been considering neck gaiters instead of a typical face mask.
Neck gaiters have several features that make them appealing for school. For example, they probably aren’t going to fall on the ground since they go around your neck. They are also lightweight and comfortable.
Yet, are neck gaiters as effective as a classic face mask? It turns out the answer is a huge “no.” Watch the video below to see why neck gaiters are not as effective as a face mask. Plus, you’ll also learn an easy way to make sure your mask is effective and see a brand new mask design that could be very helpful for a lot of people.
This video definitely demonstrated how having a double layer mask is much more effective than a single layer face covering. If you absolutely must wear a neck gaiter, as the video suggests, make sure you double it up to make sure it’s as effective as possible. Yet, it still looks like a cotton mask is more effective since the neck gaiter material is so thin.
As one person pointed out in the comments of this video, “The reason why people like the gaiter ‘masks’ because its easy to breathe in. And its easy to breathe in because its too thin!”
Another person commented, “Anyone wearing those is simply just wearing it because they have to wear something, lol”
There’s really no point in wearing a face covering if it’s not going to be effective, so we love that this video gave us a very easy way to test the effectiveness of our face masks at home – trying to blow out a candle. We’re going to try it with all of our face coverings.
Have you tried the candle test with your face mask? It is a very easy way to make sure your mask is preventing the spread of germs.
If you’re still shopping for effective face masks for back to school, these Crayola ones are super cute.
Do you wear a neck gaiter instead of a face mask?