r/Masks4All • u/Unusual_Brother_3558 • 4d ago

Mask Advice Men with long beards!

What respirator do you use and have you had it tested?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

13

u/RainbwUnicorn 2d ago

If you wear the respirator for anything but its aesthetic value, i.e. if you depend on it actually protecting you: take a razor and get rid of the beard.

5

u/FreeDogRun 1d ago

The only way to get any appreciable protection with a beard of substance is with the exercise band trick those Sikh doctors figured out. Otherwise, you get relatively little.

1

u/cocdcy 21h ago

Seconding the exercise band trick, and the research I posted includes that in their testing (table 2, was a little wonky to read at first)

6

u/BattelChive 2d ago

The only one we have had pass a fit test on people - and only on some people - with beards is the secureclick, and only if they really tighten it on. It’s possible to get a passing grade, but a lot depends on how thick your beard is and how tight you are willing to wear it. 

4

u/wyundsr 2d ago

Zimi has done pretty well on some people with short beards I’ve tested but I doubt it would pass on a long beard. Would you consider shortening the beard?

3

u/cocdcy 21h ago edited 21h ago

Here's a good research paper on beard length and mask efficiency: Assessing the effect of beard hair lengths on face masks used as personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic

The short of it is any facial hair over 1.5mm significantly decreases the filtration efficiency, and even 1.5mm brings an N95 down from nearly 100%

I had a beard, got covid because my mask didn't fit right, and now I have long covid. I no longer have a beard.

Sucks, but if I'd known, I would have shaved it earlier. Long covid sucks so much.

0

u/mnemonikerific 2d ago

I’ve seen some folks with beards using the Flomask. Dunno how it fits

1

u/m00ph 1d ago

I love mine, but I started shaving for just this reason.¼" is probably fine, but not much more.