November 2021 marks two important occasions – firstly, the imminent arrival of the new year 2022, and secondly, it also is the 2-year anniversary of this blasted pandemic that’s kept us all indoors and has altered life in unthinkable ways. This means we’ve spent two years trying to figure out a cure to the disease, but haven’t tackled the everyday pain points of living in a pandemic… notably, the issue of the suffocating (both visually and physically) face mask.
In two years of wearing face masks, there haven’t been any phenomenal mass efforts to change how masks look or function. We’ve covered our fair share of futuristic masks on this site, but none of them have really sparked a global movement to wear transparent shields around our noses and mouths. It’s just reinforced my belief that easier solutions are always better, and that the perfect face mask is still a relentless work in progress… and South African designer George Gibbens has thrown his hat into the ring with the Venta, a transparent face mask that received the Red Dot Design Concept Award this year.
The Venta mask separates the conventional face mask into three simple parts. A transparent shield, two replaceable filters, and the head strap. Designed to highlight your expression, the mask comes with a flexible transparent TPU cover, with two air filters plugged into the side, working almost like a pair of gills on either side of the face. The air you breathe enters and exits through these filters, ensuring you inhale clean air, and exhale without letting respiratory droplets out into the atmosphere. While the mask is currently in its developmental/conceptual phase, one would imagine it comes with some sort of anti-fog coating on the inside that ensures the transparent mask doesn’t mist up on the inside with your breath. The filters also automatically change color when they need to be replaced, making it easier to know when your mask needs a fresh set of filters so that you’re always breathing clean air.
“Throughout the edges of the clear front is a metal reinforced foam rubber frame. This allows the frame to be malleable and adjust to any face size and shape”, Gibbens mentions. “A new replaceable filter system that changes color to indicate when it needs to be replaced is an innovative solution to the problem of filter replacement in safety masks. A fully transparent front body allows facial expressions to be observed.”
While the company has dropped some high-end features, the RGB lit filters remain.
In CES 2021 – the first-ever virtual avatar of the biggest tech event to kickstart 2021 and Razer has come up with an answer to a question on everyone’s mind – how will tech handle our covid infested world? 2021 promises to be the year of solutions, with vaccines rolling out with speed, while realistically, we know that face masks aren’t going anywhere. Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle accessories brand for gamers takes a dip in the face mask world with the Project Hazel, now released as Zephyr.
The face mask concept showcased a glossy, waterproof, and scratch-resistant shell, transparent by design to allow for lip-reading, and made from recycled plastic. The main attraction is the two circular ‘Active Ventilation’ discs that sit on the sides of your mouth and hold the reusable N95 filters that give a 95% filtration efficiency.
Every Instagram-worthy gaming setup is in visual sync with each other, why should your mask not be a part of the new normal? Jokes aside, if this is a feature that helps people keep their masks ‘on’ wherever they are, I am all for it. The rings can glow with the color of your choice and the LEDs automatically detect and light up in a low light setting to illuminate your face so you can always be seen talking. How helpful is this feature, that is something we will know only once we actually try it but it does sound good in theory!
As Razer says, “The Razer Zephyr is not a medical device, respirator, surgical mask, or personal protective equipment (PPE) and is not meant to be used in medical or clinical settings. It is not tested specifically against the COVID-19 virus but offers the same functionality and adequate protection due to its 99% BFE rating.” Razer has dropped the before-promised UV charging case and voice amplification module to save costs.
Speaking of specs, the mask is now available on Razer’s site with three pairs of filters tested to last about three days each for a full day’s use. As an add-on, a pack with 10 sets of replacement filters will run $30. You can also buy it in a starter pack with the mask and 33 sets of filters — roughly 3 months’ worth — for $150! The mask weighs 209 grams (7 ounces) and it runs for about 8 hours with dual-speed fans set to low.
The mask is currently made for the masses, with no size variations or even allowances for a beard. Razer was one of the few companies worldwide that converted their manufacturing plants for the creation of surgical masks and wanted to pledge and donate up to a million surgical masks. The mask currently ships with an antifog spray, with Razer recommending that you don’t wipe your mask surface. Given all this, the mask seems more aesthetic rather than a medical wearable, but we’ll wait for further reviews to make a final call!
I’ll be honest… we’re wearing these opaque fabric face masks that prevent us from smiling at people or talking to them (we aren’t hugging or hi-fiving anyone either), but all this is in the interest of coming together as a community and species to stay safe. Sounds like a very weird trade-off. These masks can often be the difference between life and death, but here’s the caveat – they absolutely erode the very social fabric that makes our species such a socially strong bunch. Masks end up shrouding your identity, your emotions, and your intentions… and the Civility mask wants to usher a change in mask design that helps you breathe healthy, clean air while retaining our social micro-behaviors to help us be better, kinder, friendlier humans. The Civility mask, named after the very aspect of human behavior, it’s trying to help portray, comes with a uniquely innovative transparent design that shifts the air-filters from the front to the side in a bid to deliver clean air to you, but without concealing your face.
Designed in France, the Civility mask sports a design that embraces safety without compromising on aesthetics. Its defining feature is its transparent shield on the front, made from a lightweight, resistant glass that provides a crystal-clear view of your face. Air filters on each side help deliver 98% pure air directly to your mouth and nose, while also allowing exhaled air to pass through so that your mask doesn’t fog up. An innovative TPE ring around the mask ensures an air-tight seal that works universally across multiple face-shapes and even on people with beards.
On the aesthetic front, the Civility mask comes in a variety of styles with color combos, options for tinted glass shields, and even patterned face-straps. The face-straps come with adjustable buckles that allow you to tighten or loosen the mask based on your comfort, and their wraparound design ensures a secure fit while allowing you to wear a mask for long without facing any strain or fatigue with prolonged wearing. Its desirable aesthetic is also environmentally conscious, by design. Created as a mask you’d want to own, wear, and show off everywhere you go, the Civility mask is designed to be infinitely reusable, with a disposable filter system that allows you to retain the mask body and simply switch out the filtration sheets every 12 hours (the mask comes with a 1 month pack or a 3 months pack for the Air Premium one). The two circular valves on each side of the mask unscrew off to reveal the swappable EN 14683 / ASTM F2100-19 standard filters that help trap 98% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, helping form a line of defense against pollutants, microorganisms, and even microparticles like pollen, keeping you safe from dust, diseases, and allergies. The disposable filters help drastically cut down on the amount of environmental waste generated by PPE every month as a result of the pandemic, and the masks themselves can easily be sanitized with any 70° alcohol solution (the glass shield is non-reactive, so it shouldn’t be a problem)… conversely, the mask can be placed in a dishwasher for thorough cleaning too.
The shift to transparent masks, a feat being kickstarted and propagated by Civility, could have a noticeable positive on our society. Aside from providing us with healthy, clean air, the masks could help us socialize and bond with humans better, allowing us to smile at people, or communicate effectively by allowing them to read our lips as we speak, all being done from a safe distance! Besides, the fact that I can use face-unlock on my phone while wearing my transparent mask is also a pretty nifty added benefit!
A French startup launches Civility, a transparent face mask that helps you breathe clean air while retaining our social micro-behaviors to help us be better, kinder, friendlier humans.
Founder Pierre Blondon combined the efforts of an international team of 14 designers (including France, Italy, Russia, Senegal, Mexico…) and 15 French engineers to produce a 100%-Made-in-France product. The result is the Civility Mask, a lightweight, easy to use, comfortable transparent face mask for family members, care-givers, sportspeople, hospitality and tourism workers.
First Prototypes
These are the first functional prototype. The design, the materials and the finishes will be upgraded.
Secure & Futureproof
Airtight – The Thermo-Plastic Elastomer (TPE) seal suits any type of faces giving you an optimal airtight of 98%: there is almost no inputs and outputs between the outside and the inside of your mask. This particularity limits the probability to breathe and expire unfiltered air in order to protect you and the others.
Filteration – Their high-performance filters are governed by the standard: EN 14683 / ASTM F2100-19: they filter 98% of 0,3 microns particles. Breathability: less 40 Pa/cm².
Replaceable Filters – Features an easily-interchangeable filter, each of which has a 12-hour lifespan. The mask is eco-friendly: a wipe with a 70-percent alcohol solution (hand sanitizer) does the job; no need to put it in the dishwasher. And, the Civility Mask can last for years.
Lightweight – It is adjustable to fit any head size and weighs half as much as a smartphone, thus making it comfortable and easy to wear all-day.
