June 15, 2020

Here in ThermApparels home state of New York and many other states across the country wearing a facemask is and will probably continue to be standard operating procedure as we all work to secure a future free of Coronavirus. As the seasons changed and the weather started heating up we started hearing from more and more people about how uncomfortable it was wearing a mask in the hot temperatures.

If it's something that has been bothering you, you are not alone.  According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, heat is the most commonly cited reason for discontinuing use of protective face masks.

The heat issue has been a known problem with these masks since well before the Coronavirus pandemic. A study in Applied Ergonomics, reported “that the acceptable duration of wearing respiratory protective devices was about 1 hour in a work environment with an air temperature of 18°C (64F) on average, and that the comfort sensation was reduced with increase of the air temperature.” I don’t know about you but who gets to stop working after less than 1 hour? 

CNN recently discussed this problem and recommended making sure your mask is breathable as a way of preventing the buildup of moisture and hot air in the mask. While this is great for comfort it also reduces the masks ability to filter out virus particles. And the previously mentioned studies show that the most effective masks like N-95’s usually cause the most heat discomfort.


UnderCool Cooling Vests may help you stay cool for a long period of time while constantly wearing a mask. 

ThermApparel Cooling Vests aren’t freezing. They cool your blood without causing your blood vessels to constrict, so your whole body cools down. Pretty cool! 
For an example of how this works check out this video:
 

 

  • When your body is hot, blood vessels open up to allow heat to be released through the skin.
  • Ice and gel packs cause blood vessels to constrict, preventing cooled blood from reaching your core.
  • ThermApparel Cooling Vests aren’t freezing. They cool your blood without causing the vessels to constrict,
  • so your whole body cools down. Pretty cool!

Shop Women's Cooling Vests

Shop Men's Cooling Vests

From our humble origins we have been striving to help people live active, comfortable, and safe lives. In a time like this we all need more help and we hope this information on masks and the pitfalls of their use can help.  Remember that if you are overheating you can also make sure to stay a safe distance from others to remove your mask and take water breaks and switch out your cooling packs.

 

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy.

 

Brad, Kurtis, Julia