R-PUR Impression
Coming from the land of baguettes and croissants is the R-PUR, or what can be described as a “smart mask”. We’re all living in unprecedented times; so much so that our current situation is being compared to those depicted in video games like Death Stranding and accessories to help in these times that can entice tech adopters feels relevant. As such, when R-PUR got in touch regarding their mask, I did not hesitate to take on the opportunity to test one and let you know more about it as we're all better off heeding to public health measures rather than ignoring them. While it's not gamer-oriented, the R-PUR is supplemented with tech features. Indeed the R-PUR has something for the techno-optimists in the form of its companion app. But we'll get to that in a bit, let’s see the mask in question first.
From a design perspective, much thought has been given to the R-PUR to make wearing it better than wearing regular masks. The R-PUR can be considered as a two-part device: the first being the replaceable filter which velcros onto the inside of the second part (the mask's outer fabric). The latter is waterproof and washable and also has two velcro straps to fix it on top of your head and behind your neck. No need to fear of hurting your ears over wearing it for extended periods and the soft material of the mask makes it comfortable to wear. As for bespectacled users like me, you’ll be happy to know that the R-PUR can be worn without causing fogging of your glasses. It takes some getting used to at first but it is indeed a fog-free experience. I found it best to wear my glasses first and then slipping and strapping the mask over.
Personally, I like the R-PUR's unique design, how comfortable (and safe) it feels and that it does not fog my glasses nor hurts the back of my ears like those masks with ear loops. The fact that I can also reuse it, replace the filter and wash the outer fabric are added bonus that I haven't seen in other masks.
Wearing it for the first time shows that the R-PUR is much different than regular masks. It's not just because of its looks; I've been told that the R-PUR compares to a "military mask", probably due to it aggressively hugging my face. It’s indeed a tight fit, and even feels claustrophobic at first but this feeling wears off after the first few tries. This might sound like a turn off but I didn’t mind this hermetic face-hugging experience because wearing the R-PUR made me feel safe; safer than other masks I've worn. You might be familiar with people “wearing” masks but pull it below their nose or even under their chin; "styles" which effectively defeats the purpose of wearing a mask altogether. What’s worst, while sporting this “mask fashion”, I’ve come across many people who unapologetically cough and sneeze in public. But wearing the R-PUR shields the wearer from such airborne hazards as the filter filters upto 50 nanometer particles in size, which is even smaller than the particle size of COVID-19. Moreover, the hermeticity it offers is able to filter 99.98% of the ambient air.
The R-PUR's filtration ability is thanks to its multilayered, replaceable filter and that's where the tech aspect comes in. The mask comes with a companion app that registers the filter once you start using it by scanning its QR code. This will allow you to track the duration you wear the mask, how you used it (for example, while running, biking or walking) as well as the lifetime of the filter. It's useful as you might have experienced forgetting if it’s time to throw away your reusable mask or not. There’s also the handy feature of informing you of the pollutant levels in your area and the app can even alert you to wear your R-PUR if the pollutants levels are particularly elevated in your region. In fact, the R-PUR launched prior to the pandemic to help filter the air for those living in polluted areas.
But my issue is that the tracking has to be done manually. It’s easy to forget to log in the duration of wearing the mask and would have benefitted from an automatic tracking method, like say with an NFC tag. But that might inflate the cost of the R-PUR and it does not come cheap as it is. The company offers several models of the mask and my unit is the Nano Light. It costs €129 and subsequent filters cost €29. The pricing might be a deterrent to purchasing an R-PUR but in this package, you pay for the quality, comfort and, importantly, the safety it offers.
R-PUR Official Website
