UVMask Impression
With countries entering their second, third or even fourth COVID-19 lockdown, it seems like there’s no end to the pandemic. Luckily, we have several vaccines ready to combat the virus (and free games to play at home! ) and bring the world back to some normalcy. However, we also have new variants which some vaccines aren’t very effective against. So it seems like the COVID-19 pandemic will dominate the public discourse and our lives for the foreseeable future, so we should take every precaution to keep ourselves and others safe to get over this public health crisis as soon as possible.
One method to do so is to wear face masks as studies show that they are adequate to reduce community transmission. With increasing need for masks, the tech industry lent their help to do what they do best: innovate. Previously I shared my impressions of one such mask from R-PUR whose lifetime can be tracked thanks to a companion app. Today, I will be sharing my thoughts after having used a newer mask with even more tech features: the UVMask.
Coming from startup UM Systems, the UVMask raised over $4 million on Indiegogo with individual masks selling for around $120 to backers. Quite pricey for a mask indeed but this is no usual mask since this one uses something from its namesake: UV light. The latter, more specifically UV-C, is commonly used in healthcare settings to disinfect surfaces thanks to its germicidal effect; and it can also be effective against SARS-CoV-2 which is the virus causing COVID-19. In the UVMask are 275nm wavelength UV-C LEDs that create a so-called “Sterile Vortex”.
How the UVMask works is that it offers two layers of filtration of the air you breathe in. Firstly, air goes through the replaceable FFP2 filters on the sides of the device which offer comparable protection to N95 ones and this air goes into the Sterile Vortex. In the latter, the air is again filtered by the sterilizing effect of the UV light before you breath it in. This is also a 20,000RPM oil-filled brushless fan that constantly generates a positive pressure airflow for optimal ventilation.
You might wonder whether these are all just marketing claims and how safe and effective the UVMask actually is. Luckily, UM Systems did the extra effort to have its product independently tested by SGS lab and made its certifications freely available to the public. There are several aspects which were tested but I’ll talk about some of the major ones here.
Firstly, the Sterile Vortex is isolated in a compartment within the UVMask and hence the UV light does not leak out and get in contact with the skin. SGS’ report notes that the “equipment shall not pose a risk of optical injury to persons due to exposure when installed and operated as intended and during maintenance and servicing.”
Additionally, UV rays of wavelengths between 100 and 240 nm pose the risk of generating ozone which is hazardous on ground level. UVMask’s UV-C LEDs emit ultraviolet radiation at wavelengths that is not less than 250 nm and does not pose a risk to generate ozone, which SGS lab also verified.
What you might also be interested in is the UVMask’s germicidal effect and for that as well UM Systems had their mask tested by SGS lab. The device was found to have a killing rate of over 99.99% for bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in only 3 seconds.
For the H1N1 virus behind the 2009 swine flu, over 95% were inactivated after just 0.08 seconds of exposure to the UVMask. As for Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E (not SARS-CoV-2 behind COVID-19 but of the same coronavirus family), the device has a killing rate of 91% in 0.5 seconds. I am told that SGS does not offer testing for SARS-CoV-2 but I hope that UM Systems tests their mask against this specific virus with a different lab in the near future. Nevertheless, the available results are very promising and given that UM Systems had their device tested is a great way forward.
Now that we’re done with the technical and theoretical part, let’s see how the UVMask fares in practice. One of the first things to notice when taking it out of the box is that the device is quite heavy; probably heavier than any face mask you’ve used during the pandemic as this one weighs 110g. But it’s not as noticeable once strapped around your head. Wearing the UVMask is quite easy and involves only looping the two silicone straps around the neck and head. Since they aren’t looped behind your ears, they don’t hurt the ears as other masks usually do. They also don’t look so strange while worn, maybe a bit cyberpunk-ish with its polygonal aesthetic and tech features (a cybermask of sorts!) but definitely not obnoxious (at least I haven’t had weird looks while wearing it).
However, it can be finicky to adjust the straps while wearing this mask as you have to pull on the straps through the loop on the mask’s front part. Part of the top strap even
snapped off the first time I tried to adjust it. Best would be to do any adjustments before wearing the mask and going out.
Alternatively, UM Systems has a velcro strap add-on option which is easier to adjust through the loops. However, I would still prefer if the company opted for a strap design that involved velcro on the part of the strap that is at the back of your head/neck, somewhat akin to R-PUR’s model. Adjusting the straps with velcro at the back would make for easier (and less hazardous) adjustments.
Once fitted on your face correctly, the UVMask offers a rather tight seal which can feel a bit claustrophobic at first, like with the R-PUR, but you eventually get used to it. It's comfortable thanks to the silicon padding where the mask gets into contact with your face. Although I have the large version, I found it to only cover slightly above my chin and I wish it were larger to cover under the chin as well (and I don’t have a particularly large face). Also, I noted that the mask gets a bit displaced if I’m smiling or laughing under it which isn’t really ideal. To address these, the device could have been designed to fit over a larger area around the mouth and chin to allow for a wider range of articulation and cover.
To activate the UV disinfection system, you have to long-press a button on the underside of the UVMask and this will also activate the built-in fan. But the latter generates a faint buzzing sound which further muffles the voice in addition to how the mask already muffles it. So you’ll have to speak louder than usual to get heard. The company says that the fan minimizes moisture build-up, and I am currently in a tropical place with the temperature reaching 30°C on average and I do feel moisture and even sweat building up on the inside of the mask after prolonged use. This makes me wonder how much more would accumulate if there was no fan or whether the fan is actually effective in this sense. But on a plus side, as a bespectacled person, I haven’t come across any fogging issues with the UVMask which is a huge relief.
Of course, the fan and Sterile Vortex system depend on the built-in Li-Po batteries which have a combined capacity of 1,800 mAh and deliver up to 8 hours of continuous use on a single charge. There’s a ‘Pro’ and ‘Eco’ mode which you can toggle with the button and as the names suggests, they vary on their battery usage, with the ‘Eco’ mode recommended for low/medium risk areas. Charging via a USB-C cable takes around 1.5 hours with QC fast charging or 2-3 hours with regular 5V charging; so yes, you’ll have to get used to the fact that you will need to charge your mask. Alternatively, you can also use the UVMask without activating the Sterile Vortex (if you’re low on battery for instance) as the filters will still provide protection. It’s worth noting that with the electrical components involved, the UVMask is still rated IP54 water-resistant, so it shouldn’t pose a problem to wear when it rains.
What’s great about the UVMask is that it is highly reusable. After wearing it, you can simply clean the outer, magnetic detachable cover (which you can also change to those of different colors) with alcohol-based disinfectant wipes. The company also sells a hard carry case in which the UVMask fits neatly and I would recommend getting it to store the mask. As for the filters, the company recommends changing them daily in case of high usage (that is wearing for several hours in high-risk environments) or every 2-3 weeks for low usage (occasional use while going out in public). So, even if you are paying around $120 upfront, it amounts to less in the long run if you use masks heavily as a pack of 10 UVMask filters sells $12 or $1.20 per filter.
Even with some of its hiccups, the UVMask makes for a recommended mask during a pandemic as wearing it offers a sense of safety that I haven’t felt with other masks. This sense is amplified since the company did the effort to have their device independently tested for its germicidal effectiveness.
If you want to get your own UVMask, you can still purchase one from Indiegogo via this link. It’s not affiliated/sponsored but a custom one that the company requested to have included to track the performance of this article.
