My friends over at Team Chic Execs sent me an offer to trial a Makana Mask – https://makanamasks.com/ – and to give some feedback. I don’t really get too many offers for non-book items but a mask is something I can use and I was happy to give it a try.

I ordered a black mask in medium and it arrived promptly with a heavy duty filter.

My focus was on three questions:

1. How it does it fit/feel?
2. Can I breathe in it comfortably?
3. And this is specific to me – can I sing in it?

Since COVID, I keep masks around for travel as we travel by plane often. I also have a lot of allergies and I keep masks for when I’m going down to clean in the basement as I’m allergic to dust and mold (it’s my excuse to clean as little as possible lol). And finally, I do a lot of singing – both at church as a cantor and choir member, and in community theater. Having a good mask, especially for rehearsals when others might be ill or if I have a scratchy throat, is key!

So here’s what I found:

1. The mask fit securely and was soft and comfortable. It really sealed and I did not feel like air was going out the sides, etc. It also did NOT fog up my glasses (which I wear mostly for distance). My family could still hear my speaking voice distinctly, too.
2. Yes – I could breathe in it. Here’s where things got a little tricky – I could breathe, but I couldn’t exert myself and breathe/pant without feeling like I was using up the air. Again, it’s got a strong sealed fit (for safety), and I was using a heavy duty filter, so a lot of air wasn’t creeping in. But for strolling around my basement and sitting down doing stuff without exertion, I was totally fine. Would I put it on and go for a run? No.
3. To be honest, like the “I’m not going to go for a run in this” point above, I really couldn’t get enough air to sing in it. I’m a high soprano and I require a lot of air. That did not work with this mask. However, they do make another filter that is considered light duty and “breathable”. I did wonder if perhaps that would fit my needs for singing.

Info on the mask and filters and how to buy them can be found here: https://makanamasks.com/shop/ (note: this is NOT an affiliate link for BBNB).

Thank you for sharing this product with me and getting my feedback! I appreciate it! Below is a picture of me “modeling” it.