Tag Archives: pollution mask

Shipping Now: The Tesla of Face Masks uses dual fans to deliver cool + purified air to your face

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I like to think that necessity being the mother of invention is a pretty noble reason to design a product. When Leandro Rolon first conceptualized the Atmoblue, he had no idea his product development cycle would smack dab coincide with the 2020 pandemic. Rolon designed the Atmoblue for himself, as an architect whose job required him to conduct multiple site visits on construction zones, and more importantly an architect based out of Beijing (which happens to be one of the most polluted cities in the world). Back in 2017 when he first came up with the idea of Atmoblue, face masks were a bit of a niche product, meant for medical personnel, people working in factories or construction, or with chemicals, and for a select group of people who wanted to breathe clean air outdoors. Rolon decided this niche audience could use a better alternative to traditional masks, and between that moment and now, a lot happened… a pandemic hit, Rolon found more people needed masks, and that more people struggled with wearing masks for long periods of time, and the Atmoblue went from a concept to production. The Atmoblue is currently shipping, and I asked Leandro what he thinks the post-pandemic future’s going to be like for face masks, what his customers think of the Atmoblue, and whether developing a mask during a pandemic was a necessity or an opportunity.

The truth is that the Atmoblue wasn’t developed as a result of a pandemic. It was developed to just help people breathe clean, cool, purified air. The pandemic just made more people realize the need for something like the Atmoblue. In fact, he tries not to call it a mask too, just because of how reductionist the term is. “The Atmoblue is an air-conditioner and air-purifier that’s small enough to fit on your face”, he says. The pandemic surely lends a usage-scenario to the Atmoblue, but Rolon says that the device holds much more potential because breathing clean air can be a necessity even without a pandemic. The Atmoblue team’s been working hard to follow WHO and CDC guidelines, but at the same time, it looks at the bigger picture. The presence of two fans, and 99% air-purifying filters covers a wide range of use cases. The mask creates what’s called “positive air pressure” inside itself, which actually makes it easier to breathe clean air. You could be trekking mountains or working out at the gym, and the mask’s dual fans end up cooling you down while supplying you with fresh air. You could even be a firefighter or a sanitary worker, and the mask ensures you don’t breathe in any harmful gases – just 99.99% purified air. Conversely, you could also be a doctor or a front-line worker, and the mask serves as a two-way air-purification system, keeping the environment safe and germ-free.

The Atmoblue was developed on a much smaller scale in 2018, with over 20,000 units sold (it won a couple of design and innovation awards too), but circumstances changed heavily running into 2020. Rolon mentioned the mask sported a valve back in 2018, because exhaled air didn’t need filtration in those circumstances. The newer version of the Atmoblue now comes with its own open-source valve cover (you can easily make your own or 3D print one) that blocks the air from exiting out the standard outlet. Instead, the air is made to pass through the filters again, allowing your breath to be filtered both times. Designed with a silicone face-seal, the Atmoblue creates a comfortable air-tight seal around your face, and a single-button interface lets you power the fans, allowing the mask to work like an air-conditioner for your face. One of Atmoblue’s most significant innovations is the fact that the fans come powered by AI that can tell when you’re shallow-breathing or deep-breathing. The AI controls the fan’s speed to match your breathing requirements, reducing it when you’re sitting, and increasing it when you’re walking/running/exercising. This adaptive fan speed allows the Atmoblue to work for anywhere between 3-5 hours on a full charge.

During our conversation, I asked Leandro whether he knew about mask-fatigue, mask-denial, and what his thoughts were on the future of masks. Mask fatigue and denial come from the same place, according to him… he believes (and I partially agree) that the masks we have today aren’t a future-proof solution. They’re uncomfortable to wear, they make it difficult to breathe through, and they fog up your glasses and give you hot, sweaty upper lips. Having experienced mask-fatigue himself, Leandro talks about his own experiences with the Atmoblue, and that a lot of the product’s customers agree that the Atmoblue feels a lot like wearing a fan on your face. The mask is adjustable and comfortable, doesn’t pinch your nose, and is relatively lightweight. The fans are extremely quiet, and it’s easy to talk through the mask too. Moreover, the constant breeze to your nose and mouth makes wearing the mask more pleasant than not wearing it… and that silicone ring ensures that your glasses don’t get fogged up. As far as the future of masks go, Leandro and the team at Atmoblue are working on ensuring the mask serves a variety of use-cases where clean, fresh air are a necessity. Medical staff, factory personnel, construction laborers, and firemen have been steady patrons of the Atmoblue, but the mask is aiming at serving the general population beyond the pandemic too. For starters, the Atmoblue smartphone app is slated to launch around the new year. It’ll help analyze the air quality where you are, letting you know if and when you need to wear the mask. It’ll also let you know when you can take the mask off, so that your battery and swappable air-filters last longer. Leandro feels that the future of masks will be much more than about just purifying air. He envisions a future where smart masks like the Atmoblue will help serve as health-wearables, being able to actively analyze the air you’re breathing in but also breathing out. He mentioned that a mask that detects illnesses, conditions, and even biostats like your blood sugar are in the works. Just like your smartwatch can analyze your heartbeat or count your steps, the future of smart masks will enable a wider approach to healthy living.

While that future is years away, the Atmoblue team is more focused on the current crisis we have on our hands. We covered the mask back in April, when the product was still under development, but now, the Atmoblue is shipping out to consumers. The app is scheduled to roll out in a matter of weeks, while the mask can be ordered using the link below. The Atmoblue ships worldwide, and if you order one today, it’ll almost certainly reach you before Christmas. Have a safe, socially-distanced, and happy holiday season!

Designer: Leandro Rolon of Atmoblue

Click Here to Buy Now: $119 $199 (40% off). Hurry, for a limited time only! Raised over $1,300,000.

ATMOBLUE – Smart Air Purifier that Blocks 99.9% of Toxic Air

ATMOBLUE is the world’s first wearable, smart air purifier. Their patented air filtration system uses industrial grade, replaceable filters, blocking 99.9% of air particles.

ATMOBLUE Features

Replaceable Industrial Grade H13 HEPA Filters

– Blocks 99.97% of air particulates
– Average use time is 150 hours
– High Quality, Multi-Fold design

Traditional filters are flat and are quickly consumed. Their unique filters are made of up meticulous folds, compressing the flat surface area of two 9.5 squared inch sheets, into two compact filter blocks which slide right into your mask.

N95 < N99 < H13 HEPA Filters

You may have heard the term N95. This simply means 95% of air particles are being captured. At the higher end of the spectrum, N99 (99%) masks are offered for more industrial applications such as painting or waste cleanup. Moving one step further ATMOBLUE’s, H13 HEPA filters block 99.97% of particles which are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. To give you a bit of context, one strand of human hair is about 75 microns across.

Innovative Air Flow Technology

– Dual, high-speed, centrifugal fans continuously supply filtered air to create a refreshing breathing environment.
– Three airflow control settings. Users adjust speeds as needed.
– Positive Air Pressure allows users to breath effortlessly with zero resistance.

The term positive airflow means excess air or “positive air” being pushed into the mask and out through its vents. Because of this solution positive air pushes out exhaled air increasing the overall effectiveness of the mask by removing unwanted bacteria from the breathing zone.

Designed for the most extreme conditions ATMOBLUE’s multiple airflow settings allow users to switch between light mode, when sitting idle on the train or a car, to high strength when jogging through the city or on the job.

Depending on your use, such as fan speed, your rechargeable ATMOBLUE system runs continuously from 3 – 5 hours. When battery life is running low a red indication light notifies users when to recharge. Simply plug into any USB port until your indicator light turns white again.

Lightweight Silicone Seal

Dermatologically friendly silicone creates a soft but airtight seal keeping good air in and bad air out. ATOMBLUE won’t leave marks on your face after each use and can be worn with glasses without fogging up vision.

The unique silicone seal was designed with users in mind. Data of over 1000 individuals’ faces was compiled and then the team created a unique solution that adapts to various sized faces. ATMOBLUE’s soft, lightweight silicone seal contours around the user’s face leaving enough room for movement and flexibility.

Patented Head Strap for Maximum Range & Comfort

With the unique strap-channel design, the continuous head-strap flows through the mask, around your neck and head, creating a full range of continuous motion.

Designed with athletes in mind they used high-quality, flexible, materials allowing for a stretch when using your mobile device or looking around your periphery.

Interchangeable Skins

Available in four color configurations: Smoke, Pearl, Cement Grey, and Light Pink. Replaceable covers allow your mask to transform and adapt to your style and environment. Simply remove the magnetic HEPA caps and pop off the front of the mask. Once you’ve chosen one your ideal color skin, simply attach and go.

Designed to be worn around your neck when not in use or in your carrying bag, ATMOBLUE’s compact design features a lightweight design of only 190 grams.

APP Control

All ATMOBLUE units come standard with built-in software & APP control. The device management APP provides real air-time quality indicators, tracks personal metrics and most importantly offers dynamic air flow controls.

Click Here to Buy Now: $119 $199 (40% off). Hurry, for a limited time only! Raised over $1,300,000.

This wearable smart-purifier delivers 99.9% purified air to let you breathe clean air freely

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Five months ago, not everyone knew what an N95 mask was… today they cost up to 100 times what they were originally worth just because of the crushing demand globally. Chances are we’re probably going to need to wear this mask more often than not. With disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and bad air-quality in most urban cities across the world, masks will almost certainly become more commonplace, so it’s best if we reconcile with the fact that the N95 mask, as highly coveted as it is, is far from perfect. In fact, it’s quite bad.

There’s an inherent set of problems with the common N95. A, it’s a struggle to breathe through, especially for long intervals, B. it’s uncomfortable having that humid air circulating around your mouth, C. for 2/3rd of the world’s population, it fogs up glasses, and D. it needs to be disposed of after a certain point of time. The N95 mask isn’t great, and Leandro Rolon and his team set out on a mission to make it better.

Rolon, an architect, designer, and CEO of his own 3D printing company, realized what a big problem it was breathing polluted air in China, where he had set up his studio. Air quality isn’t a problem you can fix short-term, and while governments still fumble with this widespread problem, the only quick solution to breathing in bad air is to wear a mask… except these masks weren’t designed to be worn all the time. Leandro soon realized that the best mask was the one that solved the four aforementioned problems. It needed to be comfortable, and effectively circulate purified air so that you could breathe with ease, and your glasses wouldn’t get fogged up. The solution required scaling down an air purifier to something that was small enough to fit on your face. Calling it the ATMOBLUE, Leandro and his team developed an entirely new category of wearables that could actively purify the air of 99.9% of particles, pioneering a technology that made them sort of the Tesla of face-masks, as opposed to the N95 which only filtered 95% of the air. The mask featured “positive air pressure” which helped keep out germs and contaminants by making the air pressure inside the mask greater than the air pressure outside. Built-in fans pushed purified air right into the insides of the mask, allowing you to breathe normally, and one-way outlets got rid of the humid air, so your mouth never felt wet and sweaty. ATMOBLUE was designed as an upgrade to the N95, which almost every Asian wore outdoors. Its fan-operated purification system allowed people to breathe clean air easily (a feature that really helped people with inherent respiratory issues), and a comfortable silicone rim around the mask created a proper airtight seal, so air didn’t leak out – which ensured that you were breathing pure air at all times, and that if you wore glasses, they never fogged up. ATMOBLUE was designed and prototyped as an R&D project back in end-2017. The following year the product was commercialized and a little over 20,000 units were sold throughout Asia. The team even went on to receive great reviews and awards, such as a Red Dot Design Award, IDSA award and 1st place at the Techcrunch Shanghai start-up competition… then suddenly one day, the news of a mysterious viral disease broke out of Wuhan.

Quickly ramping up production to bring his easy-breathing mask to all the people who needed it, Rolon and his partners made a variety of upgrades and launched the mask on Kickstarter as a powerful, wearable version of your domestic purifier. Designed to be just as small as any conventional face mask (and weighing only 190 grams), ATMOBLUE uses two small yet powerful fans that pull air through HEPA filters. These filters snap right onto the mask and can easily be interchanged after nearly months of use, instead of throwing out your old N95 mask after 2-3 days of wearing.

ATMOBLUE was originally envisioned as a mask to protect people from harmful air particles such as PM2.5 (a mixture of small, solid particles and liquid droplets in the air), for people with respiratory issues, and for sportspeople who often need larger quantities of oxygen delivered to their lungs while exercising. Given that it’s inherently difficult to breathe through an N95 mask, leave alone breathing through one while you’re jogging down a trail and gasping for air, ATMOBLUE makes it feel like you don’t have a mask on. Air gets delivered directly to your mouth and nose, allowing you to breathe as easily as you would without a mask… additionally, the HEPA filters give you up to 99.9% air purity. The mask’s patented band system wraps horizontally around your head, giving you full freedom to move your head while going about your day, and especially while exercising. The internal fans, which come with three speed settings for airflow, are surprisingly noise-less (between 10-45 decibels), and despite the mask’s hard-body construction and air-tight seal, it doesn’t inhibit your ability to talk. In fact, vocal clarity is just about the same as with an N95 mask, so you don’t need to take ATMOBLUE off to have basic conversations.

ATMOBLUE’s filter system helps provide cleaner air, while the interchangeable filters save cost in the long run and generate significantly lesser waste. Each HEPA filter can be used for as long as 150 hours before needing to be changed (that’s two months of use if you wear a mask for less than 3 hours each day). Changing the filter is as simple as popping the magnetic cover off and switching the old filter-box for a new one. ATMOBLUE even comes with a smartphone app that gives you filter-health information, letting you know when to make the change, and an air-quality sensor on the mask even lets you know exactly where your neighborhood’s air ranks on the quality index. You can even set up your mask’s auto-air-flow feature on the app, allowing the fan speed to self-adjust by using algorithms to measure your breathing pattern… and when you do need a new set of filters (ideally every two months), you can order them right on the app.

To think about it, the only similarity between ATMOBLUE and an N95 mask is their overall size. The N95 mask is a garment, whereas the ATMOBLUE is a wearable purifier. As dystopian as it may sound, our future isn’t entirely insured against events that may require wearing masks… at least rarely, if not occasionally. Whether you’re a designer in a workshop, a worker in a factory, a scientist in a laboratory, or even a firefighter trying to rescue people through a smoke-filled building, ATMOBLUE helps by being a wearable that’s multiple times better than the current cloth-based alternative. It’s comfortable, secure, efficient, can be used multiple times… and just as an added bonus, looks much better than those clinical face-masks.

Designer: Leandro Rolon
Partners: Cirq Technologies & Broad Group

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $199 (50% off). Hurry, only 5 left exclusively for YD readers! Raised over $190,000.

ATMOBLUE – Smart Air Purifier that Blocks 99.9% of Toxic Air

ATMOBLUE is the world’s first wearable, smart air purifier. Their patented air filtration system uses industrial grade, replaceable filters, blocking 99.9% of air particles.

ATMOBLUE Features

Replaceable Industrial Grade H13 HEPA Filters

– Blocks 99.97% of air particulates
– Average use time is 150 hours
– High Quality, Multi-Fold design

Traditional filters are flat and are quickly consumed. Their unique filters are made of up meticulous folds, compressing the flat surface area of two 9.5 squared inch sheets, into two compact filter blocks which slide right into your mask.

N95 < N99 < H13 HEPA Filters

You may have heard the term N95. This simply means 95% of air particles are being captured. At the higher end of the spectrum, N99 (99%) masks are offered for more industrial applications such as painting or waste cleanup. Moving one step further ATMOBLUE’s, H13 HEPA filters block 99.97% of particles which are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. To give you a bit of context, one strand of human hair is about 75 microns across.

Innovative Air Flow Technology

– Dual, high-speed, centrifugal fans continuously supply filtered air to create a refreshing breathing environment.
– Three airflow control settings. Users adjust speeds as needed.
– Positive Air Pressure allows users to breath effortlessly with zero resistance.

The term positive airflow means excess air or “positive air” being pushed into the mask and out through its vents. Because of this solution positive air pushes out exhaled air increasing the overall effectiveness of the mask by removing unwanted bacteria from the breathing zone.

Designed for the most extreme conditions ATMOBLUE’s multiple airflow settings allow users to switch between light mode, when sitting idle on the train or a car, to high strength when jogging through the city or on the job.

Depending on your use, such as fan speed, your rechargeable ATMOBLUE system runs continuously from 3 – 5 hours. When battery life is running low a red indication light notifies users when to recharge. Simply plug into any USB port until your indicator light turns white again.

Lightweight Silicone Seal

Dermatologically friendly silicone creates a soft but airtight seal keeping good air in and bad air out. ATOMBLUE won’t leave marks on your face after each use and can be worn with glasses without fogging up vision.

The unique silicone seal was designed with users in mind. Data of over 1000 individuals’ faces was compiled and then the team created a unique solution that adapts to various sized faces. ATMOBLUE’s soft, lightweight silicone seal contours around the user’s face leaving enough room for movement and flexibility.

Patented Head Strap for Maximum Range & Comfort

With the unique strap-channel design, the continuous head-strap flows through the mask, around your neck and head, creating a full range of continuous motion.

Designed with athletes in mind they used high-quality, flexible, materials allowing for a stretch when using your mobile device or looking around your periphery.

Interchangeable Skins

Available in four color configurations: Smoke, Pearl, Cement Grey, and Light Pink. Replaceable covers allow your mask to transform and adapt to your style and environment. Simply remove the magnetic HEPA caps and pop off the front of the mask. Once you’ve chosen one your ideal color skin, simply attach and go.

Designed to be worn around your neck when not in use or in your carrying bag, ATMOBLUE’s compact design features a lightweight design of only 190 grams.

APP Control

All ATMOBLUE units come standard with built-in software & APP control. The device management APP provides real air-time quality indicators, tracks personal metrics and most importantly offers dynamic air flow controls.

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $199 (50% off). Hurry, only 5 left exclusively for YD readers! Raised over $190,000.

The Airhead pollution mask enables clean, easy breathing even with an active lifestyle

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Up until this very moment, I didn’t know that air pollution killed more people globally than car accidents… or malaria. We take our air quality for granted, because we can’t physically see the pollution in the air in a quantifiable manner, and we don’t feel the immediate effects of breathing bad air. That’s why deteriorating air quality is such a hazard… because it slowly creeps up on you – and here’s another fact. Some cities have it so bad that breathing the air for just one day is the equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes.

Air pollution isn’t an easy problem to fix long term. Face masks present an effective, personal, short term solution to a problem that’s global and practically impossible to fight singularly. They’re simple, require less change to global emissions policy, and give you clean air – which is what most people really want at the end of the day. Yes, having a greener planet is better, but staying healthy is arguably just as, if not more important in the grander scheme. The Airhead mask was built to provide you with that healthy air – on a personal level.

Designed by a group of passionate cyclists who wanted to stay healthy, Airhead was created as a solution to an unusual conundrum of them breathing polluted air as they cycled to stay fit. The team have created a great mask for people who need the protection of a mask that caters to an active lifestyle. The mask features multiple layers of filters that give you clean, pure, microparticle and microorganism-free air that filters in from the front, and exits the mask from the two valves at the back, ensuring warm air is quickly removed from your face. The Airhead’s silicone seal creates an airtight seal around your nose and mouth, preventing polluted air from leaking in through the sides and warm air leaking out and fogging up your glasses.

The filters remove 99% of all PM2.5 particles, even neutralizing harmful gases with activated carbon technology… and the Airhead’s most interesting bit of innovation? The ability to pop open the mask’s front while cycling to help you cool down, have a drink, snack or even a chat! When you’ve cooled down, just pop the Airskin filter-cover back on and you’ve got yourself a superior mask that purifies air and blocks germs! Wear a mask and stay fit… because you need to keep yourself healthy before you make this earth healthy!

Designers: Harry Young, Alex Smith & Elliot Denvir

Click Here to Buy Now: $68 $112 (38% off). Hurry, only 1452/1500 left!

The Airhead Pollution Mask

Working with a team of industry leading designers, researchers and scientists at Brunel University, Airhead today announces the launch of their first major pollution mask. A mask that’s more comfortable, cleaner and smarter.

Airhead offers three clear areas of radical improvement: a reinvented medical grade silicone seal to maximize filtration of toxic air; revolutionary rear-facing valves used to rapidly move hot air away from the face and a unique clip function allowing users to unclip the front of the mask, providing a breeze, a chance to hydrate, snack or chat.

Features/Benefits

What Will the Mask Filter?

Particulate Matter (PM)

– The filters efficiently block 99% of PM2.5 particulate matter and can remove particles that are as small as 0.3 microns in size.
– Airhead team is striving to obtain FFP3 (N99) certification. This can only be achieved once the first batch of masks have been manufactured and tested using independent test houses.
– The team is using filters that exceed the requirements for FFP3 (N99).

Harmful Gases

– The activated carbon layer harmful removes gases, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone.
– They also remove unwanted smells and vapors from organic compounds.

Bushfire Smoke

– The filter provides effective filtration of natural pollutants such as fine particulate matter from smoke, dust and pollen.

Pollen

– The mask can effectively block pollen particles – don’t let your seasonal allergies prevent you from exercising outdoors!

A Closer Look

Reinvented Airtight Seal Stops Leakage

They used the most advanced technology to analyze a range of faces and create a unique design with one size to fit all. Their medical-grade silicon will maximize filtration efficacy in polluted cities.

Effortlessly Exhale Through Their Air Valves

Their valves are rear-facing, they rapidly move hot air away from the face and they prevent glasses from steaming up. Moving the valves has also maximized the surface area of the filter, which makes it easier to breathe and keeps you cool.

Unclip for a Cool Breeze

If you’re cycling or running up a hill as fast as you can, you’ll probably get hot, we won’t pretend otherwise. This unique feature gives you a quick cooling breeze, or a chance to have a drink, snack or chat. When you’re ready, simply clip it back in place to resume full protection.

Based on Science, Not Fiction

They teamed up with Dr. Sanja Potgieter-Vermaak, who is a Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry at Manchester Metropolitan University and an air pollution expert. She explains clearly what to look out for when choosing an effective pollution mask.

Click Here to Buy Now: $68 $112 (38% off). Hurry, only 1452/1500 left!