No doubt you have seen an increase in people donning face masks when out at your local Coles or Woolies, scenes you probably didn’t imagine being so prevalent a few months ago.
Australian startup Ausair could never have predicted the pandemic, but they certainly saw an increase in the use of personal protective equipment due to air-pollution. In 2017, the young founders were on vacation in China and saw many people wearing masks for practical reasons – they saw the research and data on air pollution levels, and were horrified to learn of the health effects.
They began designing a prototype that was unlike the majority of the masks you’re likely to be seeing lately – the disposable, surgical looking paper ones. They wanted to develop one that was not only chic, but provides the added health benefits of breathing Australian botanicals through the filter and while research has suggested that botanicals combat the effect of air-pollution, it is also widely accepted that lavender is a known stress reliever – a benefit we could all take advantage of in this current climate.
Understandably, NSW Health have stated that for masks to be effective at preventing virus transmission, they first need to be fitted to the face correctly. In response, Ausair have ensured these requirements are met through an ergonomically designed mask available in multiple sizes (not one size fits all), in three colourways, with magic ear loops and memory foam which creates a vacuum seal around facial features.
The masks also surpass initial P2 and KN95 testing (which protect users from fine particulate matter) finding that their filters block over 97% of PM2.5, which is the highest grading a mask can have. An added carbon layer also adds additional protection against certain organic vapours and odours. The outer skins are washable and expected to last the wearer many years, whilst the inner filters which come in a range of scents (or unscented) including Tasman lavender, Sydney Eucalyptus and coastal tea tree are replaceable, and usually last for around four weeks.
Former students of Sydney University, the two brothers, Isaac and Elias Honor along with their childhood friend Jack Gordon, won initial grants valued at $15,000 along with multiple design awards. They then took their product to the Kickstarter community to raise further production funds, where their ‘anti-viral mask’ subsequently went viral. It raised over $1.1 million and now is crowdfunding on Indiegogo where they are at $2.1 million in funding.
Production is well underway for the mask skins which are manufactured in Japan. The masks will be available for shipping in June 2020, and by preorder on Indiegogo now.