Transparent mask with replaceable air filters.  Clear transparent mask that is perfect for teachers, social connection is so important and our face is the center of our emotional communication.

SeeUs95 - Questions about Transparent Masks

Here are some common questions we get about our SeeUs95 masks:

Does the mask work with a beard?

Beards will be pressed down by the mask and thus interfere with the N95 rating. However, we still believe SEEUS95 efficacy is better than a surgical mask or cloth mask due to the seal in the area around the nose bridge and under the eye area. This area is where we commonly see gaps in surgical and cloth masks, causing air to be unfiltered at those points. Even the stiff aluminum bar that presses around the nose can still have gaping - this is why your glasses can fog up frequently while wearing a mask!

While human hair has historically been used for filtering water and air, we have not found much data on the efficacy of human hair as a filter for viruses. We recommend cleaning beard hairs frequently in order to ensure there are no lingering particles in the beard hair itself.

How does the mask stay put in the presence of moisture?

The mask is dry at the contact points and will stay put even if you sweat a little because the STL adhesive layer helps to retain moisture. If you have ever used scar tissue healing tape or anti wrinkle patches, it is the same technology that is used for the STL layer. If you sweat during a workout you should use the head straps. 

How do the SEEUS95 masks compare to cloth/surgical masks and traditional N95s?

SEEUS95 masks provide better protection than cloth or surgical masks, and we are currently working towards N95 certification.

One of the issues with the traditional N95 masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks is that much of the air is not filtered due to the gaps around the nose eye area and the cheek area. This is demonstrated in the beginning of our campaign video, where you can see that in fact, the N95 allows more exhaled air to escape out of the mask than the SEEUS95 mask! You can see in the video of the woman wearing the N95 mask that the air escapes around the perimeter, so there is air that is exhaled  without being filtered. In contrast, when the SEEUS95 mask is worn with a seal, all the exhaled air is filtered through the side filters. There is an option to wear the mask with an exhalation valve by positioning the mask so there is slight gap at the chin. When you inhale the mask sticks tight to the face, when you exhale, the mask expands out. 

If the mask is worn with just the head straps the mask efficacy will be similar to wearing a cloth mask or a surgical mask, though will still afford better protection than cloth or surgical masks due to the shield element of the design. If the exhalation function is in place and an airtight seal is not used, then air which escapes through the exhalation valve is not filtered at that point, however it flows  back towards the wearer and not through the sides or nose bridge area. This is because we positioned the exhalation valve in the under-chin area: the form and location of the exhalation function directs the air back towards the wearer. 

The mask has different options for filters: Washable filters or BIO-Filters, which will not have the N95 rating. The washable filters in tandem with the mask still offer better protection than the cloth mask due to the air tight seal, as the cloth masks have gaps at the nose bridge area. So the efficacy of the SEEUS95 mask with the washable filters are better than the efficacy of just cloth masks.

\We have also posted a video in Update #9 where we show one individual in a traditional N95 mask next to an individual in a SEEUS95 mask. Please take a look at this video for a side-by-side comparison of these two masks!