Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Essential Face Mask Kit

Not all that special

This face mask is well crafted and durable. I wear it daily and it has served all of my needs. My only issue is with the filter placement, I have to adjust it after each use. At first I found it extremely cumbersome and my initial review was a bit harsh, but I seem to be getting use to it over time. I've compared this mask to numerous others and there is no match to the excellent construction and attention to detail. Again, I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the filter placement.

The mask fits great but I found it too thick and because I work outdoors in the heat I was unable to use it for more than a few minutes. Great quality piece but was not was I was looking for.

The plastic zippered packaging is very disappointing to see. Even the 3 extra filters came packaged this way. OR, this does not reflect an environmentally conscious choice. Please loose this unnecessary and wasteful packaging. The filter became saturated on a bike ride up a long hill. I had to remove it because it was so soggy. Otherwise it's been comfortable for daily wear.

I use this as my main mask for work as a field conservationist. The filter is not secured well so it often bunches up and doesn't work.

All good but those inserts are really a problem. Needs to be one piece

Overall I really like the mask, but those two filter inserts will not stay in place and don't fit well. This should have been designed with a one piece filter. The filter gets folded up and rubs against my face and drives me a bit crazy.

Great mask in every way, except the filter inserts. They are very awkward and don't stay in place. Perhaps if they had been made as one piece instead of two it would have helped?

This mask is more comfortable for me than disposable surgical masks, and my nose doesn't itch as much with this mask, because there don't seem to be loose fibers tickling my nose. I love that the elastic bands are adjustable. The nose wire works well to adjust the fit at the top. However, this mask is too big for my face, and when I hold my chin at a neutral level, I can feel my exhales on my neck--my breath is escaping out the bottom of the mask, so I assume air comes in through the gap in the bottom of the mask as well. If I tilt my chin down, I can no longer feel my breath on my neck, but I can't see where I'm going. I wish these came in sizes. Also, perhaps if the fabric were stretchy, it could conform to the shape of my face better. I sewed a dart in the bottom of the mask to make it smaller, but it didn't seem to help.

I love OR and have been hungry for functions and good quality masks since March. After their earlier PakTowel mask, I was excited to see the development of this sleek mask. The fit and nose wire are great but I'm disappointed in the mask's filter functionality. The mask itself is see-through (which also makes it dry well), and only would be 95% effective or whatever the claim is if it is always used with the included disposable filters. Problem is, the filter bunches and does actually have a pocket to slide into- just two tabs on either side. I think this will cause many to just not use the filter. Addition, after reordering another OR mask for myself, my nose began to drop constantly and eyes started watering. I think could be chalked up to the filter. Regardless of that issue, i hope that OR can redesign (it's been months of selling this same mask widely). It is not effective for protecting others from your potential contaigiousnous. We all need to have access to comfortable, ergonomic masks that we want to continually wear. This is exactly that, and I worry that it leads even the most informed and entitled to be containing only about 50% of their exhalations.

You need to give instructions on how to install filter. They are very hard to peel open up which makes it hard to figure out the mask. Major problem. Otherwise Now that I saw the Video on how to pull filter open I will finally try the mask & let you know what I think Now 2 weeks after having the Mask. Have not used yet because of No instructions. Look forward to trying out now. Thx's!

The fit and construction is great - comfortable and full coverage. My main issue with it is that if used with filters it's a bit of a dud. The filters are a pain to put into place, and can easily get displaced when the mask is not being worn. When worn they stay in place without a problem, but I have a lot of on/off so a bit irritating.

I work in a grocery store, so I use quite a few face masks through the week. Being a climber, I'm well acquainted with OR products and was curious to try the OR mask. Overall, it's a welcome addition to the collection, and I especially appreciate the adjustable ear loops. The fabric feels a bit heavier than the cloth masks I used before, and it gets kinda hot when I have to carry dozens of boxes up and down stairs, but I'm thinking it will be more comfortable when the weather cools down. The one feature that doesn't work for me is the filter. It's easy enough to place inside the mask, but it doesn't stay in place when I wear the mask--this means taking off the mask often to push the filter back in, which defeats the purpose since you have to touch the mask repeatedly. Some kind of velcro anchoring for the filter perhaps?

I love OR. Quality products. Great brand reputation. And stuff that really works in the harshest conditions Oregon has to offer. That said, I was super excited to order this mask ... and equally disappointed when I discovered how ill-planned the filter seems to be. The mask itself is great. Comfortable, breathable, solid, full-face fit. Doesn't slip when talking. The nose piece is comfortable. But the filter is essentially just placed inside the mask. There are two "pockets" that the ends are supposed to slip into, but they don't stay there; nor does the filter (with it's crease right down the middle) stay centered in the mask. I've looked in the mirror only to find the filter half in, half out of the mask. I can deal with it, but at this price (not inexpensive as far as masks go), I would expect a better design. In fact, I'd expect the innovation and quality that OR is known for - anticipating any issues and solving them before they come to market. I wouldn't recommend purchasing until OR has addressed this issue with more than and after-the-fact how-to video.

Face mask is very well made but I can not adjust it small enough for my small/medium adult face. With the top pushing up on the bridge of my nose there is still a lot of extra mask sticking straight down past my chin. This one-size-fits-most did not fit me and is probably best for people with medium-large to large faces. I would buy another if/when Outdoor Research begins to make an Adult Small/Medium size.

Little ball that allows for adjustment fell off immediately

Average

The mask is fabulous. However, the filter system is a huge flop. The filters are exceptionally difficult to open and to insert into the mask. Major resdesign of the filters is very strongly suggested.

With a household of 7 we have ordered our fair share of masks. I love that this mask protects from so much. I'm not crazy about the adjustable ear pieces. They tend to stick out and I look like I have antenna.

The cover is well made and fits well, the slip in liner does not stay put and moves around. I believe a center sleeve instead of end pockets, like another mask I have, would keep the liner in place better

I like everything about this mask except that the filter doesn't stay in place. Ear loops are comfortable, it stays off the face for easy breathing, and it looks good. I just wish there was a better way to keep the filter in place.

Best mask I've bought, but the filter doesn't stay in place. The mask itself is only 2 layers, so I have to use the filter to meet my employer's 3-ply requirement, rendering it not practically useful for me.

This face covering seems to be made of quality fabric. The construction is solid, and it fits well. I also appreciate that it's more breathable than the standard multi layered cotton mask. However, the accompanied filter becomes dislodged and slips around after extended use. I like OR, so hopefully they adjust the design to address the filter problem.

This mask has the best fit and is the most comfortable of the ones I've tried so far. As other reviewers noted, the filter is difficult to insert and doesn't always stay in place. I think a sleeve for the filter would be better, unless there is some reason it needs to be next to your skin. Pay attention when you remove your mask, as the filter may fall out.

The mask fits great. I love the mask. I gave it 3 stars because of the near complete unavailability of the disposable replacement filters for the mask. The problem I have is that the disposable, replaceable filters are constantly out of stock. Given the frequency I am using the mask I need the 25 or 100 pack of replaceable filters but I haven't seen those instock or gotten an email from the waitlist since the mask launched in June. Furthermore, $5 for 3 filters is pricey but those are the only filters pack sizes I've seen available for short periods of time since the mask launched. I've resorted to using shop towels cut to fit using my last used filter as my template. Given the smoke conditions in Seattle and Portland, I really wish OR would get the disposable filters for this mask in stock as quickly as possible or share a downloadable template for us to use to turn coffee filters or shop towels into filters for this mask.