Crazy times right? a lot of us stuck in the home, a lot of us missing family and friends, and a lot of us losing family and friends. CORVID-19 has changed the world and how we live our lives. With new variants popping up as the virus changes, will there ever be light at the end of the tunnel? Current vaccines (25.01.2021) seem to be the way forward, however, the virus is already changing and might possibly make our vaccines useless until changes are made to them. So for now, as a nation, or the world, we must wear a mask, wash our hands (before we touch our face and other items), keep away from other people and be safe.
From the start of the pandemic, I was one of those individuals that did not wear a mask, yet I did keep my distance, washed my hands all the time, and as of now, have not had the virus. Things have changed since CORVID arrived in the UK, masks are now compulsory, the virus is changing, so I looked for a mask, that allowed me to use my phone, listen to music while offering a high degree of protection from CORVID, and I found this ‘MASKFONE‘.
What is the MASKFONE and what does it offer, well you can look at the images above, but I shall bullet point them all for you below;
N95/FFP2 Replaceable Filters
The replaceable medical-grade filters guarantee that you can use MASKFONE for as long as 200 hours before a replacement is required. The mask offers a unique design that allows you to replace the filter seamlessly and conceals it effortlessly.
- The mask is also breathable and offers a cooling effect
- IPX5 Water and Sweat Resistant
- When using the headphones you can get up to 12hrs of battery life from one charge and offers a great mic with noise isolation properties.
- There are controls hidden within the mask which you can control on the front of the mask when you want to use the wireless headset.
- The mask is washable, reusable and durable.
- Adjustable earloop straps.
Now the first thing I said to myself once the Mask arrived was, are the controls really that easy to use, and if I removed the earphone to charge, can I place it back perfectly so the controls on the mask still work just as good? and the answer was yes. I tested them as soon as they arrived, and I found using the earphone controls on the mask rather easy. OK, the Plus and Play keys were hard to distinguish, but you know the middle key is the play or answer button and the right key is our volume up and the left key is our volume down. However, how the company has integrated the earphones into the mask, kind of like a pocket with velcro attachments, seem a little cheap and thought out.
Was the Mask comfortable to wear for long periods, could I use it for work while using their phones, via Bluetooth? and the answer was yes.
Did the mask ever get to a hot to a point where I wanted a break from wearing it? I must admit, no, even though my man beard did have an itch or three.
The wireless headset is from Motorola, charges up overnight, and comes with different size earbuds and earloops.
How easy was it to set up on my phone? Simple really, all you have to do it click the play icon on the mask for 4 secs, or if you have the earphones out just press the power button, go to your device look for the headset and connect up, that’s it all done and dusted.
Then I thought about people that wear glasses, even I use them when driving, and I always hear that when wearing a mask our lenses get all fogged up, not with these thanks to the lower profile of the nose bridge design.
Then I made sure the Mask fitted well around my mouth and nose, paying close attention to gaps if any. I am happy to say, thanks to the nose bridge, earloops and how the Maskfone is designed I could not find any significant gaps anywhere, it fitted my face rather well.
IN USE
So the first time I used the Maskfone was just going grocery shopping, had the earphones in, and was listening to some apple music, they are not exactly on par with high-end earbuds, but they do the job I needed them to do at the time.
The next time I used them was in work, Bluetooth to my phone to answer calls, and listen to callers. Most callers remarked on how clear my voice was when I told them I was wearing a mask, of cause I mentioned the type of mask I was using to them.
I found the whole experience ODD, why you might ask? well, you could get a Triple-layer or an FFP2 Grade Mask and purchase some true wireless earbuds instead, you might already have true wireless earbuds, and the need to touch your face is minimal. The Motorola headset is not great for music at all, lacks bass, but for general use, like phone calls, everything is ok. OK, I might be a little finicky when it comes to saying they not great for music as my partner did not mind the quality coming from them, I guess this could be down to what you have experienced as headphones in the past and present.
Overall I found the whole experience OK, differently not great, the mask is easy to use and I felt protected from other people. Being in a work environment, with other people around you, it is sometimes impossible to keep your social distance, so having a mask, that has a high level of protection from the virus is good for my anxiety.
There were issues with the build quality, as the stitching on one side was not perfect, but did not affect the use of the mask in any way. The playtime of the earphones is totally based on volume levels, the higher the volume, the less time you have with them. As an example, at work, I only used them for answering calls, and they lasted all day, no issue at all, however, using them at almost max volume while listing to music, they lasted for around 5hrs.
Am I happy with my purchase? I like the fit, the style, the design, I do not like the quality of the earphones when it came to listening to music, so I know I shall be replacing them at some point either for true wireless or a different sort of earphone which can be embedded into the mask. So even though I felt safer using this mask, I still think the company behind this mask, needs to up there game and offer up a better earphone and maybe a better way to integrate the whole system in the mask.
P.S You do not have to use the earphones if you do not want to, you can just use the mask, but that is not the point of the mask.
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