For astir two years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued complicated—and occasionally contradictory—guidance connected erstwhile you should deterioration a mask, depending connected whether you're inside, outside, vaccinated, oregon not vaccinated. In each the confusion, it's casual to miss 1 large demographic that remains unvaccinated: Children beneath property 12 inactive can't get the shots astatine all. In galore parts of the country, they've besides returned to schoolhouse successful ample numbers (or not, arsenic the lawsuit whitethorn be).
I person 2 young children myself, and watching them set to a mask-wearing clime has been a strange, arrogant thing. My lad entered the pandemic arsenic a mask-resistant 2-year-old. At 4, helium present calmly asks for his disguise and puts it connected earlier heading retired to the playground. Unvaccinated children implicit 2 years aged should deterioration look masks successful nationalist spaces. If your kids person gone backmost to school, oregon if you're readying larger vacation gatherings, you should astir apt refresh your disguise stash.
I've spent astir 2 years investigating masks connected my kids. As I noted successful my Best Face Masks for Adults guide, the perfect disguise is the 1 that fits good and that your kid volition like. I besides support an oculus retired for masks that person been independently tested and certified by the caller ASTM look disguise manufacturing standards. If you're looking for ideas to entertain your tiny (or not-so-small) kids, cheque retired our guides to entertaining preschoolers during quarantine and how to acceptable up a virtual workspace for your kids.
Updated October 2021: We added existent accusation and caller look masks from AirPop and Flo Mask.
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Photograph: Happy Masks
The Best Mask
Happy Masks Pro Series
Early successful the pandemic, my children were much isolated and a batch little mask-tolerant. Any disguise I could transportation them to deterioration would do. But with the much much contagious Delta variant inactive circulating, 1 of the easiest ways to support them is with a higher-quality, well-fitting mask. The light, breathable Pro Series from Happy Masks is 1 mode to bash that.
It has a stiffer, beaked signifier that suspends the disguise implicit their small faces. It besides has a feather-light membrane filter sewn wrong that has been tested independently for 99.9 percent filtration of viruses and different particulates, down to 0.3 microns successful size. These are by acold the astir comfy and effectual masks we've tested yet, and my children emotion the patterns. Unfortunately, the masks person to beryllium washed by hand, and the filter cannot beryllium replaced separately (it's bully for astatine slightest 50 washes). Despite the information that the masks outgo $24, they are astir ne'er successful stock. You presently request to join a waitlist to beryllium included successful password-protected restocks.
★ Alternative: My kids besides similar the light, breathable Enro masks ($17). The Kids XXS size fits my 6-year-old well. However, these are besides often sold out, and my kids similar the personalized patterns connected the Happy Masks.
Photograph: AirPop
Best Disposable Mask
AirPop Kid Masks
The 4-layer AirPop masks are overmuch much affordable and easier to find. They've been independently tested by respective planetary merchandise investigating and prime assurance companies. They're ASTM-certified to Level 2, which means they person the aforesaid efficacy arsenic surgical masks and tin filter retired microorganism particles.
Most importantly, these masks are highly comfortable. The peaked signifier stands disconnected my 6-year-old's face, which makes it acold easier for her to breathe, and they instrumentality up little aboveground country portion inactive efficaciously covering her rima and nose. She particularly likes the soft, padded chemoreceptor bridge, which besides absorbs moisture. I tried the adult mentation ($25) with my glasses on, and they didn't fog. These tin beryllium hand-washed with soap and reused up to 10 times. You tin machine-wash them, but that volition trim the filtration efficacy.
Photograph: Flo Mask
Best Respirator Mask
Flo Mask
The CDC notes that reusable elastomeric respirators provide extortion astatine slightest equivalent to that offered by an N95. I similar the Castlegrade disguise ($30) for myself, but the company's kids' disguise is inactive excessively large for my 4-year-old lad and 6-year-old daughter. The Flo Mask is overmuch smaller and—dare I say—cuter. It comes with replaceable caput straps and filter replacements. Simply popular retired the filter cover, regenerate the filter, and adhd the filter screen backmost in. As a bonus, it volition besides support your children from wildfire smoke.
This comes with 1 large caveat. My daughter's disguise fits connected her face, and she says it's comfortable, but fixed the choice, she overmuch prefers the prettier patterns connected the Happy Mask and the pinkish AirPop. If your kid has little marked preferences than mine, this 1 volition enactment well.
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