No fog face mask experience needed

Fashion & Wearables Discussion and Questions
#1

Hi all,

During a check up last week I found out that my oldest son is very short sighted and needs glasses right away.
This probably means I need to sew a whole new set of face masks that will be wearable with glasses.
I don’t have glasses myself so I don’t know what to look for.
From friends I heard that most masks will lead to foggy glasses. But while that might be ok for a quick trip to the store, it’s no option for a day at school.

So, can anyone give me some insight on patterns to use.
An option w/o nose wire would be perfect as he frequently puts them in his pocket.

#2

I feel like I have tried most mask patterns at this point and the one that worked best for me is this one (Accordion mask).

I’m not a sewer, so I just picked the mask tutorial that looks most like the one I have. The key for me is to put on the mask, expand it so it covers my chin/nose and then rest my glasses on top. As long as you’re able to create a decent seal with the mask your glasses don’t fog up. The other thing that works for me is making sure to wear your masks high—— the top of my mask generally sits right under my eyes.

Hope this helps!

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#3

This is my favourite type of mask as well.
It’s not a perfect solution, they still fog up when I’m taking deep breaths, like when I’m walking up a staircase. I’ve heard of people coating their glasses with some kind of chemical stuff but I think my glasses are too expensive to try that out!

#4

This pattern is no fog, the nose wire makes an excellent seal while the curved front piece keeps enough space around the mouth that it doesn’t feel suffocating.

There are optional nose wires you can add to the masks you already have though. @AIMR found a good source for those online.

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#5

I’ll cast a second vote for nose wires. I work at a hospital and have to wear a mask all day long. I’ve tried all different kinds of masks, and for me, @Magpie’s patterns work better to protect my glasses from fogging.

(@Magpie, can you see if there is a better link? The one You just posted isn’t working for me.)

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#6

Done! I tagged silky_bee in the thread too.

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#7

I second @Magpie s mask pattern. It’s perfect!!!

#8

I’m thinking about your mushroom mask in relation to this and having a chuckle about the possibility of nourishing living things with breath condensation. Like maybe I should stick an air plant to my mask between my nose and mouth (removable for washing, of course). :smile:

I wonder if an ultra-absorbent liner/filter would capture some fog, such as sticking a paper towel inside a thinner mask when starting to exercise or talk a lot. I’m not planning to go out until Tuesday, but I’ll try it then. I use the no-sew/no-skill t-shirt masks with my glasses pretty successfully, but I don’t talk much.

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#9

Thanks for all the answers.
I’be made used several different patterns for masks and @Magpie’s has definitely been one of the favorites in all sizes I made.
I’ve not used nose wires so far but I will add some to my son’s masks before he gets his glasses and then he can try this and a couple of other styles that claim to be no fog.
Maybe he helps me writing up a review afterwards.

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#10

A strip of thin foam along the top edge works wonders. We had some adhesive backed foam from some project that we cut and attached that worked well.

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#11

The mask that @CraftsUntold made me is the best mask ever for glasses. I believe that she based it on the one @Magpie posted above.

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#12

HI! The mask pattern I have been using with excellent feedback from friends is the one from this CraftPassion tutorial. She has an optional channel for a nose bridge wire (pipecleaner or something), if the shape of it isn’t enough to keep your glasses from fogging.

ETA: I will say that it no fabric mask is completely fog-proof, because they are not a fitted mask with air tight rubber gasket material around the edges. You’ll have to adjust /move it around on your face and place your glasses just so with any mask to keep the fog down.

I’m wearing one of her style in my profile pic.

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#13

I wear glasses and the accordion mask is the definite winner for me. It provides good coverage, doesn’t make it hard to talk like the ones tight against your mouth and you can set your glasses right over it to help with fogging. I feel like the nose piece is an important part. I used thick wire and electrical tape to make my own nose pieces.

Make sure to research the correct materials to make an effective mask. I’ve found quilters cotton is usually the winner. No point wearing a breathable fleece or cotton knit as they provide no protection and put others at risk.

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#14

That’s a good idea! I’m trying it!

#15

My mom made me accordion style ones with pipe cleaner on the nose. As long as you can get it formed fairly well to your nose, it shouldn’t be a problem.

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#16

Magpie’s mask is my favorite so far for less fogging. I do use the nose wires and actually when I wear my glasses, I put them down a very little bit on my nose under the nose wire. It helps keep the mask in place and keeps them from fogging. I worked several serving shifts in the hot summer running around and never had any issues with them.

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#17

I like the nose bridge on the craft passion mask but not the flat bottom edge (masks are supposed to cover the chin entirely). I drafted for a folded over side too, rather than a hem, so it would be only 2 layers of fabric instead of 6-8.

#18

The last couple of days I sewed up several patterns that all claimed to be fog free

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I originally planned a detailed review but @Magpie’s pattern is such a clear winner that it doesn’t make much sense

Thank you so much for the pattern.

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#19

Has anyone tried the silicone mask brackets you can insert into homemade masks to help them stand away from your nose and mouth?

I’m thinking of ordering some to try.

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#20

Awesome! I am so happy to hear it’s working out for you. I tried to distill all the elements I liked best from many, many mask patterns and leave out the fussy or not-so-great stuff. There are just so many to choose from, it started to feel like an endless quest. Glad you’re happy with the functionality of this one.

@endymion I haven’t seen those but I do find that with interfacing and edge stitching, the pattern I figured out does stand out away from the face without needing any further support. It’s comfy for me and I have breathing issues that are exacerbated by masks that touch my face at all.

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