[Arun Venugopal]

Originally Posted by Satishtv

Hello All,

I have been travelling on a motorbike to office in Bangalore for the past 10 years. I observe that over the last 2 years the air pollution and the fine dirt particles in the air have significantly increased. I have also started falling ill (with cold / cough / fever) increasingly over this period.

I need your advise in this regard.

1) Which is the anti pollution mask recommended for bikers?
2) Can such a mask completely fight the pollution?
3) Can you comfortably wear such a mask inside a helmet?
4) And, are such masks waterproof?

There are a lot of masks available on online retail websites. But I am looking for help from the members who have used such masks.

I use the vogmask and it has been very effective for me. I have used it in Mumbai traffic and you do feel the difference, especially if you are sensitive as I am. Its available on their India website and also on amazon. I. They are a little expensive but worth every penny IMHO.

[anshuman_v]

Originally Posted by neelemail

Thanks for the info. But I need to understand how comfortable it'll be with the specs on.

While cycling, I also use glasses - clear or shaded depending on the sun. So the mask works quite well with the glasses too. Of course, with heavy breathing, one does tend to get hot in the covered area, but that's the price of wearing a mask. This should not be an issue while breathing normally and not heavily, while driving a motorbike.

[Satishtv]

Originally Posted by Arun Venugopal

I use the vogmask and it has been very effective for me. I have used it in Mumbai traffic and you do feel the difference, especially if you are sensitive as I am. Its available on their India website and also on amazon. I. They are a little expensive but worth every penny IMHO.

Originally Posted by anshuman_v

While cycling, I also use glasses - clear or shaded depending on the sun. So the mask works quite well with the glasses too. Of course, with heavy breathing, one does tend to get hot in the covered area, but that's the price of wearing a mask. This should not be an issue while breathing normally and not heavily, while driving a motorbike.

Thanks for your inputs guys. I very much appreciate the same.

[somu_john]

Everyone is aware of how polluted air in Delhi is. I used to have respiratory issues almost every two weeks for the past 10 years of my bike riding,

I have been using this Cheguevara printed tubular scarf, as a mask for the past one year and I have noticed that I am not falling sick since then. It does fog your visors during winters and rainy days, otherwise it has solved my respiratory disorders. I bought it from ebay for 130 or 150 bucks, dont remember now.

[AZ911]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

Hey AZ911 thanks for introducing this cool device. I'm going to give it a try.


The sizing info on Aliexpress has me confused. What size did you choose and any tips for selecting the right fit?

I ordered the set with all three sizes. The smallest size is one which should fit most of Indian noses with small to regular nostrils. The medium and large sizes are too big and unless you have an abnormally large nostrils, they would be a very uncomfortable fit. Also, you need to get used to it, which could take a few days as no one would find things stuck up their nose very comfortable to put on.

So, order accordingly. Actually, my mother uses it as she has Asthma problem which flairs up during this time of the year (even more so now due to crop burning). I've got her a Vogmask in past and even some indigenous fancy two stage filter which covers half the face, but she liked these the best.

[shyn]

Came across this on Kickstarter. Apparently the founder/creator decided to make it after his visit to India.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...e-21st-century
Looks very well engineered and covers all the bases (read: efficiency and aesthetics). Oh and just 6 days left to avail the early bird offer. So better hurry!

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by Satishtv

1) Which is the anti pollution mask recommended for bikers?
2) Can such a mask completely fight the pollution?
3) Can you comfortably wear such a mask inside a helmet?
4) And, are such masks waterproof?

1) Neo mask

2) Yes and how!
It completely transformed my life. It keeps all the dust, soot and fumes away. I would travel 15 kms from Maruthi Nagar to Whitefield everyday and the air quality would leave me congested after every journey. So if you ask me if it works - absolutely!

3) Depends on the helmet. In my case I would tie a handkerchief on my head, wear the mask and my spectacles all in my full face helmet. Sure it isnt as comfortable as without the mask and it gets irritating during rainy days, but considering the benefits, there has not been a day I traveled to office without it after purchase.
The mask has valves that let out the exhaled air from the lower/sides of the mask and helps avoid fogging of spectacles. It did fog up the inner visor when it is cold outside but often at the lower/side sections and did not hamper vision significantly.

4) Yes and no.
The mask has two parts, the outer "holder" and inner filter. The "holder" is neoperene and is washable. The filter is activated carbon cloth and must not be washed.

Here is a good review : http://www.bikeszone.com/forum/viewt...p?f=32&t=12105
I hope this helps.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by shyn

Came across this on Kickstarter.

Thanks for sharing this mate. Bookmarked!

Btw, functionality and looks wise this is remarkably similar to Respro Techno masks from UK. I got those for INR2.2k each. (Shipping is free). The extra filter were for INR1.5k

They even have a video of how to wear a helmet on it:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcG63erY1LQ

[madhavgpai]

Originally Posted by rajathv8

1) Neo mask

2) Yes and how!

Thanks rajathv8,

I have ordered one from Amazon for INR 1295 . I hope it is a genuine one.

Any method you know about checking if it is in fact a genuine one?

[marcussantiago]

Wearing a cotton cloth over your face does nothing to stop this form of pollution. I suppose it makes you feel better about coarse dust and sand, but the pollution in question here is so fine that it goes straight into your lungs anyway, being microscopic. Most cyclists reading this are well-versed in the different kinds of pollution in India. There's industrial pollution, smoke, and SPM (suspended particulate matter). That last one is the kind of pollution most prevalent in India, especially in the cities.

Wearing a cloth does nothing. Neither does the kind of thin masks you get at most chemist shops - those are medical / surgical masks, usually anti-bacterial or something like that, meant for people who work in hospitals and clinics. Those do nothing to stop pollution because they are not designed for that.

This is the one I use: smartairfilters.com/in/en/product/n99-mask-with-valve/

It's n99 rated, meaning it's specifically designed (and internationally certified!) to cut 99% of SPM or small particulate matter, which is most of the pollution you face in India. n99 means it blocks 99%, there's also n95, which blocks 95% of all SPM. Either ones are fine.

This company is also based and mostly made in India, so you get excellent value for money ("cheapest and best!"). You can order it online, or if you live in South Delhi, you could pick it up from their office near the Qutb Minar area. At just 170 rupees for a mask, this is easily the cheapest n99 / n95 certified pollution mask you can buy in India. There are others, but they're quite expensive.

Also, they fit really well. The straps are elastic but come with these little rings so you can tighten it up for a snug fit, even if you're a small guy and have a small head like me. I regularly wear mine under my helmet. Granted, I wear a motocross helmet so it's a little easier. But I believe you can wear it under a helmet with some practice, it's a tad tricky when you do it the first time.

Finally, as a bonus, one of the main guys behind this is also a world-traveled biker named Jay Kanniyan. He's also got a big heart, so he's running a campaign where under no obligation, you can donate 100 rupees per dust mask to go to underprivileged schoolkids who are at most risk from pollution. So it's got the biker seal of approval, if that matters, LOL.

Apologies if this comes off as an advert or something, I assure you it is not. I've not been paid or anything like that. As a former cyclist turned biker, I was quite worried about the clouds of pollution here in Delhi and did some research, asked some of my friends who are doctors / nurses and so on, and decided that this was by far the best overall dust mask in terms of protection and price. I bought a pack of ten for my friends and family, knowing they would not bother to do this on their own.

Whether you use this mask or not is no sweat off my back; my point is, please understand that many dust masks do nothing, and those cloth things especially do nothing. In the same way that if you're going to spend a bit of money on a helmet, you should do your research and make sure it has an ISI / DOT / SNELL or other international certification, so you know your helmet will actually protect your head; in the same way, you should do some due diligence and research if you're going to spend time and money buying a pollution mask.

Anyway, just my two paisa. Apologies for the mini-novella

[madhavgpai]

Originally Posted by madhavgpai

I have ordered one from Amazon.

Oh man, NeoMask

Having bought this from Amazon, I can say that It is worse than the ones you can buy for 300 Rupees from Decathlon.
Poor quality considering the price of Rs. 1295, probably an imitation product of something genuine.
Poor stitching. And It doesn’t even cover from the tip of my nose to the tip of my chin.
One of the valves work both ways, so the purpose is unserved.
And it is not eligible for return on Amazon. Great.

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by madhavgpai

Oh man, NeoMask

Sad to hear that.

The one I have is of good quality and is now being used by the wifey.
While I was using it, the fit was not perfect at first. It took a couple of iterations to figure out my head handkerchief cover + 3M earplugs + mask + glasses combination with my helmet. After a couple of weeks I had mastered the art and felt like a fish out of water while riding without the mask.

Times have changed, mask gone to wife, bike sold and I am blessed with being able to walk to office everyday from my residence

[madhavgpai]

Originally Posted by rajathv8

The one I have is of good quality.

Which one?

BTW Amazon refunded me.

Another challenge for me is when I wear the full face helmet, the mask slides down. Its almost impossible for me to even tie a kerchief across my face and then wear the helmet.

[fordday]

Originally Posted by madhavgpai

Which one?
Its almost impossible for me to even tie a kerchief across my face and then wear the helmet.

Why should it be so? You need to use the bigger sized 'man kerchiefs'. They are like 16 x 16 inches.

I use it regularly, with a full mask helmet on, for dust protection.

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

This is the one I use: smartairfilters.com/in/en/product/n99-mask-with-valve/

Just ordered the same thing to use while walking to and from office here in Blore. This will be my second mask after the neomask.

Just curious - how many hours does one mask last for you in Delhi?