Is there any secret to wearing a facemask for long periods of time?
 

I haven't flown since things started to shut down in mid-March, but I have a short trip planned soon - a 90 minute nonstop flight each way. Considering that all major US airlines now require masks to be worn for the duration of one's flight, plus while in the airport, what type of face covering have you found to be most comfortable for extended periods of time?

My state has had a mask ordinance since late May for indoor public places, so a friend made some homemade cloth masks with elastic ear loops, but the elastic irritates my skin pretty badly after I have the mask on for more than 10 or 15 minutes. This is not an issue for quick trips to the grocery store, but it would not be comfortable for hours in the airport and on an airplane. Would a disposable paper mask (being more lightweight) be more comfortable? Any other suggestions are welcome!

Are you allergic to the elastic or do they irritate your ears? If they irritate your ears I'd reccomend purchasing or a mask with top/bottom loops that go around the back of your head rather than around the ears. If it is the elastic itself you can look around online and there are masks that have cloth ties that you tie around the back of your head instead of elastic, sorry I don't have a link handy but some googling would get you there.

Yes a surgical mask would be quite comfortable for such a short time. Just wore one 5 hours today and no discomfort.

I made my cloth masks with 2 layers of 800 thread count cotton with ties, not elastic for that reason. I remember someone suggested hooking the elastic over headphone ear cups? Maybe that stuck out for me, because I use headphones, not ear buds, and I would try that if I didn't have my cloth ones.
My homemade ones have a wire over the nose bridge, and go under my chin. I find them very comfortable. Have you tried cloth with ties??

I find the N95 masks least unpleasant.

Look at those plastic straps that go behind the head and you loop your mask onto them rather than onto your ears. Much better in my book.

I find the N95 masks I have to wear are uncomfortable at the bridge of the nose.
If you want the protection level of an N95 mask with less discomfort, consider using a standard surgical mask with a face shield that covers the eyes as well as the nose, mouth and side of the face.

Since N95 and KN95 offer you much much better protection i'd forego comfort considerations and pick one of those...

Been rocking my KN95s + one of those ear-rescue devices to turn the ear loops into a quasai headband. Better fit, and much more comfertable for flights. [mod edit]

Agreed as long as they have the exhale vent on them. That my primary mask since I found it a few weeks ago. By far the coolest and most comfortable.

I don't quite follow how these masks are worn. To what do they "attach"? Are they N95 with valves or the non-valve green version?

My N95 mask has one center valve, and it attaches to your head (not your ears) by two longer elastics. The bottom elastic goes approx. jowl to jowl on me, across the back of my neck, and the upper elastic goes from approx, between my eye and ear across the back of my head. I got them from a contractor friend who uses them for demolition, etc.

Very few, if any, masks are comfortable when worn continuously on long journeys.

My advice, after a number of 8-hour train journeys in the past couple of weeks, is to wear a mask with elastic that hooks around the ears but that is not too tight. And change the mask every 3 or 4 hours - a fresh mask makes all the difference. I use washable fabric masks, but single-use ones are good too.

Doesn't that defeat the object of wearing the mask?

The mask is supposed to stop you breathing out contaminated air, but if you have a valve it just goes straight out into the atmosphere? All goes back to the basic concept that masks are designed to stop you breathng in nasty things not the other way around.

If acceptable.. I use these
https://facemsk.com/product-category/facemsk-mask/
No sling around ears and all that.. might be too warm for certain regions.