I’m going to be completely honest with you… my mask collection is quite extensive. I believe the last time that I counted (It actually was the ONLY time that I counted), my tally was 60+! I’ll be the first to admit it...for someone who hardly goes out, that’s a lot of masks! But do keep in mind that several factors were at play behind me acquiring so many face coverings.
Let me try and justify my crazy collection...
We need them! We live in Florida, Orange County to be exact, and masks are required while out in public.
It seems like we’re going to have to wear them for quite a while, Not just here in Florida, but other places too. So because we will probably be covering our faces for months on end, I wanted to be prepared (and have options)! I have learned recently, due to the pandemic, of course, that I love having a hefty stockpile of things! Being scared you might run out of toilet paper in the midst of a nationwide shortage will do that to you! In addition to stocking TP, I like to have plenty of snacks (pretzels, goldfish, cheezits, chex mix, fruit snacks, apple sauce, etc), drinks (juices, water, sports drinks, etc), paper towels, cleaning products… and MASKS on hand!
I’d buy a mask and it would take FOREVER and a day to arrive, so I’d freak out thinking I’d have to go somewhere and not have a proper face covering and therefore would then need to order from a different website to ensure I’d have a mask!
I’d buy a mask(s) (plural usually because I don’t think I have ever just bought one! They usually come in a set OR I buy a few from any given retailer)... but back to what I was saying… I’d buy a mask, and it’d arrive and it’d either not be at all what I wanted (mystery packs are never a good idea and usually yield very bad results) OR I just didn’t like the fit, so I knew I wouldn’t wear it. Oh, and FYI… masks usually cannot be returned! Not that I tried, I just know the policies.
Sometimes I’d buy a mask and I’d LOVE it, so then I’d naturally want to acquire every single color/pattern that I could! Trust me, this has happened!
So now you know a little bit about why my collection is so extensive, now I’ll dive into what masks I actually own. The following is by no means, in any order.
Neck Gaiters - purchased from Amazon. Came in a set of 6. I bought these way back when they first started saying face coverings were recommended when out in public. I actually ordered 2 packages, but one was sold out, which ultimately worked in my favor because shortly thereafter, they said gaiters are not the best for protection! And Disney actually stopped allowing them! They are mighty breathable, but they are also very thin! And I found that they aren’t the best at staying up on your face.
Eric and I wore them for a day at Islands of Adventure (way back in the beginning of June). We liked the full coverage that we got (basically our whole face was covered! We wanted even more protection, so we folded them down once (these gaiters are kind of long) layered a disposable mask in the middle… so we had three layers of protection! I wore it on Hagrid’s and as I screamed (I can’t not scream on roller coasters), it kept falling down…. so I can see how they’re problematic!
I still wear a neck gaiter whenever I go for a run. Where we live you are not required to mask up for physical outdoor activity, HOWEVER, because I’m me and totally paranoid, I still like to wear some sort of cover. The gaiter is great because it’s lightweight and breathable! I try to avoid others while I’m running (like I said, I’m still overly cautious) but sometimes I just can’t and I have to pass on the sidewalk near someone. So in those situations, I pull the gaiter up for instant coverage (and then as soon as I pass the people, I pull it down around my neck). Also when it’s really hot, I can use it as a sweatband around my head! Love a mask that serves double duty!
Disposable masks - purchased from Amazon as a set. We LOVE the disposable masks! You know the ones, white on one side, blue on the other. They have wire on the nose, which makes for a perfect fit! Eric will wear these out when he goes golfing (he doesn’t have to wear one on the course, but to get his temperature checked and in the club house he does). We usually always wear one underneath a cloth mask when we go out to a more crowded place (theme parks or Disney Springs). Wearing two masks gives us peace of mind. We do dispose of them after a full day of use. This is another item I like to have plenty of on hand, we go through so many!
Old Navy- All of our Old Navy masks came in packs of 3, 5 or 10 ($12-25). I cannot tell you how many packages of these I have ordered (it’s been a ton)! My first order was a mystery pack of five and they ended up sending me 2 of the exact same pattern and three of another!!! Really?! Thankfully my sister also had the same luck (but she got different patterns) so we swapped! Neither of use were overly keen on the masks we were sent. The photos online were of bright and colorful patterns… we both got dark and drab looking masks (perfect for autumn, but this was the BEGINNING of the summer)! Not happy with the fall looking patterns, I ordered more. I got a few sets of 5 and 10, including some blues and camo prints for Eric! But guess what?! Out of the whole set of boyish patterns, he surprisingly only wears the navy and solid gray! Come fall, I know I’ll rock the camo print masks (if I ever go anywhere)!
The Old Navy masks fit really nicely, considering they’re a one size fits all mask. I do always wear a disposable mask underneath, which helps make them seem more snug. They are made from two layers of fabric and have elastic for your ears. I loved the fit so much, I ordered more! Old Navy keeps releasing new patterns, so whenever I saw some that I liked, I’d order them!
They even recently changed their style slightly. Now their elastic for the ears has plastic adjusters, to ensure an even better fit! I wore one of the newer style masks tonight and I will say the ones with the plastic adjusters feel a little bigger, even when I tightened the straps. I felt like it kept riding up super close to my eyes. Maybe I just need to play around and really adjust the straps to fit my face?! Either way… I still love the Old Navy masks and all of the fun patterns!
Vera Bradly - I bought 4 masks and some filters. Love the patterns, so bright and fun! The fit?! Not my favorite! They seem to fit a bit loose, which honestly is not a big deal… I can tighten with Bobby pins (easy fix), but right now I feel most comfortable wearing a disposable mask underneath my cloth mask and I can’t do that with these due to the unique shape of the mask. I know I will get more use out of these ones once I feel more comfortable and stop wearing two face masks at once.
Lilly Pulitzer - bought 2 from a mystery sale (meaning, customers had no idea what pattern they’d be sent). At $15 each, I had hoped they’d send me two different masks, but of course, my luck with mystery packs is nonexistent! I got two of the exact same pattern! However, they look different enough due to the many colors on the fabric. I really love the bright hues and bold design found on these masks… perfect for summertime!
I did feel when I wore this out, like it was a lot of material due to the folds. When it is unfolded and on your face it just felt a bit overwhelming, but that could just be me and my particular face?! I’ll still continue to wear these ones because I really adore all things Lilly! The combination of the patterns and colors is just so happy and positive! And we all need that ray of sunshine in our lives! Again, I wear these with a disposable mask underneath. I also was given a Lilly mask from our neighbor! She had her seamstress take some of her old lilly clothes and make masks! How cool is that?!
ShopDisney/Disney Parks - Bought the Star Wars and Mickey/Minnie set through Shop Disney (and then had to wait forever and a day for them to arrive)! I bought the Mickey face and Pixar characters masks at Animal Kingdom. I LOVE the designs! So perfect for a day in the park! However, the fit is not the best. They run SMALL!
I got a size Large and noticed that not all Larges were created equally. Some are bigger/smaller than the others. For example, my Baby Yoda and Mickey face masks seem very tiny! So small, I feel like the straps are pulling my ears forward! Of course, I still wear them because they’re so cute (but they’re not the most comfortable)! I have pulled/stretched the ear loops out a bit in hopes of making them fit better, hopefully that helps! They keep releasing new designs, and even though the sizing is inconsistent, I still want the haunted mansion, tiki room and tie dye Mickey designs! Yes, I think it’s safe to safe I have a mask problem!
Zazzle - Eric got me these. They came in a set of three. I had wanted (and ordered) nautical masks from Old Navy. I thought that they would be perfect for Independence Day (my birthday) and our August cruise (which has since been cancelled)....but the mystery patriotic pack from arrived and did not contain the super cute anchor designs photographer on their website (the whole reason I wanted this set to begin with)! The set that I was sent were three masks made of a tiny polka dotted fabric (one pale pink, one gray and one light blue; all with white dots)! I was annoyed!
So unbeknownst to me, Eric searched for nautical/anchor masks and found these! I absolutely LOVE them! They’re lightweight and so breathable! The material is a silky cool material, that has a hole for a filter… I never use a filter, I just wear a disposable mask underneath. The anchors are so cute and will be perfect for our cruise (which we have since rescheduled next spring)! The fit on one of the masks did seem a bit big (like maybe the ear elastic was stretched out a bit?!), but I just Bobby pinn it back and it is perfect!
Tie Dye masks - DIY. I bought some cotton masks (set of 3) on Amazon and tie dyed them. I really like how these look, however, they are super tiny! So I actually haven’t worn them much.
Now let's talk ranking!
My favorite masks for comfort, breathability and fit are hands down the Old Navy! They cover my face so well! These are the only ones Eric wears (in addition to the generic disposable masks. I also really love the Zazzle masks… very comfortable and breathable. I also rank the ShopDisney/Disney Parks masks highly for cuteness! The masks that do fit properly (and aren’t too tight), provide ample coverage and rest close to your face providing an overall sung fit.
Least favorite? Probably the Vera Bradley ones. I love the fun patterns and unique shape… but the fit is not conducive with wearing a disposable mask underneath (and I typically wear two masks). I definitely plan to wear these ones when I feel more comfortable and ease up on my two mask wearing rule.
So there you have it. My review of which masks I have and which I prefer.
