The question I’ve been asked most during my six-and-a-half-year tenure as ϳԹ’s Gear Guy is:“Are Yeti coolersworth the money?” ( Իno.)It’sa sign of our current times, however, that thishasbeen surpassed in the past two months by: “Is the worth the money?”People have asked me in the store, at a car dealership, while running, and while doing pull-ups on monkey bars at a park. My answer is a resounding yes.
The reason? It’s the most comfortable and usable mask of the dozen I’vebeen testing for the past six months, ideal for both all-day wear and hard workouts. (But please note that this is nota medical or surgical mask.)I thought I would need a quiver of face coverings when I realized that wearing them would become part of our daily routines, but this is the only one I really need.
The longest I’ve worn it without taking it off was for seven hours, when I purchased a Toyota Tacoma. While the dealership figured out my financing, I honestly forgot I had it on. The slight structurekept the polyester and polyurethanefabric (which felt similar to a nice, insulated base layer)off of my nose and mouth, so it didn’tfeelconstrictive or hindermy breathing.
The soft and supremely stretchy ear bands are made from a nylon-spandex blend that never rubbed or pulled at the back of my ears, unlike the cords of most masks. Even so, the straps create plenty of tension, which kept the maskfirmly attached to my face. The bendable nose bridge also allowedme to dial in the fit above my beak so it wouldn’tslipdown. This is a tall task: I have a rather large, bulbous nose, and it’s a nightmare in most masks. The angle of my bridge and the curvature of the snout itself createa steep slope to a cornice—perfect for sending poorly fit coverings off the edge. Yet I’venever hadto pull the Sportsmask back up over my nose.
The Sportsmask is also the best mask I’ve used for exercising. The first test I conducted was a circuit that involved sprints, push-ups, and kettlebell swings. Breathing was significantly easier, and it held to my face more effectively than any other version has. The fact that thismask provided completecoverage while still keeping a pocket of air in front of my nose and mouth helpedmitigate the feeling that I wasbeing tortured while sucking for air between sets. Don’t get me wrong: it sucksto exercise in any mask, so I’m not going to tell you Under Armour cracked some secret code to create full oxygen flow, but it’s the best option I’ve encountered for allowing you to breathe while keeping your airways covered.
I firmly believe that the investment in this mask is worth it for anyone. When I recommend products, I often add a caveat like, “These skis are totally worth the extra $500 if you ski perfect powder 50 days a year.” There is no such caveat with this mask. At $30, it’s roughly double the price of other performance masks on the market. But I would argue that its fit, comfort, and breathability mean you will use it twice as much.