Updated on August 14, 2020: I've been making many of these masks using Halyard H600 medical sterilization wrap material for the inner filter layers, and I highly recommend it. This material is easy to work with, gives the mask just the right amount of stiffness, and provides effective filtration of particulates.

In the spring of 2020 I began making surgical-style masks at home, for which there are many online guides, but found them to be frustratingly uncomfortable and seemingly ineffective, as they fail to form even a rudimentary seal around the wearer's nose and mouth. Instead, I decided to try and make a smaller, more comfortable, and potentially more effective homemade mask in the style of certain disposable half-face respirators.

Wikipedia says, "a respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous atmospheres." By attempting to create a proper seal between the user's face and the edges of the mask, inhaled air is forced through the filter material and not through gaps between the mask and the user's face.

This design has gone through several iterations and seems to work well. It uses less material than a homemade surgical-style mask, is more comfortable to wear (in my opinion), is reasonably easy to sew (even for a beginner like me), and it offers arguably better protection by eliminating any large air gaps.





Warning

Please note that this mask has NOT been rated or certified in any way whatsoever. Its effectiveness will depend entirely on the quality of construction, the particular materials used, and how it fits on the person wearing it. This mask should NOT be used by anyone with a beard. This mask may provide better protection than a bandana or a surgical-style mask, but it should NEVER be used EXCEPT when medical-grade equipment is UNAVAILABLE.





Disclaimer

I am not a healthcare professional. This design has not undergone any laboratory or field testing. No warranty is implied or provided. Use at your own risk. Please use common sense, and please be safe out there.





License

The face mask pattern PDF and this step-by-step guide are licensed CC BY-SA. That means you can use or modify these materials for any reason you want, including commercial purposes, as long as you provide attribution, and that any derivative work is released under the same license.