Philips Fresh Air Mask ACM066/01
Great concept. Reckless…
17/10/2021 11:41
When I heard about the opportunity to review an actively ventilated mask, I was excited. I bought a different mask previously, but the air flow was just too weak to make it better than a regular mask.
It was all great at first when I got the mask. The packaging was very nice. The design looked great. The shape and comfort was good. The airflow was strong- and it definitely removed the stuffed air feeling.
But as I looked into the design more, I realized it is outright bad and reckless.
To be fair, the mask is not marketed for COVID. Nonetheless, people would naturally relate it for use against COVID. A mask is to protect myself from others-- and protect others from me especially if I unknowingly have COVID. Unfortunately, it only has a simple sieve filter (see picture) for the air exhausted. So while it protects me, I would definitely feel bad for those around me if I inadvertently infect them! It is even worse than mask with exhaust valves as this mask actively pushes out potentially infected air (see picture).
The mask is also only effective (in protecting me, that is), so long as it is powered on. If it doesn't blow out air, outside air would naturally go in through the sieved opening-- as this is the path of least resistance. So now, I would be breathing in lightly filtered air-- which basically means the mask is useless without power. The mask naturally have limited power duration which is fine as a compromise to the light weight. But the challenge is it cannot be used while charging-- owing to the fact the battery pack is inside.
Lastly, I don't think it is practical given the price. Given the hot and humid weather, the filter will naturally have sweat. This is a great breading ground for germs. I'd ideally want to replace the mask often, but the replaceable filter is prohibitively expensive to replace daily. It is even more expensive than an N95 mask!
I don't like writing negative reviews-- thus, it took me a while to really think through whether I should write what I wrote here... I really wanted to like this mask. However, it is a total fail given the serious design flaws and high pricing.
Jaycgan
, Singapur
Age: 43
Gender: Female