Uniqlo Airism Mask Review

A year into the pandemic and I still haven’t learned how to wear a mask. Fogged glasses, pulled ears, poked under-eyelids, excess moisture, and worst of all, the powerful psychosomatic sensation of suffocation have contributed to a lifetime record of 26 minutes in a mask before I succumb to hyperventilation or even a full-blown panic attack. I’ve tried online DIY patterns and spent hundreds of dollars on masks and mask accessories. So before I start accidentally repurchasing failed masks, I’m going to track what I try, starting with Uniqlo’s Airism.  

The Uniqlo Airism Mask

I bought the size M Uniqlo Airism three-pack in black because of K-dramas. Those people wear masks all the time, so I figured maybe Korean masks are more comfortable than the ones here. In Her Private Life, Park Min Young runs around in a mask in all her fangirl scenes, and never seems to sweat off her make-up. Maybe it’s between-scene touchups. But just in case, I searched for it all over the internet. Even though I found shopping links for her fangirl clothes, no luck identifying the mask (which I think is a generic drugstore buy based a scene in My ID is Gangnam Beauty). The photo of the Airism on the Uniqlo website looked pretty similar.

Test Conditions

As usual, I tested the mask on a trip to the library. I put the mask on before crossing the street, then stood in line outside for about ten minutes. When my turn came up, I gave the librarian my card with a greeting but no chitchat, got my books and left. Then I kept the mask on for as long as I could stand it while walking home. It was a dry, mild spring day with a cool breeze.

Eyes

The soft fabric did not poke my eyelids or irritate my skin at all. But my glasses fogged up instantly when I put the mask on, and never cleared up the whole time I had the mask on, no matter where they were perched on my nose. I was blind for the duration of the test.

Ears

Lots of people complain about the ear straps on masks. Usually that’s the least of my worries, but these actually did tug a little.

Nose

I liked that the fabric was lightweight, soft and cottony with no strong smell. But it was so lightweight that it flattened against my face every time I inhaled, which really didn’t help with that asphyxiation feeling.

Moisture

The fabric was light and probably too thin, so it wasn’t particularly sweaty.

Anxiety

Thanks to the way the fabric moved, every breath evoked movie scenes of chloroformed rags pressed over someone’s face. It didn’t take long before I was gasping for breath, even though I was getting plenty of air.

Duration

I made it 20 minutes. For the last six minutes, (most of the time that I was actually walking in the mask) I couldn’t think about anything else but the effort to keep it on.

Conclusion

I would rather stay home than go out in this mask. BUT, since the main issue was the sense of smothering caused by the fabric sticking to my face, I will try it again with a frame (sometimes I see them called mask brackets). If I can wear it comfortably that way, I will happily switch to contacts to avoid fogging.