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Comment by Jonnax | Hacker News Reader

I found that wearing an anti pollution mask really was a night and day difference.

I’d love to hear what you’re using and how you came to settle on that.

Respro masks were the only ones for which I could google studies showing that they actually filter fine particulates. They are quite expensive though.

Given my experience with masks while walking through a supermarket on a hot day, I can't say that doing anything vaguely sportlike with a mask seems extremely unappealing to me. I figured this was some special kind of mask but it sounds like one meant to catch extremely small particles rather than have some special airflow feature.

But perhaps it doesn't seem worth it to me because the smog here isn't as bad as where GP is? I've never really seen a haze in cities like Aachen or Eindhoven the way TV shows it is abroad (particularly China comes to mind, but probably car-oriented USA also?).

Yes. The nature of a filtering mask will mean that you will need to exert more energy to breathe through it.

I would say that initially I felt that I couldn't cycle as far with a mask. But as I did it more it became easier, effectively like exercise for your lungs.

And would say that if you have trouble with a mask walking then strenuous activity with one is probably not a good idea unless you work up to it.

In terms of the effect, I live in London which is so-so when it comes to pollution. But you really notice the difference, especially going behind the exhausts of diesel vehicles.

Breathing is a little harder with a respro mask, but it doesn't impede me by much on a bike. The filter is pretty large so the airflow is good and in has valves for breathing out. What kind of mask are you wearing in the supermarket? The Respro mask is a lot more like a N95 mask a contractor would wear while handling heavy tools than a surgical mask.

Yes and no. Riding a bike at your best speed isn’t going to happen with a mask, but I prefer not to work up a sweat while commuting, so I’m not using enough oxygen for the mask to make a difference. That said I might feel differently in a hotter climate.

Disposable N95 masks work fine. They're about five bucks.

I use the Respro ultralight [0], I got recommended it from someone at my local bike store.

Cycling behind a large lorry is less unpleasant. But of course it's not gonna block everything.

[0] https://respro.com/store/product/ultra-light

I'm concerned by the promo picture on that website[1], that mask really doesn't look tight, and it only has one strap. There's a reason most N95 masks have two straps[2] and that's because a tight fit is essential for filtering particles in the surrounding air. Even a small gap between your skin and the mask will mess with the negative pressure expected to happen within the mask to force the surrounding air to pass through the filter when you breathe in (which, in the case of [2] is the entire mask).

They might not look pretty but for anyone looking for a cheap and reliable mask, just get a regular N95 mask from a hardware store, it's used by carpenters etc. all the time to block particles and it works well for most car/truck pollutants. Of course it won't filter gases or whatever else cars emit that may damage your health.

[1]: https://respro.info/images/v3_product_background/_ProductBac... [2]: http://wasip.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/W795110-P

Back when Toronto regularly had smog alerts, I could only bike commute (on major arteries) with a mask on.

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