Question: What kind of mask should my child wear to school? Which adult mask do you recommend? What are some things I should look for when purchasing a mask? Every vendor appears to be selling a mask (from Nordstrom to Nike), but they come with a host of warnings such as “not meant as barrier protection.” I have decision fatigue and just want someone knowledgeable to give me some recommendations.

Answer: I was faced with this same issue the other day when I was online, saw a set of masks on sale, and then spent too much time trying to figure out what material they were made of, ultimately ending up exhausted and just turning off the computer. But it doesn’t need to be that hard! Here is the very simple guidance: just look for 2+ layer cotton masks *without* a valve and you’ll be good. And here’s more detail:

First, we need to keep with cloth masks for the time being as we’re still reserving surgical masks and N95s for healthcare workers. Second, per CDC, you want your cloth mask to be: ideally made of cotton; at least two layers thick; and with NO valve. When it comes to kids ages 2+ (and adults too for that matter), it’s best to find them a mask that they are happy(ier) to wear and that is comfy enough that they aren’t all the time adjusting it. For that reason, I suggest buying/trying a few different types of masks (e.g. brands, ear loops/ear ties, pleated/flat; with/without bendable border at the top to accommodate glasses) and choosing patterns or colors that your kids like. If your kid is up for it, invite them to participate in choosing their masks. This article from NBC offers some advice for kids masks and this one from the NY Times offers some advice for adult masks, though both articles seem to be a bit sales-pitchy. When it comes to my own mask wearing, I have an awesome neighbor that made us a few simple cloth masks that I really like. And we have a family friend, Judy DePalma, a clothing designer who turned to making cloth masks earlier this year; I often use her masks too.