As athletes gear up for a different gym experience, Under Armour has created a mask designed specifically with training in mind.
The Baltimore-based athletic brand created the UA Sportsmask, which it describes as a reusable and water-resistant performance face mask, was made with breathability in mind. The mask was also designed to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets by the wearer.
Under Armour designed the UA Sportsmask with three layers. The first, referred to as Spacer Fabric, has air pockets and stays off of the wearer’s mouth and nose to allow airflow. The second Open-Cell Foam layer is breathable and designed to make moisture and sweat to pass through difficult. And the third, UA Iso-Chill, is made with a stretchy fabric that feels cool against the skin. Also, the fabric is treated with PROTX2, which Under Armour said is a non-metal antimicrobial technology that inhibits growth of bacteria and has been shown in lab tests to destroy COVID-19. (Under Armour also said PROTX2 is being reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency to confirm its effectiveness on the UA Sportsmask.)
The company stated it has a patent pending on the mask’s design and construction.
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The UA Sportsmask features a moldable nose bridge to help prevent airflow (a plus for people who wear glasses that tend to fog when wearing a mask), stretchy ear loops and side panels for a custom fit and it can be washed, folded and dried — which cannot be done with single-use disposable masks.
The company said it recognized a need for an athlete-focused mask when developing personal protective equipment for front-line workers in March. And because of social distancing, Under Armour sent materials to seamstress and the brand’s third-ever employee Ella Mae Holmes to start sewing mask prototypes at home. Under Armour landed on the one heading to retail on the 13th try.
The Under Armour UA Sportsmask is available now via UA.com for $30 in four sizes. Also, more colors of the mask will release in the summer and fall.
