New Balance now has a mask to ensure athletes stay safe while working out with COVID-19 still present.
The Boston-based athletic powerhouse revealed the Active Face Mask, which is reusable and intended for fitness and performance activities.
New Balance equipped the face covering with three layers of breathable fabric — polyester, polypropylene and spandex — which it said has been treated with wicking to channel away moisture. Also, it features reflective logo, straps that go behind the wearer’s head and a moldable nose clip. The design, according to the brand, was made to leave room for breathing and keeps it away from the mouth, without sacrificing coverage around the chin and mouth.
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To Buy: New Balance Active Fase Mask, $25; Newbalance.com
According to New Balance, the Active Face Mask has been authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization for use by the general public and Health Care Professionals to help prevent the spread of infection or illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not been FDA cleared or approved.
This isn’t New Balance’s first shot at making protective masks. In June 2020, the brand delivered the NB Face Mask V3, a lightweight face covering made with three layers in the brand’s Lawrence, Mass. factory. And in March 2020, New Balance announced it was producing face masks from the same factory for the hospital community.
“Throughout the past year, New Balance has shown its commitment to providing quality PPE to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, beginning with the production of more than one million general use face masks for healthcare workers in early 2020,” New Balance licensing manager Kristen Fischer said in a statement. “We have taken what we learned during that process about breathability and fit and applied it to the creation of a performance mask.”
The New Balance Active Face Mask is available now via Newbalance.com and retails for $25. It dropped in four sizes — XS/S, S/M, M/L and L/XL — and comes with a wearable carrying case.
