7 Best Cold Weather Face Masks for Coronavirus

Shopping for Cold Weather Face Masks

Winter is coming, which means you may finally be excited to wear a face mask to keep your face warm and protected from the elements in addition to lowering the risk of COVID-19. But you may be wondering if you can wear a scarf as your face mask or if you still need a mask underneath. And what about wearing a gaiter or buff instead?

“Gaiters and buffs are fine for brief encounters,” says Paul Silka, M.D., chair of the department of emergency medicine at the Regional Medical Center of San Jose, Cal. “If you’re anticipating prolonged exposure to others, particularly indoors, double-layer face masks or surgical masks are better options.”

So if you’re just traveling from home for a quick errand, or going outside where you won’t be spending much time around other people, you can consider wearing only a gaiter or buff. But if you’re going to be around others for a while, the best option is a face mask with a gaiter or buff or scarf on top. Just be sure to avoid the worst face masks for COVID-19.

Even the best mask won’t help much if your face covering doesn’t fit properly. “It is important that they are tight-fitting, covering the nose, mouth and face,” says Silka. “Two-layer masks are even better. If the face covering is loose and single-layered it will be less effective.”

Don’t have a mask? Silka suggests double-layering a gaiter and scarf, or even two gaiters or buffs. “If you don’t have medical conditions, breathing shouldn’t be an issue,” he says.

For the best protection this winter, use one of these expert-recommended cold weather face masks and gaiters to be safe.

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