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Scough: Particle-Filtering Scarves and Bandannas–That Have Been on the Market Since 2013

Creative director Andrew Kessler must feel like a psychic or visionary right now. In 2013, he struck upon the idea of developing scarves and bandannas that contain woven carbon filters that can “achieve a 99% efficiency rate for filtering viruses, bacteria, and pollution.” Today his company, Scough, produces them.

Seven years ago there was no such thing as COVID-19; Kessler had asked himself “Can we normalize the act of wearing a protective mask?” and was merely thinking of stylish ways of filtering urban pollution and avoiding catching the flu on airplane flights. Those needs are still relevant today, and as the pandemic gained steam, Scough went totally out of stock in early March.

The scarves/bandannas can be machine-washed, though you need to remove the filter first; additionally you can wash the filter if desired, but it must be done by hand. The filters are projected to last for three months, and Scough sells replacements.

It should be noted that these don’t provide the same seal as a properly fitted facemask, so while you won’t see these in hospitals anytime soon, I imagine they’ll be seen as adequate by the average consumer.

There’s currently a waitlist, but the company writes that they’ll be restocked and shipping again by next week. In the meantime, you can get a pre-order in here.