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Transparent, Reusable, Easy-to-Clean Face Mask: The BUBL

One encouraging thing to emerge from the pain of the pandemic: Designers stepping up in an effort to design better masks. The latest comes from the design team at Denpro, a subsidiary of Denroy, a Northern Irish component supplier for the aerospace, medical and defense industries. Already familiar with PPE, the designers answered the call for transparent face masks, which are in demand both by those working with the hearing-impaired, and healthcare providers hoping to show a friendly face.

Denpro’s ergonomic mask, the BUBL, is designed to follow face contours. Intended as a reusable mask, it’s made from a transparent polymer that’s reportedly easy to clean. Protection comes from dual filters on either side, and while those cannot be made transparent, enough space is left between them that a viewer can discern facial expressions and read lips.

The filters need to be replaced every eight hours, and one point of concern was that as of press time, no link to replacement filters was available on Denpro’s website. With any luck they’ll iron that out between now and launch. The £29.95 (USD $39.50) BUBL comes with 60 filters and is scheduled to roll out on September 1st.