Utah Company Creates Filtered, Cooled 'Microclimate' Mask

PROVO, Utah — A Utah company has garnered a lot of attention online for their "microclimate" face masks, which provide protection from the coronavirus by surrounding a person's head inside a filtered bubble. "It's been fun to see people's reactions," said inventor Michael Hall. "I will say, you have to be comfortable in your own skin." Hall has been out testing the mask... a lot. His son even wore one to school.  "I think a few people were asking you know, 'When's he going to Mars,' and things like that," he said. HEPA filters in the helmet clean the air coming in and going out. Hall came up with the idea while skiing with his family. "We have the goggles and so I couldn't see them," he said. "It really was about that expression, of wanting to be able to look people in the eye, and talk to them." When the pandemic hit earlier in the year, Hall's team found another purpose. They've run tests, showing how particulate matter gets through cloth masks, then N95s, and finally, through the microclimate's filters. Even better, Hall said you don't have to feel your warm breath on your face.  https://twitter.com/mikeandersonKSL/status/1312135147127406599 "I see people who have got to wear a mask all day, and they're usually the ones looking at it saying, 'how do I get that?'" said Hall. Hall said the bubble mask is relatively comfortable to wear. "Kind of like eyeglasses or hats or other wearables," he said. "Once you have this on for a few minutes, it just kind of disappears into the background." Still, when you wear a space-helmet with those fans running, it can have some drawbacks. "Oh, it's booming," said Hall. Hall said they've already had sales in the thousands, with very little marketing.

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