Under Armour is known for all manner of high-tech sporting gear. It shouldn’t be surprising that the brand has something coming along in the mask department, since that’s a thing that’ll be sticking around for the next few years. Meet the SportsMask.
And then say goodbye to it. Under Armour’s newest product went on sale in the States last week and promptly sold out. In about an hour. It’s not hard to see why, either.
Multi-functional
The Under Armour SportsMask has been designed to be reused (at its projected price, it bloody better be), while at the same time “…reduce the spread of respiratory droplets by the wearer.” It’s also built to prevent fogging of glasses using its foldable nose-bridge, sorting out an unforeseen problem many of the Stuff team have encountered since cloth masks were mandated in public.
The washable mask features a three-layer system. Since it’s Under Armour, those layers a little more than just cotton or nylon. The first layer features air pockets to keep the mask from pressing against the nose and face. The second layer uses open-cell foam that helps with airflow while keeping moisture in — and moisture is the bad thing, which is why you’re supposed to be wearing the bloody mask. The final layer uses the company’s ISO-Chill material, which is treated with PROTX2, which is “…a non-metal anti-microbial technology which inhibits the growth of bacteria on the mask.” Which may explain the price.
South African arrival
The kit is designed to let athletes do their thing while protecting them, and the people around them. But, like a lot of Under Armour gear, it might not ever see the inside of a gym or head outside for a run. It might just be used as a fashion item, which… we’re totally fine with that. Even at seven hundred bucks a pop.
Under Armour’s SportsMask may have proved madly popular overseas but it remains to be seen if South Africa will be as eager. It’s slated to land here in September this year, with tentative pricing of R700. This pricing isn’t final, we’re told, and may fluctuate depending on what the rand does in the next few months.
