Face mask elastic became a part of our everyday lives ever since the pandemic. It’s as risky to step outside without a face mask as it is to without sunscreen. You see, we have to stick to certain non-negotiables for our benefit. Now, it’s natural that we experiment with varieties of face masks before we decide on our comfortable ones. However, sooner or later you would find a face mask that works for you.
Now, if you are into manufacturing masks, the selection of face mask elastic is the crucial one. But given the variants available in the market, how do you choose one? Well, it’s not as complicated as it may sound.
- Firstly, the elastic use should match the face mask use. For instance, medical masks require latex-free loop elastics by compulsion. Here, you don’t have much choice with elastic types but indeed you can experiment with brands here.
- Further, you may find two or more varieties of elastic suitable for your face masks. It’s absolutely okay.
Now, there’s no definite checklist to choose the correct face mask elastic. However, here are 3 criteria that should help you resolve your doubts.
1. Comfort
Not all elastics are suitable for face masks. This narrow fabric comes in varieties and each solves a different purpose. So firstly cut down all those from the list that aren’t suitable for face masks. You would be left with knitted, Braided, woven, and earloop elastics to choose from. Opt for the latex-free version to avoid irritation and extreme stretch.
Now, earloop elastics are designed specifically for face masks and they can be your go-to choice for face masks. However, if you are sewing masks at home and couldn’t find many alternatives, knitted and braided elastic will do perfectly well. They are soft, don’t roll over, and have a slight stretch to them. They secure your earloops without straining them with extreme pressure.
To summarise, choose an elastic that feels comfortable behind your ears.
Pro Tip- If it starts straining within 30 minutes, it’s not a good choice of face mask elastic.
2. Durability
Cloth masks are our go-to for everyday errands, right? Now, the problem arises when we wash them and the elastic loses its stretch. At times, the elastic starts showing loose thread ends after wash. It is therefore important that we consider elastic’s durability after a wash to make our masks last longer.
Now, sometimes elastic loses stretch and resilience after constant wear. It’s quite normal. However, you ought to choose an elastic that doesn’t lose stretch immediately after say 2-3 wears.
Hence, look for the durability of elastic before sewing them into your mask.
3. Ease in application
Lastly, certain elastic loses its stretch when sewn into heavy or light fabrics. Considering this aspect is important while making a choice of face mask elastic. Knitted, Braided and earloop elastics are easy to sew into lightweight fabrics. However, knitted and braided elastics tend to leave loose ends while sewing which isn’t prominently visible. Yet, the choice remains at your end.
Wrapping up, making a face mask is an art in itself. At Viken Tape, we can help you craft a face mask of your choice with our range of face mask elastics. We are the mask elastic manufacturer renowned for its premium quality standards. We are the supplier and exporter of varying products within the face mask category. Visit our website to know more about us.