The best face masks for long flights in 2025, per experts

It’s been just about five years since the coronavirus pandemic turned our world upside down.Surely, people have created social barriers based on their comfort levels.

Traveling, for instance, was extremely difficult at the start of the pandemic.However, these days is relatively easy to do if you’re doing it correctly and keep the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in mind.Although it’s no longer mandatory to wear masks in most public places and most major airlines dropped mask mandates in April 2022, plenty of travelers still prefer to take extra precautions for their health, with a majority of travelers picking up at-home COVID-19 tests for peace of mind and extra safety.To help you travel comfortably and safely, Post Wanted spoke with Karen Jubanyik, MD, associate professor of Emergency Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. “Overall, the best mask to wear on a long flight is one that you can put on, not touch, and leave on for the entire flight,” Dr.

Jubanyik said.“You can test different masks before your actual day of travel to make sure that you can wear it for a prolonged period of time.

Try taking a jog as if running to catch a short connection [or wearing] it indoors for a few hours.”Jubanyik recommends KN95 and N95 masks to travelers, particularly if they’re not fully vaccinated, immunocompromised (meaning that the vaccination might not be as effective) or in close contact with someone who is. Luckily, WellBefore — a marketplace that sells medical products at budget-friendly prices — and Amazon have plenty of N95 and KN95 masks that are both reputable and effective.Note: The disadvantage of both N95 and KN95 masks is that they can be itchy, cause breakouts (like maskne), and have decreased breathability while wearing them, especially if you are running to catch a flight.Facial hair may also make the fit of these masks difficult. Jubanyik recommends travelers wear a NIOSH-compliant properly-fitted dis...