Since the onset of the pandemic, facemasks have become the norm when going out in public but donning them represents its own sets of challenges.

The new LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask is a literal breath of fresh air as it aims to resolve all these conundrums while adding a modicum of industrial chic. Here’s our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review where we put their latest literal smart wearable to the test.

Why are face masks hard to use?

Traditional fabric or disposable surgical face masks typically come in only one size which makes it somewhat hard to use for younger users.

The nature of their design also makes it  hard to breathe through for those who aren’t used to it and prolonged usage also causes moisture to build up leading to it becoming damp over time. Seeing as they cover the entirety of our mouth and a good part of the lower face, these masks mean that users and those who interact with them have a distinct lack of visual cues when interacting with others. 

Another particular challenge is that using such masks results in muffle voices when trying to conduct a conversation. Combined, all of them make using them a challenge indeed for the new normal. Enter the LG Puricare Wearable AIr Purifier Mask.

What is the LG Puricare Wearable Air Purifier Mask?

The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask tackles all these usage challenges seen in traditional face masks and aims to resolve them in a surprisingly effective fashion.

On paper, the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask is an improved lighter and sleeker second-generation successor of the original that retains the same innovative capabilities that have become even more essential in the new normal.

As its name would imply, the device itself is essentially a wearable air purifier with improved capabilities over a traditional surgical face mask

In terms of design, air is filtered through a pair of square-shaped HEPA filters located at the left and right edges of the face guard and then shunted through into the central mouthpiece with expended air vented out through the bottom of the mask. 

A rear view of our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review sample without the inner cover and silicone face guard

To make drawing breath easier, LG has included a pair of powered inverter fans, with one on each side of the mask that spins up when you draw breath to ensure constant air motion.

In a bit of genius, the fans are smart enough to spin up only when you draw breath. That’s not all, the mask itself also features a built-in VoiceOn microphone that helps to amplify your voice when needed. All this is powered by a built-in non-replaceable 1,000mAh battery that’s rated for about 8 hours of usage before needing a recharge.

LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask Review – Build and Design

Our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review sample came in a shade of white with grey trim that won’t look out of place in any science fiction movie from Blade Runner to Dune though it does bear a faint resemblance to the faceplate of an Imperial Stormtrooper. 

The front is a curved slab of pure white polycarbonate with the LG Puricare logo emblazoned on the side and two cutouts for the VoiceOn microphone in the corner, with the whole aesthetic lending the user a non-threatening yet stylish air of industrial chic. 

The rear of the mask is done up in grey with a series of four eye holes in the corners that hold adjustable elastic ear loops. In order to offer a better fit, LG has also provided a silicone mask extender for those with bigger heads or for those wearing more elaborate headgear.

The central rear portion where a user’s mouth and nose would be also houses a set of magnets to allow for a soft silicone face guard to securely latch onto the mask to offer a secure seal. In addition, there’s also a small series of pegs to allow users to attach an inner cover that is intended to be replaced daily or if it gets dirty.

Flanking the face guard are two flip-up bays with each housing an inverter fan and a slot for a square-shaped HEPA filter that has been rated to filter out 99.95% of particles in the air. The bottom of the mask also hosts a single power button for turning the mask on and off and to turn the LG VoiceOn speaker on or off. Alongside the power button is a USB-C port for charging the mask.

Our Here’s our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review sample came with a pair of HEPA filters for immediate deployment but you’ll need to buy additional filters separately as each pair lasts about a month

The HEPA filters need to be changed monthly and the inner cover needs to be changed daily though you can buy more of either one separately. 

For replacements, you can purchase two pairs of HEPA filters for RM106 and 60 inner covers, also for RM106 which lasts about two months each, assuming you’re using the mask every day. LG Malaysia also issues a set of 30 inner covers for RM53. This works out to about RM3.53 a day for using the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask if you’re factoring in the cost of expendables .

LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask Review – Performance

Our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review sample came in a neat eco-friendly box with all the items stacked in multiple layers.

Out of the box, a complete set of the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask set issues you the mask itself, a helpful plastic stand to dock it in while it’s charging, a USB-C cable to charge it, the silicone mouth guard, a pouch to tote it around, a single set of two HEPA filters and a set of 8 paper inner covers. 

To get started, you’ll have to manually load the HEPA filters by flipping open the side panels and slotting them in. Afterwards, you’ll have to attach the silicone face guard and the inner cover. Last but not least, you’ll have to give it a full charge which takes two hours or so and you’re ready to go. 

Before donning the mask, you’ll have to check the fit to ensure a proper seal for both the mouth guard and the ear straps. If it doesn’t quite fit, you can adjust the ear straps or attach the mask extender.

In terms of usage, the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask is as straightforward as it gets. Once donned, you turn the power button on and it will start working automatically.

In order to ensure optimum power efficiency, the fans only spin up when you take in a breath and it does so automatically. If you need to use the VoiceOn speaker, you simply have to tap down the power button to turn the speaker on which amplifies your voice to a modest degree.

It’s not immediately clear if the VoiceOn speaker is on though until you speak and the only indication you get is a tiny double beep when you turn it on and off. An indicator light within your line of sight at the top of the mask would have been helpful.

We took it out for a grocery run which lasted a good four or so hours outdoors. Granted, it weighs more than a surgical mask at 94g but if well adjusted, the combination of the ear loops and silicone face guard help to evenly distribute the weight across your face and I hardly felt it. 

Over the course of our run and across several short errands outdoors for the next few days, I found the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask was certainly an easier experience when it comes to breathing with the fans helping with airflow.

While they’re relatively quiet, you can still hear them in a quiet room and it’s likely they’ll be audible in a cinema if you’re watching something that isn’t from Michael Bay. For short excursions, it has plenty of battery life but it’s still best to charge it at the end of the day. Unfortunately the battery itself is non-removable so you can’t hotswap it out and replace it in the field if you run out of power.

The VoiceOn speaker does help when interacting with others with a slight boost in volume. It’s not megaphone levels but it at least helps to get your point across to someone two paces or so away. Unfortunately, barring a tiny double beep when you turn it on or off, there’s really no indication on what status it’s at and no way to adjust the volume.

Even after several hours, our LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review unit remained very comfortable though condensation does tend to build up especially if it’s a hot day and you’ve been breathing hard which leads to the inner cover and the silicone face guard getting damp.

If you’re the sole user of the mask, you can likely just wipe off the condensation and leave the cover to dry though it does smell rather funky after a couple of days so a cover change is still advisable. 

Should you buy the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask

From a purely functional standpoint, the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask makes for a highly effective solution that directly addresses several of the traditional pain points seen when wearing normal surgical or fabric masks.

It makes breathing easier and is more comfortable to use while the VoiceOn feature helps with social interactions but the cost of expendables and the initial high cost of entry may be a daunting factor. If your budget permits, this is definitely something worthy of consideration.

Specifications
Price RM849, HEPA H13 Filter (set of 6 RM106), Inner Cover (set of 60 RM106)
Air volume (Liters per min) 10-55(Max)
Connectivity BLE 5.0, USB-C
Noise (dB) 35-52dB
Battery 1,000mAh Li-Ion battery, USB-C – 2 hours charging, 8 hours usage (quoted)
Size/Weight 140 x 109 x 52mm/ 94g

LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Mask review sample courtesy of LG. For more details visit https://www.lg.com/my/puricare/lg-ap551awfa