Long before anyone had heard of Covid, I was researching little known terms like N95 and FFP2. I was looking for the very best reusable filtering fabric to sew into my little passion project – creating the first Snü.
As a cyclist in London for many years and an environmental researcher, I was worried about what air pollution was doing to my body. But the masks out there weren’t for me. They looked like ninja Halloween costume masks! Not my style!
They were sweaty and uncomfortable. They were often made from neoprene, with disposable plastic filters – a sure way to develop the maskne (mask acne) we later learned about in 2020. And those nose clips?! No thanks.
On a trip to Thailand in 2018, during a high air pollution warning event, I started wearing a lightweight snood over the widely available N95 disposable masks everyone was wearing.
Over the next two years I researched eco-friendly, sweat-wicking fabrics. And the all-important filter, and whether to add valves (no need – the nanofibre filter is breathable enough).
I also looked deeply into cut and shape, and nose bridges and ties for securing the mask. Finally, I got to my favourite bit – choosing colours and designs to print on the scarf fabric.
Just in time for the pandemic, Snü was born.
I hope you love the mask as much as I do. I still wear mine every time I leave the house! (And sometimes even indoors – like when I had Covid, and a newborn).
Helle x