Milwaukee is soon coming out with a new multi-functional neck gaiter, providing users with face, head, and neck protection.
The new Milwaukee Tool neck gaiter is made from a moisture-wicking and breathable blend of lightweight polyester and spandex. It’s designed to keep users dry and comfortable, and has UPF 50+ sun/UV protection. It’s said to feature odor-resistant technology.
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The gaiter can be worn as a face covering, headband, neck guard, or worn in a combination of ways.
It will be available in 3 colors: gray, hi-vis, and red. Yes, it’s washer and dryer-safe.
Milwaukee Tool Neck Gaiter Colors
- Gray: 423G
- Hi-Vis: 423HV
- Red: 423R
Price: $15
ETA: September 2020
Compare: Mission Gaiter via Amazon
Compare: Mission Half-Face Gaiter via Home Depot
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Discussion
This type of product isn’t new, but neck gaiters are also increasing in popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mandates for the public to wear face coverings.
Milwaukee-branded neck gaiters give you more options, and in jobsite-friendly and brand-loyal colors.
Prior to ordering reusable cloth face masks, I tried to wear my winter neck gaiter as a face covering, but it didn’t go over very well. You see, my gaiter is winter-weight and not very moisture-wicking, and it’s thick due to being multi-layered. Milwaukee’s new multi-functional gaiters look to be thin (and lightweight) and stretchy, and seem to be made of athletic-type synthetic materials, which should make them as cool and comfortable as a piece of fabric wrapped around your face could be.
Face masks also seem to shift around on my face a lot, and those are usually so tight that they hurt my ears. If you need to cover your mouth and nose, whether due to regional mandates or personal safety preferences, something like this is probably going to work a lot better for active individuals, which is usually the case for anyone working outside. Plus, you shouldn’t get that damp cloth-on-your-face feeling once you start sweating.
The price seems fair.
September seems a little late in the season to introduce a summertime-focused cooling workwear product, and so the question is whether the pandemic delayed the launch or sped it up. Given Milwaukee’s deeper foray into workwear products, this seems like something they were always going to come out with.
Wayne R.
I get it that covering your mouth & nose is a big component of virus transmission mitigation, but also that just using a bandanna isn’t nearly as effective as more layers/thickness.
Does this have any “virus” advantage over a bandanna? Does the wearer get protection from anything smaller than regular saw dust?
HandyDan
There have been studies which suggest that ANY cloth mask is only effective at filtering 3% of virus particles. So this, like most cloth masks, are mostly for show.
If you are inclined to be worried about Covid, the most effective masks are N95, followed by surgical masks. Both of these must be worn properly to reach full effectiveness.
Stuart
N95 protects the wearer.
Cloth masks protect others from the wearer.
Face coverings are required here, and virus transmission rates are under control, aside from house party clusters and other blatant social distancing violations.
Bill
Yes the N95 mask was designed to protect the wearer but it also provides protection for others as well.
Jonathan R Strong
…and most effectively when the N95 mask does NOT include a front valve. With a valve, the wearer remains protected, but exhalation winds up not being filtered.
Rx9
I agree with Bill. N95’s, minus the valve, are better than surgical masks – both at stopping inhalation and exhalation spread.
Gordon
All true, except for the fact that I still can’t find any in stores. I ordered one box off amazon and just got surgical masks. Too many people trying to make a quick buck on N95’s right now. So, the cloth mask I can wear is better than the N95 that I can’t find.
Bill
Gordon, try Tool Nut.
https://www.toolnut.com/accessories/kn95-n95-face-masks-in-stock/bd-brand-kn95-disposable-mask-20-pack-in-stock.html
I have ordered these recently, and while they are KN95 not N95, my research shows that you can expect the same filtration as the N95 but with a standard for fitment that is not part of the N95 standard.
My guess is these are Chinese made filters and if they are truly made to the KN95 standard they should be fine. But please do your own research on this. About two weeks ago I sent an email to ToolNut asking if they have verified the quality of these masks, but I have yet to receive a response.
There have also been reports of substandard N95 & KN95 masks from China during this pandemic. So in short, buyer be ware.
In the final analysis, my decision for my own personal use, is that these face masks are most likely better than the average cloth bandana with poor face fitment. I like a contoured mask for better protect of others and myself. With the overall poor adoption of a mask standard and mask compliance, I find it unwise to rely on others to protect me and my family.
Kizzle
Single layer loose weave fabric does nothing to protect others. Think about it. Hold a piece of fabric up to the light. Can you see light through the weave? Then it’s not effective. Even more so since it’s covering the point closest to the high velocity droplets of a sneeze or cough exiting a mouth or nose. There have been experiments done that provide evidence of this.
HandyDan
Yep. Exactly what my point was. 97% of the virus particles still get through. People in the comments seem to be missing that.
ToolGuyDan
I haven’t read the study behind the 97% number HandyDan is quoting, but that’s beside the point, anyway. If you’re using 97% transmission as the reason not to wear a covering, that’s crazy-sauce. If I told you seatbelts only save your life 3% of the time, would you stop buckling up? Since when is 3% not good enough when the alternative is 0%?
ProbablyDrFauci
It’s not about the air getting through the fabric, it’s about the droplets of spit being stopped by the fabric. Those droplets of spit are how the virus gets passed
HandyDan
Did I say that 97% transmission was a reason to not wear a mask? From the beginning I was saying that N95 and surgical masks are a better choice.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well, filters don’t just work by directly blocking the particles. They can also actively attract the particles with electrostatic action. That’s how the typical 3M N95 masks work. Even though they look opaque, they have openings that are far larger than the particles they are meant to trap. (That’s also why those masks will stop working when they are wetted, and have to be discarded.) Electrostatic action allows the mask to be thinner and easier to be breathe through while still offering N95 levels of protection.
Fabric masks don’t use that mechanism, but they aren’t N95. They aren’t meant to block the truly tiny particles, but just the droplets that fly from your face whenever you breathe or especially, speak. These droplets are microscopic but still much much larger than the particles that N95 masks are meant to trap. According to tests, they do that job pretty well.
So the point is the fact that you can see through the fabric means nothing about its effectiveness. N95 masks use a different mechanism than simply physically blocking tiny particles, and the cloth masks block larger particles.
rob
If someone peed on your leg with no pants on you’d get wet, if you have on pants, your pants get wet but likely your leg doesn’t. Now if both you have on pants and the person peeing has on pants then nothing gets on you. Stop with the false science and this 97% nonsense that hasn’t been proven by any reliable source and go with the truth, ANY Face covering will help with protection and get the spread down. If someone is telling you something differently they’re crawling down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole…and not living in a world of science and real math.
Jack
Scientific studies have been done to support this, so the comments aren’t conjecture. Comes down to probability: .The better the covering and further the distance, the less probable to spread/catch it. Agree that any mouth/nose covering (and distance between people) are better than nothing, but single layer is about as minimum as one can get.
Stuart
My take is that workers outdoors are often socially-distanced by the nature of their work. If not for the cooling/comfort benefits, this should satisfy mandates that require face-coverings in public settings.
Pandemic protection is unlikely to be a primary goal of this product, but it satisfies certain requirements.
During my last visit, many workers at the local Home Depot were wearing the large blue Mission gaiters that are now sold in-store.
Some people are still wearing N95 masks with valves, others are wearing multi-layered masks with their nostrils poking out.
More states are requiring face coverings for anyone that goes out in public. This is a face covering, and one you could still use for other purposes.
Efficacy studies are all over the place. Case studies are showing that wearing masks has helped curb viral spread.
Koko The Talking Ape
FYI, some airlines (that require masks) are prohibiting masks with exhale valves. I haven’t seen any studies comparing their effectiveness, but it seems these airlines at least believe they don’t protect other people.
Koko The Talking Ape
That might be true, but the cloth masks (and surgical masks) aren’t intended to filter the virus itself. They are intended to block the tiny droplets that come out of your mouth and nose constantly. The droplets are microscopic, but far larger than the virus itself. Even without a mask, they fall to the ground within several feet, hence the six foot rule.
Now, there is emerging evidence that the virus can also be transmitted by the “airborne” route, meaning it can spread through even tinier particles that can stay in the air for a considerable distance. So there is still good reason to avoid crowds even if one is wearing a cloth mask and maintaining the six foot rule.
Scott K
????
Caleb Allen
I had to visit a hospital yesterday as a vendor. They would not let you in if you were wearing a gaiter-type mask or any mask with an exhale valve.
nic
over a bandana, probably not as most people i see using a bandana at least has it doubled over to make a triangle.
either would still need to be washed after a days use, which i doubt most people are doing – and put on the same way each time .. wouldnt want all those trapped particles you captured yesterday being right next to your mouth day 2 because you put it on backwards…
Wonder how these do with the match test?
Price wise.. i could get a 10 pack of similar fabric from china for a very similar price. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VXYR3WQ/
Champs
I’ve questioned the same thing before and finally reasoned that it’s the imperfect equivalent of taking a picture with the smartphone in your pocket instead of dragging around an SLR. N95 is overkill for a landscaper all day, for instance…
Another Jeff
It prevents you from getting dirty looks from those on Team Mask. Beyond that, anyone with any commonsense knows when and where masks are any benefit greater than none. I did, however, discover that an N95 is pretty good at stopping odors in really smelly bathrooms, particularly the men’s room at the I-68 Sideling Hill rest area in Maryland last Sunday. So, thumbs up for N95’s in those instances.
TomB
Jeff, it’s this mentality that creates issues. Unfortunately, when it comes to this pandemic or even PPE adherence in general, an individual’s judgement is not acceptable.
Like workplace PPE, mask adherence should be 100% when in an area of exposure regardless of what your judgement tells you.
We all know common sense is not that common.
Gordon
Anti-maskers sound like the Anti-OSHA workers. Regulations put in place to protect them are somehow also a personal attack on their ego.
David Swearingen
TomB and Gordon, I am not saying you are wrong, but a lot of us remember “Duck & Cover” when the government told us we could survive a nuclear bomb dropped on us by simply laying on the ground with a newspaper over our head. The last I knew you could still see this video on YouTube. And some of us remember the fable about the little boy who cried “wolf”, too.
Koko The Talking Ape
These fabric masks and gaiters work by trapping the tiny droplets that fly out of your mouth and nose constantly, but especially when you talk. The droplets are microscopic, but are far larger than the virus itself. Some are large enough to fall to the ground within several feet of you.
So what you want is good coverage and a close fit, much like wraparound sunglasses. A bandana won’t do that. But gaiters and even homemade masks do pretty well (and sorry, HandyDan, below, is wrong about that.)
Now, there is some evidence that the virus can also be transmitted through the “airborne” route, which is even smaller droplets, small enough that they can stay suspended in the air like dust. Cloth masks won’t do much about that, but N95 masks will.
But N95 masks are still mostly being reserved for health care providers, last I checked. I did see a respirator with replaceable filters for sale at Highland Woodworking, I think.
But there’s another twist: the masks with exhale valves (i.e., most of the nicer ones) may not protect other people from you. So some airlines are not allowing them (I heard on NPR this morning.)
So a cloth mask is cheap, washable, and works pretty well for its intended purpose.
Scott K
N95s with the exhalation valve are meant for industrial use rather than healthcare settings. While they’re very effective at protecting the wearer, they aren’t meant to stop the spread of a virus (which is the intent of mask mandates). With that being said, they probably still offer some protection to others- I’d expect they don’t let everything through and what does go through probably does so at a slower rate.
Koko The Talking Ape
Absolutely. Sadly, my very nice, comfortable, convenient 3M mask has an exhale valve, though it isn’t obvious by looking at it. And it’s impossible to talk through.
There are a number of Chinese “masks” floating around. They have a number of “features” like a whisper of activated charcoal supposedly to absorb odors or gases (it might just be black dye). But they also have exhale valves.
They aren’t good for industrial use OR healthcare. Maybe they should be banned.
HandyDan
Down here in Southern Texas, the need for a summer weight product stretches well into October, and sometimes November, so I might have to check it out. The price seems fair for a Milwaukee version of a product.
Plaingrain
Not too bad of a price, should also be useful for joggers, bicyclists (hi visibility).
Jack S
Moisture-wicking fabric repels sweat and water; Anti-microbial treatment prevents odors and bacteria build-up; Sun protection – blocks harmful UV rays; Breathable, comfortable fabric; 86% polyester, 14% spandex. Seriously? So it won’t block dust or fine particulates and surely not effective to block germs/viruses. Imagine the tan lines. Hmm….
Koko The Talking Ape
As I said above, the cloth masks or gaiters aren’t intended to block the virus itself. The virus doesn’t fly free in the air (and if it did, it would likely not be infectious.) The virus travels in tiny droplets of saliva and mucus that you constantly emit when you breathe, or especially, when you speak.
Cloth masks and gaiters block those droplets fairly well. If used in combination with the 6-foot rule and avoiding large gatherings, they can reduce infection significantly.
Mac
True North makes a FR gaiter for folks that need flame resist for metalwork, fire fighting and electrical work.
SA Fishing makes gaiters – 5 for $20…much better deal. Thin fabric and probably mostly ineffective.
I use my RZ mask – N95+ with vents and tape off the vents with blue painters tape on request or wear a SA Fishing gaiter over the vents. Hospital near me is the only venue that notices the vents.
I wear the SA Fishing gaiter when paddle boarding and kayaking because a wet N95 mask falls apart and I am mostly already socially distancing. The gaiter is also easy to pull up and down while wearing my helmet, dries fast and is not hot or stuffy.
Jay K
Is it 12 or 18 volt?
James
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html
After reading that I think I wouldn’t wear this while working. My entire family on my Dad’s side sweat more than anyone I know. If I had that thing on in this heat it would be swamped in 10-15 min.
Koko The Talking Ape
The issue I’ve had with neck gaiters (which I’ve worn for warmth in winter) and simple cloth masks is that they don’t seal well around the nose, so when I exhale, the warm moist air flows up around the sides of my nose and makes my glasses fog up. Also, gaiters might be too warm.
Nicer masks, even homemade ones, have a bendy metal strip to make the mask fit around the nose better.
On the other hand, gaiters might be more comfortable than masks, since they don’t have those narrow straps, and may not get tangled in your hair as much.
Wayne R.
Those double-wide “twisties” on coffee bags make great bendable nose additions in homemade masks.
I would’ve loved to have been the one with the Aha! moment on those, but…
Frank D
Virus wise, it could have some effectiveness if worn as a double layer …
A cough or sneeze would go right through it.
So, I have mixed feelings about the product under the circumstances.
Against sun-burn sure.
To protect the person or others … not so much.
Corey R
To add some information to this whole discussion, it’s worth a read:
Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7185834/
“We find that cotton, natural silk, and chiffon can provide good protection, typically above 50% in the entire 10 nm to 6.0 μm range, provided they have a tight weave. Higher threads per inch cotton with tighter weaves resulted in better filtration efficiencies. For instance, a 600 TPI cotton sheet can provide average filtration efficiencies of 79 ± 23% (in the 10 nm to 300 nm range) and 98.4 ± 0.2% (in the 300 nm to 6 μm range). A cotton quilt with batting provides 96 ± 2% (10 nm to 300 nm) and 96.1 ± 0.3% (300 nm to 6 μm)…In summary, we find that the use of cloth masks can potentially provide significant protection against the transmission of particles in the aerosol size range.”
Corey Moore
Somehow I’m not surprised, and yet I can’t really blame them. Make that buck lol
RKA
They may not be intended this product to be used to stop virus transmission, but if not for the pandemic, who really thinks they would have brought this to market? That’s how people are using it and no state is providing more detailed requirements around what constitutes an appropriate face covering. I keep my distance from people wearing these, bandanas and wish I could also distance myself from those wearing masks with exhalation valves, but those are just too numerous.
Back to this product, I can’t give credit to Milwaukee for jumping on the gaitor-wagon.
TMedina
Not weighing in on the mask yes/no argument.
However, with the uptick in face coverings, you can expect to see a lot of companies offering gaiter/gaiter-like products.
I’ve been using a generic “Mission” brand I picked up at Home Depot on a whim. Klein Tools has also released their own version (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Neck-and-Face-Cooling-Band-60439/313992937) – claims to be moisture wicking and cooling, but I haven’t put it to the test yet.
Ed
Does anyone know of a product like this for a big head? I tried a similar fishing gaiter and it was like a choker on me. Regular bandannas don’t fit around my head. I have been looking but have found nothing.
Peter
@David, comparing this to duck & cover is not even apples and oranges.
You just need to look on how it went with the Spanish flue, its almost a carbon copy of the effects of the use or not use of a mask of today.