World First Ear-Loop Respirator

Singapore-based Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd. presents the world’s first customisable and reusable ear-loop respirator called Earloop-UNIVERSAL (Earloop-UNI). The new entry is the latest of a series of innovative antipollution respirators, including the Classic, Earloop (L, M, S, and XS sizes), and SuperCool (mouth mask).

Typical reusable respirators by major producers are designed for heavy-duty occupational use. They are able to achieve good face seal and protection. However, due to their weight, these respirators require heavy-duty headbands to secure the respirator. Such headbands can be irritating and sometimes entangle with the users’ hair. On the other hand, non-occupational users prefer to use cloth mask, like people in Japan or motorcyclists in Vietnam, as these are light enough to be hung on the ears with a pair of ear-loops. The ear-loop design is easer to use and is preferred by ladies with delicate hairstyles. However, these cloth masks provide neither good seal nor protection for airborne contamination.

The new Earloop-UNI achieves the best of both by combining the best-of-class lightweight property of Totobobo with an adjustable ear-loop design. The 20-gram reusable mask is the only one in the market that can be secured with a pair of flexible ear-loops. Through innovative ways of looping around the filters, the tension of the ear-loop can be adjusted to suit anyone, including adults and children. The Earloop-UNI is comfortable and easy to use, just like a cloth mask. Most importantly, the protection is not compromised either.

Scientific tests in the Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong) have shown that the Totobobo filter is able to achieve a 135-fold reduction of airborne particles as fine as 0.3 micron compared to a 195-fold reduction of 3M N95 mask. Such performance is considered by experts like Dr. Richard Saint Cyr to be “very impressive.”

“I think Totobobo is a good and affordable option for people. A 135-fold drop in pollution is very impressive; even on an emergency day with the AQI over 500, the mask would bring your air to WHO-safe levels,” wrote Dr. Saint Cyr in his popular blog “MyHealthinBeijing.”The Earloop-UNI is now available now from the Totobobo Web site (http://www.totobobo.com).