The funny thing is, I wasn’t embarrassed to wear it. Honestly, I was relieved, I knew I would be better protected on the plane and would be able to breathe better. It was like a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders just by carrying my Cambridge Mask with me.
I enjoy flying; a new adventure awaits me on every corner. The problem is, when you have allergies and asthma, flying can be incredibly difficult. Especially with the flood of people bringing their pets (emotional support animals and otherwise) on trips. When I was younger, people hardly brought their pets on the plane; honestly, it was frowned upon. Now, it is widely accepted, and the list of emotional support animals people have tried to bring on the planes is well…. interesting to say the least. Not to mention emotional support animals are on the rise, up by 74% from 2016 to 2017 alone.
Usually, when boarding a plane, I would ask the flight attended to seat me as far away from the animal as physically possible – without stuffing me in a closet somewhere! Of course, they all looked at me and said: “If you have a medical problem, you should have let the airline know several days in advance.” Well, duh. But, if do I call several days ahead, the person on the phone says, “We are unaware if there is a pet onboard your plane at this moment, please call back the day of your flight.” Ah, the irony.
I'd already had several flights this year and I have a long haul scheduled for next summer (Paris anyone?) so I needed to know I was going to be safe.
Armed with my new Cambridge Mask, my asthma inhaler, and lots of water I made myself comfy in my seat. Three rows down from me was a large German Shepherd and I'd seen a person with a small dog get off while I was waiting at the gate. Typically, I would have a good 5 minutes before having to reach for my inhaler in that situation. Not this time. I had my mask on and I wasn’t about to take it off. Also if you are thinking, “But the airplanes have excellent filters.” Well, they do, but remember: Pet dander is a sticky protein that attaches to the seats and walls.
Several hours later I arrived in LAX safe, asthma symptom-free, and not at all afraid to do it again. Flying just isn't a problem for me anymore. I no longer need to explain to the flight attendants why I need to sit 30 rows behind the cute dog that everyone is frantically trying to pet.
I ran into another woman on the plane wearing a face mask (people wearing face masks, unite) and we talked about the different kinds, why she was wearing a paper one and what problems she faced without her mask. She said she mainly wears it because she gets sick often when traveling, which I completely relate to. It’s nice to see other people who want to protect themselves.
Do you think you would wear a mask when you travel? Don’t be embarrassed about taking care of your health; no one understands what you need except you.
So why am I talking up the Cambridge Mask over others? Well, there are a few reasons.
- I used it to protect myself from pet dander on the plane and it works incredibly well.
- I don’t smell all the other nasty stuff on the plane – like the tuna sandwich 16D brought for lunch. Nope, don’t smell it at all.
- It helps with protection against viruses and bacteria.
- Lab tested:
99.6% average filtration of viruses
99.77% average filtration of bacteria
99.7% average particulate filtration down to 0.3 microns
- It’s washable and adjusts to your face, especially your nose.
What I don’t like
- It can get a little stuffy and hot but it's not uncomfortable.
How we picked: The Cambridge Mask is lab tested to filter almost 100% of particulate matter and not ugly. A definite win.
Clinically tested: Yes
Made in: USA
Headaches: No
Did I have any allergy or asthma attacks? No
