As the pandemic continues in 2021, Face masks are probably now on your mental checklist of things not to forget when you leave home.
But for glasses wearers, they can be challenging. The biggest complaint is that wearing them means glasses lenses can get steamed up, making it difficult to see. And with the mask and glasses jostling for space on your nose, one or the other can end up slipping down. Annoying!
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WATCH: Nurse shows you the correct way to wear a face mask with glasses
How to stop glasses fogging up whilst wearing face masks
So what can you do to fix these annoying problems? Instagram's registered nurse @theprivatenurse, herself a glasses wearer, shared her tips - which you can see in the video above.
"There’s fancy things like anti-fog lenses and anti-fog sprays but I find it really useful if you just create a really good seal around your nose with the metal bit on the mask," she told her followers. "So the air going out when you breathe through your mask doesn't go up and fog up your glasses. Also the glasses should be over the mask not under the mask."
In addition, Specsavers (and who better qualified to advise on the matter, frankly?) say they have seen a staggering 242% in searches online on how to tackle the problem of glasses steaming up and slipping.
The key to stopping the fogging up, they agree, is making sure you have a snug fit. Says Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director: "You need to make sure that the facemask fits tightly around your nose and cheeks as this reduces the amount of breath escaping and causing condensation on the lenses."
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The best anti-fog styles therefore for specs wearers are ones which are contoured and with nose wire. And for added comfort, one choice is to find one that has straps that go across the back of the head rather than elastic ear loops. Keep scrolling for some of the best styles for glasses wearers and more additional hacks for wearing face masks with spectacles.
And for extra insurance, invest in a pack of anti-fog glasses cleaning cloths. These ones are reusable up to 700 times, so they should last a good while.
Anti-fog cloth, £8.95 / $12.25, Amazon
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Another solution is to pick up a pack of stick-on aluminum nose wire strips which transform any mask into a glasses-friendly face covering. Each strip has a one-sided adhesive tape which sticks to the underside of your mask, holding it in place and making it ultra-breathable. They mold themselves to the shape of your face and can be washed and reused – plus with 50 in the pack you won't run out any time soon.
Aluminum Strips Nose Wire 50 pack, £5.99 / $4.94, Amazon
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Best anti-fog face mask styles for glasses wearers
Airpop light SE reusable face mask 4 pack, £24.55, Amazon
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Protech prevent steam up face mask for glasses, £4.99, eBay
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This glasses-friendly face mask is available in a number of different prints.
black and grey floral print face mask for glasses, £8.50/$15.48, Etsy
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Cotton ant-fog mas with filter, £9/$12.50 each, Amazon
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Namaste mask with nose wire, £7.99/$12, Gandys
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Indigo face mask with nose piece and 2.5 carbon filter, £14.99/$15, Popsockets
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Liberty print double strap adjustable toggle mask, £16.82/$18.90, Etsy
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Adjustable face mask with nose wire - 5 pack, £19.57/$25, Caraa
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Adult contour face mask 3-pack (several prints available) was £14.95/$18, GAP
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Contoured cotton mask with filter pocket and adjustable straps (14 different colours available), £14/$25.98, Wolf & Badger
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Contoured antibacterial face mask with adjustable straps (multiple colours and prints), £17.95/$23.32, Pacamask
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Mask for glasses, £7.76/$8.45, Etsy
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Face mask with nose wire, from £4.99/$7.26, Etsy
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Lele Soudoughi Facemasks three-pack, £40/$54, Selfridges
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Contoured face mask, £13/$16.87, Vistaprint
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Anti-fog fabric face mask, £13.78/$15, Etsy
Nervous Stitch mask, £22/$30.34, Not On The High Street
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Reusable anti-fog mask (available in multiple prints), £8.50/$12.56, Etsy
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How to wear glasses with face masks – Specsavers' top hacks
- Stop slipping by wrapping the string of the facemask around the sides of your glasses, rather than your ears – just make sure you’re careful when taking off your glasses as your mask will be attached
- If you can (and it’s comfortable), pull your mask further up your nose and place glasses on top. This will help seal the mask around your nose, stopping the warm air from your breath escaping and steaming up your lenses.
- Try using a piece of surgical tape to hold your mask in place on the bridge of your nose and give your specs additional grip.
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