LG to release an air purifying face mask for 'clean,' 'assisted' breathing

LG Electronics has ambitious plans for coronavirus-related personal protective equipment.

The South Korean technology and appliance company announced it will soon release an air purifying mask that is built to deliver clean air and make breathing easier, according to a Thursday press release.

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LG’s PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier will become available for purchase in select markets starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. A date has not been specified at this time.

The protective facial accessory will have two built-in H13 HEPA filters, which are said to be similar to the filters LG uses in the build of its home air purifier products. When needed, the filters can be replaced.

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Meanwhile, dual fans are present to assist wearers whenever they inhale and reduce resistance whenever they exhale. Aside from dual fans, the wearable will also have a respiratory sensor that reportedly “detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly.”

The advanced mask runs on an 820mAh battery that can last up to eight hours when used on low mode, and up to two hours when used on high mode. It can be charged through a carrying case that also sanitizes the device with UV-LED lights.

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Moreover, the LG ThinQ app for Android and iOS is compatible and can send notifications on when the mask’s filters need to be replaced.

“The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is an exciting addition to our growing lineup of products designed to deliver meaningful health and hygiene benefits,” said Dan Song, the president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “At a time when consumers are seeking ways to make life safer and more convenient, it’s important that we’re able to offer solutions that add measureable value.”

LG will debut its PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier at the IFA Berlin exhibition next week, which is one of the world’s largest consumer tech and home appliance trade shows.

Last month, LG announced its plans to donate 2,000 of these new masks to the Severance Hospital in Seoul, according to a report from The Korea Herald.

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At this point in time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t recommend face masks or covers with exhalation vents or valves in social settings, so it is unclear whether LG’s mask will make the cut.

“The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others to aid with source control. However, masks with one-way valves or vents allow air to be exhaled through a hole in the material, which can result in expelled respiratory droplets that can reach others,” the CDC’s Considerations for Wearing Masks webpage says, which was last updated on Aug. 7. “This type of mask does not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others.”