New $299 facemask comes with noise-canceling headphones

Adding to the many varieties of face masks that have emerged during the pandemic is one that serves a dual purpose of protecting against Covid-19 and bringing music to the ears. Created by N95 mask manufacturer Honeywell and Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am, the Xupermask is equipped with ventilation filters and noise-canceling headphones.

The Xupermask, pronounced super mask, launches on Thursday. Priced at $299 a pop, the Xupermask stands apart from the surgical mask, fashion masks and the standard blue disposable masks.

‘It’s a new category’, Will Lange, Honeywell’s chief commercial officer for personal protective equipment, told The New York Times on Tuesday.

The Xupermask is constructed of silicon with a mesh fabric along the sides for a sporty look. It covers the nose and mouth and stretches back over both ears in a slick design that resembles a gas mask.

It is equipped with Honeywell’s HEPA filtration system, which the company notes is not medical quality but rather for consumer use. The Xupermask also has noise-canceling headphones, Bluetooth capability, LED lights for use at night, three dual-speed fans and a rechargeable battery.

‘We are living in sci-fi times’,” Will.i.am told The Times, explaining that the pandemic ‘is straight out of a friggin’ movie’.

‘But we are wearing masks from yesterday’s movie’, he said. ‘So I wanted to make a mask to fit the era that we’re in’.

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