Life&Style writer Emily Burnett questions whether Boohoo’s face masks are exploiting an emergency
Back in April, Boohoo came under fire for selling £5 face masks, as they were accused of cashing in from the crisis and making money off the public’s fear, particularly amid the shortage of PPE for NHS staff. At the time, a spokesperson for Boohoo said that the masks were ‘not suitable or designed to be used as protection and we are very sorry for any upset.’ However, since the government announced that face coverings will now be required on public transport from the 15th June, Boohoo have relaunched and expanded their range of ‘fashion face masks,’ now selling over 70 designs for women.
Rather than selling masks that may actually be useful and offer protection, Boohoo are simply turning protective equipment into a fashion statement
Arguably, given that these masks are advertised as being ‘for accessory purposes only’ and ‘should not be used as personal protection equipment,’ the sale of them is irresponsible. Rather than selling masks that may actually be useful and offer protection, Boohoo are simply turning protective equipment into a fashion statement. Considering that face masks from other retailers are often quite expensive, there is also concern that people may choose to buy these masks without realising that they are not suitable for use as protective face coverings.
On the U.K. government website there are suggestions of how to make your own face coverings. However, if you would prefer to buy one, there are now many retailers selling face masks. It is worth noting that none of these masks are medical grade, but will fulfil the government’s criteria to be used as face coverings.
ASOS are selling non-medical grade face masks in packs of two for £12. Whilst these only come in a couple of colours, they are double layered and reusable, so hopefully may be more effective than Boohoo’s single layer masks.
Hype have a range of masks available, in various designs, which range in price from £8.99 for one, to £24.99 for a pack of three. They also sell smaller masks for children. They are slightly more expensive, but like ASOS most seem to have two layers of material. This is a good choice if you wanted to support a Midlands-based business.
Prezzybox is also Midlands based. Normally specialising in gifts, they have masks in a wider range of different designs than some of the other retailers listed here. The masks are slightly more expensive, at £15.99 each, but for every mask sold they pledge to donate £1 to the NHS Charities campaign. The masks also have a gap between layers to put a filter in.
Mango are selling single masks for £12.99. They don’t come in many designs, but they do boast ‘90% filtration efficiency. 60% breathability,’ and claim to be reusable up to 10 washes.
Boden is selling packs of three ‘mystery pattern’ face masks for £20. The masks are said to be environmentally friendly as they use the ends of fabric rolls, and the masks consist of three layers. From each sale, £5 is donated to Helpforce, which is a charity that supports NHS staff and patients.
Sold in packs of three for £12.95 – one of the cheapest options on this list – the main selling point of Adidas’ masks is that they come in different sizes. Like others in this list they are made of two layers of fabric. £2 from each sale is donated to Save the Children’s Global Coronavirus Response Fund.
If you would like to support independent businesses, Etsy might be your best option for face masks. A search for face masks in the U.K. on Etsy returns over 56,000 results, so you won’t be short of options. Some of the best selling masks pledge to donate some of the profits to the NHS, and most are double or triple layered and come in many designs and sizes. Prices usually hover around the £6 mark for a single mask, so are cheaper than many high street or ‘fast fashion’ options.
If you buy any masks from the retailers above, remember to follow the instructions given on how to correctly and safely use them, and remember they are not a substitute for following social distancing guidelines.
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