Why We Chose It: An outdoor brand leading the way
Price: Varies

What we have here is the overall winner of the 2020 Scandinavian Outdoor Award. A face mask winning a major outdoor gear award. Strange times eh? Absolutely no one could have predicted such a winner back in 2019. 

I was actually on the jury that chose Polygiene’s ViralOff face mask solution for the award and I can tell you there really was a lot of deliberation before we finally all settled on it. What we were all eventually in agreement on is the fact that this is ultimately a product from an outdoor brand and one that will benefit outdoor enthusiasts. We also liked the fact that it’s an example of how pioneering the outdoor industry can be, leading the way for other sectors to follow.

“It kills 99% of viruses on a textile within two hours.”

In a nutshell, ViralOff is a fabric treatment by Polygiene that kills 99% of viruses on a textile within two hours. Perfect for face masks, it’s non-harmful to humans or the environment and it doesn’t wash out, meaning masks can be worn over and over again and without regular washing as well. 

Unfortunately, the treatment can’t actually be bought by consumers as it needs to be embedded during a product’s manufacture, you can however pick up masks and garments from brands that have so far partnered with Polygiene – P&S and Pacsafe for example.