RZ MASK (formerly RZR MASK)

A pretty bold statement from the company RZ MASK (formerly RZR MASK) in regards to their neoprene dust mask. Having tried other companies products, with no success I might add, I couldn’t wait for spring to come and the trails to dry out from the snow storms of this winter past so I could put their claims to the test. Being an allergy sufferer and also having major sinus problems, every time I ride the coal trails of Pennsylvania or Southern West Virginia, no matter what I have tried in the past has always led to me eating dust. That in itself is a bad thing but coupled with the health problems listed above, I also seem to end up sick for a week following any ride in dusty conditions. I was hoping that they did have the cure!

The N99 filters are 99.9% effective filtering out particulates and pollutants both gasses and solids

I received my mask during the winter and emptying the shipping envelope produced the following products. The neoprene RZ MASK with a N99 carbon-activated filter pre installed, 3 additional filters and a carry pouch to protect my mask when not in use. Also included was some literature from the company telling their story of how and why they developed the RZ MASK. The N99 filters are 99.9% effective filtering out particulates and pollutants both gasses and solids, according to the pamphlet provided. Also after reading through the literature accompanying the mask I learned of it’s use for cold weather riding. Since it was early February and dry dusty trail conditions were still a few months off at least, I thought I should give it a try on the trails here locally. Living in the North East we had some colder temps and plenty of snow this past winter for a good test of the protection it would provide to my face while riding with temperatures in the single digits. I wore it out on three separate night rides. Temperatures ranged from 5 degrees to 15 degrees not counting wind chill and speeds of up to 40 mph out on the trails. One of the nights even provided us with snow as we were riding for the ultimate winter test of the RZ MASK.

My testing of the RZ MASK during the winter was enough to sell me on the producy.

I normally wear a balaclava for riding out in the cold and figured there was no way possible the RZ MASK would keep me as warm. After my testing on these three rides I learned not only did it work as good, but actually better than my balaclava. My balaclava would get wet after an hour or so just from normal breathing and once wet allowed my face to become cold as I traveled down the trails at moderate speeds. The RZ MASK stayed dry the whole time keeping my face warmer than my balaclava ever had. Another bonus to the RZ MASK for winter riding is due to the way it conforms to your face I never once had my goggles fog up while wearing it. I was pleasantly surprised by the protection it offers for winter riding and will be wearing it exclusively from here out as the weather gets colder. My testing of the RZ MASK during the winter was enough to sell me on the product, but the real benefits of the mask were still waiting to be tested once all the snow was gone and the trails would dry up.

The snow finally began to melt here in North Western New Jersey but unfortunately was replaced with torrential rainstorms for the better part of a month. Even now in the month of May, our local trails are still wet and muddy. Luckily we had our group ride down in Southern West Virginia scheduled for the middle of April. Finally a chance to test out the RZ MASK in dusty conditions, and as luck would have it we wound up with only one dry day for testing but it was dusty enough for me to put it to the test.

The RZ MASK was very comfortable to wear.

As impressed as I was by its protection while being worn during cold weather riding, it was nothing compared to using it for its real intended purpose; filtering out dust. As I mentioned above I have tried various products over the years and nothing has ever worked for me…. until now that is. For the first time while riding in dusty conditions I was breathing dust free air and grinning ear to ear, literally I was able to laugh and smile while riding through clouds of dust and all the while having none of it enter my mouth hahaha. To be able to finish a ride and not have to brush my teeth to rid my mouth of the taste of dirt or that gritty feeling like I just ate a bunch of gravel is like a gift from the Gods! Thank You RZ MASK for finally delivering a product that works! Oh sorry….where was I….Oh yes, the RZ MASK performed flawlessly at filtering out any and all dust from the trails during my testing down in Southern West Virginia.

Thank You RZ MASK for finally delivering a product that works!

The RZ MASK was very comfortable to wear (most of the time anyway, more on this later) and I never felt like I was sweating from wearing it. As the dog days of summer arrive I will be able to tell if it will make your face hot but normally I am sweating from wearing my helmet anyway so not a big deal to me if it does. At the end of the ride it was evident who wore one that day by looking at the faces in our group. All riders wearing one had clean faces while the nonusers except for the one rider who was out front, looked like they were eating dust all day. Upon inspection of the N99 filter you could see how much dirt it filtered just by looking at it. I took out the filter and used the sink in our camper to clean up the mask and hung it up to dry for the next day. It is very easy to clean and replace the filters with this mask also. Unfortunately we awoke to rain the next morning and the trail conditions didn’t warrant the use of the mask on our final day of our trip but I will get some more time with it in June when a few of us head to SSRT in P.A. to ride for a few days.

I own four different pairs of goggles and the mask worked perfectly without discomfort with three of the four.

I am extremely pleased with the RZ MASK. It did everything they claim it does and has plenty of uses from all types of off-road riding to farming, and filters out dust, pollen and virtually all things bad for your lungs. I will not only use it for riding but also for doing work around my property when the pollen levels are high. Mowing the lawn for me on high pollen alert days has in the past resulted in a trip to the ER due to an allergy induced asthma attack so the mask will pull double duty for me. I highly recommend this product to everyone 100% and other than it’s one con, I can only speak positively of it’s performance. The one con has to do with the metal band on the upper part of the mask. I have heard people mention this has caused discomfort when they tried the mask and after a few trials with different brands and types of goggles and an explanation from the owners at RZ MASK about the importance of ordering the right size, I had to make this the only negative in a otherwise glowing review. I had the same discomfort occur and it wasn’t due to improper fitment, it occurred when worn with a certain pair of my goggles. My regular goggles work fine with the mask but my OTG goggles caused the metal band to push down into the bridge of my nose. I never used those goggles during my winter testing and I would have never even tried them and known this when testing the mask down in West Virginia, but I went through two pairs of goggles due to soaking them and was left with the OTG goggles as my last pair of clean dry goggles. I own four different pairs of goggles and the mask worked perfectly without discomfort with three of the four. I just wanted to be sure and mention this even though it really is more of an issue when worn with certain goggles than with the mask. If the band wasn’t metal but a stiffer piece of rubber, or if perhaps there was some extra padding on the mask in that area it wouldn’t be an issue with any brands of goggles. I wouldn’t let this be a deciding factor if your interested in ordering one. Just give Steve or Josh at RZ MASK a call prior to ordering to be sure you are ordering the right size mask so you do not have this problem.

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Also they will be releasing some great new designs in the coming weeks. To view them check RZ MASK on FaceBook. The masks are available in sizes M, L, XL, and XXL and come in a variety of colors and styles. They retail for $29.95 each and a three pack of replacement N99 filters is $6.95 on their website, but all regular status members of Grizzly Riders receive a discount when ordering and the code is listed in the discount code thread in the preferred dealer forums.

I would like to Thank Steve and Josh Torbenson @ RZ MASK for making a great product that I plan on getting many years of dust free use out of.

If you have any questions please contact Steve or Josh at RZR MASK | RIDE HARD. BREATHE EASY. or call 888- 777-9422.