All over the country, parents groaned when they heard that all children over 2 years old should wear face masks. Wearing a mask is an important part of protecting ourselves and others from spreading Covid-19. As children return to schools and day care, it’s even more important to take as many precautions as possible. However, I have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old. Sometimes I can’t even get them to wear pants in the snow, let alone keep a piece of fabric on their face.
I’ve spent all year chasing my kids and trying to get them to keep their face coverings on. These are the ones that have worked. My colleague Louryn Strampe and I will continue to test and update through the rest of this pandemic year. We also routinely update our guide to the best face masks for adults. If you’re looking for more ideas to entertain your small (or not-so-small) kids, check out our guides to entertaining preschoolers during quarantine and how to set up a virtual workspace for your kids.
Update December 2020: We added new face masks we’ve tested from Bonrisu, Rafi Nova, Planting Changes, Grove, and more.
Adrienne So led testing and is the main author of this guide. Louryn Strampe also tested and contributed to this guide.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
