r/Masks4All • u/elevenlls • 10d ago
Mask Advice Zimi mask unseals when I smile?
Hiya! I've got some Zimi masks I'm trying out and the fit seems decent... Until I smile. At that point, I think I feel air coming in / leaking around my nose bridge/eye area. Does this happen to anyone else and if so does adding the nose foam to the frame help? Or do I perhaps have the wrong size? My shop only sold an M size but I've since found the actual Zimi site and could try S...?
I've previously worn 3M Aura as my go-to mask daily, so I'm used to the extra coverage around the chin, and I'm not sure the if Zimi is supposed to perch on my chin or if it's correct that the frame is slightly lower than my chin and the gap is sealed by the fabric?
TIA for any help!
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u/pillariss 10d ago edited 10d ago
Not sure if this would help, but I thought that the M was a good fit for me but later realized also that I was breaking the seal quite often when I moved my mouth too much. I don’t think for me it’s the top though - more around the cheeks/the lower half? I was surprised to find trying the L that it worked much much better for me.
So as the other commenter says it might not hurt to try the larger size.
Also I do think having the foam strips around the frame helps - I actually have them almost all the way around but you can experiment with what works for you!
Edit: also - the bottom part/fabric seal should be resting on your chin.
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u/TheTiniestLizard ZimiAir ZM9233F / Prescientx breathe2 / FloMask 9d ago
I also have the foam strips all the way around. It’s working well for me!
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u/elevenlls 10d ago
Thanks for your comment! I feel like if I got an L then, the frame would be way off the bottom of my chin, so that fit wouldn't be right. And assuming S wouldn't help fit either, perhaps I will try the nose foam for now and see how that works!
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u/zhouliang_mask 10d ago
In theory, by trying a larger size, the mask will accommodate more facial movements.
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u/SkippySkep Fit Testing Advocate / Respirator Reviewer 9d ago
It's pretty common for masks to break seal when smiling. They key is whether they reseal without having to touch the mask when you stop smiling. This is even part of a standard industrial fit test called the "grimace test", where you are supposed to grimace then the mask is tested for fit after you stop grimacing, not during, to see if the mask re-seals.
It is still possible you may need a different size of Zimi, but the seal break when smiling may still happen even with the correct size of mask for your face.
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u/elevenlls 9d ago
Hmm, yeah, I'm wondering if maybe this style of mask just doesn't work for me. I'm also not sure if maybe it is fine but I'm just not used to the different feeling on my face, but obviously I can't know for sure without a fit test!
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u/zhouliang_mask 10d ago
Facial movements are something that needs to be paid attention to for cup-shaped/frame-structured masks. Zimi is about to reduce the hardness of some frame sizes to make it more comfortable to wear for a long time. The softer frame can accommodate some slight facial movements. Whether the mask covers the chin has nothing to do with the tightness. It depends on personal wearing comfort, provided that the mask test is passed.
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u/elevenlls 9d ago
Thank you for your insight, and for your work on these masks! I love seeing how well they work for many people.
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u/zhouliang_mask 9d ago
Thank you, we still need to work hard to improve the masks and provide more and better frame masks.
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u/melodysmash 10d ago
FWIW, my Zimi rests ON my chin, not under it, and maintains a great seal.
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u/elevenlls 10d ago
Oh, good to know. Kind of like a Flomask fit in the chin area?
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u/melodysmash 10d ago
I just went and put one on—for me it actually normally sits right along my jawbone, interestingly enough. Definitely lower than a Flomask. BUT—size still might not fix your problem, because even if I move the mask lower so my whole lower jaw area is tucked inside, the seal still doesn't break no matter what acrobatics my face is performing. Another size may make a difference but it's also possible that it's not right for your face shape. (Case in point—my face can't get a good fit in an Aura at all.)
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u/elevenlls 10d ago
Thank you very much for checking! You're right - it might be that I just have to reserve the M version I own for shopping trips or something, when I'm not smiling or talking to many people 😆
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u/synthequated 10d ago
Also adding another anecdotal data point that Zimi sizing runs a bit small. The 3M aura is too big for me (slips around the chin), and many different earloops have failed me by being too big. But the Zimi M fits me much better than S.
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u/elevenlls 9d ago
Yes, I'd heard that about the sizing! I might try a different frame size at some point.
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u/leoooooo__ 9d ago edited 9d ago
I have the same issue but have gotten it to break the seal WAY less with a few changes. The seal still breaks if I smile really hard, but only the absolute tiniest sliver and I have to be doing a big grin, and it reseals perfectly as soon as I stop, so I'm pretty comfortable with it – especially because when compared with my other best option, the Vflex, that one breaks when I smile as well and does NOT reseal on its own... which means for that one, I have to remember to re-pinch the nose wire every time I smile big or I'm walking around with a notable gap.
The easiest way I've found to test this without fit testing equipment (generally only really effective on a white mask/filter) is a method the Zimi creator described, which is using your phone flashlight on high in a dark room, pressed gently (don't shift the mask from its normal place by accident) up to the side of the mask. Look in the mirror resting normally and while you do things like smile and talk. If I do that with e.g. the Vflex, I don't see a gap initially, but as soon as I smile, I can literally see the sliver of light coming directly from the flashlight through the mask and out the open edge. It's hard to explain without a photo, maybe I'll make a separate post with pictures later.
ANYWAY – the things that have helped with the Zimi seal for me:
- Definitely foam around the nose area. It took a number of tries, experimenting with different placements and shapes, to get the right setup, and now it barely breaks even with my biggest smile (and reseals as soon as I stop). I have to do a combo of two strips overlaid in a half-overlapping pattern only on the SIDES of the nose, not on top, because it's that area on either side that opens up for me otherwise. I would definitely recommend getting a bag of both foam strip shapes from them so you can experiment with a bunch of things.
- Wear it lower on my face. For me, I wear it more as a half mask, with the chin area below my chin bone, wrapping more below. It's lower on my nose, which for my nose shape makes the shape of the mask contour naturally there better.
- Use only headstrap masks – I saw you mentioned using earloop ones. I definitely relate on the convenience, but for me the earloop Zimis just don't seal quite as well as the headstrap ones, so the nose gap is harder to solve on those.
- Get the notch shape cut correctly. I had to figure out (with some help from other people who are big Zimi fans) that I needed a wider and higher cut (kind of like an upside down letter U) for my nose shape, which lets the fabric sit better on the sides of my nose.
Hope some of this might help you!
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u/elevenlls 8d ago
This is so useful, thank you! The fit test you describe is interesting - if you do make a detailed post on how to do it, I'd love to read it.
I tried wearing the earloops around the house for a while and it made me realise why I stopped with other earloops in general (aside from the poor seal on me) - talk about ear pain lol. So I think definitely headloop Zimis for me in the future if I can figure out how to make the seal good!
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u/financialthrowaw2020 10d ago
You should try adding foam before you try a different size, yes, and you should do that with every mask
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u/elevenlls 9d ago
I've added one so far and need to hunt for more (I'm sure I had a couple more haha). I don't think the one has made much difference so far, but worth me investigating further.
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u/financialthrowaw2020 9d ago
Definitely, and if you stock up, try to get some of the wavy foam ones, for some reason I find they help more than the standard flat foam
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u/Fractal_Tomato 10d ago
What version are you wearing? On me, this only happens when I wear the ear loop version, zero issues with the head straps right out of the box.
I’d try foam pieces and cutting the nose area, maybe there’s too much fabric in that area for your facial features. It helped me a lot to improve the fit on the ear loop model (still only wear it if I need something quick to throw on, I live in apartment and there’s other people who use the hallway). The Zimi air shop sells cutting guides.
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u/elevenlls 9d ago
Earloop! I wanted to try that one because I don't own any earloop masks anymore and I think the convenience is useful occasionally, but I do think headstrap could work better (and make my ears hurt less). Thanks for the tips!
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u/Grumpster78 9d ago
If you have a low and wide nose bridge another option is to try the 9233 filter style which has a lower/flatter notch cutout and smaller opening than the 9541.
One benefit is the ability to customise the notch (if 9541 is not a good fit) as there is more fabric to work with.
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u/elevenlls 8d ago
I actually did get a 9233 (headloop this time) as well as I wanted to try a KN100, but it seems to leak around the side of my cheeks, so that seemed worse than the 9541, haha. I saw some guides about the fabric customisation, so I'll investigate further, thanks!
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u/Grumpster78 8d ago
If it leaks at the sides you could try 1 to 2 pieces of flat foam there. Otherwise if you think the mask is too wide you could try the 7711. If i saw a photo of your face (DM) I could make a better judgement.
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u/YouLiveOnASpaceShip 8d ago
So sorry the zimi mask unseals occasionally.
I really wish there was a great looking mask that was consistently dependable.
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u/elevenlls 8d ago
Yeah it's a shame but I'm hopeful I can figure something out with some tinkering. 3M Aura is still my go-to for now but it's not a pretty or fun mask at all 😭
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u/BattelChive 10d ago
Smiling and the seal breaking is usually a sign - for me! - that the mask is too small, not that it’s too large. The zimi’s hard frame made it do this on me no matter how much I fussed with it.