Review: LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier mask and case

Big thanks to LG Singapore for providing the unit for this review.

If you are not satisfied with the quality of face masks (e.g. comfort, fogging) we have to wear nowadays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, LG has the right product for you.

LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier (SGD 229) is essentially an electronic mask with H13 HEPA filters to filter out up to 99%+ of airborne bacteria, viruses, dust and allergens. There are also two built-in fans for a much better breathing experience.


With the exception of the mask and case, make sure the accessories are all sealed in airtight packaging.

These are the items included with the mask:
Mask 2x H13 HEPA filters 10x inner cover Face guard Strap extender USB-A to USB-C cable Soft carrying case

Design of the mask looks good. Build quality is solid with absolutely no flex. The material has this nice smooth matte texture on the front and back.


There's definitely some weight to it compared to disposable face mask, but it's very manageable.


I'm not sure if this is sold overseas, but here in Singapore it's available via LG Lazada, LG Shopee, Best Denki and COURTS.

The price is SGD 229. The case is sold separately for SGD 199


This is how the back looks without the face guard installed yet.


The elastic ear straps have this soft velvet texture that feels comfortable. These are also removable for washing.

Note that all removable parts can be bought separately too, and these are the prices:
H13 HEPA filters: SGD 30 for 2 pieces Inner cover: $20 for 30 pieces Silicone face guard: $20 per piece Ear band and extender: $20 per set

That's the filter compartment with filter and fan inside. The power button can switch the fan speed from low, medium and high.

Battery life for the fan at low speed can last 8 hours, and at high speed for 2 hours. Low speed fan is good for walking. Medium speed is good for slight activity, e.g. cycling. High speed is for running, basically doing things that will make you sweat.

And when mask is not worn for 20 seconds, it will power off automatically.

The battery is rechargeable via the USB-C port, but not replaceable.


The fan is only audible if you're in a very quiet room. Fan noise can't be heard once there's ambient noise and you may not even know that the fan is spinning, but you can still breathe.


There are huge holes hidden on the side, top and bottom for air intake.


The H13 HEPA filter which can filter which can be installed easily.


Exhaust will go out the black part there and to the bottom.


Design on the back is more busy because those are for attaching the face guard.


The face guard (left) is this medical grade silicone which is flexible to fit any face shape.

There's an inner cover to be installed inside the face guard to make it more comfortable for wearing. The inner cover is disposable so whenever it looks or feels dirty, it can be replaced.


The flexible silicone face guard is actually quite comfortable.


Installation of the face guard involves sliding two hooks and aligning two magnets. Very easy.


There are also some holes on the face guard as well, to make it more breathable for your skin.


The PuriCare mask is obviously heavier than disposable face masks, but the ear strap is definitely strong enough to handle the weight. I personally don't feel the weight to be an issue, as in I don't think about the weight when I'm wearing it.

However, using the strap extender is going to make the mask significantly more comfortable to wear. The strap extender also makes the mask feel more secure. I will wear the strap extender whenever possible.


The soft carrying case included is very well made. Material is thick and velvety. There's draw string to tighten the top.


The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier case works as a sanitisation and charging case. This a separate purchase.


The case uses LG’s UVnano sanitisation technology, AKA UV light, to sanitise the mask and can do so in 30 minutes.


You can also use the case to sanitise other things, e.g. spectacles.


Pressing the power button will cycle through the different functions.

There's also a drying function which will remove moisture from the filters and inner cover. The drying process can take up to 4 hours which is kinda long but Singapore is very humid so that's not surprising. FYI, I have a dehumidifier in a cupboard and it collects water everyday so that's how humid Singapore is.


There's this small removable magnetised USB-C charging connector in the case.


That's for attaching to the mask so that the mask can placed easily inside the case. It takes 2 hours for a full charge.


Note that there's no USB wall charger or adapter included. It's just the USB cable that's included. LG recommends using a 5V and 1.8A or higher power source to power and charge the mask. Phone chargers should be powerful enough but not all computer USB ports provide enough power.


The mask looks good, and overall comfortable to wear mostly because the ear strap is very comfortable.

Note that this mask is going to attract a lot of attention simply because it's not the generic disposable mask everyone else is wearing. It will take some time to get used to being self conscious.


When you have the extender at the neck, it's not that comfortable because the top of the strap is applying downward pressure. That's due to the extender sliding to the mid point position on the ear strap and towards the neck area. The higher the extender, and away from your neck, the more comfortable it will be.

I wear spectacles and using the extender this way makes it easier to remove the mask, by just unhooking the extender.


To have the extender higher up my head, I have the ear strap go around the extender's hook twice to fix the position towards the top.


This way the ear strap will barely touch the ear while the extender is pulling the mask. This is significantly more comfortable.

Downside is for people who wear spectacles, you can't just unhook to remove the mask, you have to remove your spectacles to remove the mask which is inconvenient of course.

I won't use the extender when I use the mask for short periods of time and don't have to take the mask on or off often. If I need to use the mask for long periods of time, using the extender is more comfortable.


One thing that surprised me was there's actually a sensor that will make the fans spin faster when you breathe in, and sensor is surprisingly effective. You can go to the gym with this mask if you want to, but the ear straps will be soaked with sweat real fast.

One problem I have with disposable mask is fogging or condensation on my spectacles which is incredibly irritating. There's no such problem with the PuriCare mask. The flexible silicone face guard was able to fit my face nicely without any leakage.
In the real world
There's no difficulty in breathing, even if there's no fan on. Just that with the fans, there will be better circulation with the air constantly being pushed out. When you change the fan speed, that speed is actually the speed when the fans rev up, and the fans only rev up when you breathe in, otherwise the fans will maintain low inaudible spinning speed.

When I'm outdoors and under the sun, I find myself sweating more with this mask on. This is when I'm cycling or using my skateboard. There will actually be sweat beads around (not on) lips. I can also feel the sweat on the silicone face guard. For walking indoors under shade, no problem. When wearing face masks, we don't usually notice the sweat because the mask will absorb the sweat.

While you can certainly wear this mask for exercise (with high fan speed), you will definitely sweat more. The detachable ear straps should obviously be washed.

The mask can filter out bacteria, virus and dust, but does not filter out the smell of traffic exhaust and cigarette smoke. There's no haze recently so I can't say if the smell of haze can be filtered out.

I've no issues with the weight which I find manageable.
Who this mask is for
Whether you need a product like this really depends on your needs, and you can look at your current workflow and lifestyle to see if such a product can fit in. $229 for a mask may be extravagant, but only you can decide whether it's worth your money.
Availability
You can find the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier mask and case at LG Lazada, LG Shopee, Best Denki and COURTS.

Hashtags: #LGSingapore #LGPuriCare #LGWearableAirPurifier #PuriCareWearableAirPurifier #sp
Tags:  lg tech reviews