Frequently Asked Questions

Most traditional masks rely heavily on electrostatic filter for their effectiveness, the problem with electrostatic filters is their effectiveness reduces from the moment they are used, so the cleanest breath you will take will be the first and then these masks rapidly lose effectiveness.

Aō Air is different because we love you and we are scientifically honest.

Aō’s proprietary and patented filters are a composite construction filter. We have many layers and utilize multiple modes of incepting the pollution before you breathe it.

The active nanofiber layer is one of the most important and is the middle layer of the filter. The active nano fibers, made with our propriety blend, utilizes a nano scale sieve action, so that when a pollution particle is captured by the active nano fiber the effectiveness of the filter is not reduced it increases because the size of the gap of the sieve has become smaller

Of course, our filters also fill up, but the Atmōs can monitor the filter state through the app and let you know when the Atmōs’ filters need refilling.

We have targeted fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 (2.5μm).  We achieve an initial effectiveness of 98% of PM2.5 which is similar to the effectiveness of filters in a surgical operating room. After a short time, the filter effectiveness would increase.

 PM2.5 is around 3% the size of a human hair or to put it another way 1/8000 of an inch, indeed, particles in this category are so small that they can only be detected with an electron microscope. We even capture particulate matter smaller than PM2.5 but in lower efficiencies. Below are a few examples of the particulate matter captured:

• > 10.0 μm: Pollen, dust mites, cockroach debris, sanding dust, spray paint dust, textile fibers, carpet fibers

• 10.0–3.0 μm: Mold spores, dust mite debris, cat and dog dander, hair spray, fabric protector, dusting aids, pudding mix

• 3.0–1.0 μm: Legionella, humidifier dust, lead dust, milled flour, auto emission particulates, nebulizer droplets

Please note that the toxicity and intensity of the pollution you are exposed to will impact the estimated battery and filter life.

Some, but the Atmōs hasn’t been designed for the smaller facial sizes of kids under 15 years. We recommend waiting for the next generation of facewear for your kids.

Yes, although some larger glasses may interfere with the fit of the Atmōs and vice versa.

Aō Air loves facial hair.

While most of our competitors require you to shave before using their products (look deep in the fine print on that one), our PostivAir™ technology does not require a seal. This means you can have facial hair and be protected. However, the bigger beards may interfere with the fit and effectiveness of your facewear.

Final weight is estimated under 290 grams excluding headbands, any external battery packs & accessories.

Because at Aō we want you to breathe free!

A standard mask requires your lungs to do the work by pulling the air across the mask filter before it goes in your lungs; a negative pressure system

The Atmōs works for you by pushing the air across the filters with the li-ion powered fans this generates a pocket of clean air in front of your face ready for your next breath; a positive pressure system.

To confirm this the independent study by the Auckland University of Technology tested the pressure differential and found the PositivAir system was:

• 90-92% lower than a market leading neoprene-based sports mask

• 86-90% lower than a market leading NIOSH approved N95 mask

• 92-95% lower than a market leading NIOSH approved double barreled elastomeric respirator

Here is the one-page summary AUT Biodesign Lab one page report for some more detail you can visit the source https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/11775.

Quieter than the noise level experienced at street level.

NO!

The Atmōs is not intended for use in a workplace or for the treatment or management of any diseases or conditions. It is not a replacement for any required personal protective equipment, other workplace safety measures, or medical device and action in order to cure, treat, or prevent diseases of any nature.

It is also important to note that the Atmōs DOES NOT supply oxygen and must be used in areas with enough oxygen to support life.

Please seek the advice of a qualified medical professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the suitability of Atmōs to your medical needs.

Way cooler, because the Atmōs has a continuous flow of clean air that flushes the Atmōs between breaths.  As we clean the air around the air you breathe in is close to atmospheric temperature and humidity.

Standard masks hold your previously exhaled breath in the mask, and you re-breathe that air in the next breath. So traditional masks the temperature is largely driven by the temperature of your exhaled breath. The independent study by the Auckland University of Technology tested the temperature differential and found the PositivAir system was less humid and cooler than all of the market leading masks and respirators that were tested against.

The PostivAir system tested the temperature over ambient tested at:

• 38-67% cooler than a market leading neoprene-based sports mask

• 44-67% cooler than a market leading NIOSH approved N95 mask

• 38-60% cooler than a market leading NIOSH approved double barreled elastomeric respirator

The PostivAir system tested the relative humidity differential against market leading solutions and the system was:

• 20-29% less humid than a market leading neoprene-based sports mask

• 20-41% less humid than a market leading NIOSH approved N95 mask

• 20-38% less humid than a market leading NIOSH approved double barreled elastomeric respirator

Here is the one-page summary AUT Biodesign Lab one-page report for some more detail you can visit the source https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/11775..

We look at CO2 being inhaled as the indicator of the rebreathing of air, along with the heat and humidity of the air inhaled (see above). The independent study by the Auckland University of Technology tested the CO2 levels inside the masks and found the PositivAir system had materially less CO2 being inhaled than the competition. CO2 levels tested at:

• 60-91% less CO2 inside the breathing area than a market leading neoprene-based sports mask

• 60-90% less CO2 inside the breathing area than a market leading NIOSH approved N95 mask

• 57-90% less CO2 inside the breathing area than a market leading NIOSH approved double barreled elastomeric respirator

These results were based off the CO2 sensor measuring the average of both the inhaled and exhaled air of the user within the system. We believe that if we measured only the CO2 being inhaled then it would be even lower – close to the same levels as atmospheric CO2.

Here is the one-page summary AUT Biodesign Lab one-page report for some more detail you can visit the source https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/11775..

The Atmōs is made of hypoallergenic materials including silicones, however, please note that some people are sensitive to silicone. If this is the case with you, please see our Return Policy for how to obtain a refund we’ll happily refund you.

The Atmōs works much better than traditional masks with your make up which requires a forceful seal to work. Although we still lightly touch the face around the nose area. No touching of mouth, cheeks, chin furthermore without the heat caused by rebreathing your less likely to sweat, and less likely to look flushed.

For longer or more vigorous use a headband will be provided as will a USB C cable.

For the first purchasers will also provide free 4x filter sets.   This should last a commuter using the Atmōs daily over 4 months of protection*. For those who are less regular or in less polluted environments the filters could last much longer.

The Atmōs can run without connecting to the app on your phone.  However, you will need the Aō Air app to connect to the Atmōs if you want to know the status of the battery and filter or any of your respiratory information.

No app is required to run the Atmos, however, to get the most out of the Atmos the Aō Air app will be available for iOS and latterly for Android. If your phone isn’t supported, please refer to the returns policy.

No. But there is a good reason. N95 and K95 and similar certifications are based upon the existing “seal based” solution which we consider to be flawed. The K95 and N95 certification requires a seal to the face and the Atmōs doesn’t seal to the face; the Atmōs uses positive air flow to exclude the pollution from the air you breathe.

Don’t get us wrong, the N95 and K95 masks are better than nothing (and great for virus protection) and if you don’t have an Atmōs we do recommend using one. The difference is however that Aō Air’s PositivAir system doesn’t require a seal, this is our magic we create; a breathing environment of clean air. When coupled with our D’Fend filtration system the Atmōs materially outperforms these existing solutions as can be seen in the one-page summary, we’ve taken out the names of the brands that were tested against as we didn’t want to embarrass them too much. AUT Biodesign Lab one-page report for some more detail you can visit the source https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/11775..

No as the industry is moving towards the MERV standards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_efficiency_reporting_value) and our internal testing shows we achieve a MERV 16 rating which is the filter used in hospital operating rooms. While we’re talking about filtration, it’s probably helpful to note the D’fend has a proprietary multistage filtration system with different stages targeting different sizes of particulates - we’ve already cleaned the air of larger particulate matter before it gets to the active nano filter.

Because this is what’s hurting huge numbers of people.  We target the stuff doing the most damage. Owing to their minute size, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers are able penetrate deep into the lungs where it can pass into your blood.

The D’fend filter system and the pre filter of course also gets the bigger particles.

The biggest impact of particulate air pollution on public health is understood to be from long-term exposure to PM2.5, which increases the age-specific mortality risk, particularly from cardiovascular causes. For more reading:

https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/public-health/pm25.html

There may be some enhancements to the design, if you’re unhappy with the design, please refer to our returns and cancellation policy.

The Atmōs will protect against some bacteria and some viruses, however it has been designed for protection against particulate matter and not for protection against viruses and bacteria.  The Atmōs is not 100% effective against airborne pathogens. We cannot for legal reasons recommend the Atmōs for this purpose.  

The Atmōs can provide up to 240 liters per minute which should be enough to even peak athletic performance.

The Atmōs is not waterproof, but it will be fine in a light rain.

Please don’t. The filters are not designed for washing, it will ruin the filters and not remove the particulate matter for reuse as you hoped. 

We are still working on this but we are intending to put in place a return policy so we can effectively recycle the Atmōs.

In testing this fogging of the glasses has not yet occurred. This is due to the free flow of air.

We are only seeking electronics certification in the US and Korea at this point. Outside of these markets the Atmōs should work, but risks associated with the device rests with the purchaser. Our Bluetooth module is globally certified.

We will not sell your personal contact data to a third party. We wouldn’t want our personal data to be on sold so we won’t do this to you.

We will run an opt in policy on the data collected from the device. We will contact you closer to the date, but hope you’ll opt in as this data will help us improve the Atmōs and can even be used to help discover digital health enhancements. Should you opt in your data will of course be fully anonymized. We will be in contact with more details on this closer to the date.

The time taken to ship from our manufacturing will depend upon your location. We will keep you advise of the expected receipt date however we have prioritized Korea and US outside of these locations there may be some additional delays.

Yeah! We accept that you may try the Atmōs on and realise you need a different size! if that’s the case we will arrange a different size for you.

Please see our Limited Warranty Policy for more information.

Given the lead times, sure, we realize things change you can arrange a refund before we ship or up to 30days from receipt. Contact us via email: sales@ao-air.com to arrange a refund.