3D Printed Mask Buckle - Ear Saver

thingiverse

Update: I've uploaded two improved versions of the Buckle, V3a. The short one is useful if you wear the mask with the buckle around the base of your neck rather than over your hair. It can also be printed on smaller printers. The long version is easier to print, and on it you can cut off the tabs that you don't need so you always have a good fit. These FDM printed mask buckles are really wonderful if you have to wear one of those behind-the-ear masks for any length of time. The comfort level really is much better. This buckle has strong tabs for the elastic band, with a flexible middle section that bends around the neck or back of your head. They're cheap enough that you can consider them daily disposable, but also they do last for quite a long time. Through my job at the Alcor Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona we are printing hundreds of these a day and handing them out to hospital workers, cleaners, first responders, and anyone else that needs to wear a face mask for their work. I've been printing these 18 at a time on two of my printers and have made over 1,200 so far. I've been told that the nurses all LOVE THESE! In fact they wrote me a letter thanking me for providing these. Nurses and hospital staff have to wear their masks for hours and hours on end, and being comfortable in order to do a good job while under so much stress cannot be understated.