Why Respilon?
Who is this company?
First, some basic background on who these guys are. This is a small company from the Czech Republic with a highly specialized focus on the application of Nanofibers for PPE and household use. RESPILON® started back in 2013 in founder Roman Zima's kitchen over discussion of how to use Nano technology in everyday applications. The company focused on the viral and pollution filtration efficiency of Nanofiber materials and tested them for everyday use in facemasks, window screens and other products. RESPILON® began selling face masks and respirators with Nano fiber membranes in 2014 and quickly became a household name in countries with high pollution rates, and for people with allergies and hayfever. Nano fibers filter out much smaller particles than traditional materials; above and beyond the dreaded PM 2.5, including nasty coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS and yes, even COVID-19. Respilon’s main customer base includes medical and front-line workers battling not only viruses, but also natural disasters, such as wildfires that severely compromise air quality. The company started the move into wearables early on; in 2014 the R-shield neck gaiter tube scarf with nanofibre membrane debuted with Respilon’s sponsorship of the Czech BMX freestyle charity fest; Charity Jam. Full production of the R-shield buff was financed on Kickstarter, where the company not only met their goal, but blasted it out of the park with an impressive 429%. Now the company has started production of their new RESPILON® VK Virus Killer masks. These are Nanofiber face masks and respirators enriched with accelerated copper oxide. The copper oxide works to actively kill viruses and bacteria, which is pretty impressive.
Why do we like them?
We like the concept of wearables; you can protect yourself without adding to landfills by using disposable masks that you need to throw away every day or every week. And using Nano fiber just makes sense. The fibers are much more dense than any kind of textile or other material, so it only stands to reason that they'll catch smaller particles. Also we like Respilon's overall attitude: they seem pretty socially and environmentally-conscious, so they match up well with our values. Also it's obvious that they are working hard at innovating and coming up with new solutions to help filter the air we breathe.