Just in case: No, these don’t work for covid.
I got one of these (not necessarily this brand) and just sort of wore it in my day to day life. After losing access to the gym, which also took away my stairs master, paired with moving across country and no longer having a job where I walked 5-6 miles a day… I figured this would give me a bit of something. You can relatively quickly get used to these things and I do breath easier for a good while without it, but do NOT start at the max level. It’s not about toughness, don’t push it. These things can be pretty good, just be safe with them.
Hmmm. Looks like it would have a good fit for keeping your breath from blowing up into your glasses which is especially a problem in the winter. From the parts diagram it appears that the flow restrictor might be hacked and replaced with a COVID quality filter. And the price point looks pretty reasonable. Thoughts anyone? (Besides that this could be academic by winter.)
all I can think of when I look at this is Bane
There was a TV show, filmed pre-covid that featured this mask. A previous time this was offered I posted it. I just can’t remember what it was called. It did look kind of badass 
It’s called The Rain, on Netflix.
Or, just wear an N95 mask all day. Breathing resistance at it’s best!
So let me explain what happens at high altitudes in the shortest of terms. Less oxygen is able to make it into your bloodstream, and as a result your body creates more red blood cells in an attempt to balance the less oxygen you are receiving in the air. This actually increases the viscosity of your blood and your heart has to pump harder. If you are at risk of heart disease, this is potentially dangerous. So if this is reducing the amount of oxygen you receive, please be careful. I’m not a doctor, (I’m doing my pre reqs for nursing though) but please ask your doctor before you use this item.
I am concerned the mask structure at the bridge of my nose would interfere with even WEARING glasses, which is a major blocking point for me…
This thing makes it harder to breath and makes you look like Bane. How does that translate to increasing blood viscosity? It definitely doesn’t actually mimic high altitude training, but you’re claiming some strange effects.
Just so you know, these do not have the benefits that exercising at high altitudes does. It is a marketing gimmick and generally a dumb purchase.
It makes your breathing muscles work harder. Freedivers do that and they have better airflow restrictors for it. Just visit a freediving shop like mako spearguns if you want one.
(Edit: and yeah, it’s not the same as altitude training, that’s just marketing BS, but it does something.)
Ah… you think high altitude is your ally? You merely adopted the high altitude. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t breath the oxygen until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but invigorating!
You might want to read the item description—this does NOT reduce oxygen levels(other than re-breathing residual exhaled air trapped inside the mask), it increases airflow RESISTANCE (think of breathing through a straw). Increased resistance causes intercostal muscles to work harder while the rest of the body sees the same workload—i.e. more exercise for breathing muscles with less stress on the rest.
Lots of luck with nursing training—brush up on your reading comprehension.
Well, the title of the listing uses the words “high altitude”, and they use altitude measures for the air restriction levels, so that at least means they are implying they are reducing oxygen levels. I guess those things aren’t evaluated for truth in advertising.
Reducing a necessary physiological flow rate DOES boost the “workout” of associated muscles - according to my prostate, my bladder walls are MUCH more muscular now after constantly having to do “crunches”.
Unfortunately, reducing airflow rate DOES decrease your available oxygen - which then DOES drive your adaptation toward breathing more strongly (and, if you do it long enough, like for months and YEARS, will influence your red-blood cell counts - THAT is the benefit of high-altitude adaptation).
The problem comes if you already have some issue with oxygen intake which will NOT (i.e., cannot) improve with exercise, like partially blocked veins going to your heart. I’m trying to remember if the graphics show visible lips under the mask edge, to be able to see when they turn blue…
Which points back to the earlier serious guidance above about “discuss with your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.”
Lol so snarky for no reason
“It’s over, Anakin… I have the High Altitude Training Mask!”
But you merely adopted the high altitude training mask.
I was born in it, molded by it.