Cutest Covid face masks from Arm the Animals

Face masks are the fashion accessory of summer 2020. Despite what Covid-deniers and mask scoffers want to believe, our public health crisis is going to be with us for a while. So we might as well look our best when we slink out of our shelters and venture into terrifying places like grocery stores.

But how do we look chic in a pandemic? I’ve scoured the internet Googling “cute face masks” and so far my favorites are from Arm the Animals. Fortunately, this company also has a righteous animal welfare mission, having helped more than 150 organizations since its founding in 2010. Plus, Arm the Animals is donating one mask to California hospital and emergency workers for every mask it sells.

Why do animals need to be armed? Well, humans don’t make it easy for animals, between encroaching on their territory, poaching them for dubious traditional medicines, grinding them up into hamburgers, etcetera. Arm the Animals sells t-shirts featuring turtles with built-in tanks, sniper pandas and Molotov cocktail-throwing kitties.

Trying out the face masks

So far I’ve bought four Arm the Animals face masks, and have been completely happy with three of them. My Molocat mask is a must-have for summertime riots or other Antifa—Kittifa?—gatherings. Or, in my case, buying kitty litter at Petco, where the groomer complimented me on it.

The grim reaper kitty sums up the horrors of Covid-19 while still being cute.

I also bought two tabby face masks. The white tabby face is convincingly cute and garnered appreciation from the AAA guy who brought me a new battery since my car has mostly sat out the pandemic so far. The only mask I haven’t been thrilled with is the Russian blue. It looked cute on the website but mine is printed so dark it’s hard to tell it’s a cat face at first glance.

Russian blue mask. That’s a real cat in the background.

Arm the Animals face masks are soft on the face with comfortable ear loops. At $18.99 they’re a little steep, especially since you have to pay another five bucks or so for shipping. But it’s not like I’m spending many other fashion dollars right now, and if I have to wear a mask—and I do in indoor public spaces in Oregon starting next week—it’s totally worth having a cute one.