Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So I bought 3 different masks at 3 different price points to figure out which one is working properly. All 3 had ratings above 4.5 stars, seemingly you get what you pay for. Beware #1: there are lots of hijacked listings. You can read the questions / answers and the old reviews and it is clear that the cheap sellers are using hijacked postings: earlier reviews mention fabric, color options, sizes etc that do not apply to the current product on the listing. Maybe shoes or other clothing items are updated to sell these masks when they have enough ratings. Beware #2: You can carefully check the product images. Often there are contradicting pictures how the air-flow is working in these masks. Their design and build are all symmetric. If on a single image the left and right side are marked with arrows pointing into a different direction (so the air flow cannot be symmetric) it is a sign that the seller does not know how these work, so the product quality is already questionable. So my 3 choices were: - IdealHouse Diving Mask $7 (with additional coupons applied, original price ~$20) - Atlin Snorkel Mask (full face) $36 - Deep Sea O2 | Only Full Face Mask designed to... $60 I did not test these in the ocean. I tested them at home for air quality and fogging: carefully following the manuals. I needed to shave, adjust the straps and tried to wear them for a few minutes. You can check the pictures: the 2 cheaper models are exactly the same design. They are so close to each other in every parameter, size, material etc, that it is hard to believe they are not produced at the same factory. There are serious issues with them: they do not cover the bridge of my nose completely, so the two air chambers are not separated. When I breathe out, some of the ear flows back to the first chamber in front of my eyes. They immediately fog up and I keep breathing the same air: CO2 keeps build up until I start feeling lightheaded. I made several attempts adjusting the position, straps etc, but I could not reach a position that felt safe - even when testing in my living room. Note: I have big head, I ordered the largest of all sizes of these masks. Sealing might work properly if your face has a different structure, size etc. than mine. Second design issue with the 2 cheaper masks: the outgoing air flow is simply passing through on the side of the first air chamber - only separated by the silicone parts of the mask that should be pressed onto your face for sealing. That exact same pressure will make some tighter and some looser areas, but any uneven points on this silicone wall will cause that the separation does not work correctly, the air can flow back from the outgoing path into the first air chamber. Deep Sea O2 solves this issue by having a completely separate hose taking the CO2 out so it is not prone to this problem. You can compare the sizes of the masks: Deep Sea O2 is much smaller, the other two are the exact same size. Smaller in this case means less air pushing up your face, so much more comfortable for diving even a few feet. The straps / adjustments of the Atlin Snorkel Mask are horrible (the mask on the left side of the images): you can only adjust the bottom 2 attachments (where the band reaches the mask), while the left and right side of the bands are also sewn together. You need to pull it on your face without loosening them too much as you cannot adjust them after they are on your face. The other 2 masks are clearly superior, you can adjust the bands at every end and you can decouple the left and right side to easily put it on / take it off. Wearing the 2 cheaper masks becomes very uncomfortable after about 30 seconds when they fog up and you keep breathing the same air. I did not have this issue with the Deep Sea O2, after a few attempts to adjust the tightness of the straps, it does not fog up and I do not feel getting out of air. Additionally, Deep Sea O2 has: - The snorkel tube is sealed with a second O-ring, not just with a single one. - Silicon area over your nose, so you can equalize pressure for going underwater. - 3 separate sealing rods to seal in and output airways as well (when going underwater). - smaller volume, less air and pressure pushing your face up. All in all, I do not suggest even trying to Atlin and the IdealHouse product.