“This new survey data confirms what we already suspected,” said Scott Birke, Publisher at Finder.com. “We noticed at the start of the pandemic in March, April and May, Canadians were looking for information on where to purchase medical grade masks. Over the last few months, Canadians have been shifting their interest to cloth masks or fashionable masks.”
The proof is in new research from the global financial comparison site, stating that 40 per cent of Canadians say they own a cloth mask.
While the next most popular face mask in Canada is the classic blue surgical mask (with 33 per cent of Canadians saying they own one), homemade masks and face shields are taking off.
Photo: Unsplash
“Ultimately, Canadians see masks as something we will be living with for a long time, maybe even years, so this newfound interest in cloth masks, speaks to an acceptance of face masks as a daily accessory that we can’t leave home without, similar to our wallets, keys and cell phones,” Burke said.
Along with the rise of the cloth mask, a significant gender divide in ownership emerged: Canadian women are far more likely to own a mask at 85 per cent compared to just 73 per cent of men.
The biggest difference? Nearly half of women say they own a cloth mask (49 per cent) compared to just 34 per cent of men, though men are more likely to own medical grade masks (15 per cent to just 13 per cent of women).
Canadians aged 18 to 24-years-old are most likely to say they own a fashionable or branded mask.
As Burke said: “If people are wearing face masks every time they go out, many want them to do double duty – providing both style and protection,”
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