A couple of years earlier, who would have thought that face masks would be in line for a high-tech upgrade. In fact, big brands like and deploying their precious resources and time to develop next-gen masks that ups your style quotient exponentially in the current uncertain times. Even lifestyle brands like or upcoming designers like believe the face masks are here to stay. LG is another big name that forayed into developing a high-tech face mask last year and has been improving the design and function of the beta model ever since. Now they’ve announced the latest version of the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier (that’s an odd naming convention) that had three fans and a couple of HEPTA filters to keep most pathogens out. The new face mask has a smaller and lighter motor and built-in microphones and speakers. The latter helps in automatically amplifying the wearer’s voice when talking, courtesy of the VoiceON technology. For that matter, the techno Razer Project Hazel face mask has a similar tech to make communication easier. The improvements on the LG PuriCare don’t stop there as it weighs just 94 grams now and has a 1,000mAh battery with a recharge time of two hours. LG says we can wear it without any discomfort for around eight hours, but hey, remember it is a mask, and it will feel a bit uncomfortable after just a few hours. LG claims in the fresh press release that the ergonomic PuriCare Wearable is designed in a way to “minimizes air leakage around the nose and chin to create a tight but comfortable seal for hours.” The improved version targeted towards active individuals is slated to come to Thailand in August, and the Thai Olympics team wore it on their way to the summer games in Tokyo. Launch in other markets is dependent on the local regulatory authority approvals. So it remains to be seen how the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier fares in real-life settings. How the users perceive it will be more important than anything else, so we’ll have to wait and watch! Designer: