--- description: Find out why Various is one of the best inventions of 2020. title: Various: The 100 Best Inventions of 2020 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f6f8b49980f1072/698a144a8fd2eea579361f92/best-inventions-of-2020-B2-Mask-0.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Nov 19, 2020 # Masks That Do More Various by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  Jessica Pettway for TIME; Prop styling by Stephanie L. Yeh When it comes to stemming the spread of COVID-19, there’s probably no more important item than the face mask, which, according to the CDC, prevents respiratory droplets from traveling into the air—and onto other people—when we sneeze, cough, talk or raise our voice. It’s certainly the one consumer product that defines 2020\. And while any number of variations could be considered a “best invention,” three impressed us most. From top: B2 Mask by [Breathe99](https://breathe99.com/ "undefined") is a flexible, rubber-like face piece that holds two replaceable filters that remove about 99.6% of ­particles—and the mask is machine-washable ($59.99 mask; $7.99 filters). \[MSK\] by [Petit Pli](https://shop.petitpli.com/ "undefined") uses a fabric made of recycled plastic bottles woven into a patent-­pending origami-like pattern to create a comfortable fit that works for every face ($38). RunMask by [IAMRUNBOX](https://iamrunbox.com/ "undefined") uses the materials associated with athletic clothes—organic cotton, spandex and ­polyester—to create a mask that stays cool and comfortable during workouts ($39)_._ _—Marjorie Korn_ **Buy now:** [B2 Mask](https://breathe99.com/products/b2-mask "undefined"), [Pli Mask](https://shop.petitpli.com/products/pre-order-petit-pli-batch3-msk-1 "undefined"), [RunMask](https://iamrunbox.com/products/protective-face-mask "undefined") Various: The 100 Best Inventions of 2020 ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911417/masks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911417/masks/"},"headline":"Masks That Do More","datePublished":"2020-11-19T13:51:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:45:45.121Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911417/masks/","keywords":["list","franchise","best inventions","Best Inventions 2020"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f6f8b49980f1072/698a144a8fd2eea579361f92/best-inventions-of-2020-B2-Mask-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f6f8b49980f1072/698a144a8fd2eea579361f92/best-inventions-of-2020-B2-Mask-0.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911417/masks/","name":"Masks That Do More"}}]}] ```