This is the story of the creation of Frogmask anti-pollution mask brand. How I switched from a distributor of an American brand of pollution masks for cyclists to the creator of this French mask brand with unique characteristics?
From Vogmask distributor to creator of Frogmask
After 5 years as French speaking countries distributor for Vogmask, a US anti-pollution mask brand, that brand owner announced to me in April 2020 (at the very beginning of the pandemic) that they will cut off deliveries to Europe to better serve the US market while my European sales were literally exploding.
The world collapsed, all my marketing work on Vogmask, the creation of a large distribution network, store by store, and my website erased with a single Email. Yes, they did not even bother to call me ! However, I had gone to meet them in San Francisco in 2019 as part of a discussion on my possible acquisition of their brand. They were far too greedy whereas they held no patent and no production contract with they Korean producer.
I had two options. Cry, lament my fate and get a Netflix subscription or see it as a huge opportunity to catch Vogmask's market in Europe and create my own respiratory mask brand made in France with high quality standards.
I had often thought about creating my own brand rather than developing someone else's. The comfort of being distributor (the ease of buying a finished product that you just have to resell), the absence of risk, the fear of getting started, a lack of courage to start from scratch at 50 yo stopped me.
The origin of Frogmask name
Frogmask name come from Frog (Anglo-Saxons call French people, the froggies ie frog eaters) also close to Fog (smoke). Then came the logo that I imagined of course in blue, white, red like the French briefs. And that's where my creative agency suggested that I replace the "made in France" with the more funny "made in Frogland". I have already been asked very seriously where Frogland was...
To finance my brand creation, I had the possibility of trading disposable surgical masks but the investment (several tens of thousands of euros per container) and the risk of having them stolen was at the time too great for a small company like mine. I chose to buy a stock of the best selling Chinese bicycle masks and resold them the first few months. This is why you can still find for sale some Biker N95 anti-pollution masks and some PM2.5 anti-pollution masks on the Frogmask website.
It took 9 months before I sold my first Frogmask. Time to find the best breathable fabric (3D mesh) in Italy, aluminum nose clips (to prevent fogging on glasses), FFP2/N95 filters, PVC Frogmask labels, a parisian workshop, a few minutes from my home, able to make prototypes despite lockdown, to sew prototypes, do product tests, create the website and Eshop, design packagings, find a printer... all in a difficult context between homoffice, lockdowns and summer holidays.
A premium quality mask with unique features
There is only one Frogmask design but 5 colors and 3 sizes (M, L and XL) are available. This is essential because we do not all have the same face shapes. The mask must therefore perfectly fit to each morphology to ensure that a maximum of inspired air passes through the FFP2 filters.
The 3 sizes are only suitable for teenagers and adults. To propose children's masks, different sizes of masks and specific filters would be needed. Too complicated given the low demand. May be an idea when it will be time to expand the line up?
Frogmask are the same protective masks for cyclists, motorcyclists or pedestrians since needs are the same. Breathing in a Frogmask is very easy even on a muscle bike.
The 3D Mesh that makes up 90% of the mask comes from the best Italian manufacturer. It is unmeshable, water-repellent, abrasion-resistant and is Oeke-tex certified without graphene.
Concerning comfort, the repositionable Velcro fastening system at the back of the neck is the best option. It avoids tension on ears. This is why the most serious brands have adopted it.
The two flexible aluminium nose clips, one on the filter and one in the structure of the mask, greatly limit the rise of hot exhaled air onto the glasses and then fogging.
My Frogmasks are one year guaranteed (against manufacturing defects) and I replace if the purchased size is wrong. After-sales service to customers remains my main priority. This is also why I guarantee fast free delivery between 4 to 5 working days in Europe.
Frogmasks are efficient, very light, easy to fix on the face and to store in your pocket. You can breathe very well and they do not fog up your glasses. They also protect against cold in winter, rain, pollen and insects in spring. They come in 3 sizes, 5 colors and are made in France for less than 40 euros when competing brands are between 40 and 130 euros incl. taxes!
The necessity to propose premium FFP2/N95 filters
Vogmasks used to meet the FFP2 filtration standard, a term that very few people only knew before the pandemic. It was therefore essential to offer this type of filtration quality that guarantees that a minimum of 94% of particles up to 0.4µm are filtered.
Unfortunately, the few French factories did not agree to produce small batches custom made filters, without earloops and with hot stamped Frogmask logo. So I found a Chinese manufacturer who accepted my technical specifications at an affordable price and quite fast leadtime. Frogmask filters are made up of 5 filtration layers (5 folds to use the official term). Since December 2023, Frogmask filters are manufactured in Italy.
FFP3 filtration standard claims at least 98% of the same particles filtered but breathing is much more difficult especially if you keep the mask on for a long time. I did not want to use this level of filtration.
CE standard, which is mandatory, is awarded by a product testing laboratory approved by the European Union.
The 3D Mesh mask is ultimately just a harness or support that allows the filter to be positioned and held against the face while avoiding any opening through which unfiltered air could pass.
As part of protection against pollution particles, the average lifespan of the filters varies between 15 days and 3 weeks. They generally get dirty faster than they get full. This will still vary depending on the level of pollution and the duration/frequency of use. The cost price is then 19 cents per day over 3 weeks.
For protection against viruses, the FFP2 filter should be discarded after 8 hours.
The deliberate choice not to put exhalation valves
Exhalation valves are an outdated technology. Today, by using breathable fabrics such as 3D mesh, we can easily do without them. Depending on the masks, the surface occupied by the valve represents 5 to 10% of the filtering surface. It therefore opposes inspiration. The valves are generally placed on the sides and therefore not in front of the mouth, which means that the exhaled air is not powerful enough to move the membranes, so it remains in the mask and creates condensation. Brands use them mainly to sell a custom made filter that "captive" users are forced to buy at crazy prices. Valves are also expensive, polluting plastic parts and they are the main source of after-sales service (breakage and loss). Finally, they do not protect others if the wearer of the mask is sick, as the exhaled air is not filtered.
I was finally able to launch Frogmask early December 2020. It quickly became a great success! There are many positive customer reviews with an average rating of 9.3/10. Word of mouth works very well in the cycling and motorcycling community.
Finally, a Frogmask, hand made downtown Paris, costs me, approx the same price as a Vogmask produced in South Korea, sent to San Francisco by boat then to France by plane… not to mention the carbon footprint!
The development of my antipollution mask brand
In September 2021 I relocated production in a new manufacturing workshop in Lyon because the Parisian one was not able to follow sales growth. This helped me to cut my production costs and thus be able to maintain free delivery in France.
In Feb 2022, I launched the black mask which quickly became the best-selling color.
What I remember from this journey:
- From a problem or bad news comes opportunities
- It is in front of the wall that we find the energy to cross it.
- Manufacturing in France is possible despite high employees costs and charges.
- You need to trust yourself, especially when you manage your own company.
In 4 years, I sold several thousand masks, directly on my Eshop but also Decatlon and Amazon market places and some independent stores !
Now it's time to export the French frog abroad since demand for premium face masks for cycling is very high and the brands with good value for money are not so many. My ultimate dream is to sell my masks in South East Asia, where market is huge and French chic fashion very popular.
Greg Dandres
