From Personal Mission to Global Brand: The AirPop Story

Every great brand has an origin story. For AirPop, it began with a parent watching his children struggle to breathe.

In 2015, industrial designer Chris Hosmer faced a moment that would change his life. His two young children, atoddler and a newborn — were suffering from acute respiratory illness caused by severe air pollution. The masks available on the market were either ugly industrial equipment designed for construction sites, or flimsy cloth coverings that provided little actual protection.

“Masks provide the first line of defense from airborne threats, but they have been largely unregulated, under-designed, and ineffective for the consumer market.”

— Chris Hosmer, Co-Founder

Hosmer had spent two decades as an award-winning industrial designer, creating products for some of the world's leading consumer brands. He knew what great design looked like. And he knew that respiratory protection was desperately in need of a design revolution.

A Designer's Response to a Global Problem

Air pollution is not a regional issue. Itis a global health crisis. The World Health Organization estimates 4.6 million deaths annually from air pollution. Add seasonal threats like wildfire smoke, year-round allergens, and respiratory illnesses, and the need for effective, everyday protection becomes clear.

But the existing solutions failed consumers on every level. Industrial respirators were effective but uncomfortable and clinical-looking. Consumer masks were often untested and ineffective. No one had applied serious design thinking to the problem.

Hosmer founded AirPop in San Francisco with a simple premise: respiratory protection should be engineered like premium consumer electronics — rigorously tested, beautifully designed, and built for everyday life.

Building the Air Wearables Category

AirPop did not set out to make a better mask. The company set out to define an entirely new product category: Air Wearables.

This category-defining approach required breakthrough technology. The AirPop team developed the patented 360° Seal, asoft, flexible barrier that conforms to unique facial contours, eliminating the gaps that cause most masks to fail. They engineered the 3D Aerodome structure, adome shape that creates a pocket of clean air in front of the mouth and nose, delivering 2x the breathability of standard N95 masks.

Validation: From Awards to Retail Shelves

Innovation is only meaningful if it reaches the people who need it. AirPop's design-forward approach quickly gained recognition from the global design community.

• Fast Company "World Changing Idea" (2018)
• Red Dot Design Award
• iF Design Award
• Good Design Award
• IDEA Award (Industrial Designers Society of America)

But the ultimate validation came from retail. Major retailers recognized that AirPop offered something different — premium positioning, proven performance, and products that consumers actually wanted to display, not hide. Today, AirPop is available in over 1,200 Target stores across the United States, alongside Amazon, Best Buy, and premium retailers across Europe, Asia Pacific, and beyond.

Global Trust, Local Presence

A decade after its founding, AirPop has earned trust across 35+ markets on five continents. The company holds nine international certifications, includingASTM F3502-21 Workplace Performance Plus (US), NIOSH benchmarks, CE (Europe), and BSI Kitemark (UK), morethan any other consumer respiratory protection brand.

With headquarters in San Francisco and distribution partners worldwide, AirPop combines global reach with local market expertise. The brand serves diverse verticals, frommass retail and pharmacies to corporate wellness programs and travel retail.

What Comes Next

The Air Wearables category is still in its early days. As consumers become more aware of air quality, drivenby wildfire seasons, urban pollution, and health consciousness — demand for premium respiratory protection will only grow.

AirPop continues to invest in R&D, expanding its product line and technology platform. The mission remains the same as it was in 2015: make premium respiratory protection beautiful, comfortable, and accessible to everyone who needs it.