Fabric Ties or Elastic?

When attaching ties to a mask, you have two decisions to make:

loops around ears (as on surgical mask) vs bands around head (as on N-95 mask)?
fabric ties (bias tape or ribbon) vs elastic/nylon?

Ear loops vs bands around head:

Most people prefer ear loops, since they don't mess your hair, and are easy to take on and off. But I find earloops uncomfortable, and they make my ears stick out, although everyone's ears are different. I prefer bands around head, as this does not hurt my ears, and makes it possible to hang the mask around my neck and pull it up when needed. Walking around with your mask hanging off one ear won't work for long.

Bias tape vs elastic:

Fabric ties can be made of made of bias tape, or ribbon, or even shoelaces. They do not stretch and you need to tie them around your head, so it takes more work to put on the mask than if it had elastic/nylon ties, but you can get the fit exactly right, with no elastic cutting off blood flow.

Elastic has been in short supply recently, although nylon headbands are a good substitute: much more comfortable than elastic, but they can be a bit fussy to stitch to the mask. One headband cut open is good for an around-the-head band for any size head (infinitely stretchy). If you want to be able to put the mask on quickly, elastic/nyon is the way to go.

Different choices for different situations:

I generally prefer bias tape, since it is more comfortable when wearing the mask for an extended period (like going for a walk), but when easy-on is more important (e.g. going shopping) I prefer elastic/nyon. So I have different masks for different situations. (A third option is to have a lanyard around your neck attached to an ear-loop mask)