What are the best coronavirus masks?

JemPD said:
I think here we are discussing masks for wearer protection.
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They're designed for situations where a pathogen is or may be present, so the assumption is that everyone will be wearing protective masks.

Outside those settings, people make choices as to the level of protection they feel they need. Most seem to think they need none at all now. I probably wouldn't wear a valved mask to go into someone else's home, but as I'm not doing this anyway, it isn't something I've had to discuss yet!

JemPD said:
The paper bags are a good idea as they will takeup a lot less space, i will look into that.
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My friend and I decided to share a bulk pack of 100 takeaway bags from Globe Packaging's eBay store, as with small quantities the postage can cost more than the actual goods. I think the total, including delivery, was a bit under £10 between us?

You can probably buy market bags (those square paper bags you buy things like apples in) more cheaply, but we both have picture rails in our houses, and they're a handy place to quarantine masks. We went for takeaway bags so we could use the handles to hang them on picture hooks.
 
I have not been reading/following this thread but I saw this article in Scientific American and thought it might be helpful:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...d-where-to-get-them/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I don't think it's behind a paywall. A short extract:
What Makes a Good Mask?
When it comes to mask effectiveness, the most important parameters are filtration, fit and comfort. Filtration generally refers to the percentage of particles the mask material blocks. For example, an N95 filters at least 95 percent of airborne particles. But that does little good if gaps around the mask let air in freely. A well-fitted mask should sit snugly against the face and over the chin, with no gaps around the nose or mouth. Comfort is also an extremely important metric: a mask does no good if people simply find it intolerable to wear.

A good mask is “the most important defense we have” against COVID, says aerosol expert Kimberly Prather, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California, San Diego.

There are a number of national standards for respirator quality. The U.S. gold standard, N95s, are certified by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). And the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards for how they have to fit people in work settings (such as in hospitals). But there is no official standard for N95 use by the general public. The European equivalent of the N95 is the FFP2 respirator, which filters at least 94 percent of particles. China has the KN95, and South Korea has the KF94. All provide excellent filtration, so it really comes down to which fits an individual best and is most comfortable.
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Firing this thread up again because I've been using FFP2 masks but can't get a good enough seal around my nose for my breath not to fog my glasses, which I assume means it's not a good enough seal to protect me very well from Covid.

But I can't imagine how you could get such a good seal! My masks have a metal clip inside but I suppose maybe it's not strong enough. And I'd like to graduate to FFP3.

Any recommendations for FFP3 masks that can be made to have a good seal, available in the UK?
 
I was reading an intensive care doctor's account of having a mask fitted so that he could deal with Covid patients in the early days of the pandemic and him saying how safe he felt, so he clearly had a better mask than me but I'm wondering what it was...
 
Sasha said:
Firing this thread up again because I've been using FFP2 masks but can't get a good enough seal around my nose for my breath not to fog my glasses, which I assume means it's not a good enough seal to protect me very well from Covid.
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I dont think thats necessarily true.

The thing that matters in terms of protecting the wearer is the seal on breathing in - ie when the air pressure is sucking from the inside when you breathe in. That is sucking the air & therefore the fabric & seal towards the face if its tight enough, & therefore the air is forced to go through the filter in the fabric of the mask instead of creeping in through holes around the edges of the mask.

But blowing (breathing) out is a different scenario because you have build up of air pressure inside the mask which naturally pushes the mask away from the face a little - thus allowing steam to escape. So i dont think glasses steaming up necessarily indicates a non functioning mask.

If you think about what would happen if your head were stuck in a plastic bag - when you breathe in the plastic would stick tight to your nose/mouth/face & suffocate you, but it would all blow significantly away from your skin when you breathed out.

I find FFP3 masks with a valve are best for me (also specs wearer), because it allows some of my breath to escape through the valve instead.
 
I'm still using the Masuku masks that I bought a while ago - I bought extra replacement filters. Sadly they have gone out of business. I think they're rather better than what I've bought now. Ah well.

But I thought it a good idea to see what else was around. Been following various threads on masks on Twitter, and this place comes up quite frequently. One lady has been sending her kids into school wearing these.

Cambridge Mask Co

Seem comfortable. I bought valveless ones, as I never exercise hard enough to have problems breathing out fast enough!:rofl: Not used them in anger yet, just tried on one of the four I bought to check for fit. They have some nice patterns! Mine have butterflies, and blue tits with flowers. They are washable.
 
JemPD said:
I find FFP3 masks with a valve are best for me (also specs wearer), because it allows some of my breath to escape through the valve instead.
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These were/are the on1y type of masks I cou1d breathe through due to my severe asthma, even when masks were mandatory (a1though I wou1d have been medica11y exempt from wearing one if I'd preferred). However, as I've been continuous1y shei1ding, with very 1imited contact with other peop1e, I'm very 1itt1e risk to other peop1e.
 
I use these ones - 3M Aura 9332+ Face / Dust Mask FFP3

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Simbindi said:
These were/are the on1y type of masks I cou1d breathe through due to my severe asthma, even when masks were mandatory (a1though I wou1d have been medica11y exempt from wearing one if I'd preferred). However, as I've been continuous1y shei1ding, with very 1imited contact with other peop1e, I'm very 1itt1e risk to other peop1e.
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Yes, i used to cover my mask with a very loosely fitting surgical one to protect others in places like hospitals, but i dont bother now because hardly anyone bothers wearing them anyway, and the medical staff wear their almost useless surgical masks so loosely & allow them to continuously drop below their noses, that i havent felt any moral need to protect others from my own breath since spring 2021. I am much more vigilant than anyone i know, i see less people that your average shielder during lockdown.
 
Simbindi said:
I use these ones - 3M Aura 9332+ Face / Dust Mask FFP3

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I can vouch for the valve-less version of these masks, the 3M Aura 9330+ FFP3. The fit is excellent — no air leaks out at all, in contrast with the FFP2 masks I had been wearing before (which were from a German manufacturer) — and I have worn them at the hospital for hours with no breathability issues.

The Aura series of masks has been tested extensively by mask advocacy groups and found to provide the best fit among numerous other models, so if you are unsure about which ones to choose, @Sasha, I would recommend them.
 
cassava7 said:
I can vouch for the valve-less version of these masks, the 3M Aura 9330+ FFP3. The fit is excellent — no air leaks out at all, in contrast with the FFP2 masks I had been wearing before (which were from a German manufacturer) — and I have worn them at the hospital for hours with no breathability issues.

The Aura series of masks has been tested extensively by mask advocacy groups and found to provide the best fit among numerous other models, so if you are unsure about which ones to choose, @Sasha, I would recommend them.
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Thanks, @cassava7 - I have just ordered one to test the fit. I liked the look of the shaped nosepiece - it looked as though it would take less forcing to fit by a feeble metal thing like the others use.
 
cassava7 said:
I can vouch for the valve-less version of these masks, the 3M Aura 9330+ FFP3. The fit is excellent — no air leaks out at all, in contrast with the FFP2 masks I had been wearing before (which were from a German manufacturer) — and I have worn them at the hospital for hours with no breathability issues.

The Aura series of masks has been tested extensively by mask advocacy groups and found to provide the best fit among numerous other models, so if you are unsure about which ones to choose, @Sasha, I would recommend them.
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yes they are good... except if you have a large/wide face/head, i do & i find them much, much too smal.
 
I'm still wearing a mask when I go out. I do everything possible not to catch Covid. Whenever I touch anything when out I sanitize my hands, even the coffee cup handle and spoon at the cafe as an example.

I haven't worn the more reliable types of masks. I use the surgical mask that I knot on each side for better fit and then I put a cotton mask over top that my tailor neighbour made for me.

I go out nearly everyday, catch a bus. I've had people sneezing beside me in the bus and I still haven't caught Covid. So I do feel ok with my mask type wearing. I do feel the seal suction when I am wearing them.

Another thing, I throw all the masks, including surgical mask into the wash after one use. I put them into a small laundry bag. So I am reusing the surgical masks over and over and then after about 2-3 months I throw out the 10-15 surgical masks and get another new lot out.
 
Sasha said:
Firing this thread up again because I've been using FFP2 masks but can't get a good enough seal around my nose for my breath not to fog my glasses, which I assume means it's not a good enough seal to protect me very well from Covid.
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JemPD said:
So i dont think glasses steaming up necessarily indicates a non functioning mask.
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Yeah, I agree that it is actually a very misleading test for good fit. Unless your mask has a non-porous section around the bridge of the nose then air is going to come out of that region when you breath out and fog up your glasses.

Basically any mask that meets or exceeds the N95/P2 standard (or equivalent for your country) should be fine. Main thing to look for is a good fit to your face, robustness if you are going to re-use them, and comfort for extended use.

My experience is that there is considerable variation in mask fit between brands and models, which there should be given human faces vary a lot in shape and size. IIRC, some mask makers have different versions of the same mask for Asian and non-Asian users, because Asian faces have a significantly different shape from non-Asian, on average.
 
Merged thread
I'm happy to see an article talking about masks so I thought I'd share it here. Please move if this is the wrong forum.

N95 Masks vs. KN95 Masks: Which Face Coverings Should We Be Wearing Right Now?

Researchers say an N95 mask is still the most effective form of protection against Covid as new variants continue to linger

https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/n95-vs-kn95-masks-1044184/

PS. The first one listed, 3M Aura, is very comfortable and fits well for my husband and myself. But everyone's face is different!
 
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Mine are P2, which is the Australian equivalent of N95.

Don't agree that they are single use only. It depends on how you manage them between uses. I have several in service at a time and make sure they get at least 24 hours of drying and airing out before being used again.

IIRC, the P2 standard requires that they are effective for the equivalent of 200 days use.

Definitely get the ones with headbands, not ear loops. Much more airtight. Not as comfortable though.

Also, I read something a while back that said masks with a central vertical seam that goes under the chin, like the one shown at the top of that RS article, are less reliable than those with horizontal seams ('duckbill'). Though the difference in failure rate was small.
 
Sean said:
Mine are P2, which is the Australian equivalent of N95.
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Thanks for that! There are so many different standards for PPE and I don't know a lot of them. The article is definitely US centric.
Sean said:
Definitely get the ones with headbands, not ear loops. Much more airtight. Not as comfortable though.
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For what it's worth I find the ones with headband are more comfortable than ear loops. The loops pull on my ears and chafe the skin a bit. I only wear ear loop masks when I go for a haircut.

The ones with a band that goes around the head take longer to put on and take off. I thought that's why so many people prefer ear loops, but it could be that most people find those more comfortable. But for me, once I get my 3M mask on and adjusted it is quite comfortable! (except when it's hot, but that's true no matter what kind of mask I'm wearing)

The 3M aura has a foam cushion strip under the nose wire which helps prevent fogging up glasses.

For folks who prefer black (I know it's silly but I wanted black for halloween) the BNX brand makes an N95 in black.
 
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