On which I’ve collected my notes on masks and respirators for COVID safety.
General Advice
Fit is more important than filtration. An N95 where you breath filtered air is better than an N100 that lets unfiltered air in through the edges.
If the mask doesn’t make it harder to breath, it’s not working. This effect is less apparent with larger filters. For example, the Elipse [sic] is breathable because it has a huge filter area.
The masks and respirators here filter out small particulates, not gas (and other VOCs). You can still smell smoke and other gasses through them, but this doesn’t mean that they aren’t working. (Carbon filters remove VOCs, but they need to be changed frequently even if there aren’t any particles or VOCs in the air. They’re more difficult to keep fresh, and unnecessary for COVID prevention.)
Purchasing Advice
KF95’s are recommended over KN95’s, since there don’t yet appear to be fake KF95’s on the market.
There is a list of Sources below.
Never buy safety equipment from Amazon. Many products are fakes, and it is impossible to distinguish these before ordering (and sometimes difficult without disassembling the product once it has been received).
Masks
- 3M Aura N95. This valveless mask has enough support structure to prevent leakage around the edges; therefore, it is more effective, and doesn’t fog glasses. It is less obtrusive (but not as easy to breath through) than the Elipse.
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Children’s Masks
![Kid's Mask Summary[WIP]](https://images.spr.so/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/j42No7y-dcokJuNgXeA0ig/dca01fe2-e16f-4a86-85e2-b0fceaa92a07/1i06OAItoOwIUaMjElr8mhh0Rw-it6WL-ODIQMZUOQxE/w=3840,quality=80,fit=scale-down)
Respirators
- Advantage ADV 900
- Advantage® 3200 Full-Facepiece Respirator
- GVS Elipse [sic]. This is my go-to for woodworking. However, it is valved, so it doesn’t protect others from you as well, and may not be acceptable in many situations that require masks. In theory, you could wear an unvalved mask over a valved mask; in practice, there are many anecdotes of people being forbidden to do this.
- Dentec P95 w/o exhalation valve
Care and usage
The masks and respirators discussed here can pretty much be used indefinitely, if you don’t get them wet. Change them each day and cycle through three to five of them, to give them time to dry and decontaminate between days of use. If they fill with particulates (because you use them in a place that is dusty, not just for covid), use a vacuum or blower; don’t wash them.
Sources
These are sources of masks with known supply chains:
- Protectly distributes masks, respirators, Abbot tests, and other PPE. When I ordered from them in January 2022, delivery was in four days.
- Project N95 (a 501(c)(3)) – National Clearinghouse for PPE, N95s, COVID-19 tests & med supplies. (projectn95@twitter)
- Woodworking suppliers: Rockler, Woodcraft, Lee Valley.
- Welding suppliers: Miller.
- Industrial suppliers: Grainer, McMaster-Carr.
- Home stores: Home Depot, Lowes.
- Other chains, such as Walmart and CVS, have trustworthy supplier chains. Beware that for example Walmart’s online site includes both products from their own warehouse, and products from random entities who have registered as merchants for the online store. The latter is not inherently more trustworthy than Amazon.
References
CDC certification list of masks that have passed testing requirements.