Are you able to access this site in Canada?
Kn95 and the KF94 are easier to find and about half the price of that other website. There is also a list of KN95s that aren’t fake on FDA’s website, but it can take some digging to map all these model numbers with where to find them:
I wear a fit-tested N95 as a vaccine greeter; it’s certainly tight fitting, but I think if buying an N95 off them shelf, it will still offer much better protection than KN95s, even without a perfect fit, because they have head straps rather than ear loops. I have some of those Respokare masks and they’re clearly bigger than is ideal for my face, but they are still way more snugly fitted than a KN95.
One of our KN95 brands does end up having a pretty tight seal on my face—it verges on uncomfortable, but I think likely in an effective way. The other brand I use is definitely not as tight fitted. So right now I’m prioritizing the snugger ones for things that feel risker (like PT appts). No idea what the real relative protection is though, and definitely if a N95 fits closely, that’s the best you can get.
@Jen you might consider Korean made (not the Chinese knock-off versions) KT94 masks. Available on Azn for ~$2 USD/ea. The link is for a certified version of the Korean 94% filtration masks.
Thanks @TiaG, @cardamom, and @elver! I’ll check those recommendations out. I definitely need to upgrade. I felt anxious doing laundry today when a guy came in and started doing his right next to me and I suspected he wasn’t wearing a mask (even though they are mandatory in common areas of apartment buildings). I got out of there as quickly as I could. I’m feeling déjà vu to how anxious I was feeling at the start of the pandemic; thanks super-contageous strains and vaccine delays, sigh…
Just ordered some…thanks! My strategy has been and will continue to rely primarily on social distance, with the mask on as a last line of defense. I suspect the distancing will go by the wayside soon for the general public so everybody keep your guard up.
@Jen and any other Canadians, Respokare does not ship to Canada, and all the Amazon links I tried, from both my Canadian and US accounts, said “Currently unavailable.”
There is this reputable Canadian source I’ve used in the past. The N95-grade masks look like good quality, and are positively reviewed. These two are contenders, in my opinion:
I use the real N95s from Costco (.com). Expensive, but a friend from college is an executive for the importer, and verified proper test equipment at the source, and proper chain of custody all the way into the US to ensure the real masks are not swapped for fake ones. Last time I looked, they were $270 for a carton of 100 (5 boxes of 20). I gave some of the boxes to friends and family because I don’t need 100 for myself.
do they come in multiple sizes?I have a fit-tested N95 from 3M but I reuse it for every vaccine greeter shift, and I have 8 scheduled over the next two months. Not sure if I can get the specific model they’ve fit tested out in the public, so am seeking alternatives.
There was only one size offered by Costco.
Proper Cloth makes a very high quality mask with filter pocket, a bridge-of-nose fitting, and slide adjusters on the ear loops. The best thing is that it comes in two adult sizes (also children’s sizes) and the smaller adult size fits me very snugly.
Here’s a paper that compares the filtration ability of various kinds of cloth masks and medical procedure masks with an N95 mask.
The bottom line (you really should prefer an N95) is given in figure 7:
I’m not sure how good it is, being reusable, but I have a couple Cambridge masks I’ve been using since before the pandemic for wildfire smoke and the like. I used them at the beginning of the pandemic, but stopped because of the valve. They do have a strap that goes behind the head, so seal pretty well. I wonder if they would be as effective as an N95 if I just wore a thin cloth mask over top to cover the valve…
@elver thanks for the KT94 recommendation – I’ve just ordered some. I’m not out and about much, but have dr appts coming up and have to accompany my daughters to some, so these will relieve some anxiety around going to those. Thank you! Jessica
Also: I forgot that last summer I bought my parents each re-usable N95 masks, but the respirator sort, so they need to wear surgical masks over them (they were recommended by a surgeon friend of mine). The masks themselves are comfortable and sort of automatically fit to their faces, which was key. My mom was undergoing treatment for cancer so we wanted the utmost in protection for both of them. No covid for either of them and they both received their first vaccination last week! If you’re interested, you can check out the masks at:
@JessicaD I also found this US made N95 mask (2 styles) that are in stock. Prices is ~3.75 a mask, but they are NIOSH N95 certified.
I don’t see why you couldn’t… If I have valved N95s or similar, i’d do that. I think the only plausible argument against is that the force of exhalation might be stronger coming through the valve since it’s pushed out a smaller exit than your nose/mouth, so the cloth mask may offer some degree less protection to others than it normally would, but I don’t imagine the difference would be major. I would be more concerned about that and want to find out more if you were going to be in extended close contact with other people (vs brief casual contact).
Watching the NCAA basketball championship tonight. Great that the head coaches of both Baylor and Gonzaga are keeping their chins safe!
With the number of people I see wearing masks like that, I thought it was pandemic chic!
