5 ms·

This is one (of many) reasons I always buy NIOSH N95’s. The most expensive part of a good N95 is, surprisingly, the straps — good straps that expand all the way

This is one (of many) reasons I always buy NIOSH N95’s. The most expensive part of a good N95 is, surprisingly, the straps — good straps that expand all the way around the head without snagging your hair are expensive, so you can be reasonably sure that any N95 that uses them is not counterfeit, as the material properties can’t be faked cheaply. The expense of straps is why 3M makes some N95 models in pairs that differ only in whether they have hair-snagging straps, e.g. 8210 vs 8210+. If you really want to be sure, go with Moldex. Moldex N95 masks are made (in the USA) with a unique process where the N95 filter is covered in a hard plastic mesh. Their AirWave line in particular is truly superior to any other N95 on the market, because they own a patent on using corrugation in the mask body. You can be sure nobody is counterfeiting these — they’re a niche product for construction workers, not something people flock to for Covid protection. Just be aware they’re clunkier than even a typical N95 because of the plastic casing — “Darth Vader mask” is a term I’ve heard a lot while wearing them.

dragontamer 5y ago
I use Kimtech 53358, also US-made and N95. Its a "duck-mask" and seems to be available at $1 each. The Kimtech 53358 has far superior breathability compared to the Moldex 2200. Most importantly, the Kimtech "Duckmask" is foldable, and easily stores inside of an envelope, purse, handback, backpack (etc. etc.) ---------- Moldex 2200 is cheap, solid, and durable. Its straps are a bit tight but provide a superior seal. The Kimtech feels looser and probably isn't quite as good of a seal as the Moldex. Still, the greater comfort and cheaper price from the Kimtech 53358 has made it my N95 mask of choice. Being able to fold the mask and store it away is a huge advantage, it means I can carry 3, 4, 5 Kimtech 53448 with me at all times (in case I sneeze in the mask and want to throw it away). Sneezing inside of a Moldex 2200 is more high-risk, because its unlikely you're carrying a spare. The mask design is just too bulky to seriously carry spares. --------- I do own 3M stock, and 3M masks are also pretty good :-) Maybe I should plug them so that the stock price goes up? Unfortunately, 3M masks seem to be sold out and/or at much higher prices whenever I'm shopping for masks. EDIT: Got the number wrong initially, woops.
- goodside 5y ago
  I find the Moldex 2200 uncomfortable too, along with any of their masks that use the cheap elastic double-straps. The good Moldex masks are the ones that have an adjustable “Handi-Strap”, which is absolutely amazing. These straps are made of braided textile that doesn’t snag your hair, they can be tension-adjusted using a plastic toggle, and they allow the mask to comfortably hang around your neck when not in use without it applying tension to your chin (unlike, say, the Moldex 2200). Also, the corrugation in the AirWave line is absolutely essential once you’ve tried it. Even the AirWave masks that don’t have valves have lower exhale resistance than 3M masks that do have valves, like the 3M 8511. It’s a night-and-day difference to me in terms of comfort — having a conversation in an AirWave is so easy it’s almost like wearing a surgical mask, and with the added bonus of it not touching your mouth when you speak. I wear a Moldex 4600, which have both the Handi-Strap and AirWave features. They aren’t foldable, but they’re worth it.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- walrus01 5y ago
  I don't know about their masks, but the kimtech wipes that are rated for ISO level 4 and 5 cleanrooms are a staple consumable supply for anyone that deals with raw singlemode fiber optic cable (fusion splicing it in outdoor and datacenter/commercial environments, mostly).
akoster 5y ago
Other made in the USA N95 options include Prestige Ameritech[1] which was referenced in Rick Bright's testimony mid 2020 [2] when masks were extremely scarce in the USA. It seems to buy genuine Prestige Ameritech masks, one needs to go through a medical supplies distributor and instead, I opted to buy direct through their ProGear consumer sales channel [3][4]. There is also DemeTech, which also manufactures in the USA [5]. [1] https://www.prestigeameritech.com/ https://www.prestigeameritech.com/ [2] https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/05/14/ousted-scientist-says-window-of-opportunity-to-fight-coronavirus-is-closing https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/05/14/ousted-sc... [3] https://www.prestigeameritech.com/progearmasks https://www.prestigeameritech.com/progearmasks [4] https://www.progearhealth.com/ https://www.progearhealth.com/ [5] https://www.demetech.us/ https://www.demetech.us/
- acomjean 5y ago
  THere was a story on here a couple days ago about someone that tested a lot of masks. https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing They also manufacture masks (although those are sold now, I’ve purchase them before). They seem to be reselling American made masks now: https://www.armbrustusa.com/collections/usa-made-n95-masks-respirators https://www.armbrustusa.com/collections/usa-made-n95-masks-r...
  - jscholes 5y ago
    Thanks for posting this! I've been exclusively using Powecom KN95s from Bonafidemasks.com; glad to see they get a pass.
throwaway81523 5y ago
> This is one (of many) reasons I always buy NIOSH N95’s. I doubt that a NIOSH marking is harder to counterfeit than the rest of the mask. Also, I'm very surprised at that claim that the straps are expensive. They are just elastic strips as far as I can tell. I've never had any issues with hair snags. Main issue I've had is that they break off of the mask at the weld point. I end up glueing them back on with hot glue.
- Animats 5y ago
  3M has a neat solution to that. On the bottom of each box is a randomly generated code. You can type that code into a 3M web site to see if it's valid. Once. If that number has been queried before, it tells you that. So you initial and date each box after checking.
- dragontamer 5y ago
  > I doubt that a NIOSH marking is harder to counterfeit than the rest of the mask. Unless you're some kind of hacker who can add their product to this list: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part... It seems pretty hard to counterfeit.
  - wonnage 5y ago
    Just print the relevant markings on the fake mask?
    - goodside 5y ago
      That’s my point — you can never trust a KN95 because it’s trivial to manufacture something that looks and feels like a KN95 but isn’t real. A NIOSH N95 isn’t like that — the straps require an unusual amount of stretch and tension, and they’re expensive to make. You’d notice immediately if you purchased a counterfeit mask, because the braided material on more expensive N95’s is unique in a way you can feel — it stretches farther than any rubber band you’ve ever used, and it doesn’t snap or lose tension from overstretching.

dragontamer 5y ago

I use Kimtech 53358, also US-made and N95. Its a "duck-mask" and seems to be available at $1 each. The Kimtech 53358 has far superior breathability compared to the Moldex 2200. Most importantly, the Kimtech "Duckmask" is foldable, and easily stores inside of an envelope, purse, handback, backpack (etc. etc.) ---------- Moldex 2200 is cheap, solid, and durable. Its straps are a bit tight but provide a superior seal. The Kimtech feels looser and probably isn't quite as good of a seal as the Moldex. Still, the greater comfort and cheaper price from the Kimtech 53358 has made it my N95 mask of choice. Being able to fold the mask and store it away is a huge advantage, it means I can carry 3, 4, 5 Kimtech 53448 with me at all times (in case I sneeze in the mask and want to throw it away). Sneezing inside of a Moldex 2200 is more high-risk, because its unlikely you're carrying a spare. The mask design is just too bulky to seriously carry spares. --------- I do own 3M stock, and 3M masks are also pretty good :-) Maybe I should plug them so that the stock price goes up? Unfortunately, 3M masks seem to be sold out and/or at much higher prices whenever I'm shopping for masks. EDIT: Got the number wrong initially, woops.

goodside 5y ago
I find the Moldex 2200 uncomfortable too, along with any of their masks that use the cheap elastic double-straps. The good Moldex masks are the ones that have an adjustable “Handi-Strap”, which is absolutely amazing. These straps are made of braided textile that doesn’t snag your hair, they can be tension-adjusted using a plastic toggle, and they allow the mask to comfortably hang around your neck when not in use without it applying tension to your chin (unlike, say, the Moldex 2200). Also, the corrugation in the AirWave line is absolutely essential once you’ve tried it. Even the AirWave masks that don’t have valves have lower exhale resistance than 3M masks that do have valves, like the 3M 8511. It’s a night-and-day difference to me in terms of comfort — having a conversation in an AirWave is so easy it’s almost like wearing a surgical mask, and with the added bonus of it not touching your mouth when you speak. I wear a Moldex 4600, which have both the Handi-Strap and AirWave features. They aren’t foldable, but they’re worth it.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
walrus01 5y ago
I don't know about their masks, but the kimtech wipes that are rated for ISO level 4 and 5 cleanrooms are a staple consumable supply for anyone that deals with raw singlemode fiber optic cable (fusion splicing it in outdoor and datacenter/commercial environments, mostly).

akoster 5y ago

Other made in the USA N95 options include Prestige Ameritech[1] which was referenced in Rick Bright's testimony mid 2020 [2] when masks were extremely scarce in the USA. It seems to buy genuine Prestige Ameritech masks, one needs to go through a medical supplies distributor and instead, I opted to buy direct through their ProGear consumer sales channel [3][4]. There is also DemeTech, which also manufactures in the USA [5]. [1] https://www.prestigeameritech.com/ https://www.prestigeameritech.com/ [2] https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/05/14/ousted-scientist-says-window-of-opportunity-to-fight-coronavirus-is-closing https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2020/05/14/ousted-sc... [3] https://www.prestigeameritech.com/progearmasks https://www.prestigeameritech.com/progearmasks [4] https://www.progearhealth.com/ https://www.progearhealth.com/ [5] https://www.demetech.us/ https://www.demetech.us/

acomjean 5y ago
THere was a story on here a couple days ago about someone that tested a lot of masks. https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing They also manufacture masks (although those are sold now, I’ve purchase them before). They seem to be reselling American made masks now: https://www.armbrustusa.com/collections/usa-made-n95-masks-respirators https://www.armbrustusa.com/collections/usa-made-n95-masks-r...
- jscholes 5y ago
  Thanks for posting this! I've been exclusively using Powecom KN95s from Bonafidemasks.com; glad to see they get a pass.

throwaway81523 5y ago

> This is one (of many) reasons I always buy NIOSH N95’s. I doubt that a NIOSH marking is harder to counterfeit than the rest of the mask. Also, I'm very surprised at that claim that the straps are expensive. They are just elastic strips as far as I can tell. I've never had any issues with hair snags. Main issue I've had is that they break off of the mask at the weld point. I end up glueing them back on with hot glue.

Animats 5y ago
3M has a neat solution to that. On the bottom of each box is a randomly generated code. You can type that code into a 3M web site to see if it's valid. Once. If that number has been queried before, it tells you that. So you initial and date each box after checking.
dragontamer 5y ago
> I doubt that a NIOSH marking is harder to counterfeit than the rest of the mask. Unless you're some kind of hacker who can add their product to this list: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part... It seems pretty hard to counterfeit.
- wonnage 5y ago
  Just print the relevant markings on the fake mask?
  - goodside 5y ago
    That’s my point — you can never trust a KN95 because it’s trivial to manufacture something that looks and feels like a KN95 but isn’t real. A NIOSH N95 isn’t like that — the straps require an unusual amount of stretch and tension, and they’re expensive to make. You’d notice immediately if you purchased a counterfeit mask, because the braided material on more expensive N95’s is unique in a way you can feel — it stretches farther than any rubber band you’ve ever used, and it doesn’t snap or lose tension from overstretching.