#Bluna Face Fit

[pandemic-info]

Not a paid ad (I wish, see cons). Just want to tell you about Champak N95s because I love them and hope they will continue to be available. (Other favs mentioned: 3M Aura 9210+ N95, Bluna Face Fit KF94, Breatheteq KN95 small)

PROS:

NIOSH N95 With good fit-test results. E.g.: https://youtu.be/iIOumUsvUfs?si=L46SfoZlgvNpewWd&t=289

Comfortable & breathable AF Even vs Breatheteq. The straps are a soft, microfiber-y material that doesn't hurt, doesn't dig into your ears over time, and doesn't get caught in hair. They're also adjustable with the plastic bit.

Easy, fast don/doff The sliding straps make it so easy and fast, similar to ear loops.

Fits small heads! Most masks are way too big or leak in various places. 3M Auras are the best fit for me (narrow & small face, tall nose bridge). The Medium Champak (PC520M) fits just as well as Aura and, due to its shape, the seal around the face even feels better. The thick nose pad is also great, no leakage. They also have a large size!

CONS:

Expensive (relatively) A friend recommended these and kindly shared one to try. I held off buying my own for a long time because they're kind of expensive: $45 after shipping for 15 masks = $3/mask. Compared to a 20-pack of 3M Aura 9210+ for $30. But after using my own for a few months, with all of the PROS above, it's the only mask I like to use anymore. (I still opt for 3M Aura 9210+ in unsafely-crowded situations just because I feel more comfortable with one that's tried, tested, and proven its efficacy for me multiple times.) We bought from PurCel Labs, good experiences: https://client.purcellabs.com/n95-masks/Champak-NIOSH-N95-Face-Masks-PC520M

White I get why 3M et. al. don't make N95s in black, but we can still wish. This is pretty much the only plus that black Bluna Face Fit or Breatheteq have over these (and their tri-fold shape is a little nicer). But N95s almost always win out over KF94 ear loops in fit-testing.

[zaccumed]

N95 mask with filter

Collins has a veil testing arrangement in his washroom, where he surveys covers' filtration effectiveness by producing sprayers of sodium chloride (salt). He then, at that point, utilizes a buildup molecule counter — a gadget that actions the grouping of particles inside and outside a cover he is wearing — to decide the complete internal spillage through and around the veil. (For examination, NIOSH's N95 standard expects makers to gauge spillage through the respirator material itself. Furthermore, OSHA estimates how a respirator fits all over, which n95 mask frequently includes wearing a N95 in an encased space with saccharin or one more unmistakably enhanced test spray showered in: on the off chance that the wearer reports tasting the substance, the cover bombs the fit test.)

 Collins likewise tests "pressure drop," which is essentially that it is so natural to inhale while wearing a cover. In the event that doing so is too troublesome, a wearer could find the cover less agreeable as well as suck in air around its sides, nullifying its filtration. Some fabric covers — incorporating those equipped with espresso channels — have this issue. "There's an explanation N95s aren't produced using fabric," Collins says.

 The Mask Nerd's top picks can be found in this video. As a rule, he suggests KN95s made by Chinese organization Powecom and others, an assortment of KF94s, for example, the Bluna FaceFit and N95s made by legitimate brands, for example, 3M, Moldex or Honeywell. These covers had near close to 100% filtration efficiencies and genuinely low tension drops in Collins' arrangement. (For correlation, he found that a careful cover alone had between around 50 and 75 percent filtration productivity, contingent upon the fit, and a decent material veil had around 70%.) But while picking the best cover, solace ought to be a game changer, he says. Not every person needs to wear a N95.

 "As far as I might be concerned, the base I need to see individuals wear is a KN95 or KF94 with the Delta variation," Collins says. "I don't think careful veils are sufficient any longer, and we ought to have been disposed of material covers the previous summer — they're not even in that frame of mind" of good filtration. (Honestly, a few examinations have viewed that as careful and material veils can give some security against COVID in any event. A new huge, randomized concentrate in Bangladesh found that careful veils fundamentally brought down the gamble of contamination; fabric covers didn't have a quantifiable advantage, albeit different examinations recommend they give some insurance.)

 With youngsters beginning school face to face, many guardians are naturally stressed over their children, particularly the individuals who are too youthful to be in any way qualified for inoculation — and especially in states where legislators have attempted to boycott cover orders in schools. These guardians could find Collins' suggestions for high-filtration children's veils especially accommodating. There is no N95 standard for kids, yet a lot of producers make KF94 or KN95 veils for them. Such veils are intended for little faces and are not difficult to put on. Collins sees not a great explanation for why children couldn't endure them. "I have my own child," Collins says. "He's five years of age. He wore them throughout the late spring."

[pandemic-info]

The CAN99 from @vitacoreinc just got NIOSH approved as a N95! It's a bit smaller than the 3M Aura series, so fits better on smaller faces. Sam from @OpenAeros says "the fabric straps are nice, nose wire fits well and feels more breathable" Picture for size comparison. -@masknerd

Good to have another option for small faces!

Unfortunately these are expensive: CAN $70 for 25 masks 👎

—

The oft-recommended 3M Aura N95 is my favorite:

The foam on the nose area and

It actually fits a smaller head + high nose bridge, which is hard to find. Most masks are too loose and leak, rendering them ineffective. (But I've seen loads of people with various head sizes vouch for these.)

The 9210 model has braided elastic straps instead of rubber — shouldn't break or catch on hair unlike the blue rubber straps on the "default" model (9205).

They are currently USD ~$30 / 20 pack (9210) and $24 / 20 pack (9205) or you can get a 3-pack to try for $10.

3M actually lists distributors on their site; possible to find it cheaper.

—

My other favorite is the KF94 Bluna FaceFit with adjustable straps: again, way better for for small heads. The nosepiece on this one "molds" well. Tip: bend it around your finger first, it'll be easier to better fit to your nose.

KF94 (Korean Filter, 94% particle filtration) masks were actually designed for general public use. It's more comfortable and easy to don/doff, but could be slightly less protective than the N95 (95% filtration - hard to know without doing a fit test; the opposite could actually be true for some).

The Bluna is USD ~$20 / 10 (currently on sale for $15 / 10 at Kollecte, which is where I got them):