Although there are no less than 300 different types of masks in the house during the epidemic, I recently started various comparative studies and selections and bought many new masks. Then in the process of trying to change my mask, I was asked several times by my colleagues, "The mask you wear seems to be a little different." After explaining a few times, I found that there are quite a few people who have the same needs as me, so I wrote a Answer, talk about why more than 300 masks are not enough for me, and what kind of masks should I wear in different daily situations.
different types of maskes
Let me talk about why the masks at home cannot meet my requirements. In summary, the key points from the purpose of use and product characteristics are as follows :
- Protect against respiratory infections, that is, prevent droplets, protect yourself and others
- Block dust/pollen, essential for northern cities, essential for students with pollen allergies
- Prevent smog, that is, filter PM2.5, except for a few coastal cities in United States, there are smog problems
- Wearing comfort, now there are many occasions where you need to wear a mask for a long time
- Breathing smoothly. Generally, the higher the protection, the harder it is to breathe. If there is a vent valve, it will be easier to breathe.
- Sticking to the face, especially to the bridge of the nose. If it is not good, it will affect wearing glasses
- Durability and price, these two do not need to be explained, but can be simplified into a cost-effective indicator
Personally, I have an allergic physique, love sports, and live in Texas. Masks were often worn before the epidemic. The combination of various complex needs on different occasions forced me to become a mask expert.
I believe that everyone, like me, has the largest inventory of disposable protective masks, followed by some N95 and similar masks. The coverage of the above 7 points by only these two types is too limited. Below I will analyze how to choose based on my own experience and make some recommendations by the way.
1. Disposable protective mask
| Protection against droplets | ✅ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ❌ |
| PM 2.5 | ❌ |
| Comfort | ➖ |
| Breathing smoothness | ✅ |
| Facial fit | ❌ |
| Value for money | ✅ |
Introduction-The most common and most popular masks are generally light blue or white, and the most commonly used masks are also recommended.
Advantages-cheap, wearing by the whole people can greatly reduce the speed of droplet infectious diseases in the crowd.
Disadvantages-It can block large particles and absorb some small particles. The outer hydrophobic material can prevent droplet infiltration. Based on these two characteristics, it can provide short-term protection in some scenarios. Beyond this, there are few uses and advantages, and the filtering capacity will decrease after a few hours of use and must be replaced frequently.
Evaluation-by the most common one, just to do more explanation. Although ✅ is marked on breathing patency, it is actually because ordinary disposable masks basically do not stick to the face, and the air leakage on the four sides does not affect the effect of blocking droplets. However, when going out in sandy weather, you will still eat a mouthful of soil, and pollen is also personal. The actual measurement has no protective effect (the diameter of the dust particles is generally greater than 10 microns, and the pollen is 5-10 microns).
Because it is very light and loose, it is usually not uncomfortable to wear for a long time, but it will fall off easily if you talk too much. Now it has returned to a rational price, and many people have not managed to throw it once, so it is very advantageous in terms of cost performance.
In summary, if there is no special use requirement, just to meet the epidemic prevention requirements, then disposable protective masks are indeed enough, but it is still necessary to replace them frequently.
Comprehensive—— ★★★☆☆
2. Ordinary KN95 and similar masks
| Protection against droplets | ✅ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ✅ |
| PM 2.5 | ✅ |
| Comfort | ❌ |
| Breathing smoothness | ❌ |
| Facial fit | ✅ |
| Value for money | ❌ |
Introduction-Contains similar products of many brands, some with ears, and some with breathing valves.
Advantages-strong protection ability (depending on which specific standards are met, such as N95, KN95, P2, FFP2), high fit and no air leakage (at the cost of tightness).
Disadvantages-First of all, there is no comfort at all. Wearing the ear-hanging style for a while will cause the ears to be very painful. If the head-wearing style is longer, the face will be drawn out. It is not convenient for many medical workers to adjust the wear One day, the bridge of the nose and the eye sockets were worn out.
Secondly, the ventilation resistance is relatively large. If it is used by people with respiratory diseases, the elderly, and children, it will damage their health, and it must not be used during exercise, which is very dangerous. It is generally not recommended for ordinary people to wear it continuously for more than 4 hours.
The retail price of a better brand is now more than $1/piece, and repeated use is not recommended, and the cost performance is not high.
Evaluation-Most people were exposed to N95 masks in the past few years when the smog was the most severe. In the early stage of the epidemic, many people wore N95 masks during the period of insufficient insurance due to insufficient research, and later they were only used in the front line of medical care. Due to the harsh application conditions of N95, there are not many opportunities for daily use. In the past, only N95 masks can effectively filter smog PM2.5, and now there are better alternatives on the market.
Comprehensive—— ★☆☆☆☆
3. Pitta anti-pollen washable mask
| Protection against droplets | ❌ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ✅ |
| PM 2.5 | ❌ |
| Comfort | ✅ |
| Breathing smoothness | ✅ |
| Facial fit | ✅ |
| Value for money | ✅ |
Introduction —— Japanese brand, available at convenience stores in domestic first-tier cities, mainly anti-pollen and washable, and good appearance
Advantages-Polyurethane material, soft, breathable and light.
Disadvantages-no water barrier, no droplet prevention, nor haze prevention.
Evaluation-When the season changes in spring and autumn, it is fully capable of blocking pollen and dust. Now the number of local cases in United States is cleared. If you don’t go to high-risk places such as hospitals, don’t worry. Wearing any mask is in line with the epidemic prevention requirements. It is light and comfortable. Before the epidemic, it was my personal longest wearing time.
It can be washed 3-8 times, and it can be worn for about 3 days between each time. Now domestic e-commerce can buy it, and according to the discount rate of $2 per piece, it is about $.5 per day.
Comprehensive—— ★★★☆☆
Fourth, Airinum 2.0 Ruibo KN95 replaceable filter element mask ✧ Key recommendation ✧
| Protection against droplets | ✅ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ✅ |
| PM 2.5 | ✅ |
| Comfort | ✅ |
| Breathing smoothness | ➖ |
| Facial fit | ✅ |
| Value for money | ✅ |
Introduction-Swedish brand, technical craftsmanship are good, slightly expensive but the overall price is very high, the overall evaluation is very good, many celebrities use
Advantages-KN95 standard, strong protection ability, and comfort far exceeds other masks with the same protection ability. The breathing resistance is one-third of the general KN95 mask. Through the three-dimensional design, memory foam nose pads, combined with the head lanyard, a good fit can be achieved without wearing tightly. The outer layer can be washed, the filter element can be replaced, the use time is long, and the overall cost performance is very high. There are children's models.
Disadvantages-unit price is more expensive, 400+ on Taobao
Evaluation-I thought it was a fashionable mask at first, but after a closer look, I found that the genuine product meets the KN95 standard, and it is rare that it has the filtering ability of PM0.3. After checking various technical description documents and certification standards, this brand still has some technical level. The filtering effect for particles with a diameter of 3µm, bacteria, and viruses has reached 99.9%. The fabric is also treated with antibacterial/virus, which greatly reduces the survival time of attached bacteria/virus.
Achieved one-third of the ventilation resistance of the general KN95 mask, and coupled with the exhalation valve, I finally found a mask that allows me to exercise outdoors in haze days. I don’t have to worry about cycling or running. The car is exhausted.
When you buy it, you will get 2 filter elements. The purchase price is more than 40 later. It can be used for 100 hours. It is an average of 2 hours a day (commuting + going out + weekend sports), and it is less than 1 yuan per day if it is full.
This is the one I have tried in the past few months, and the one I used the most later.
Comprehensive—— ★★★★★
(I found that the celebrities basically wear designer cooperation or custom models, but they are still very greedy. It seems that they are only gifted and not sold in United States. Ordinary people like me continue to use the most simple and low-key black models)
5. Airinum Lite
| Protection against droplets | ✅ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ✅ |
| PM 2.5 | ➖ |
| Comfort | ✅ |
| Breathing smoothness | ✅ |
| Facial fit | ✅ |
| Value for money | ✅ |
Introduction-a simplified version of the same brand above
Advantages-The advantages and disadvantages are basically the same as those of the previous model. KN95 certification is not seen, but it still has better filtering capabilities for PM2.5. The filter element material is the same as the above 2.0, and the fabric is also treated with antibacterial treatment.
It is more suitable for daily long-term use, and you can also remove the filter element and wear it directly. There are also children's models.
Disadvantages-Same as above, small expensive, unit price 200+
Evaluation-The overall characteristics are the same as Airinum 2.0, with a slight reduction in protection ability, better breathing patency, and lighter weight. The price/performance ratio is also very high, with an average of less than $.3 per day.
After using both models, I chose to wear Airinum 2.0 daily. My wife prefers Lite. She does not have allergic rhinitis, and she rides to and from get off work every day. There was no suitable mask before cycling to get off work in texas. Lite still satisfied her.
Comprehensive—— ★★★★★
Six, super three-dimensional PFE, VFE masks
| Protection against droplets | ➖ |
| Block pollen, sand and dust | ✅ |
| PM 2.5 | ❌ |
| Comfort | ✅ |
| Breathing smoothness | ✅ |
| Facial fit | ✅ |
| Value for money | ❌ |
Introduction-Japanese brand is also one of the best-selling styles in Japanese convenience stores. Before the epidemic, many domestic tourists would buy it
Advantages-Three-dimensional tailoring, good fit, and the ear hook part is very soft and comfortable.
Disadvantages-no water barrier, no droplet prevention, nor haze prevention. The most important thing is that it cannot be bought in United States after the epidemic.
Evaluation-The overall evaluation is similar to Pitta. It turns out that I would buy it every time I go to Japan. It is suitable for use in changing seasons and sandy weather. I can't go to Japan now, and there are no purchasing agents. I can't recommend it.
Comprehensive—— ★★☆☆☆
7. Others, put together all kinds of things that are not recommended
- Activated carbon mask:
Add a layer of activated carbon on the basis of ordinary masks. The main selling point is to absorb peculiar smell.
First of all, the adsorption effect is far inferior to that of high-grade industrial masks, and it does not achieve the advertised effect of filtering second-hand smoke, so there is no need to spend more money on this layer of activated carbon. - Gas mask & dust mask:
I tried both to solve the problem of outdoor sports in haze weather. There is nothing to say in this regard, the larger filter element area and exhalation valve can indeed greatly improve breathing patency. But the shortcomings are also obvious, the price is not high, the shape is not exaggerated and low-key, although the clean air is breathed, but the exercise with such heavy equipment is still very limited.
By replacing filter elements of different standards, many effects that cannot be achieved by ordinary masks can be achieved, and ordinary households can still use them in decoration and other situations.- Cotton fashion/patterned mask:
No picture, I haven't bought it either. If there are many layers of cotton cloth, it will have a certain practical value in Texas in sandy weather, and it will have no effect on smog and droplets. It is more for good-looking.
There are also some other masks of various brands and styles that are not particularly prominent and are not worth recommending, so I won’t mention them.
It has become the norm for ordinary people to wear masks every day when they go out. Before that, everyone was still "Where there are masks and I will buy as many as there are." In March, some people started to care about what masks are "good quality".
Now that summer is going to fall, everyone's requirements for masks in all aspects must be different from before. I am such a person myself, and later found out that many of my friends found my recommendation useful.
Friends who need to use masks for a long time, have requirements for quality and can afford them, can consider buying Airinum masks with better overall performance and more applicable scenarios.
Friends who like outdoor sports do not have to hesitate. Exercise in the haze is too harmful to your body. Ordinary N95 masks cannot be used in sports. Airinum can be said to send charcoal in the snow.