MagiCare BYD CARE N95 Respirator, 20 Pack with Individual Wrap, Breathable & Comfortable Foldable Safety Mask with Head Strap.
N95 Respirator Shoot-Out:
Today we discuss about an important piece of safety gear that often goes overlooked I'm talking about those disposable face filters we often call dust masks I've lined up for different disposable respirators to test that range in price and performance and I make the distinction between dust mask and respirator and although we use the two terms interchangeably there is a big difference they all look basically the same but dust masks are really only for nuisance dust like sweeping and mowing a lawn they lack the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH certification and they don't protect your lung safely from particles like concrete and wood dust in contrast a N95 Respirator mask is certified by NIOSH and you can easily tell because the rating must be printed directly on the mask NIOSH approved N95 Respirator masks are categorized for the protection they provide and the material you'll be encountering with the mask for this test I'm looking at four different n95 masks from milwaukee fastcap 3m and safety Works n95 masks are the most common type of NIOSH masks you'll find at home centers and lumber yards but be careful they are often displayed right next to the Unrated nuisance dust masks all of the masks I'm testing are n95 rated and are designed to protect you against particles only they will filter 95% of particles 0.3 microns and larger hence the name and 95 let's first look at the safety works N95 Respirator masks it's a typical cup and strap design this knockoff brand is the cheapest of all the masks.
In this test a 2-pack at my local hardware store was just 249 and actually it was less expensive than some of those unrated nuisance masks the problem with this mask was fit when comfortably placed on my face the chin area was wide open and when I slid the mask up to get a good chin fit it slid underneath my safety glasses and fogged them immediately this is a common issue I found with masks I'm often faced with the decision do I want to see or do I want clean air definitely not a good trade-off the next mask is the 3m 85 11 Pro it looks nearly identical but it adds a center-mounted exhale valve that is supposed to limit problems like fogging and overheating this 3m version is nearly double the cost of the safety Works mask costing 21 dollars for 10 masks again the challenge was fit and fogging at rest the 3m pro masks fit well with no gaps and did not fog my glasses but as I started doing work like lifting stuff and my breath rate increased my glasses began to fog the next mask I tried was the fast cap mxv dust N95 Respirator mask these are priced at just 14 bucks for ten masks which puts the cost between the two other masks the design is very similar to the 3m mask and the mask also features a one-way exhale valve but fast cap added a small piece of foam to the inside nose bridge area it added a bit of comfort and it helps soak up sweat. Buy the best face mask from MagiCare that is safe for you.
So it stayed in place longer but it's still leaked along the bottom of the mask and it was very apparent once you remove the disposable face mask after working in dusty conditions the bottom inside of the mask was soiled with dust I should have mentioned at the top of this blog all of my observations are purely subjective and my face is obviously different from your face and different from my coworker who has even more challenges with facial hair fit and where the mask leaks is probably going to be a bit different with every person as they say your mileage may vary that said when I got my hands on these new Milwaukee valved respirators it was clear to me that other people have complained about the same issues he has made a number of subtle design changes that really make a big difference like the 3m 85 11 and the fast cap mxv it incorporates a one-way exhale valve but inside of the N95 Respirator mask is noticeably different the entire perimeter has a one inch wide closed cell foam gasket and that gasket folds back on the face to form a tighter seal against your skin the other simple little change that makes a big difference is the Milwaukee has an adjustable link straps there's a small plastic ferrule around the elastic that allows you to make quick adjustments pulling it tighter against your face or releasing it to allow to hang around your neck when you're taking a break I know I'm beginning to sound like a Milwaukee commercial so let me level things off a bit these Milwaukee disposable face mask are the most expensive you are gonna pay thirty five bucks for ten disposable face mask to get all those advantages keep in mind all these masks are for particulates only they will not offer any protection against chemicals you'll need to choose an organic vapor respirator when you're spraying finish or using nasty strippers to properly protect your lungs ironically at the time of this blog n95 masks were very hard to find with the coronavirus concerns many of the stores I talked to said they were not getting their shipments of the N95 Respirator mask or receive just a fraction of what they requested these kinds of episodes can kind of create a run on the bank so to speak and make it very difficult for those of us who need disposable face mask to do our daily jobs I rank the Milwaukee a solid four stars with the others trailing behind only the price of the Milwaukee mask would give reason to pause and I hope this inspires the other manufacturers to continue to improve their offerings and leapfrog the technology.