lol, I remember those articles before COVID hit here, about how bad and awful China was being to its citizens.
I mean, sure, they’re… worrisome… especially whatever the hell is going on in Xinjiang, which may or may not be as bad as the rumors say, yet can’t be good nonetheless.
But in this instance, that was them doing what needed to be done.
One of them was a video of Chinese police refusing to let an old man leave. They weren’t even being abusive, they were just blocking the exit, telling the guy that he couldn’t, while he was crying. That was it. Half the commenters were talking about how awful this was, and half were talking about how the other half doesn’t understand what a lockdown is.
It’s been, I don’t even know how long anymore, and things have only gotten worse.
As long as I’m not starving, in the dark, without heat, or wiping my butt with my left hand, I would gladly welcome an actual enforced lockdown. Bring on the swarms of loudspeaker equipped social shaming drones patrolling outside, if it meant getting to where China currently appears to be, case wise.
Let’s actually lockdown for a month, suspend rent and utilities, supply everyone a month’s worth of food and toiletries, bring in the national guard and have them set up roadblocks on major roads, give people $100 for ratting out their friends and neighbors who might still be holding large gatherings.
Whatever.
I just want to be done with this.
@Narwalt China has been lying and covering up regarding their numbers of infected and dead since the start of this mess. What makes you think they’re telling the truth now? You actually think they have it under control? Ridiculous.
@Narwalt@Trinityscrew
Not as ridiculous as you might think.
In a totalitarian government, the government has total control over what people do. The upside of that is that China has eradicated several epi/pandemics utilizing that control. Read “Away with all Pests” by Joshua. Horn. Old book but a good read.
@Narwalt@Trinityscrew They may or may not have it under control but what I do believe is their ability to rule the citizens in ways we can’t enforce at all or enforce very easily. That, in and of itself, would increase the odds of a reduction in numbers.
I had a just 14 year old chinese kid in my house for 6 months. She was amazed we could choose our own career and move when we wanted to and where we wanted to without official permission. She was shocked about causal public conversations (her English was about 4th grade level) that in her country would get you locked up. She was amazed that we didn’t have to ask permission to do all sorts of things… She was afraid of the police and ROTC on campus. Of course she was just 14 and adults in China would have a far more sophisticated understanding of the finer points of what you could do “legally”, what you could do that was against the “rules” and get away with pretty easily, which lines were risk to cross, and which ones you crossed with great danger.
@Trinityscrew
Yes, I think they actually have it under control.
They may have been able to hide the cases initially (whether they did and if so, by how much is an entirely separate discussion, though I do believe they did), but they have too much scrutiny on them to do so now.
So, yes, they currently have it under control.
There’s other countries who have also gotten to a manageable level by providing people the necessities, strictly enforcing masks and/or lockdowns.
I can see the holes being poked now: Vietnam is Communist, New Zealand is an island, Singapore is… Singapore.
But if this is what is us Americans consider freedom: cases (and deaths) continuing to rise, job insecurity, a high unemployment rate that mostly dropped just because people stopped looking for work, people making minimum wage to play covid roulette, an eviction crisis despite it technically being illegal, etc.
I’m good, thanks, please bring in the tanks.
@hchavers@sk00t3r, why, yes,…he pokes fun at us Veterans, so what’s good for the goose, or rather, lame duck, is good for the other gooses & goosettes.
Any idea who makes these? The model number listed is the name of the standard that they’re supposed to meet, not a model number. KN95 masks have a wide range of quality depending on who manufactured them.
@iandees, buy’um & run’um through the tests. Da fire [candle] test, the water test & the, umm,… I forgot the 3rd test. Regardless, none of them can pass those fart tests!!
@iandees If it’s the same product as the batch they sold a couple weeks ago they are Bellapiere branded and made by Wenzhou Younuo Protective Product Co., Ltd.
@iandees, the third test is the Ignite test, so again, the other test are the candle fire test, and the fn water test. So, first, put on da new mask & try to blow out a candle, second, fill the mask with a bit of water to see if it drips any water, and third, try to burn the mask; if it catches on fire just let it burn because it ain’t no good!! A five layered mask may burn the 1st layer, but shouldn’t burn all 5, or layers 2, 3, 4 & 5!! If you’re cheap, and don’t wanna chance burning your mask then just run it through the 1st 2 tests. BTW, hold the fn candle, or a Zippo [or Bic] lighter 6"-8" from your mask. Be careful, … or not!!
Stated on the description “ The KN-95 Mask is not designed for clinical environments, such as hospitals or dentist offices”. Also no NIOSH approved markings on mask or box. I doubt this mask is anything more than a cheap knock-off that does not deserve an KN-95 rating. Beware.
No KN95 is NIOSH approved. They test some of them and report results; they do not approve them. If you see a KN95 that says NIOSH approved, it’s a fake.
That said, I would also like to know if these have been tested. Some of the previous offers on Meh apparently had been.
@sfwineguy Do you know what the difference is, if any, between KN95 and N95 (which is the kind I always hear about on the news)? I only know they’re both different from I-95, that long, long parking lot so familiar to us East-Coasters.
@InFrom@sfwineguy It’s a US versus China specification. KN95 is the Chinese standard, N95 is the US standard. These masks are not approved for medical or clinical applications, but there should be little difference between N95 and KN95 for the purposes of grocery shopping etc - get whichever is most affordable.
@InFrom N95 is an American standard. An N95 mask that is NIOSH approved AND is correctly fitted to the individual will filter 95% of the defined particles. The fitting part is not trivial. I think 3M (which makes a lot of them) has a good explainer on their site. A properly fitted N95 is pretty tight and, unless valved (which is not appropriate for coronavirus) makes it noticeably more difficult to breathe. I think they all have straps that go around your head, not ear loops like many KN95s.
@sfwineguy
N95 is a US standard; KN95 is the Chinese standard, which supposedly meets the same criteria as N95. Probably safer than using a flat pleated type mask because it seals the perimeter to the face better.
Following the URL on the box and searching the cosmetics site for KN95 reveals that they sell for 16 bucks for 40, but apparently Meh bought them all because they’re out of stock.
And the mask image on the website is a little different than the mask image on this site.
And the box says “extra air series”. Not sure why.
@sfwineguy Having used N95, KN95, surgical type flat pleated and sewn cotton masks, not so sure they make breathing much more difficult, if at all. The 1-way valve is designed to allow easier exit of exhaled air because exhaling can make the face area under the mask too warm and/ or moist- especially for people engaged in physical labor, which was the most common use for these masks before the virus.
Agreed- the valved masks are not appropriate for coronavirus use.
@sfwineguy FWIW, OSHA’s April 3, 2020 memo allows substitutions of many other national standard certified masks in lieu of NIOSH N95 masks. One of the allowed substitutes is KN95 masks following standard GB2626-2006.
I’d still like these to be on the tested list, per an earlier commenter who said they’re neither on the tested list nor the fake list. I thought some of the Meh offered ones previously had been on the tested list.
And the mask image on the website is a little different than the mask image on this site.
That is one of the problems with many mask ads. Some listings of masks show photos of several different looking masks on the box, in the description, etc. and so it is impossible to know exactly which mask you are getting inside the box.
@InFrom@sfwineguy, from what I read, the N95 is American made & the equivalent to it us the KN95, made in China. BTW, either one can be fake; as was said, it does depend on the manufacture. The Top Of The Line is the 3M N95 mask. I purchased a couple of fn ‘Duck’ masks made by Kimberly-Clark NIOSH TC84A-942 N95 MODEL : 53358 LOT : GZO2430 1F which, I think, was made in Memphis, TN. [USA] not Egypt!!
Bought some last time and they have done the job. Picking up some more with cases going up for my workers. Anything is better than nothing. I got some 3m N95 last week and for 10 it was $40 plus shipping.
@venussuz, you oughtta get her the 3M N95, 10 for $40.00, plus shpng. fee. Nevertheless, these may be ok for med school, but the specs specificlly say they aren’t for dental or medical use [this is assuming they Are refering to a hospital setting & not a classroom enviroment]. I’m just sayin,…
@wslncarolina THIS! These masks are manufactured based on the GB2626-2006 standard. They are likely better than procedure masks, but not as good as a real N95 mask.
There is the potential for other countries’ standards to meet or exceed N95, just not the KN95 GB2626-2006 (or maybe even the -2019) standard.
Here’s a neat chart about the difference between N95, FFP2, KN95 and other mask types:
Here’s a recent report about an ECRI test of KN95 masks that found that 60-70% (croikeys, can you just publish the fucking exact number?!?) of KN95 masks tested don’t meet US standards for N95.
ECRI also claims that 60-70% of KN95 masks do not filter 95% of aerosol particulates. BUT THEY DON’T SAY HOW CLOSE TO 95% IT WAS. It feels a bit slimey, especially if the masks ARE ALMOST 95% effective. If they are 50% effective, yeah, sound the alarm.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THESE MASKS ARE BAD OR INEFFECTIVE. They just aren’t the same as N95, but we do not know if they block 94.2% on average instead of 95.0%, or if they are so terrible it’s like not wearing a mask. I’m confident it’s probably between 90-94.9%, but I’m guessing and pulling numbers from IRK’s ass.
ECRI is claiming that all sorts of masks (70% out of 200) aren’t doing a good job of 95% blockage. When I found SOME data, 7 of 11 at max efficiency blocked 95%+ and at minimum efficiency 5 of 11 blocked 95%+.
These 11 manufacturers are the ONLY ones listed as ECRI-tested. Their press release is either based on new data not yet published, or is some full-on bullshit.
The manufacturer of these masks MEH is selling, Homar Bio-Technology Holding Co, if the photo is to be believed, was not on ECRI’s list.
KN95 manufacturer masks that DID pass both min/max efficiency in ECRI’s tests:
Hangzhou Gang Yu Health Products
MidSci
Xiamen Xiaxu Technology Co.
Guangzhou Harley Commodity Co
Vitacore Industries
KN95 manufacturers that passed max efficiency but not min in ECRI’s tests:
Jiangsu Pinzheng Medical Device Technology Co.
QMD Medical
KN95 manufacturers that did not pass 95% in ECRI’s tests:
Putian Puxin City Medical Technology Co (56.8%, 26.9%)
Hangzhou Hitron Medical Equipment Co. (75.4%, 44.1%)
On their other excel tab, they list 421 masks in total, averaged 91.86% max effectiveness and 81.12% min effectiveness.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS DATA IS FROM ECRI.
If you only include masks manufactured to GB2626 standards, 325 masks averaged 91.83% max effectiveness and 79.88% min effectiveness.
Excluding GB2626 masks, 96 masks averaged 91.96% max effectiveness and 85.32% min effectiveness.
Of the 11 masks manufactured to USA (42 CFR 84) standards, 98.68% max effectiveness, 97.72% min effectiveness.
Based on this data, yeah, if you wanna be the most safe, use a 42 CFR 84 standard mask. Don’t believe the “N95” moniker either – it is mis-used by manufacturers.
Also based on this data, these masks PROBABLY are 91.83% effective best-case and 79.88% effective worst-case. But remember, these masks are tested with 2.5 micron particles. They are MORE effective (counter-intuitive) at filtering out particles that are SMALLER than and LARGER than 2.5 microns. Covid-19 is 0.3 microns, however the aerosolized droplets that carry it may be larger – 0.5 to 12 microns in diameter. Another test of a sneeze showed most particles above 100 microns, easily filterable by most any mask.
Before covid they couldn’t give these away except to painters and such workers; working in hazardous areas with inadequate ventilation. Now everyone jumps up for these. Eye am currently good; as my fat ass will not leave the house. When eye can not order a drop off and have no option other than to leave eye just use glen.
@whomeyesu, when you’re Talkin about ‘painters’, I hope you aren’t referring to our Auto Refinishers because they use respirators & with these basecoat/clearcoat systems they use self-regulated oxygen provided full face-mask systems. They may throw a mask on just to quickly primer a section of a vehicle, or a part, …maybe!!
@cthobbit@richmondhokie You might need 40 of them eventually over time. The loops can pull out, they can get accidentally damaged, they can get too dirty, they can ‘wear out’ and fall apart…
@richmondhokie that was a very hilarious joke! You’re really funny, and are good at topical humor! Many people will find it funny, especially nowadays. Good job! (sarcasm, mostly)
@cthobbit@richmondhokie, cthobbit if he’s a no-masker, then though he may rationalize that his comment was simply sarcasm, the fact is no-maskers don’t care a rat’s ass about whether they fkn infect anyone as long as they can cough & spit on whomever they damn please!! That’s their sad fn idea of being an American & their ludicrous idea of freedom!! If he’s Not a no-maskers & was truly just being sarcastic where he was fn actually being satirical, then My Fuckin Bad, but I think it was the former more than the latter!!
@cthobbit@decoratedwarvet@richmondhokie I was in the police station yesterday to report a theft and while we weren’t allowed in without masks the cop behind the desk wasn’t wearing one!!! And our local hospitals (all 4 of them) have no ICU beds and 10 patients who should be in ICU aren’t because of no beds (actually there are none in the state). Ticked me off but I didn’t say anything because, well police station and all. And I needed his cooperation. And this is the deep south and fits the stereotype. Fucking asshole cop.
The last masks I got from a Meh-branded company offered “3 layers of protection” and is roughly the equivalent of trying to breathe through a comforter (and so far about 1 in 3 doesn’t have a strip at the top, and whatever they did use for the strip has “memory” so it never conforms well). I can’t imagine was 5 layers is like…
More is not always better.
HARD PASS. Buy your masks in person or on the recommendation of someone that owns them already.
@Pufferfishy I also bought some from pleated ones meh (the maskforeveryface “brand”). The nose metal is too thin and won’t hold its shape. You have to keep re-pinching it as it takes hardly any pressure for it to get too loose. Then one’s glasses fog. The gaps on the sides is pretty big. They are better than nothing and at the time I got them the price was better than anything else I could find.
(rocky-tactile-food) This is my second batch ordered, I’ll probably give half of them out to coworkers, friends and family, use a few & put away the rest then hang tight for the/a vaccine…
Here’s the test report saying that the manufacturer (Homar Bio-Tech) complies to the appropriate standards for KN95 classification. My concern would be that they don’t list the actual test results. They just give it a pass (“P”). I want the filter efficiency results listed to at least give me a little more confidence that the report wasn’t faked.
I got these on the last sale. If it’s the same product, they are Bellapiere branded and made by Wenzhou Younuo Protective Product Co., Ltd. Testing is available at CDC. The batch CDC tested was quite variable, with only 7 of the ten working at 85% or better efficiency. It looks the remaining three leaked. The pressure drop is comparable to a couple layers of cloth and filtration is still probably better on average.
@Saxamo Second this. I saw the link in the previous thread and ordered 50 for my MIL who is a occupational therapy assistant working with children. Metal strip is good, straps stay on, and the fit is good for her.
@fibrs86@Saxamo FWIW, I bought some Powecom masks from this site, and they are VERY uncomfortable. The fit is a little sloppy, the nose clip does not stay tight, and, worst of all, the straps really hurt the back of my ears after only 10-20 minutes. I bought some off Monoprice (Kindly Care Products, Ltd) back in April, and they are excellent (though 10 for $40), but unfortunately, no longer available.
Fit is so critical but impossible to assess before buying. In the before times people who needed N95s for work would try on many of the styles until they found one that sealed well, and then they would be approved to wear only that style. Now we order blindly online and either live with what we get or give them away and order a different style.
There are two vaccines now. You won’t need them soon. But with the communist party perhaps taking over the country I am sure Beijing Biden will force us all to obey the new lock down to keep our brains in obey mode.
Maybe it’s just my massive cranium, but aside from a lot of the complaints listed above (nose pieces), these seem to run small in the earloop dept. They’re better than the surgical masks I’ve been wearing, but certainly not as comfortable as the N95’s from 3m that I used to wear for work.
@arj8138 Got mine last week; they are better than most of the junk masks on the market now. Which is good because we’ll need to keep using masks through next year as the vaccines get rolled out.
The best reason for buying these is that they’re equivalent to N95 masks. Better by a tiny margin in one measurement, worse by a tiny margin in another.
In case you haven’t noticed, the virus is rampant ATM. So if you’re in a high risk category: over 60, obese, circulatory or respiratory issues, these masks improve you chances of not getting the virus.
Me? I’m old. So is my husband. We both have asthma; mine worse than his. I’m getting my 3rd package of 40, today.
They really shouldn’t be worn more than about three times.
@MickiSue Hope you’re staying safe! Where’d you get the information about wearing no more than 3 times? 3 days? 1 hour per wearing? I haven’t seen that specific guidance and want to learn.
@ooglek it’s really not possible to adequately clean disposable masks. But you can reuse them (worn for a day, not an hour) a couple times if you allow them to completely dry out.
In actuality, they are made to be single use. But with chronic shortages at healthcare facilities, they had to reuse the ones they had. Most facilities didn’t go longer than 3 days. They’re getting there again with the N95s because of crappy oversight.
Repeating my review from the last time these were offered:
My two cents for anyone on the fence / worried about the China origin of these:
I bought these on one of the other Mediocre sites, in fact I have one on the desk in front of me as I write this. They’re good. You can see/feel the layers; there is at least one soft/gauzy layer in between the stronger outer and inner layers. Soft elastic ear bands (not a “rubber band”), it fits snug but not too tight on my face (and I have a melon – if your head is on the small side I suspect you may have to find a way to tighten up on the bands). You really feel you are breathing through it and not “around” it, as is the case with many masks. At the same time I feel no added difficulty in actually breathing with this on - which is more than I can say for at least one type of cloth mask I’ve tried.
It’s not fair to say these are fake or knock-off N95s, IMO. The KN95 specification is indeed a bit different than the N95 one, and I have heard that KN95 are not supposed to be used in critical healthcare situations in the US, but I believe that is more of a function of what studies have been done than the actual differences between the masks. Simply from a design perspective these clearly are going to diffuse and trap more than the paper surgical-type masks.
I have used 3M N95s quite a bit in pre-Covid days for paint prep etc. and would easily consider these as an alternative, the “tent” shape actually fits a little better than the rounder ones. Plus these have the advantage of actually existing and being available to buy.
These will help me be a Kind Neighbor to 95 + year olds by not giving them Killer Necrosis 95% of the time. Also a good congratulatory gift for my Kinky Nephew’s 9-5 job he recently started. I helped him just a bit while I was picking up my Kickbacks for November (95$ of every thousand) with a white lie and some Khaki Nepotism in a 9’x5’.
Plus they should Keep Nicely for 9mo-5yr, depending on storage, and all the people who don’t wear masks are going to be visited by Krampus Next 9/5, so if next September you don’t wanna be Killed Nocturnally don’t say nein to this five finger discount. K, Now 95% of my excess creativity is burned off, so it’s time to go katch nap for 1.5hrs (give or take 5 minutes).
They can see the testing results (company who made these - got from the side of your box - Wenzhou Younuo). All but 3 of the 10 tested were 90% filtration, 1 was 85.2% and above (the best result was 97.2%) filtration, the lowest was 33.3%.
However, regardless they will have far better filtration than the rectangular ones and are better than any single layer fabric one. Also to get that 95%+ level of protection you need to have it fitted (and not all will fit all faces to get this) so there is no air leakage. That being said, they likely will leak less air around the edges than a rectangular disposable one.
If people are worried about the filtration rates, powecom, all of their masks tested better than 95%. There are only 2 USA distributorrs. One is https://bonafidemasks.com They have a black friday coupon for 15% off. The code is: BLACKFRIDAY and is ONLY todaya the 27th. I have found that the ear loops do not pull out and the nose peice is pretty good (not perfect) in preventing glasses fogging (have to mess with it a bit though to get it just right).
I also have not received masks that were ordered 11/16. Tracking shows them going to a PB facility in Indiana from TX, being sent out of ID, then returning on the 27th. Tracking number looks like a USPS one, but somehow Pitney Bowes is involved in the transport? It’s all so very KNfusing!
@Diaperspora@Ignorant In a perfect world, yes. In the case of my SD IRK, PB says they gave it to USPS over a month ago. USPS on the other hand, says they never got anything besides the tracking number.
I’m not a parent, but I suspect this is what it feels like when the kids play with the car keys, then toss them in the lake and both say it wasn’t me!
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$79.98 (For Similar) at Amazon for 40-Pack
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Sep 23 - Tuesday, Sep 28
Who was that masked man?
I’ll mask my displeasure. Meh.
Chinese mask for Chinese virus. Compatibility assured.
@duodec According to the Lancet, China’s masks (plus some additional steps) worked to get the virus under control. They may have under reported some numbers.
lol, I remember those articles before COVID hit here, about how bad and awful China was being to its citizens.
I mean, sure, they’re… worrisome… especially whatever the hell is going on in Xinjiang, which may or may not be as bad as the rumors say, yet can’t be good nonetheless.
But in this instance, that was them doing what needed to be done.
One of them was a video of Chinese police refusing to let an old man leave. They weren’t even being abusive, they were just blocking the exit, telling the guy that he couldn’t, while he was crying. That was it. Half the commenters were talking about how awful this was, and half were talking about how the other half doesn’t understand what a lockdown is.
It’s been, I don’t even know how long anymore, and things have only gotten worse.
As long as I’m not starving, in the dark, without heat, or wiping my butt with my left hand, I would gladly welcome an actual enforced lockdown. Bring on the swarms of loudspeaker equipped social shaming drones patrolling outside, if it meant getting to where China currently appears to be, case wise.
Let’s actually lockdown for a month, suspend rent and utilities, supply everyone a month’s worth of food and toiletries, bring in the national guard and have them set up roadblocks on major roads, give people $100 for ratting out their friends and neighbors who might still be holding large gatherings.
Whatever.
I just want to be done with this.
@Narwalt China has been lying and covering up regarding their numbers of infected and dead since the start of this mess. What makes you think they’re telling the truth now? You actually think they have it under control? Ridiculous.
@Narwalt @Trinityscrew
Not as ridiculous as you might think.
In a totalitarian government, the government has total control over what people do. The upside of that is that China has eradicated several epi/pandemics utilizing that control. Read “Away with all Pests” by Joshua. Horn. Old book but a good read.
@Narwalt @Trinityscrew They may or may not have it under control but what I do believe is their ability to rule the citizens in ways we can’t enforce at all or enforce very easily. That, in and of itself, would increase the odds of a reduction in numbers.
I had a just 14 year old chinese kid in my house for 6 months. She was amazed we could choose our own career and move when we wanted to and where we wanted to without official permission. She was shocked about causal public conversations (her English was about 4th grade level) that in her country would get you locked up. She was amazed that we didn’t have to ask permission to do all sorts of things… She was afraid of the police and ROTC on campus. Of course she was just 14 and adults in China would have a far more sophisticated understanding of the finer points of what you could do “legally”, what you could do that was against the “rules” and get away with pretty easily, which lines were risk to cross, and which ones you crossed with great danger.
@Trinityscrew
Yes, I think they actually have it under control.
They may have been able to hide the cases initially (whether they did and if so, by how much is an entirely separate discussion, though I do believe they did), but they have too much scrutiny on them to do so now.
So, yes, they currently have it under control.
There’s other countries who have also gotten to a manageable level by providing people the necessities, strictly enforcing masks and/or lockdowns.
I can see the holes being poked now: Vietnam is Communist, New Zealand is an island, Singapore is… Singapore.
But if this is what is us Americans consider freedom: cases (and deaths) continuing to rise, job insecurity, a high unemployment rate that mostly dropped just because people stopped looking for work, people making minimum wage to play covid roulette, an eviction crisis despite it technically being illegal, etc.
I’m good, thanks, please bring in the tanks.
I know prices on masks fluctuate a lot but I just bought a 40-pack on the 2nd for four bucks more. In a few days, they’ll either be $10 or $50.
@peaceetc Just thinking about that myself. Not to mention they still havent been delivered.
@peaceetc @toddlamp Exactly what I came here to say! Kinda salty I paid $4 more and they’re not even delivered yet.
Should I wait to see who won or just buy them now? Asking for a conspiracist friend.
@hchavers, you can buy them now cause CHEETO lost!!
@decoratedwarvet @hchavers Are you poking fun at our Commander in Peach!?!?
@decoratedwarvet With a new mask mandate and lockdown looming, I’ll tell them it’s a good investment.
@hchavers @sk00t3r, why, yes,…he pokes fun at us Veterans, so what’s good for the goose, or rather, lame duck, is good for the other gooses & goosettes.
“Neck deep in butt” is the funniest phrase I’ve heard this month.
Any idea who makes these? The model number listed is the name of the standard that they’re supposed to meet, not a model number. KN95 masks have a wide range of quality depending on who manufactured them.
@iandees Looks like there’s something on the 6th image? The side of the box seems to have company info.
@mcanavino thanks for the pointer. I don’t see the company on the list of CDC-tested masks here: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/NonNIOSHresults.html
…but they’re also not on the fake list so
@iandees, buy’um & run’um through the tests. Da fire [candle] test, the water test & the, umm,… I forgot the 3rd test. Regardless, none of them can pass those fart tests!!
@iandees the ones I bought from Meh last time had the name Bellapiere
@iandees If it’s the same product as the batch they sold a couple weeks ago they are Bellapiere branded and made by Wenzhou Younuo Protective Product Co., Ltd.
@eethomp @iandees
all that means is that they haven’t been tested yet.
@iandees, the third test is the Ignite test, so again, the other test are the candle fire test, and the fn water test. So, first, put on da new mask & try to blow out a candle, second, fill the mask with a bit of water to see if it drips any water, and third, try to burn the mask; if it catches on fire just let it burn because it ain’t no good!! A five layered mask may burn the 1st layer, but shouldn’t burn all 5, or layers 2, 3, 4 & 5!! If you’re cheap, and don’t wanna chance burning your mask then just run it through the 1st 2 tests. BTW, hold the fn candle, or a Zippo [or Bic] lighter 6"-8" from your mask. Be careful, … or not!!
Stated on the description “ The KN-95 Mask is not designed for clinical environments, such as hospitals or dentist offices”. Also no NIOSH approved markings on mask or box. I doubt this mask is anything more than a cheap knock-off that does not deserve an KN-95 rating. Beware.
No KN95 is NIOSH approved. They test some of them and report results; they do not approve them. If you see a KN95 that says NIOSH approved, it’s a fake.
That said, I would also like to know if these have been tested. Some of the previous offers on Meh apparently had been.
@sfwineguy Do you know what the difference is, if any, between KN95 and N95 (which is the kind I always hear about on the news)? I only know they’re both different from I-95, that long, long parking lot so familiar to us East-Coasters.
@InFrom @sfwineguy It’s a US versus China specification. KN95 is the Chinese standard, N95 is the US standard. These masks are not approved for medical or clinical applications, but there should be little difference between N95 and KN95 for the purposes of grocery shopping etc - get whichever is most affordable.
@InFrom N95 is an American standard. An N95 mask that is NIOSH approved AND is correctly fitted to the individual will filter 95% of the defined particles. The fitting part is not trivial. I think 3M (which makes a lot of them) has a good explainer on their site. A properly fitted N95 is pretty tight and, unless valved (which is not appropriate for coronavirus) makes it noticeably more difficult to breathe. I think they all have straps that go around your head, not ear loops like many KN95s.
@sfwineguy
N95 is a US standard; KN95 is the Chinese standard, which supposedly meets the same criteria as N95. Probably safer than using a flat pleated type mask because it seals the perimeter to the face better.
Following the URL on the box and searching the cosmetics site for KN95 reveals that they sell for 16 bucks for 40, but apparently Meh bought them all because they’re out of stock.
And the mask image on the website is a little different than the mask image on this site.
And the box says “extra air series”. Not sure why.
@sfwineguy Having used N95, KN95, surgical type flat pleated and sewn cotton masks, not so sure they make breathing much more difficult, if at all. The 1-way valve is designed to allow easier exit of exhaled air because exhaling can make the face area under the mask too warm and/ or moist- especially for people engaged in physical labor, which was the most common use for these masks before the virus.
Agreed- the valved masks are not appropriate for coronavirus use.
@sfwineguy FWIW, OSHA’s April 3, 2020 memo allows substitutions of many other national standard certified masks in lieu of NIOSH N95 masks. One of the allowed substitutes is KN95 masks following standard GB2626-2006.
ref: Enforcement Guidance for Use of Respiratory Protection Equipment Certified under Standards of Other Countries or Jurisdictions During the…, Appendix A
@mwarren Thank you, that is useful info.
I’d still like these to be on the tested list, per an earlier commenter who said they’re neither on the tested list nor the fake list. I thought some of the Meh offered ones previously had been on the tested list.
@Observer8834 @sfwineguy
That is one of the problems with many mask ads. Some listings of masks show photos of several different looking masks on the box, in the description, etc. and so it is impossible to know exactly which mask you are getting inside the box.
@InFrom @sfwineguy, from what I read, the N95 is American made & the equivalent to it us the KN95, made in China. BTW, either one can be fake; as was said, it does depend on the manufacture. The Top Of The Line is the 3M N95 mask. I purchased a couple of fn ‘Duck’ masks made by Kimberly-Clark NIOSH TC84A-942 N95 MODEL : 53358 LOT : GZO2430 1F which, I think, was made in Memphis, TN. [USA] not Egypt!!
I don’t like any of the gif results
/giphy crowded unobtrusive chestnut
Bought some last time and they have done the job. Picking up some more with cases going up for my workers. Anything is better than nothing. I got some 3m N95 last week and for 10 it was $40 plus shipping.
In for 1 for my niece in med school. Mental drifting tinkerbell
@venussuz, you oughtta get her the 3M N95, 10 for $40.00, plus shpng. fee. Nevertheless, these may be ok for med school, but the specs specificlly say they aren’t for dental or medical use [this is assuming they Are refering to a hospital setting & not a classroom enviroment]. I’m just sayin,…
These masks were the older Chinese standard which were superseded by a new standard GB2626-2019 on 07/01/2019.
@wslncarolina
@wslncarolina THIS! These masks are manufactured based on the GB2626-2006 standard. They are likely better than procedure masks, but not as good as a real N95 mask.
There is the potential for other countries’ standards to meet or exceed N95, just not the KN95 GB2626-2006 (or maybe even the -2019) standard.
Here’s a neat chart about the difference between N95, FFP2, KN95 and other mask types:
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/whats-the-difference-between-n95-and-kn95-masks/
Here’s a recent report about an ECRI test of KN95 masks that found that 60-70% (croikeys, can you just publish the fucking exact number?!?) of KN95 masks tested don’t meet US standards for N95.
ECRI also claims that 60-70% of KN95 masks do not filter 95% of aerosol particulates. BUT THEY DON’T SAY HOW CLOSE TO 95% IT WAS. It feels a bit slimey, especially if the masks ARE ALMOST 95% effective. If they are 50% effective, yeah, sound the alarm.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/report-finds-kn95-masks-not-as-effective-as-n95-masks
https://www.ecri.org/press/up-to-70-of-chinese-kn95-masks-tested-by-ecri-dont-meet-minimum-standards
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THESE MASKS ARE BAD OR INEFFECTIVE. They just aren’t the same as N95, but we do not know if they block 94.2% on average instead of 95.0%, or if they are so terrible it’s like not wearing a mask. I’m confident it’s probably between 90-94.9%, but I’m guessing and pulling numbers from IRK’s ass.
@wslncarolina OK THIS PISSES ME OFF!
ECRI is claiming that all sorts of masks (70% out of 200) aren’t doing a good job of 95% blockage. When I found SOME data, 7 of 11 at max efficiency blocked 95%+ and at minimum efficiency 5 of 11 blocked 95%+.
These 11 manufacturers are the ONLY ones listed as ECRI-tested. Their press release is either based on new data not yet published, or is some full-on bullshit.
The manufacturer of these masks MEH is selling, Homar Bio-Technology Holding Co, if the photo is to be believed, was not on ECRI’s list.
KN95 manufacturer masks that DID pass both min/max efficiency in ECRI’s tests:
KN95 manufacturers that passed max efficiency but not min in ECRI’s tests:
KN95 manufacturers that did not pass 95% in ECRI’s tests:
THEN
On their other excel tab, they list 421 masks in total, averaged 91.86% max effectiveness and 81.12% min effectiveness.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS DATA IS FROM ECRI.
If you only include masks manufactured to GB2626 standards, 325 masks averaged 91.83% max effectiveness and 79.88% min effectiveness.
Excluding GB2626 masks, 96 masks averaged 91.96% max effectiveness and 85.32% min effectiveness.
Of the 11 masks manufactured to USA (42 CFR 84) standards, 98.68% max effectiveness, 97.72% min effectiveness.
Based on this data, yeah, if you wanna be the most safe, use a 42 CFR 84 standard mask. Don’t believe the “N95” moniker either – it is mis-used by manufacturers.
Also based on this data, these masks PROBABLY are 91.83% effective best-case and 79.88% effective worst-case. But remember, these masks are tested with 2.5 micron particles. They are MORE effective (counter-intuitive) at filtering out particles that are SMALLER than and LARGER than 2.5 microns. Covid-19 is 0.3 microns, however the aerosolized droplets that carry it may be larger – 0.5 to 12 microns in diameter. Another test of a sneeze showed most particles above 100 microns, easily filterable by most any mask.
https://www.materials-talks.com/blog/2020/04/15/droplet-sizing-of-coughs-and-sneezes/
The manufacturers that use 42 CFR 84 from ECRI testing:
Data: https://d84vr99712pyz.cloudfront.net/p/pdf/covid-19-resource-center/covid-19-supply-chain/ppe-testing-summary_respirators.xlsx
from : https://www.ecri.org/coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak-preparedness-center/
Carry on. Stay safe.
@ooglek @wslncarolina Great stuff. Thanks.
Before covid they couldn’t give these away except to painters and such workers; working in hazardous areas with inadequate ventilation. Now everyone jumps up for these. Eye am currently good; as my fat ass will not leave the house. When eye can not order a drop off and have no option other than to leave eye just use glen.
@whomeyesu Eye just use them when I’m woodworking in the garage.
@whomeyesu Glen might have some thoughts about this, though.
@whomeyesu, when you’re Talkin about ‘painters’, I hope you aren’t referring to our Auto Refinishers because they use respirators & with these basecoat/clearcoat systems they use self-regulated oxygen provided full face-mask systems. They may throw a mask on just to quickly primer a section of a vehicle, or a part, …maybe!!
/buy
@ciabelle It worked! Your order number is: wakeful-organic-spice
/image wakeful organic spice
/giphy wakeful organic spice
@ciabelle There’s a proverbial lot to unpack here. Aka wtf is going on?
@ciabelle @stinks If I remember correctly, it’s the Spice Girls ‘Wannabe’ video
I don’t wear masks - why would I need these?
@richmondhokie for if/when you get covid, because you don’t wear masks, so you can not spread it to your friends and family.
@cthobbit one it was sarcasm (mostly), 2, I have one or 2 lying around if/when it happens. I dont need fricken 40 of them
@cthobbit @richmondhokie You might need 40 of them eventually over time. The loops can pull out, they can get accidentally damaged, they can get too dirty, they can ‘wear out’ and fall apart…
@richmondhokie that was a very hilarious joke! You’re really funny, and are good at topical humor! Many people will find it funny, especially nowadays. Good job! (sarcasm, mostly)
@cthobbit @richmondhokie, cthobbit if he’s a no-masker, then though he may rationalize that his comment was simply sarcasm, the fact is no-maskers don’t care a rat’s ass about whether they fkn infect anyone as long as they can cough & spit on whomever they damn please!! That’s their sad fn idea of being an American & their ludicrous idea of freedom!! If he’s Not a no-maskers & was truly just being sarcastic where he was fn actually being satirical, then My Fuckin Bad, but I think it was the former more than the latter!!
@cthobbit @decoratedwarvet @richmondhokie I was in the police station yesterday to report a theft and while we weren’t allowed in without masks the cop behind the desk wasn’t wearing one!!! And our local hospitals (all 4 of them) have no ICU beds and 10 patients who should be in ICU aren’t because of no beds (actually there are none in the state). Ticked me off but I didn’t say anything because, well police station and all. And I needed his cooperation. And this is the deep south and fits the stereotype. Fucking asshole cop.
The last masks I got from a Meh-branded company offered “3 layers of protection” and is roughly the equivalent of trying to breathe through a comforter (and so far about 1 in 3 doesn’t have a strip at the top, and whatever they did use for the strip has “memory” so it never conforms well). I can’t imagine was 5 layers is like…
More is not always better.
HARD PASS. Buy your masks in person or on the recommendation of someone that owns them already.
@Pufferfishy I also bought some from pleated ones meh (the maskforeveryface “brand”). The nose metal is too thin and won’t hold its shape. You have to keep re-pinching it as it takes hardly any pressure for it to get too loose. Then one’s glasses fog. The gaps on the sides is pretty big. They are better than nothing and at the time I got them the price was better than anything else I could find.
@Pufferfishy Give me a break. I’m old, I have asthma. And I can breathe, walk briskly wearing a KN95 mask.
@MickiSue Well super fucking whoop-dee-do for you.
Your amazing skills don’t change the fact that cheap masks are likely cheap for a reason. But thanks for chiming in.
(rocky-tactile-food) This is my second batch ordered, I’ll probably give half of them out to coworkers, friends and family, use a few & put away the rest then hang tight for the/a vaccine…
https://www.chytrevypinace.cz/fotky70063/fotov/_ps_1981_CE-test-report-KN95-Homar-2020-03-12--1.pdf
Here’s the test report saying that the manufacturer (Homar Bio-Tech) complies to the appropriate standards for KN95 classification. My concern would be that they don’t list the actual test results. They just give it a pass (“P”). I want the filter efficiency results listed to at least give me a little more confidence that the report wasn’t faked.
I got these on the last sale. If it’s the same product, they are Bellapiere branded and made by Wenzhou Younuo Protective Product Co., Ltd. Testing is available at CDC. The batch CDC tested was quite variable, with only 7 of the ten working at 85% or better efficiency. It looks the remaining three leaked. The pressure drop is comparable to a couple layers of cloth and filtration is still probably better on average.
Thank you!!! Here’s a link to the specific test PDF.
Last time these were posted someone linked http://bonafidemasks.com
I purchased from them with free shipping and they have certifications and manufacturing data.
@Saxamo Second this. I saw the link in the previous thread and ordered 50 for my MIL who is a occupational therapy assistant working with children. Metal strip is good, straps stay on, and the fit is good for her.
@fibrs86 @Saxamo FWIW, I bought some Powecom masks from this site, and they are VERY uncomfortable. The fit is a little sloppy, the nose clip does not stay tight, and, worst of all, the straps really hurt the back of my ears after only 10-20 minutes. I bought some off Monoprice (Kindly Care Products, Ltd) back in April, and they are excellent (though 10 for $40), but unfortunately, no longer available.
@MrNews @Saxamo That was probably a good find for April.
Fit is so critical but impossible to assess before buying. In the before times people who needed N95s for work would try on many of the styles until they found one that sealed well, and then they would be approved to wear only that style. Now we order blindly online and either live with what we get or give them away and order a different style.
There are two vaccines now. You won’t need them soon. But with the communist party perhaps taking over the country I am sure Beijing Biden will force us all to obey the new lock down to keep our brains in obey mode.
@MichaelTa please keep politics to the Political Quarantine topic.
Locking this comment.
Maybe it’s just my massive cranium, but aside from a lot of the complaints listed above (nose pieces), these seem to run small in the earloop dept. They’re better than the surgical masks I’ve been wearing, but certainly not as comfortable as the N95’s from 3m that I used to wear for work.
I bought them, and have several family members the could fit, but what SIZE are they!?
Did anyone get their order from 2 weeks ago when they were $4 more expensive? I haven’t.
@arj8138 I did fwiw
@arj8138 Got mine last week; they are better than most of the junk masks on the market now. Which is good because we’ll need to keep using masks through next year as the vaccines get rolled out.
The best reason for buying these is that they’re equivalent to N95 masks. Better by a tiny margin in one measurement, worse by a tiny margin in another.
In case you haven’t noticed, the virus is rampant ATM. So if you’re in a high risk category: over 60, obese, circulatory or respiratory issues, these masks improve you chances of not getting the virus.
Me? I’m old. So is my husband. We both have asthma; mine worse than his. I’m getting my 3rd package of 40, today.
They really shouldn’t be worn more than about three times.
@MickiSue Hope you’re staying safe! Where’d you get the information about wearing no more than 3 times? 3 days? 1 hour per wearing? I haven’t seen that specific guidance and want to learn.
@ooglek it’s really not possible to adequately clean disposable masks. But you can reuse them (worn for a day, not an hour) a couple times if you allow them to completely dry out.
In actuality, they are made to be single use. But with chronic shortages at healthcare facilities, they had to reuse the ones they had. Most facilities didn’t go longer than 3 days. They’re getting there again with the N95s because of crappy oversight.
/giphy ancient-relishing-tub
Repeating my review from the last time these were offered:
My two cents for anyone on the fence / worried about the China origin of these:
I bought these on one of the other Mediocre sites, in fact I have one on the desk in front of me as I write this. They’re good. You can see/feel the layers; there is at least one soft/gauzy layer in between the stronger outer and inner layers. Soft elastic ear bands (not a “rubber band”), it fits snug but not too tight on my face (and I have a melon – if your head is on the small side I suspect you may have to find a way to tighten up on the bands). You really feel you are breathing through it and not “around” it, as is the case with many masks. At the same time I feel no added difficulty in actually breathing with this on - which is more than I can say for at least one type of cloth mask I’ve tried.
It’s not fair to say these are fake or knock-off N95s, IMO. The KN95 specification is indeed a bit different than the N95 one, and I have heard that KN95 are not supposed to be used in critical healthcare situations in the US, but I believe that is more of a function of what studies have been done than the actual differences between the masks. Simply from a design perspective these clearly are going to diffuse and trap more than the paper surgical-type masks.
I have used 3M N95s quite a bit in pre-Covid days for paint prep etc. and would easily consider these as an alternative, the “tent” shape actually fits a little better than the rounder ones. Plus these have the advantage of actually existing and being available to buy.
These will help me be a Kind Neighbor to 95 + year olds by not giving them Killer Necrosis 95% of the time. Also a good congratulatory gift for my Kinky Nephew’s 9-5 job he recently started. I helped him just a bit while I was picking up my Kickbacks for November (95$ of every thousand) with a white lie and some Khaki Nepotism in a 9’x5’.
Plus they should Keep Nicely for 9mo-5yr, depending on storage, and all the people who don’t wear masks are going to be visited by Krampus Next 9/5, so if next September you don’t wanna be Killed Nocturnally don’t say nein to this five finger discount. K, Now 95% of my excess creativity is burned off, so it’s time to go katch nap for 1.5hrs (give or take 5 minutes).
/giphy scattered-yummy-baseball
Since enough people asked about where these are from here’s a few pics of the ones I received. They seem like they’ll do the job fine.
@Willijs3 You are right about the duck bill look LOL.
If people go here:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/NonNIOSHresults.html
They can see the testing results (company who made these - got from the side of your box - Wenzhou Younuo). All but 3 of the 10 tested were 90% filtration, 1 was 85.2% and above (the best result was 97.2%) filtration, the lowest was 33.3%.
However, regardless they will have far better filtration than the rectangular ones and are better than any single layer fabric one. Also to get that 95%+ level of protection you need to have it fitted (and not all will fit all faces to get this) so there is no air leakage. That being said, they likely will leak less air around the edges than a rectangular disposable one.
If people are worried about the filtration rates, powecom, all of their masks tested better than 95%. There are only 2 USA distributorrs. One is https://bonafidemasks.com They have a black friday coupon for 15% off. The code is: BLACKFRIDAY and is ONLY todaya the 27th. I have found that the ear loops do not pull out and the nose peice is pretty good (not perfect) in preventing glasses fogging (have to mess with it a bit though to get it just right).
Got mine today. I’m happy with them
I ordered mine over two weeks ago, and they’re still not here…
mine were supposed to be here 12/2 and are still not here. tracking says they haven’t moved since 11/23/
wtf
I also have not received masks that were ordered 11/16. Tracking shows them going to a PB facility in Indiana from TX, being sent out of ID, then returning on the 27th. Tracking number looks like a USPS one, but somehow Pitney Bowes is involved in the transport? It’s all so very KNfusing!
Hi @Diaperspora Pitney Bowes will at some point deliver to your local post office and then USPS will handle the final delivery to your house.
@Diaperspora @Ignorant In a perfect world, yes. In the case of my SD IRK, PB says they gave it to USPS over a month ago. USPS on the other hand, says they never got anything besides the tracking number.
I’m not a parent, but I suspect this is what it feels like when the kids play with the car keys, then toss them in the lake and both say it wasn’t me!
KuoH
Ordered these a month ago and still no delivery??? Stuck in Dallas at PB facility! WTF???
Woohoo!!! My order has shipped from Dallas to Georgia??? But I live in Dallas…damn!