@tardis It claims to meet a real, valid specification and the manufacturer has filed paperwork with the FDA claiming that they meet the specification. There’s no independent proof and they could be lying, but I figure a company selling fake masks is not going to the effort of including fake certificates of authenticity and lying to the FDA. I mean they could, but it would be easier not to and they could probably still find places to buy the masks.
@tardis Probably not “to spec” since the spec mandates that the manufacturer be printed on the mask, and those I have bought have not had that.
I believe a lot of these masks are made with meltblown fabric in layers that match the spec, but I don’t know about the QC. I’m not an expert in this area, you can read more about it at https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing if you’re interested.
@dskin1127@tardis You can’t. Ever. Those of us who came along too late are forever barred from being VMPs. And though they piss and moan about their dwindling privileges, we’ve seen today that they do still have some, like being able to buy what’s sold out for the rest of us.
Actually, you can get the heart in a shield by becoming a member mehmber.
@Kyeh@tardis That’s good to know. It sounds like the VMPs probably celebrate a Meh anti-Festivus - their ability to buy what’s sold out for the rest of us.
Along the lines of that write-up, my deep thought today was “Why do people say they know something like the back of their hand?” I’m not so sure I could pick out an image of the back of my hand compared to my sister’s, say.
@Kyeh
So ironic, I was just thinking about that 2 days ago! I know what the back of my hand looks like and I was wondering if others were familiar with theirs. Then I wondered how many other people thought about such rediculouse stuff. Leave it to my fellow Meh heads! Lol
@Kyeh@Lynnerizer I mean I don’t spend a lot of time studying the back of my hand. In general. But I know it better than yours. There’s that scar where I missed with that hatchet. Hmm… I think those are from that time dad dropped a transmission on it(when I was an adult and I said to release the jack. Ow ow ow up up up). All those that are from working on stuff. Etc.
@Lynnerizer@unksol Okay, some people’s hands are more distictive than others. I could tell mine apart from my mother’s or brother’s. But another woman about my size and age, I’m not sure I could.
On a different note, have you ever seen yourself in a mirror and not realized it was you?
I have, at a distance, in an angled mirror so that I wasn’t looking back at myself. It was strange!
@Kyeh@Lynnerizer lol in didn’t mean you hands specifically I meant the generic your. But yes if you don’t have anything distinctive… I don’t study the paturn on my hand. There are just distinctive features. Or distinctive fuck ups. Or sometimes just. Distinctive non fuckups
@bstrange I came here to ask about that - the last ones I got from here are just a bit on the small size so they tend to slip up from my chin of slide down from my nose if I open my mouth to talk or yawn.
FWIW, I’ve bought a couple of cheap masks of this style and those little square dimples have torn with surprisng ease, basically opening little holes for goodies to come in and out.
raises hand So the story on Bugs Bunny - it’s actually “Bug’s bunny”, as in “the bunny designed for Ben ‘Buggsy’ Hardaway”. If you look at the original model sheet, there’s a liiiittle tiny apostrophe in there.
Just wanted to mention that at my local Ace hardware, they had a large selection of US-made 3M brand N95 masks. Prices were actually not much different than in “the before times.” a couple of $ each, in packs of 2, 3, and 10. Not as cheap as these, but “real” N95 with straps behind your head (not ears).
@pmarin Costco had NOISH approved N95 masks for $ 80 (100 of them) a couple of weeks ago. The same ones I paid $ 280 for during the height of the pandemic when masks were in short supply.
@joe645 Why buy meh masks when Uncle Joey is going to give them to you for “free”? By the way I know nothing is free, and I have been buying my own masks and wearing them since day 1. Every time meh offers them, I buy!
@texmarc
2024, maybe, but probably never. The shelf life for those is short, so it’s not likely that there will be distributors sitting on big piles that they need to dump at a severe discount while they’re still fressh enough to try to discount. And once the plague is damped down enough, there won’t be any demand at all. These aren’t like candy corn; there’s no hardcore fan base that will step up to buy them because they really like the product.
These masks are crappy. They have the external nose adjustment gizmo. These stay on for like 2 minutes and then it’s just the paper mask. Worth what you pay I guess. Not for me.
Umm, I seem to recall some online FDA lists of KN95 manufacturers, whose masks did or did not meet testing standards. Since the manufacturer’s name is not clearly visible in the product photos, there is no way to check. No sale.
@kerri9494@MrNews
The lack of presence on the Not-NIOSH-certified list is not dispositive of anything. They claim to meet the GB2626-2006 standard, which would allow them to be NIOSH-approved, but because they don’t claim to be NIOSH-approved, the CDC and NIOSH won’t test them. They might be compliant in fact, and brought to market without the delay and expense that submitting the paperwork and samples entails, or they could be noncompliant but imported by a company that’s smart enough to request that the labeling NOT claim the NIOSH certification that would trigger the test and subsequent blacklisting.
You have deregulation and the drive to make the government “small enough to drown in a bathtub” to thank for the fact that we have no agency routinely monitoring the imports of these for safety and effectiveness.
@werehatrack Nope, GB2626-2006 compliance doesn’t mean something’s eligible for NIOSH certification. They can’t be NIOSH-compliant respirators, because they have ear loops, with nothing securing them behind the head. NIOSH-compliant respirators won’t have plain ear loops. NIOSH is as much about fit as it is about materials and theoretical filtration.
That doesn’t mean that they’re not perfectly good KN95 masks, though.
That doesn’t mean that they’re not perfectly good KN95 masks, though.
Yep. Sadly, since the importer can order them from China with anything at all on the labeling, the presence of that GB2626-2006 claim is no guarantee that the item meets any specific spec. It all boils down to “Do you trust the people you’re getting these from?” For the most part, my impression has been that Meh tries to at least avoid the absolute worst crap - and sometimes still fails. Pretty much any mask (except a knitted neck gaiter) being better than nothing, I’d use these if I had them.
@mcss@MrNews
You do understand that “brand” has become nearly a null concept with products from China, right? If any Chinese brand becomes recognized as “the good stuff” over here, counterfeits will be on their way by the containerload within hours. Masks are just one of many targets of brand counterfeiting, the various lithium batteries and flashlights from China have been having this problem for over a decade at this point, with Trustfire being the most frequent target.
@mcss@MrNews Different manufacturer; same model number. The ‘model number’ (GB2626-2006) used by both companies is simply a reference to a Chinese national standard for non-powered respirators - which has since been superseded by GB2626-2019.
@mcss@rpstrong That’s actually not a model #, but a standard. Some of the Chinese (KN-95) masks work well, but many do not, and there are also tons of counterfeits circulating. But as the price point for the “good” masks drops, so do the benefits of counterfeiting.
I’ve been using Powecom brand masks for 18 months: they pass all tests, work well, fit nicely, and rarely have strap failure. Easy to get from ProjectN95 or Bona Fide Masks websites.
Thanks for the info - didn’t know that site existed.
And if we’re going to pay taxes, I sure appreciate that in my county in Maryland, there’s distribution of N95 masks AND the home rapid test kits for “free.” That’s how government is supposed to work for us minions!
@CaramelJohnson
More accurately, these are of unknown quality unless somebody tests them and establishes whether they have a useful level of filtration or not. The problem is that no agency is routinely testing them before they are released from Customs to be distributed on the US market, because deregulation and the drive to shrink the citizen-beneficial segment of the government into irrelevance has been extremely effective over the past 42 years.
Well, I have found that to be pretty false most of the time. Yeah, the material could be decent but most of these fit terrible and are actually worse than a garbage cloth mask.
@Woody1 Neither the US-standard N95 nor the Chinese-standard KN95 is “medical protective”.
The debate is if the mask even qualifies as KN95 in the first place.
Wow, sold out! After so many other sales with lackluster response. I suspect the updated messaging from the federal government may be having an effect.
i missed this, but i had an order of masks from meh where half were this style with an uncovered nose bendy nose thing, and they are useless because the bendy nose thing just comes unstuck after less than 5 minutes wearing. i now only buy integrated nose wire masks
Oh god folks, just wear them. Whether you’ve got a tshirt wrapped around your face or a hospital grade surgical mask, once you start to wear them in the real world they’re not as effective as you probably think. They do help and you should wear them in public but if your goal is to keep ALL the bugs out, you’ve lost before you’ve begun. Comfort, and your ability to wear them without touching/adjusting them should be your primary purchasing decision if efficacy is your goal. Anyways, if these are anything like the KN95 masks they’ve sold in the past (and they look to be,) they lose on this ground, at least with the shape of my face.
@NadmanET Everyone will have to find what works for them. Years before the pandemic, I had N95 masks that were sold for use at home (around solvents, allergens while mowing, etc.) but they didn’t fit my face and were uncomfortable or refused to seal. I replaced them with cloth masks that fit better and worked better, so I already had those when the pandemic began. They were fine for a quick trip to the store, but If I had to wait somewhere for an hour, moisture built up enough that breathing became harder, so I would have to unseal the mask a bit to get air.
I’ve now used three different batches/brands of KN95s. One, with the nose bar on the outside, is less well-constructed, but still usable for me for a single day. All three have either a certificate or stamp for GB2626-2006. They could all be counterfeits, but I think not. They were all between 1-2 years old when I got them, so still had at least a year before their expiration date. That probably means they were clearing older masks in storage while they still had enough time left before expiration. I think a counterfeiter would use the newer 2019 standard and more recent manufacturing date. For me, the KN95 simply fits my face better and stays sealed and breathable for longer periods of time, so I will continue to use them.
@Euniceandrich@Kyeh
Ordinary Mehmbers have been locked out since 8:41AM, but apparently VMPs got access at 4PM to whatever was left. I’ve been seeing nothing but Sold Out since the 8:41 shutoff. I suspect that even using the in-forum /buy would not work for me.
@Euniceandrich Geez! Not that I want those; but I was considering the masks. It seems like they could have put more of those up for sale to members if they kept selling them for TWO MORE whole days!
@Euniceandrich@tinamarie1974
I was kind of bummed when they said we should give up our cloth ones, but I have to admit, the KN95s are actually more comfortable! Not what I expected. And they don’t fog up my glasses as much.
Mine are fake kn95s. Real kn95s have to have the model and while the pictures show Model: GB2626-2006 (civil grade), my masks arrived just say KN95 on the mask with no model imprint on the mask, which indicates they were not regulated or tested as advertised.
I’m specifically only interested in buying masks with a model number imprinted on the mask and that is why I bought these.
Waste of money for those of us who want real kn95s.
I was disappointed. I received the box and outside it was fine, but when I opened the shipping package it looked like someone let all of their frustrations out on my masks. It the box was a disaster then are they contents safe?
Specs
Details
Adjustable metal nose bridge for a snug fit
Comfortable and soft fitting
Four-layer protection:
What’s included?
Price Comparison
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Jul 28 - Monday, Aug 1
Who was that masked Sock?
Are these actual, legit, to the spec, KN95 masks?
@tardis The numbers on the mask look legit.
@tardis no NIOSH on it.
@tardis legit to Chinese standard but not NIOSH approved, per the CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/results/MTT-2020-111.1_International_DongguanMauGee_KN95_TestReport_Redacted-508.pdf
@badger65 @tardis NIOSH certifies N95 but not KN95
@badger65 @tardis only N95 masks will have NIOSH certification.
@joeross @tardis Just as a note, that report looks like it was in reference to a different manufacturer’s product.
@badger65 @tardis
That’s GOOD, because NIOSH is only on N95s, not KN95s.
“The CDC, through NIOSH, does not approve KN95 masks or any other respiratory protective device certified to international standards.”
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/usernotices/counterfeitResp.html
@badger65 @tardis Personally, I love bagels with a bit of NIOSH and cream cheese.
Wait, what?
@tardis It claims to meet a real, valid specification and the manufacturer has filed paperwork with the FDA claiming that they meet the specification. There’s no independent proof and they could be lying, but I figure a company selling fake masks is not going to the effort of including fake certificates of authenticity and lying to the FDA. I mean they could, but it would be easier not to and they could probably still find places to buy the masks.
@badger65 @rubbercarp I’m aware they’re not N95.
Too many of the KN95 masks on the market meet only 2 or 3 of the requirements.
@smigit2002 @tardis yeah i should have been clearer, different manufacturer, same standard
@tardis fair enough, just saying if you’re looking for a NIOSH number on a KN95, you’re not gonna find one even if it’s at full spec
@tardis Probably not “to spec” since the spec mandates that the manufacturer be printed on the mask, and those I have bought have not had that.
I believe a lot of these masks are made with meltblown fabric in layers that match the spec, but I don’t know about the QC. I’m not an expert in this area, you can read more about it at https://www.armbrustusa.com/pages/mask-testing if you’re interested.
@Alereon @tardis A fake certificate takes no effort to produce. It’s the real ones that require some eforet
@badger65 @guybrush01 @tardis A noshing fan, are you?
@badger65 @guybrush01 @tardis Actually it is spelled “Nosh”-that is why you didn’t recognize it. And what no lox?
@guybrush01
Lox him up!
@badger65 @guybrush01 @tardis Agreed. My favorite bagels are Lox with just a schmear of NIOSH.
@dskin1127 I fully endorse this message.
@badger65 @dskin1127 @guybrush01 @tardis
More of a NO-ISH on the schmear for me.
Capers, yes, please. Lox.
@tardis Thanks for the endorsement. BTW, how do I get one of those cool shield icons to attach to my username?
@dskin1127 @tardis You can’t. Ever. Those of us who came along too late are forever barred from being VMPs. And though they piss and moan about their dwindling privileges, we’ve seen today that they do still have some, like being able to buy what’s sold out for the rest of us.
Actually, you can get the heart in a shield by becoming a
membermehmber.@Kyeh @tardis That’s good to know. It sounds like the VMPs probably celebrate a Meh anti-Festivus - their ability to buy what’s sold out for the rest of us.
@dskin1127 @tardis Yes, a small benefit, maybe - but something!
@tardis They’re not. The images show the certification code, but I just got my package and they don’t match the photos. These are cheap knockoffs.
@goffstock Ugh, that sucks. I’m sorry, mate.
/giphy dense-wiry-marble
OH MY GOD THEY… HAD A CONVERSATION WITH GLEN!!!
@shahnm How can you be sure that is actually Glen?
@macromeh How can you be sure that I’m actually shahnm?
@shahnm Ha - nice try, bot! Unlike the real shahnm, you didn’t shout your reply.
@macromeh shahnm only gets excited about shit they do to Glen. Otherwise, shahnm is pretty meh…
Woohoo! Something that can mask my disappointment that we have yet to have a mehrethon this month!
@guybrush01 You’re disappointed about not being able to be disappointed?
@guybrush01 I love mehrethons as much as the next person, but I think I love sleep more…
@guybrush01 @smigit2002
Given what’s been in the IRKs I’ve managed to get, yeah, sleep is absolutely more worthwhile.
Remember when MEH had such desirable things, they had to suspend purchases until the next morning?
I miss that.
@GeckoD Didn’t something suspend after like 3 sales recently? Was that better?
@GeckoD @stinks Well, these sold out eventually today, so I guess someone (at Meh hq) was happy.
“Give me your lunch money, you little twerp.”
Along the lines of that write-up, my deep thought today was “Why do people say they know something like the back of their hand?” I’m not so sure I could pick out an image of the back of my hand compared to my sister’s, say.
@Kyeh
/image Man hands Seinfeld
@Kyeh
So ironic, I was just thinking about that 2 days ago! I know what the back of my hand looks like and I was wondering if others were familiar with theirs. Then I wondered how many other people thought about such rediculouse stuff. Leave it to my fellow Meh heads! Lol
@Kyeh @Lynnerizer I mean I don’t spend a lot of time studying the back of my hand. In general. But I know it better than yours. There’s that scar where I missed with that hatchet. Hmm… I think those are from that time dad dropped a transmission on it(when I was an adult and I said to release the jack. Ow ow ow up up up). All those that are from working on stuff. Etc.
Scars add up for non bad reasons.
@Lynnerizer @unksol Okay, some people’s hands are more distictive than others. I could tell mine apart from my mother’s or brother’s. But another woman about my size and age, I’m not sure I could.
On a different note, have you ever seen yourself in a mirror and not realized it was you?
I have, at a distance, in an angled mirror so that I wasn’t looking back at myself. It was strange!
@Kyeh @Lynnerizer lol in didn’t mean you hands specifically I meant the generic your. But yes if you don’t have anything distinctive… I don’t study the paturn on my hand. There are just distinctive features. Or distinctive fuck ups. Or sometimes just. Distinctive non fuckups
@Kyeh You missed her hands.
(Did we ever find out who’s hands they used?)
I Googled it.
They used actor James Rekart’s hands.
James Rekart on IMDB
@Kerig3 Yeah, I had to look it up because I don’t watch Seinfeld, but I did say some people have distinctive hands.
@Kyeh I have, during chemically altered states of consciousness, not recognized my own hands. Does that count?
@Kyeh Good point…
Is the metal nose bridge on the outside or sewn inside? I’ve bought both from meh before (thank you for them!) and prefer the sewn in nose bridge.
@courteousblock Seems to be on the outside. I also prefer the sewn-in style, except when you get a bad batch and the bridge is loose on the inside.
@mehvid1 ah thanks. Some pictures show it outside some don’t.
Apparently masks make you more attractive now.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/michael-lewis-cardiff-university-disease-japan-b1996859.html
@marvelljones I need a mask for my waist up for that result.
@hchavers @marvelljones
@hchavers @macromeh @marvelljones YES!! Unknown Comic FTW!!!
I wish these were relegated to souvenir status.
@hchavers Or just back to shop/cleaning/yardwork implements.
/giphy giant-mean-ostrich
I just got some from Morning Save,unfortunately, for $1 more and they are a little smaller than the last ones I got from MEH.
@bstrange I came here to ask about that - the last ones I got from here are just a bit on the small size so they tend to slip up from my chin of slide down from my nose if I open my mouth to talk or yawn.
Package in the photo says 5 layers but specs say 4 layers; which is it?
@reallydaryl they’re individually wrapped so it’s five layers until you open them and take it out of the plastic layer then it becomes four layers.
@cengland0 @reallydaryl So they are packaged on only one side?
@cengland0 @reallydaryl @sdb Yes, these are Mobius masks.
/giphy glamorous-queenly-change
@Pony
Looks like water, not oil.
How do we know that her intent wasn’t to sell the vehicle to her insurance company after the fire?
I’ve seen these on sale here going for $20 for 100 in the past.
@Larry1977 Yep, and just a few months ago. But people need them now, so mark them up to maximize profits. The fun of capitalism.
@Kerig3 That’s not capitalism, that’s economics.
@Kerig3 @masterhibb Economics in a capitalist system is capitalism.
@Larry1977 Yes but were they the same crappy brand or a new crappy brand.
Larry August, it was $10 for 50. I know I bought them.
Thanks Biden!
@j37hr0 who’s Larry August?
@j37hr0 @mbersiam He is the guy who raised the prices.
this is trying to tell you something…
@cturnr yes!
@cturnr @UFGatorHawk
No
FWIW, I’ve bought a couple of cheap masks of this style and those little square dimples have torn with surprisng ease, basically opening little holes for goodies to come in and out.
These may be better, but I’m not betting on it.
raises hand So the story on Bugs Bunny - it’s actually “Bug’s bunny”, as in “the bunny designed for Ben ‘Buggsy’ Hardaway”. If you look at the original model sheet, there’s a liiiittle tiny apostrophe in there.
Just wanted to mention that at my local Ace hardware, they had a large selection of US-made 3M brand N95 masks. Prices were actually not much different than in “the before times.” a couple of $ each, in packs of 2, 3, and 10. Not as cheap as these, but “real” N95 with straps behind your head (not ears).
@pmarin Costco had NOISH approved N95 masks for $ 80 (100 of them) a couple of weeks ago. The same ones I paid $ 280 for during the height of the pandemic when masks were in short supply.
Darn. “Your Card was declined on 1/24/2022 because the merchant does not accept healthcare cards.”
@mehvid1 My HSA allows me to purchase and then reimburses me.
/giphy trashed-gleeful-whistle
Bought these in prior sales. Did not have the name of the manufacturer printed on the masks. I do not think they meet the kn95 spec in this regard.
That said, they did cover our faces and are masks.
Meh.
You buy these from China, Biden buys these from China, no trouble getting the cash over there fast enough
@joe645 Why buy meh masks when Uncle Joey is going to give them to you for “free”? By the way I know nothing is free, and I have been buying my own masks and wearing them since day 1. Every time meh offers them, I buy!
So, how long until we see home Covid tests on Meh…probably part of an instant regret deal?
@texmarc
2024, maybe, but probably never. The shelf life for those is short, so it’s not likely that there will be distributors sitting on big piles that they need to dump at a severe discount while they’re still fressh enough to try to discount. And once the plague is damped down enough, there won’t be any demand at all. These aren’t like candy corn; there’s no hardcore fan base that will step up to buy them because they really like the product.
These masks are crappy. They have the external nose adjustment gizmo. These stay on for like 2 minutes and then it’s just the paper mask. Worth what you pay I guess. Not for me.
Umm, I seem to recall some online FDA lists of KN95 manufacturers, whose masks did or did not meet testing standards. Since the manufacturer’s name is not clearly visible in the product photos, there is no way to check. No sale.
@MrNews It says, on the box, “SHENZHEN KEYUAN CENTURY INDUSTRY CO LTD”.
@kerri9494 Thanks. You’ve got better eyes than I do!
That company is NOT on the list of assessed and approved masks, vis-a-vis filtration efficiency:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/NonNIOSHresults.html
@kerri9494 @MrNews
The lack of presence on the Not-NIOSH-certified list is not dispositive of anything. They claim to meet the GB2626-2006 standard, which would allow them to be NIOSH-approved, but because they don’t claim to be NIOSH-approved, the CDC and NIOSH won’t test them. They might be compliant in fact, and brought to market without the delay and expense that submitting the paperwork and samples entails, or they could be noncompliant but imported by a company that’s smart enough to request that the labeling NOT claim the NIOSH certification that would trigger the test and subsequent blacklisting.
You have deregulation and the drive to make the government “small enough to drown in a bathtub” to thank for the fact that we have no agency routinely monitoring the imports of these for safety and effectiveness.
@werehatrack Nope, GB2626-2006 compliance doesn’t mean something’s eligible for NIOSH certification. They can’t be NIOSH-compliant respirators, because they have ear loops, with nothing securing them behind the head. NIOSH-compliant respirators won’t have plain ear loops. NIOSH is as much about fit as it is about materials and theoretical filtration.
That doesn’t mean that they’re not perfectly good KN95 masks, though.
@kerri9494
Yep. Sadly, since the importer can order them from China with anything at all on the labeling, the presence of that GB2626-2006 claim is no guarantee that the item meets any specific spec. It all boils down to “Do you trust the people you’re getting these from?” For the most part, my impression has been that Meh tries to at least avoid the absolute worst crap - and sometimes still fails. Pretty much any mask (except a knitted neck gaiter) being better than nothing, I’d use these if I had them.
@kerri9494 @werehatrack and if Meh really does avoid the absolute worst crap, then at least in a small way they are doing better than Amazon…
Exactly why I canceled my subscription…
Disposable KN95 Face Masks
$22.99 82% off list price
Sold by Woot LLC
Condition: New
Pack Size: 100 Masks ($0.23/Mask)
@acewingman when you mention this, you also have to give us the woot link.
@pixelated Disposable KN95 Face Masks https://tools.woot.com/offers/disposable-kn95-face-masks-1?utm_medium=share&utm_source=app
According to this test site of masks, these are HOT GARBAGE. Meh should not even be selling them! https://www.armbrustusa.com/blogs/mask-review/kn95-dnw-flat-fold-adult-regular-black-222
@mcss Except that’s an entirely different brand, and color.
@MrNews same brand and model
@mcss @MrNews
You do understand that “brand” has become nearly a null concept with products from China, right? If any Chinese brand becomes recognized as “the good stuff” over here, counterfeits will be on their way by the containerload within hours. Masks are just one of many targets of brand counterfeiting, the various lithium batteries and flashlights from China have been having this problem for over a decade at this point, with Trustfire being the most frequent target.
@MrNews
No. In fact, the actual brand (SHENZHEN KEYUAN CENTURY INDUSTRY CO LTD) isn’t listed in that site’s tests at all.
The whole list of tested masks on that site
@mcss @MrNews Different manufacturer; same model number. The ‘model number’ (GB2626-2006) used by both companies is simply a reference to a Chinese national standard for non-powered respirators - which has since been superseded by GB2626-2019.
@mcss @rpstrong That’s actually not a model #, but a standard. Some of the Chinese (KN-95) masks work well, but many do not, and there are also tons of counterfeits circulating. But as the price point for the “good” masks drops, so do the benefits of counterfeiting.
I’ve been using Powecom brand masks for 18 months: they pass all tests, work well, fit nicely, and rarely have strap failure. Easy to get from ProjectN95 or Bona Fide Masks websites.
This is on Dealnews with free shipping.
https://www.dealnews.com/Disposable-KN95-Mask-50-Pack-for-18-free-shipping/19916852.html
Thanks for the info - didn’t know that site existed.
And if we’re going to pay taxes, I sure appreciate that in my county in Maryland, there’s distribution of N95 masks AND the home rapid test kits for “free.” That’s how government is supposed to work for us minions!
This product needs a rating lower than meh.
Dang, these are more expensive than previous sales AND already sold out! Also agree with other posters these likely are not approved as KN95
These aren’t approved for anything. These equate to condoms with holes in them.
@CaramelJohnson
More accurately, these are of unknown quality unless somebody tests them and establishes whether they have a useful level of filtration or not. The problem is that no agency is routinely testing them before they are released from Customs to be distributed on the US market, because deregulation and the drive to shrink the citizen-beneficial segment of the government into irrelevance has been extremely effective over the past 42 years.
“kn95 is the good kind”
Well, I have found that to be pretty false most of the time. Yeah, the material could be decent but most of these fit terrible and are actually worse than a garbage cloth mask.
I’m confused by all this debate when it says right in the sale description.
“Non-Medical Protective”
@Woody1 Neither the US-standard N95 nor the Chinese-standard KN95 is “medical protective”.
The debate is if the mask even qualifies as KN95 in the first place.
Wow, sold out! After so many other sales with lackluster response. I suspect the updated messaging from the federal government may be having an effect.
i missed this, but i had an order of masks from meh where half were this style with an uncovered nose bendy nose thing, and they are useless because the bendy nose thing just comes unstuck after less than 5 minutes wearing. i now only buy integrated nose wire masks
Oh god folks, just wear them. Whether you’ve got a tshirt wrapped around your face or a hospital grade surgical mask, once you start to wear them in the real world they’re not as effective as you probably think. They do help and you should wear them in public but if your goal is to keep ALL the bugs out, you’ve lost before you’ve begun. Comfort, and your ability to wear them without touching/adjusting them should be your primary purchasing decision if efficacy is your goal. Anyways, if these are anything like the KN95 masks they’ve sold in the past (and they look to be,) they lose on this ground, at least with the shape of my face.
@NadmanET Everyone will have to find what works for them. Years before the pandemic, I had N95 masks that were sold for use at home (around solvents, allergens while mowing, etc.) but they didn’t fit my face and were uncomfortable or refused to seal. I replaced them with cloth masks that fit better and worked better, so I already had those when the pandemic began. They were fine for a quick trip to the store, but If I had to wait somewhere for an hour, moisture built up enough that breathing became harder, so I would have to unseal the mask a bit to get air.
I’ve now used three different batches/brands of KN95s. One, with the nose bar on the outside, is less well-constructed, but still usable for me for a single day. All three have either a certificate or stamp for GB2626-2006. They could all be counterfeits, but I think not. They were all between 1-2 years old when I got them, so still had at least a year before their expiration date. That probably means they were clearing older masks in storage while they still had enough time left before expiration. I think a counterfeiter would use the newer 2019 standard and more recent manufacturing date. For me, the KN95 simply fits my face better and stays sealed and breathable for longer periods of time, so I will continue to use them.
Meh.
/buy
@Euniceandrich It worked! Your order number is: pitiful-killer-giant
/image pitiful killer giant
Yay, thanks for the VMP perk
/giphy pitiful-killer-giant
And the ~200 reserved for the 4PM ET restart are also sold out now.
Gosh, you’d think some people were trying to avoid catching a plague, or something.
@werehatrack They must have found more … Still shows as available … Count is up to 1523. Anyone want to guess the final number for today?
1531 now
@Euniceandrich sadly, that is probably still less than the Covid death toll for the day.
Sorry to bring you down, non-believers.
1555
I just bought one…
Up to 1564.
Sigh - you poor, poor VMPs with no privileges…
@Kyeh maybe those are Mehmbers?
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh
Ordinary Mehmbers have been locked out since 8:41AM, but apparently VMPs got access at 4PM to whatever was left. I’ve been seeing nothing but Sold Out since the 8:41 shutoff. I suspect that even using the in-forum /buy would not work for me.
And now it is 1574.
/buy
@werehatrack Oops, sorry. We wanted our VMP members to have a shot at this too, so we’re holding back the rest of these for them.
There you all have it.
@werehatrack Perfect!
1577
@Euniceandrich
They’re still selling?!?!
@Kyeh Yes! Up to 1583.
@Euniceandrich
So when I look at the page, the bar says “Too late. It’s over.” When you look at it does it say “Buy it”?
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh
@Euniceandrich @Ignorant
But up until today, did the VMPs still see the “Buy it” bar?
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh
@Euniceandrich @Ignorant
Hah. I don’t want to hear the VMPs whine about “no privileges” anymore!
@Kyeh Yes - at some point today it switched to Too Late.
@Kyeh Yes - BUY IT stayed for this deal. As of right now, we can still buy leashes and collapsible dog bowls.
@Euniceandrich
@Euniceandrich Geez! Not that I want those; but I was considering the masks. It seems like they could have put more of those up for sale to members if they kept selling them for TWO MORE whole days!
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh
[MOD EDIT]: click pic to be taken to MorningSave mask sale
@Euniceandrich @tinamarie1974
Thanks - but it’s $6 more now …
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh I know.
@Euniceandrich @tinamarie1974
I’m hoping that I can get by with what I have, since I don’t mingle with people that much these days!
@Euniceandrich @tinamarie1974
I was kind of bummed when they said we should give up our cloth ones, but I have to admit, the KN95s are actually more comfortable! Not what I expected. And they don’t fog up my glasses as much.
@Euniceandrich @Kyeh I find it harder to breathe but love the fact that my glasses dont fog. It was a good trade off
Mine are fake kn95s. Real kn95s have to have the model and while the pictures show Model: GB2626-2006 (civil grade), my masks arrived just say KN95 on the mask with no model imprint on the mask, which indicates they were not regulated or tested as advertised.
I’m specifically only interested in buying masks with a model number imprinted on the mask and that is why I bought these.
Waste of money for those of us who want real kn95s.
@megananimous you gonna be okay?
/giphy prayers
I was disappointed. I received the box and outside it was fine, but when I opened the shipping package it looked like someone let all of their frustrations out on my masks. It the box was a disaster then are they contents safe?