This is great! This is what I wanted to see early on in the pandemic. Just curious, why test now? This would've been (more) useful a year or two ago.
This data set took me 2 years to compile but just recently seemed complete enough to post.
Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
221–230 of 250 posts
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#222Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm sure its fine for most situations, but you should be aware: below that entry it states that elastomeric respirators (like you are using with P100) are not included in that category: > Until more is understood on exhalation valves, elastomeric respirators with unfiltered exhalation valves should not be used as source control in surgical and other healthcare settings due to concerns that air coming out of the exhal…
That's for healthcare and surgery, not for going to the store...
Thus why "I'm sure its fine for most situations". I just want to make sure that when we're throwing around CDC stuff, we're doing it in context.
Goodness knows enough people are taking expert snippets and doing terrible things with them, I'd hate to see HN become a source of that.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#223We've been avoiding buying masks from Amazon because they don't do a good job of dealing with fakes (commingling, etc) and they've argued that unlike other retailers they're not responsible for counterfeits. What do you suggest people do to ensure that the masks they get are authentic?
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#224This deserves more attention. Thank you for this.
Amazon being Amazon, I was wondering was whether it’s possible to distinguish real N95 and KF94 masks from counterfeits.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#225Related, for those who havent seen, is Aaron Collins collection of mask test data https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M0mdNLpTWEGcluK6hh5L...
I think it's important to point out that Collins is doing on-face quantitative testing, while Armbrust is only testing the material of the mask.
They're not really comparable - a loose surgical mask may be made of good materials and filter well in Armbrust's test, but it's not even worth including in Collins' list because it doesn't seal against the face and won't ever get more than around 60% efficiency. Collins does often test again with a "mask brace" which is a rubber loop that seals that mask against your face, and can achieve similar numbers to Armbrust.
Of course, since everyone has different faces, Collins' testing becomes less valuable the more different your face is than his. But he also has advice for getting a decent face seal.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#226Project N95 is the National Critical Equipment Clearinghouse for personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 diagnostic tests and critical equipment. Edit: stupid typo on url, sorry https://www.projectn95.org/ US based non profit, not tied to amazon. I've bought their stuff. They are legit.
I guess they just got slammed with orders? It would be much nicer if they showed 'SOLD OUT' on anything not in stock rather than nothing. (Firefox, Linux, even on my 'no plugins' profile and after creating an account.) It just shows reviews and nothing else on any masks page. Debug console shows... They aren't depending on Facebook for antifruad are they? How will they ever sell to someone security minded like me tha…
> How will they ever sell to someone security minded like me that refuses to ever sign up there?
You represent a small enough proportion of the population that it's not worth their time to cater to you.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#227Earlier quoted context omitted.
And it gets worse when you look at the page on mobile, miss the entire filter percentage column and that the list is ordered by that: then all random samples reached without excessive scrolling are mystery failures despite good filter result. Really strong example of how a seemingly harmless presentation failure can taint the perception of content.
We have updated the mobile view please LMK what you think.
Much better and nice to see that the change didn't compromise the desktop version.
Still kind of unimpressed by the high weighting of labeling formalities for pass/fail (I live in the realm of EN149 anyways) and I'd certainly prefer a few notes over video. Feature request for the next pandemic: I'm sure people wearing glasses would love being able to filter for masks with that spongy cell foam flow blocker strip on the underside of the nose stripe?
But I really love the inclusion of breathability: I'm convinced that in the day to day realities of living through a pandemic, a mask with better breathability won't just be more comfortable than one less breathable, but also provide more protection, because it's worn better and more. And a list like that would have been very helpful earlier in the pandemic not only for buying guidance, but also for instructing people that if they really can't stand wearing a mask, maybe that's in large part because they simply haven't encountered a good one yet. Seeing a range from 200 and how little it correlates with filtering (it does, but much less than one would expect) is worth more than words. I didn't realize the breathability factor myself until I found myself in a hospital abroad (injury, not infection) where they supplied me with proper FFP2 for going to x-ray and the like. So much better than the emergency use 3-ply crap I used before and almost decadent indulgence compared to the emergency textile contraptions that preceded them.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#228Earlier quoted context omitted.
A good mask needs both fit and filtration... most people can put a mask on, check for air gaps and see how well it fits, but they don't have a $250k mask lab to make sure the fabric is good. We are just solving for the filtration and letting people figure out the fit. But, you make a good point, in the videos I try to point this out but we could do better. Where could I add this to make this more clear?
You could add a clear statement to the testing procedure popup that you are measuring the fabric only, and that (except for N95) the filtration of a mask is strongly dependent on fit and leakage.
Unhhh, fit and leakage matter a lot for N95 too.
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
Appreciate you replying. I think I found your company by a video you (?) posted about the magic of the meltblown process which sent me down a pretty entertaining rabbit hole. I had some issues with import masks previously so I went deep with an order of the denim colored masks thinking this would get us squared away. It was extremely frustrating when I couldn't get a single one to hold together and wasn't sure if I j…
Yes! Use these: https://www.armbrustusa.com/products/armbrust-ear-savers Screenshot this post and let support@ that I said to include a pack for free with your earloop replacement.
Behind the head is much nicer than behind the ear. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that thinks this
Re: Show HN: I bought and tested the filtration of every mask on Amazon
#230my favorite mask, the Moldex 4200 is not listed. This is the only mask that does not fog my glasses (used to be a lot cheaper) https://www.amazon.com/Moldex-4200N95-Disposable-Respirator-...
I only use Moldex. But got downvotes here. Moldex are made in the States, in fact, in Culver City, Southern California. Well, materials might be coming from China, but it's a reputable brand, easy to put on, and take off, unlike 3M!