Clarita Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 39 minutes ago, wathe said: There are some non-industrial styles like Castlegrade that are less scary looking, and non-disposable. Filters would need to be changed periodically. Ooo that one is nice. 52 minutes ago, KSera said: It doesn’t appear that there would be any advantage to these masks over using an actual certified mask for 40 hours, given that these are only good for 40 hours as well and are made of a non-recyclable material that will also need to be disposed of after 40 hours, plus have no outside testing. It does look like it might have an effective nose seal design, but their pictures aren’t very good to show exactly how that works. I can’t tell if it has a silicone type seal similar to on an elastomeric respirator. The kid ones I suppose no advantage. The original and active one is different because you can wash the filter holder part (part touching your face). I get that COVID can be taken care of by setting out the mask for a few days, but body oils, sweat, and dirt are not take care of by that. I mean we are getting these for everyday use not hospital use. Where we live there are requirements for us to wear our masks during outdoor activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, wathe said: @KSera that's a good point about elastomeric respirators. They are very sustainable. The industrial style are ugly, and most have an exhalation valve that would have to be blocked (at work we wear a disposable mask over top. You could, in theory, use the same disposable mask forever, for this purpose).( *ETA - back when we were wearing elastomeric respirators for AGMP's because n95's were in critically short supply) There are some non-industrial styles like Castlegrade that are less scary looking, and non-disposable. Filters would need to be changed periodically. There are some elastomeric respirators for kids as well that look very easy to wear. Flo Mask is one, and I have considered it for my youngest, but still feel not totally convinced that they would function better than the current kid Kf94s we use, and they're too expensive to try and find out they don't. I'm tempted, though. I have one similar to Castlegrade for myself (can't for the life of me remember the brand right now), but I only wore it a few times, before getting KF94s, because I never trusted that air wasn't passing around the insertable filter. It didn't see foolproof around the edges to me at all. eta: I found the one I have: Breethy I haven't worn it since 2020. I tried it a couple times but felt better in my homemade cloth+polypropylene mask with ties at that time. 1 hour ago, Clarita said: Ooo that one is nice. The kid ones I suppose no advantage. The original and active one is different because you can wash the filter holder part (part touching your face). I get that COVID can be taken care of by setting out the mask for a few days, but body oils, sweat, and dirt are not take care of by that. I mean we are getting these for everyday use not hospital use. Where we live there are requirements for us to wear our masks during outdoor activities. All the AirPops I looked at, including the original and active say the outer is only good for 40 hours of use. At least one of them is made of the same polypropylene as a KF94. You can wash it, but it has to be thrown out at 40 hours of wear. From reviews, it also just doesn't sound like it does what it promises at all either. I think it you're looking for reusable for more than 40-80 hours of wear, and you want effective, you'd be happier with an elastomeric. Edited December 31, 2021 by KSera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 I’ll just drop a note in that we wash our disposable masks all the time. There are instructions on the CDC site for sanitizing N95’s for reuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 2 hours ago, KSera said: eta: I found the one I have: Breethy I haven't worn it since 2020. I tried it a couple times but felt better in my homemade cloth+polypropylene mask with ties at that time. That one has the advantage of not looking like an elastomeric respirator - it's stealth 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 50 minutes ago, TechWife said: I’ll just drop a note in that we wash our disposable masks all the time. There are instructions on the CDC site for sanitizing N95’s for reuse. Can you point me to those? My google skills are apparently lacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 1 hour ago, wathe said: That one has the advantage of not looking like an elastomeric respirator - it's stealth 🙂 Yeah. One of the other reasons I was reluctant to wear it is because it looks from the outside like it’s not really a real mask—the outer is covered with obvious little holes and it looks like it’s sitting way away from the face because you can’t see the silicone seal part from the front. I didn’t want to look like I wasn’t properly masked. 1 hour ago, wathe said: Can you point me to those? My google skills are apparently lacking. I know there are instant pot sanitation instructions out there that were tested as not degrading performance. I haven’t done it though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Yes I do think elastomeric would be the type that works better for us. 27 minutes ago, KSera said: Yeah. One of the other reasons I was reluctant to wear it is because it looks from the outside like it’s not really a real mask—the outer is covered with obvious little holes and it looks like it’s sitting way away from the face because you can’t see the silicone seal part from the front. It's so weird they decided to design it this way. For us it would look better than using a mask covered in old dirt and sticky stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 53 minutes ago, Clarita said: It's so weird they decided to design it this way. For us it would look better than using a mask covered in old dirt and sticky stuff The design actually makes sense from a functional standpoint, it’s just that anyone who’s not familiar with them wouldn’t understand that that’s what’s going on. It has a seal similar almost to a scubamask or some thing so that it makes a tight seal with your face, that’s why it looks like it stands away. All the holes are because the filtration comes from the insertable filters, not from the silicone shell. And for what it’s worth, none of the KF94s or N95s that we rotate have any dirt or sticky stuff on them 😁. They look the same as they did fresh from the package (no kind of mask should be touched while it’s being worn, and they should be being removed by the straps anyway, so the mask portion itself should stay clean). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 7 hours ago, wathe said: I think, the key issue is that: Polypropylene filter layers, be they spunbond of meltblown, rely on electrostatic charge to filter properly Washing with soap or detergent will degrade the electrostatic charge. So it doesn't matter whether it's a commercial "washable" mask, a home-sewn mask with a SB polypro layer, or a disposable medical grade mask - the polypro filter material all works the same way and will be made less efficacious by washing. I would rather re-use a commercial mask that I know meets PPE standards than a home-sewn mask made with non-medical SB polypro that may or may not do what it's supposed to do. Washing either of them will degrade the performance. If I felt very strongly about having a very long-life, sustainable mask, I'd choose an elastomeric respirator similar to Castlegrade. Yeah I get that which is why I was leaning toward not washing the insert at all. And not sewing anything in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, KSera said: When masks with those type of filters have been tested, they have significantly lower filtration rates than masks made completely of polypropylene--the air tends to go around the edges of the filter, as that's the path of least resistance. That's why I stopped making my masks with insertable filters and switched to sewing them edge to edge (before switching to KF94). I love the Posh KF94s and so do my kids. They are the lightest weight ones we have and there are now so many patterns for both adults and kids. They are pricier, but they last a long time for us because we don't need to go inside places very often. I do wish they would redesign their ear loop adjustment. I only buy masks with earloop adjusters (if it's an earloop mask), and these are my least favorite adjustment method. eta: I wanted to add that KF94s come in two styles--the trifold "boat" shaped masks, and a bifold mask that is shaped similarly to a KN95. The boat shaped masks seem to have a much better fit for a wider variety of faces than the bifold masks do. None of us wear the bifold KF94s because of the chin fit not being great. The boat shaped masks fit great and are the same shape as the 3M Aura N95s I wear. Am I using the site correctly? $35 for 10 posh masks 😕 Edited December 31, 2021 by heartlikealion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 1 minute ago, heartlikealion said: Am I using the site correctly? $35 for 10 posh masks 😕 Almost. There is pretty much always a coupon code at the top, which is currently 20% off, which makes them $28. The posh are expensive, and the fewer you buy the more expensive. I have tended to buy a big batch split them up amongst friends and family. With sale, a 30 pack is $40. Ten masks lasts me a very long time, but that’s not a really affordable mask for people who are out of the house full time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 1 minute ago, KSera said: Almost. There is pretty much always a coupon code at the top, which is currently 20% off, which makes them $28. The posh are expensive, and the fewer you buy the more expensive. I have tended to buy a big batch split them up amongst friends and family. With sale, a 30 pack is $40. Ten masks lasts me a very long time, but that’s not a really affordable mask for people who are out of the house full time. I was looking at the bundle which said add 10 items to cart ($4 each before coupon). I didn’t see anything to indicate buying more saves. Maybe another part of the site. I’ll look at it again from my laptop later. I’m on the phone view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Code was rejected at checkout. I guess because the bundle was already discounted from $40 to $35. Said does not work on items in your cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 45 minutes ago, KSera said: (no kind of mask should be touched while it’s being worn, and they should be being removed by the straps anyway, so the mask portion itself should stay clean). I tried to tell my kids that but with little kids they touch everything. A little also because we have to be masked for outdoor activity as well and my kids play hard and dirt happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 People of all ages touch them. Or wear them below the nose, etc. Then set the mask down like no big deal (I’ve seen lectors and priests do this at the alter. I guess no one else is touching that area typically, though. Seen it in our court room, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, heartlikealion said: Code was rejected at checkout. I guess because the bundle was already discounted from $40 to $35. Said does not work on items in your cart. Oh, that’s a bummer. In the past, the code has always worked for me regardless of what sale price the items in my cart already had. If you’re not set on the Posh, prices are better on Kollecteusa.com. I buy Bluna KF94s there. 17 minutes ago, Clarita said: I tried to tell my kids that but with little kids they touch everything. A little also because we have to be masked for outdoor activity as well and my kids play hard and dirt happens. True. Edited December 31, 2021 by KSera 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 After hemming and hawing for days I bought a few masks. Supposedly the website is legit. I did see some recommended ones on Amazon but those had reviews saying they were loose and/or there were issues with the claims (ex: this seller says made in USA, but they are not made in USA). I did look at some other sites (listed in this thread) but at the time they were either sold out or I was unsure about pricing for my budget. For now I have invested a whopping $11 (lol) on masks I can rotate. I used bonafidemasks.com. I was not happy with the reviews on their children masks so I still need to order those separately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 I don't know what happened before... maybe a glitch or maybe because I was on a mobile device? But, I tried some different items at behealthyusa.net today and was able to use the code on the mix and match! I was about to just use the code on a pack of all the same pattern but was happy to be able to get an assortment for dd. A bit pricy, but hopefully we can use these a while with rotation. So in the end $28 for 10 mix and match KF94 posh masks. The sizing was described in inches, but not ages so hopefully they fit her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 On 12/31/2021 at 2:48 AM, KSera said: Oh, that’s a bummer. In the past, the code has always worked for me regardless of what sale price the items in my cart already had. If you’re not set on the Posh, prices are better on Kollecteusa.com. I buy Bluna KF94s there. True. oh, we like the Bluna ones for kids! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 When I went back through the thread I didn’t see the other store link. Maybe next order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 The behealthyusa.net has a sale on some Christmas masks. Update posh masks are what I ended up getting my kids; my little girl really wanted Christmas masks which is a win for me. We will see how reusable they are for my kids. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 21 hours ago, ktgrok said: oh, we like the Bluna ones for kids! The Kollecte site also carries a really nice preschooler size mask, if that would benefit your youngest. It’s smaller than a Posh (Posh fits my youngest, but the preschool size one is even better). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, KSera said: The Kollecte site also carries a really nice preschooler size mask, if that would benefit your youngest. It’s smaller than a Posh (Posh fits my youngest, but the preschool size one is even better). Off to check it out! Never mind - sold out. Edited January 10, 2022 by ktgrok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.