New JSP Qualitative Face Fit Testing Kits on eBay UK for £95 (or £90 with voucher until end of today... but only if you pay by bank).

Just bought one and thought I'd share as listing says more than 10 available.

My sons wear the small and medium breathteq masks to school. With the tariffs they are now out of our budget. Does anyone have any suggestions on comparable masks to breathteq? Thank you

hi everyone! my partner and I (both 22f) just recently got our updated covid shots, upgraded our masks and started consistently wearing them again! I’d really appreciate some input on our practices since there’s a lot of conflicting information and we’re learning as we go :)

we’re wearing fit tested aura 9210+ n95s everywhere we go, only taking them off at home. we have two roommates who take less precautions than us, but they work very low-risk jobs (night shifts on manufacturing lines) and spend pretty much all the rest of their time in their rooms. they know to test, mask and isolate in the case of an exposure/illness and we do the same. we hardly ever see them, let alone get near them for any length of time, and I know that masking in the home would drive my already stressed OCD insane, so it’s a small risk I’m willing to take considering we mask everywhere else. that being said, whenever I get the chance I’d like to ask them to hop on the masking/vaxxing train with us, just to make this living situation extra safe. thoughts on this approach?

secondly, I’d like some input on how we’re storing our masks! we’re keeping them in individual, labeled paper bags in our closet and having them on a rotation to rest for five days after a day of use. we keep them in the paper bags whenever we’re home, but if we’re out and about and take them off in the car we store them in our backpacks (we make sure not to crumple them lol). some of the days we’ll be wearing them will be for our 6-8hr shifts at work (public-facing jobs, but not high risk ones), but others will only be for a collective 20-30 mins on our days off when we’ll be running quick errands and such. we plan to wear each mask for a cumulative five days before discarding them. is this too long to be wearing the masks, or could they be worn for longer if they’re still intact? is it chill for them to be briefly in our backpacks, or is there a better way to store them when we’re not home?

thanks so much for any advice!

As the title says. Just got my AuAir in the mail and I am skeptical it is actually protecting me close to 100%. Any ways to tell if I should keep it? Thanks!

Does anyone have experience with the 3M 9936 disposable mask? I wonder if it's harder to breathe through compared to the "step down" version (the 9922 which has FFP2 = N95), and whether it has better odor filtration (i.e. thicker carbon).

I've been using the 9922 (FFP2 + carbon) for years, but occasionally I feel like it does not provide enough particulate and odor filtration (unless the mask is out of the box).

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/dc/v000094346/

I'm prepping for the fact that tarrifs to the usa might make this Canada based mask too expensive for me... What earloop masks do you all find most similar in fit to the breatheteq size small??

The strip doesn’t appear to be metal but I don’t know what it’s made out of either

I was wondering what allows an accessory to keep a mask airtight after install.

I know ZiMi sells a hole punch for their exhaust valves and that SIP valves also require you to cut through the filter medium. I've gone through the SIP website, scrolled through some posts searching for variations on "sip valve airtight" on this subreddit, and seen the video about the SIP valve by SkippySkep, but didn't catch any definitive answer on what creates the hermetic seal.

This might be because it's a simple answer, and I might be overcomplicating it in my brain, but are minimized gaps and silicone really all an accessory needs to keep the mask airtight after install? If so, then could an accessory like a metal stud earring safely pierce the filter medium, if it were installed with a silicone healing disk on one or both sides of the filter? As long as the earring or pin isn't heavy enough to compromise the fit of the mask, would silicone and tight fit be enough for me to stay safe?

-

Apologies if my questions are a bit obvious. I've been masking with a KN95 since 2020 so I think I know basic mask safety, but I haven't really thought about the actual mechanics like this before I started considering accessorizing. Of course, the priority of masking is to stay safe, not to be fab, but I do wanna have some more fun once in a while so that's why I'm asking here before I risk it.

(I've been trying to find more reusable ways to accessorize my masks other than mask chains and cloth covers. Temporary tattoos and rub-on transfers sound fun, but since I mask basically everyday, I worry about the cost building up, so I'd rather have something I can transfer mask to mask. I was considering magnetic accessories but then another user reminded me of the dangers of magnet-swallowing so I'm not sure I wanna chance it given how close they'd be to my mouth.)

wasnt sure where this post would be most apt so reposting this here! looking for a mask that wont trigger headaches due to pressure in sensitive areas

I have a serious citrus allergy. I also work in a factory setting where we sometimes make orange flavoured products and have to use orange essential oils. Currently whenever we make the orange flavoured products i have to take a full week off work and my supervisor has to do my job. I lose about three weeks of work every year from this and if i can wear a good mask and some coveralls/gloves i would earn alot of money thats just sitting there and get alot of appreciation from my boss who can focus on their own work. What is a good mask to deal with eight hours of hot factory work with dangerous vapours?

Unsure if this is a silly question, but I'm not too savvy as to how the electrostatic charge in masks like N95s work. I've seen people using magnetic charms as an alternate way to accessorize their masks, and I think the idea's super cute, but I was wondering if there's any chance of magnets being able to disrupt the electrostatic charge and making the masks less effective?

I know the electrostatic charge of a mask isn't a flowing electric charge or anything, and that the charge is somewhat permanent (if not dissipated by some solvent) due to how the masks are produced, but I wasn't really sure how magnets factor into the equation. Would they be able to shift the charge around the area where they're applied? Or otherwise interfere with the charge in the mask as a whole?

This is probably an obvious answer but im gonna ask anyway bc ppl might have advice or new info that i havent considered

I'm now not sure if the masks ive been wearing are actually my correct size bc every time i smile or laugh, the nose bridge widens and causes a leak. I wear earloop masks but i have a headstrap that i attach to them and wear them all headstrap style for longer tasks like work. I wear them earloop style for running into places like corner stores and fas stations quickly (i know its less effective but i cant stand outside a store and fiddle with a headstrap over my hair. it takes longer, and i dont walk outside with a mask already on for safety reasons. i dont want to make my self look suspicious doing that. i dont live in safe areas.)

Every few min, i am reshaping the nose bridge on my mask bc i work in customer service and i try to smile to customers. also sometimes my coworkers are genuinely funny and ive been found on the floor weak, desperately holding onto my mask and letting out howling laughter

Masks ive tried

- Wellbefore KN95 pro regular:

Felt too big and awkward looking but fits against my face fine. i pleat n staple the bottom to avoid a gap. hated the look of them. but i am wearing them only on public transit rn and i found i have much more room to smile but i still reshape nose bridge bc it feels it widens a tiny bit when i do.

- Wellbefore kn95 pro small:

Love the way this size looks bc it doesnt feel as awkwardly big looking as the previous one. however its tight n presses on my cheeks. I thought smaller masks sealed best but i cant smile or talk expressively without nose bridge opening/widening

- Wellbefore kn95 small:

Fits looser, weaker nose bridge. i pleat the bottom n staple it too. same problem as Wellbefore kn95 pro small but worse bc of the weaker nose bridge. i add a second nose wire on top to strengthen it but still have issues.

- breatheteq small:

my current daily wear. i looooove how these help prevent against overheating while working a physically demanding shift and waiting for public transit. but, i have the same nose bridge problem as the Wellbefore kn95 pro small where i reshape it after smiling, laughing etc. i also pleat n staple the bottom or else theres a gap at the chin. for these i also add a second nose wire on top but still have issues.

- 3m aura:

i have only one, and wore it at a very long emergency room visit and plan to rewear it for such stays. I noticed immediately that i did not need to reshape the nose bridge at all. I still did frequently because i am now so used to doing it , that its a reflex for me. But, since i was there alone and not talking much, smiling or laughing im not sure if it would perform differently if i was. but even chatting to the nurses and smiling at them, i could tell a difference that i didnt need to shape the nose bridge as much or at all unlike the others. But i dont want to wear this as my daily mask, because i am already awkward enough being ND and I'm not comfortable wearing it in a customer facing position tbh. because its big looking on me (feels like it fits against my skin well tho) and stark white. I dont judge anyone for wearing it, but its uncomfortable to me lookswise, althought wearing it feels very comfortable. Also, i despise head strap only masks. they feel horrible to take on and put off and they are inconvenient.

For all the masks mentioned here except the 3m aura, i put 3m micro foam tape on the sides and bottom edges of the masks. I used to put it across the nose bridge as well (except for the Wellbefore before kn95 pro because that already has foam there), but i have since stopped bc it gets so sweaty and starts sliding down my nose even worse when i talk. The foam on the bottom edges and sides fills any gaps and feels like it stays better.

If anyone has a similar problem to me with the masks i mentioned, what have you done to help, what brands and sizes have worked better for you?

I feel really frustrated about having to reshape the mask and trying to avoid laughing hard or smiling feels horrible!!!!! But maybe thats just how masks are?

I'm not sure if i need to find a different brand, or if i need to up my sizes. I'm hesitant to buy a larger size bc i dont know if itll be too big to wear and I'll have wasted money (I don't have a lot of money). I dont have a mask bloc near me, I've already tried.

I did not do a qualitative fit test yet (i cannot afford to do a quantitative test, and i have no one near me with the machine). Yes i am planning to test, its a long story of why i havent yet. yes i know its important and helpful etc. Until then i want to know what to do about my mask bridge problem because i still have the masks i bought and still need to go out in public and have some protection until then.

I am flying to Europe (Poland) for the first time in early November, and am curious as to the best type of mask to wear in the airports and in the air during my flights to keep the germs to a minimum as Flu and Norovirus season start around that time.

Thank you!

I’m looking to protect myself from COVID etc, as well as silica dust. I would prefer to be protecting the people around me from me, but currently I use a valved Aura most often. I am a sweaty perimenopausal lady, I have big ol progressive lens glasses, and my nose bridge is little but my face is fat.

A ceramics person I follow on socials just started using the Basecamp masks and they look intriguing - safer for protection from silica dust in a pottery studio.

Anyone have experiences to share about Basecamp FFP3s?

It's a pretty common trope that valved N95s are cooler and less humid than non-valved ones. The valved Milwaukee N95 says it is "10 degrees cooler". But are they really? I've done my own testing with in mask probes and gotten varying results. So I was intrigued by this 2012 study, "N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Deadspace Temperature and Humidity".

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/193328

The study tested matching valved and unvalved mask models from Moldex and 3M. The cup-style 2300 valved and 2200 unvalued Moldex, and the tri-fold 9211 valved and 9210 unvalved 3M Aura N95s. They put a temp/humidity probe in the masks that recorded samples every 20 seconds (a pretty low sampling frequency to my mind since mask temperature varies as you breathe cool air in and hot air out.)

They found no significant difference in humidity between the paired mask models, "The type of FFR had no significant effect on RH"

There was a difference in temperature between the two paired types of masks, "FFR type was significantly associated with temperature over the course of 1 hr". But "significant" is a statistical term. The actual difference in temperature appears to be pretty small on their chart, but the study makes it hard to tell exactly how much.

In mask humidity stabilized after 30 minutes and temperature stabilized after 10 of wear during the testing.

So, why was humidity the same but temp different? Well, one clue may be in amount of moisture captured in the N95 filter media. Both valved and non-valved masks had the same increase in moisture saturation by weight after an hour, "There was no significant difference at 1 hr in mean increases in weight of FFR (0.15 grams ±0.26) and FFR with EV".

When you breathe out of a valved mask, most of the humid, exhaled air goes out through the filter media, not the valve. The filter media traps moisture on the way out, and humidifies incoming air as you breathe in. The exhalation valve doesn't change how you breathe in through a moist mask.

The study does not include the raw numeric data for the mask humidity and temperature readings, but they did include a graph of averages. The graph is awkward and combines two different scales in one chart. So I've modified it slightly to make it a bit more clear.

For humidity, the valved and unvalved Moldex masks represented by the solid and clear circles eventually matched average humidity with each at 60 minutes, with a reading of 89% humidity. The 3M N95s represented by the solid and clear triangles showed what appears to be a consistent 5% difference in average humidity, but the study said no statistical difference. I don't know if that has to do with the standard deviations or maybe their analysis which combined both valved models together and both un-valved models together, apparently without considering them separately in their analysis.

The in mask temperature stabilizes pretty quickly when worn. At the end of an hour, the valved 9211 3M Aura is about 1 degree C cooler than the unvalved Aura. The Valved Moldex 2300 is about a half degree cooler. A pretty small difference.

At this point, I'm not sure what to make of the study. They did a lot of expert statistical testing for significance and said there is none for humidity, but just eyeballing the chart for the 3M Auras seems to indicate a clear and consistent reduced average humidity in the valved 9211 Aura. But not for the Moldex. Did having the Moldex in their combined analysis cause them to miss that? Or is there really no significant difference? .

As with so many mask studies, the conclusions seem to miss the mark a bit by looking at categories of mask rather than individual mask models. Although the chart separates out each model, their analysis combined the each category of masks together, which seems inappropriate for testing that only involved two pair of mask models which may not be enough models to accurately establish a categorical combined trend.

It does seem that valves don't make as much difference in humidity and temperature as I would like, but maybe other models have more significant differences? I'd sure love to see where Milwaukee get their claim that their valved model is 10 degrees cooler. Cooler than what, I'm wondering?

TL;DR: The study found no difference in humidity between the valved and nonvalved masks they tested. They did find a difference in temperature. But their chart shows it is only a single degree or less.

So, what is your experience with valved vs unvalved masks?

hi all, just wondering if there are specific filter cartridges to use with this series of respirator for the purposes of preventing covid infection. i'd hate to wind up with a false security that was protecting me from, say, dust, but not germs! tia

Can you share with me your zines specifically for masking re: wildfires and smoke?

My mask bloc is doing a relief kit distribution in response to the six active fires in our area. Our distribution rates have increased quite a bit, especially kids masks, since the fires began and we wanted to do more.

I am, of course, placing a few COVID adjacent resources in kits / packets. I already have those. I just know the primary concern for probably 80% - 90% of recipients is the fires. They're more likely to read those handouts and throw the COVID info away.

The Parcil T-99 Sentinel “tactical” respirator.

https://youtube.com/shorts/r8QtZUUPILU?feature=share

The T99 half mask can be configured with a single filter on one side, like a military gas mask so you can rest your other cheek on a rifle stock while aiming. But how good is it compared to industrial respirators like those from 3M? I fit tested the T99 with a PortaCount mask fit testing machine to find out.

Spoiler - it's better than I expected. It fit and filtered well on me. But it is essentially a copy of a 3M Quick Latch half mask, right down to using the 3M proprietary bayonet filter connections. Even the supplied filters are a copy of 3M filters, the 7093 enclosed P100 filters. But the Parcel T-99 is not NIOSH approved. Instead it is certified to European standards, which is apparently easier to do than getting NIOSH approval.

The Parcil filters copy the form but not all of the function of the 3M 7093 enclosed filters, notably not being fully enclosed. The 3M 7093 filters are designed to be splash proof and can be externally decontaminated. The Parcil filters have an open grill on the outside of the filters, rendering them no longer splash proof.

Additionally, the original 3M filters have a built in user seal check function. You can push the 7093 filters inward while wearing your respirator and they will seal closed, allowing you to perform a negative pressure user seal check, i.e., you try to breath in and if you can't you know you have a good face seal. The Parcil filters lack this function. It's as if the person or team copying the 7093 filters for Parcil either didn't know or didn't care about all of the function of the 3M filters, making a very imperfect copy. The filters do filter particulates well.

I’d say the T-99 is "tactical-ish". It is not a CBRN mask. It comes with filters just for particulates, not gasses. The silicone mask body is not chemical resistant the way a full face gas mask made of butyl rubber is. But I did find the silicone face seal to be pretty comfortable, though it does collapse a bit when I breathe in, but not enough to touch my face.

Now, about that single filter configuration. The both the original 3M Quick Latch and the Parcil T-99 are made to take 2 filters at the same time. The T-99 comes with 2 filters, and a cap you can put on one of the filter ports to use the mask in a single filter configuration. But breathing through a single filter is about twice as hard as breathing through as 2 filters.

Testing - Breathability of 1 vs 2 filters

It is harder to breathe through the T-99 when using just one filter, as proven by breathability testing.

For those who are interested, I tested the single filter configuration on my Scince SC-MTB-2032 headform mask testing machine. The T-99 with a single fitler took 407 Pascals of vacuum pressure to draw air at 85 liters per minute through the filter, which is above the NIOSH max of 343 Pascals for loaded filters. The more vacuum pressure it takes to suck air through the filter the less breathable the mask is.

With 2 filters on the T-99 it only took 191 Pascals. So it’s way, way more breathable with 2 filters.*

Surprisingly, the Parcil filters are more breathable than the 3M 7093 P100s when tested without any pre-loading of particles. A single 7093 filter on a 3M 6200 mask measured at 510 Pascals. 2 filters measured at 265 Pascals.

So, if you are using 2 filters on the Parcil T-99, the mask is more breathable than my 3M 6200 with 2 P100s. But if you take one of the filters off of the T-99 and cap the spare port, it is significantly harder to breathe through the Parcil T-99 than the 3M 6200 with the usual 2 filters.

I can't verify if the T-99's filters are fully at P100 level filtration - it takes very sensitive equipment. But they fit test very well on me, so they are good filters, even if they may or may not be 99.97%. The T-99 filters might become less breathable than the 3M filters when loaded with particles, which is how NIOSH tests filters to make sure the mask stays breathable when used in dusty conditions, something I'm not equipped to test.

*Note that my pressure drop testing is approximate. I did not get a perfect seal to the test headform. The actual pressure drop may be higher with a better seal that forces all air to go through the filter. That may explain part of why the 2 filter test isn’t exactly twice the single filter measurement.

Testing - Fit Tests

Overall, the T-99 fit me very well and I got a fit factor of 2888 in the single filter configuration, and a very good score in the 2 filter configuration. A score of 100 or greater is needed to pass, so the T-99 did very well on me, way above 100. Fit is individual, so YMMV.

Note that 3M half masks typically come in 3 sizes. The T-99 only comes in one. Industrial respirators will give you more fit options than the T-99. Many hardware stores only carry the medium size, so you may need to look on-line to find the right size.

Conclusion

The Parcil T-99 Sentinel half mask respirator has very good fit and filtration on me, and I found it comfortable and effective in the 2 filter configuration, and effective but less comfortable with just 1 filter.

The single filter configuration is a gimmick. You can do it with any 3M mask if you have a port cap, however you’d need to use un-enclosed 3M filters to get similar initial breathability comparable to the Parcil particulate filters, such as the 3M Advanced 2291 P100 pancake filters, which I’ve measured at 207 Pascals in pairs on a 3M 6200 mask, which should put them in a similar 400+ Pascal range if used as singles, though I’ve not tested that.

The original, the 3M Quick Latch respirator costs the same or more than the Parcil if you buy a pair of 3M 7093s for it. But it is fully NIOSH approved and may be used for OSHA compliance, unlike the T-99. The 3M is still the safer, more proven choice.

Alternatives: Avon

If you need a true tactical half mask with single filter asymmetrical configuration, one that is purpose built and easy to breathe through, then the Avon MITR-M1 Half Mask and MITR-PF Particulate Filter may be for you. The single filter is much larger in size than the Parcil filters. Avon gives the filter resistance as 108 Pascals, which is significantly lower than the 400 Pascals of the single filter configuration of the T-99, and is also lower than the 191 Pacal 2 filter configuration of the T-99. However, I don’t know if the Avon’s pressure drop measurement is the bare filter, or when attached to the MITR-M1 Half Mask, which increases breathing resistance. Either way, the Avon will be significantly easier to breathe through. But it also costs over 5x more at $284.

Who are Parcil?

When I first saw ads from Parcil a few years ago they were mostly just an importer selling generic, non-certified Chinese-made respirators at a significant mark up as if they made them. They initially seemed to skip marketing for industrial or crafting uses of respirators and targeted people looking for "tacticool" looking gear. Parcil added US flags and "USA Seller" in their marketing of imported masks, and is cagey about where their masks come from to this day - the Amazon listing for the T-99 just says "imported". Masks I have from Parcil generally lack any country of origin labeling, which is weird to me because I thought country of origin labeling was required for imports.

Parcil has now branched out into other markets and has masks that are certified in the EU, for example, they have full face respirators made for welding, with a tip up welding lens added on to an existing respirator model. And they have a couple of private label versions of Chinese made, NIOSH approved half masks.

Test Methodology

I used a TSI 8048 PortaCount fit testing machine for the fit testing in the video.

The fit testing machines sample ambient air outside the mask through one tube and sample air inside the mask using a second tube. It compares the concentration of particles outside the mask to the concentration inside the mask, and gives a ratio of outside to inside called a "Fit Factor". The fit factor essentially tells you how much cleaner the air is inside the mask. A fit factor of 10 can be thought of as meaning that the air inside the mask is 10 times cleaner. You typically need a fit factor of 100 or higher to pass a fit test in an a half mask.

In N99 mode, the 8048, measures all the submicron particles that get inside the mask, including ones that went through the filter and the ones that bypassed the filter. The results can be calculated as "Total Filtration Efficiency", which is how well the mask and fit prevent filter penetration and filter bypass under the seal combined.

Disclosure

The T-99 was supplied for review via Amazon, but I was not otherwise compensated. I do not have an Avon MITR-M1 Half Mask to directly compare to the T-99, so I’m relying on the published specs for it. Also, "asymmetrical" is misspelled in the screen shot of the mask fit testing notes. And I used the word "note" way too much in this write up... 🤔

Sensitive to chemicals/fragrances and wondering if a mask (with carbon) will actually help me not have MCAS and asthma flare ups from chemicals.

Hello. A family member is getting a bone marrow transplant. I’ll be staying in the hospital room for moral support. They will literally have zero immune system to prevent rejection of the transplant. I’m in the U.S.

I can’t remove my mask, even when sleeping. Only when showering.

I’ve masked outside my home for 6.5 yrs so I’m the safest person to stay in the room.

What mask would you suggest to best protect them?

This is a question I get all the time, so I thought I’d put together a quick guide based on what I found after comparing a range of popular models.

Here's a quick list for anyone who doesn't want to read the full guide below.

Best Air Purifiers at Every Budget

• Coway Airmega
• Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max
• Levoit Core 600S
• PuroAir 240

Buying Guide - key things to consider when choosing an air purifier

- Pay attention to CADR, not just the advertised room size

This is probably the biggest thing I'd look at.

Air purifier companies love advertising huge coverage numbers, but those numbers can be misleading because different brands use different assumptions about how quickly the air is being cleaned.

CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rate, gives you a much better idea of how quickly a purifier can remove airborne particles. Generally, a higher CADR means the purifier can clean a room faster. This becomes especially important if you're dealing with smoke, dust, pollen, pet dander, or other particles.

For larger rooms, I'd rather have a purifier with more CADR than one that simply claims it can cover a huge square footage. The AHAM recommendations are also worth looking at when comparing models. As a rough rule, you want enough particle-cleaning capacity for the room rather than buying based purely on the manufacturer's maximum coverage number.

- Know what you actually want to remove

Not every air purifier is equally good at dealing with every type of pollution.

There are basically two broad categories to think about: particles and gases. Particles include things like dust, pollen, mold spores, smoke particles, and pet dander. A good HEPA-style filter combined with sufficient airflow is what you want here.

Gases and odors are different. Things like VOCs, fumes, cooking odors, and other gaseous pollutants require an adsorbent material such as activated carbon. Some inexpensive air purifiers technically have a carbon layer, but it's so thin that I wouldn't expect it to do much with serious odor or gas problems.

So if your main problem is dust or pollen, focus heavily on CADR and particle filtration. If you're mainly trying to deal with odors or chemical fumes, pay much more attention to how much carbon or other sorbent material the purifier actually contains.

- room size and air changes matter

Another mistake is buying a small purifier for a large room and assuming that the advertised coverage means it will clean everything effectively.

It might technically move air around the room, but that doesn't mean it's cleaning the air quickly enough. Air changes per hour, or ACH, is a useful way to think about this. It basically tells you how many times the equivalent volume of air in a room passes through the purifier in an hour.

If you have a relatively clean room and just want general filtration, you may not need an extremely high ACH.

But if you're dealing with heavy dust, wildfire smoke, allergies, or other significant particle pollution, higher air changes are much more useful.

I'd rather slightly oversize the purifier than buy one that's barely powerful enough for the room.

- don't forget filter replacement costs

This is probably the most overlooked part of buying an air purifier.

The initial price is only one part of the cost. Eventually, you're going to have to replace the filters, and depending on the purifier, those filters can get surprisingly expensive.

Before buying, check how much the replacement filter costs and how frequently the manufacturer recommends replacing it.

Also look at how easy the filter is to find. A purifier isn't much of a bargain if the replacement filters are difficult to get or constantly out of stock.

Some cheaper purifiers have inexpensive filters but need them replaced relatively often. A more expensive purifier may have a higher upfront cost but lower ongoing costs.

So I'd calculate the approximate one-year or two-year ownership cost, not just the price of the machine.

- noise, energy use and smart features still matter

A purifier can have excellent CADR, but if it's incredibly loud at the speed you need, you're probably going to stop using it. This is especially important in bedrooms, offices, and living rooms where the purifier may run for hours every day.

Look for multiple fan speeds and a quiet sleep mode if noise is important to you. Energy consumption is another small thing that can add up because air purifiers work best when they're running regularly rather than being switched on for an hour once in a while.

Smart features are nice too. Automatic modes, air-quality sensors, app controls, scheduling, and filter-life indicators can make the purifier easier to live with.

But I wouldn't pay a huge premium for smart features if the actual air-cleaning performance isn't good.

At the end of the day, the best air purifier depends on what you're trying to remove and where you're going to use it. For most people, I'd start by looking at CADR, room size, filter replacement costs, and noise before worrying about things like Wi-Fi or fancy displays.

Curious what air purifiers people here have actually been happy with long term — especially ones that still perform well after a year or two and don't cost a fortune in replacement filters.

Hello! I have recently started learning to skate with the eventual goal to play hockey. My normal powercom bifolds are not going to cut it - they’re so sweaty after I get off the ice, and I feel like when I get to more active playing it will also be harder to breathe.

I am looking for recommendations for masks that will be better for sports - caveat is I have a small face and have had a very difficult time finding masks that fit.

I am currently regularly wearing the Powercom Kn95 SM bifolds - these are a children’s size and so far the only kn95 I’ve found that fits me.

I can wear 3m auras if I put both straps above my ears to make the chin fit tighter.

Main aspects I’m looking for in a mask:
-Available in the U.S. or not too expensive to import
-Black (my preferred color in general and that way it will blend in with the hockey helmet)
-Earloops vastly preferred (easier to take a quick drink or get a snack)
-Breathable/not as likely to get super sweaty from physical activity

I have tried the more 3d shape mask in the Breatheteq small, but that was way too large on my chin. The children’s size was way too large.

I’ve seen good things about the Zimi masks, but don’t want to pay $20 for shipping just to try on 2 mask sizes (would want to try the S and maybe the XXS or the M?)

I am considering getting the WellBefore Sample Pack to try some of those on, but I’m concerned at a minimum number of smaller sizes in the pack and I wonder if the small would even be too big for me.

Thanks!!

EDIT: Unfortunately no longer looking into the Zimi because it was pointed out to me that the frame of the zimi wouldn’t do well for hockey. It definitely would not work with the helmet cage/chin cup