It just occurred to me that there are 1001 different kinds of N95 masks.. Which ones do you have in your kit (s)? and why?

I have several types.....I like the flat ones (AKA duckbills) since they store flat. Yes they can have problems with the elastic but since they store flat, I'm more likely to carry them.

At home I have the formed ones in multiple sizes (for the family). Just my 2 c.

I also have the N95 flat fold mask. I like the 3M brand, since its one size fits all. My wife tried it on and said they were surprisingly comfortable compared to the once she used in her biology research lab.

what kind of problems do you have with the elastic of the fold flat model? One of my 3M FFP2 (european standard, similair to N95) fold flat masks, the elastic bands broke pretty easily when i try to wear it.

I prefer the 3M model 9211.

[img]http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs666TSQc7rrrrQ-[/img]

It comes individually wrapped so it stays clean, packs flat, and has an exhale valve that improves comfort.

You can get them in boxes of 10 units for about $15 at various online sources.

Thats the thing, Glock-a-roo recommends the 9211 and Redflare recommends the 9210. Looking at the 3M site, they have over 20 N95 masks. From what I can gather on the differences between 9210 and 9211 is that the 9211 is individually packaged. Does it offer any additional function? I see there's a filter type contraption on the 9211, what does that do?

I guess my real question is, filtration wise, are all N95 masks the same thing, but just have additional bells and whistles (cosmetics / quality / comfort)?

At this point the 9211 looks appealing.. Anyone recommend a place to buy?

N95 is a specification. If a mask gives the protection specified in the N95 specification and this has been tested, than they can legaly call it a N95 mask. So there shouldn't be much diffrents filtration wise.

Thanks PC2K!! Yes, it is a spec.. I believe the 95 is 95% of 0.3micron filtration... I guess looking at most sites, the 9210 is touted as being effective against airborne virus' (SARs, Bird Flu, etc), whereas the 9211 has no mention of that "feature". Due to the recent heat wave in Southern California, I think the 9211 would be a better choice, but just want to make sure it covers the "airborne virus'" as well.. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh, yeah, after more researching I discovered that contraption on the 9211 assists in hot and humid conditions as Glock-a-roo mentioned.

The contraption on the 9211 is the one-way exhale valve. It's a simple flexible flap. With an exhale valve, the mask won't protect other people from an infected wearer because when they exhale, droplets can go out the valve. But to protect the wearer, they're supposed to be identical protection.

If you haven't worn one for an extended period, the exhale valve makes a huge difference over the normal mask. I'd compare wearing a N95 to breathing through a maxi-pad or a water filter. When it's properly fitted, it's hard enough to inhale. You shouldn't need to struggle to breath out as well unless you have to.

Thanks Ratbert! Brings me back to my addiction to Dilbert comics.. ;-)

Now does anyone have a recommendation on where to buy the 9211? I prefer experiences versus blindly picking one out of google.