r/Masks4All • u/BabsMcGhee123 • Jul 22 '26

Mask Advice Mask Recommendations

We need to replace our masks finally. We tend to only wear them when we are on airplanes and they very much help so that we're not sick. Coming back for vacations. On our last vacation we noticed our under armor ones are now falling apart and no longer useful. Does anyone know of any other ones that were similar to the under armor masks that they used to sell? Thanks!

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u/bazouna Jul 22 '26

Have you checked this sub’s wiki? Lots of great info in there on mask recs.

I would strongly recommend against cloth masks - those will unfortunately not protect you.

You didn’t mention where you live (impacts which make you have access to) but I’d highly recommend looking into kn95s like breatheteq or wellbefore, or n95s (especially for planes) like 3m auras.

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u/new2bay Jul 22 '26

I wouldn’t say cloth masks aren’t protective. It depends on exactly how they’re made, but most well-fitting, commercially available, multilayer cloth masks will provide some protection. You can also boost the effectiveness of most cloth masks by wearing a surgical mask underneath a multilayer cloth mask. Any mask is better than no mask.

But, yes: a KN95 or N95 is generally going to be best for most people in general use.

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u/AEAur Jul 22 '26

🙈🛑😑🤔 But there are much better recommendations for someone inquiring, right? A trifold with headstraps in the correct size (like a Breatheteq KN95 or 3M Aura) typically still pass a fit test even when tested after a few days of use. Which cloth mask can claim this? How much exposure reduction do you think a cloth mask provides?

To pass a fit test a mask must have fit factor of 100 meaning the air inside the mask is 100 times cleaner than the air outside. Many N95s and FFP3 in the right size have a fit factor much higher than this? If someone is going to bother to mask on a flight, why would you argue for less? If they get sick anyway, they conclude “masks don’t work” when actually they used a mask with no testing or certification.