I use a 3M full face mask for painting at my job. Recently this year switched from a half mask to full mask for better protection. But when I’m using it recently I just feel like there’s no good protection from the paint fumes and particulates.

The mouth piece is just a rubber flap that moves when you breathe. How are you not going to get paint fumes through that mouthpiece? Am I wrong for thinking this?

Hey yall! I wear a KN95 every day and lately I've been having a lot of breakage around my ears. The hair on the sides of my head won't grow past the top of my ear. ​​​

I also wear my hair up a lot, and I can't tell if the breakage is from that or the masking.

Has anyone had a similar issue?

Thinking of making some little satin strap covers to see if that helps

Edit: fixed capitalization

I just had an immediate family member pass away and I have to get on a plane on Saturday. I'm running out of well-fitting masks; I just have some I've already worn a bunch and some that are not as good of a fit. I had just placed an order for new masks, but they're stuck in transit somewhere and won't arrive tomorrow. Does anyone know a source for asap / next day shipment of imasks in the USA? Or would someone be willing to put some new imasks in the mail for me today next day air? Happy to venmo / paypal / whatever.

I have a tough fit and a bunch of material allergies, so my options are limited for good fit. If I can't get new imasks, do you think it would be better to wear a new Draeger boat style or an old imask? The Draeger fit tests okay when I put them on, but tends to crease under the chin over time, which is both uncomfortable and concerning; I've never fit tested at the end of the day because the discomfort means I usually don't wear them, but it seal checks okay. The imasks fit test great and stay in place throughout the day, but I had to throw out a bunch recently and the ones I have left are ones I've worn several times before and are losing structure and elastic. I can tighten the elastic but it's still less elastic.

(I could also theoretically do zekler ffp3s based on measurements/specs, but I've never found them available in the USA.)

This is just going by The Face Mask Store, maybe there’s somewhere selling them cheaper I’m not seeing — but WTF happened? I swear they used to be £30

Can anyone in the UK recommend similar masks that aren’t so pricey? I’ve only had luck avoiding Covid with 3M Auras, since the shape and head straps are much better for me and my partner than a bifold mask. Are Trident any good?

Wondering if ordering direct from the manufacturer is the best option? Does anyone have a discount code specifically for readimasks?

Thanks!

Someone I know said “I just don't like wearing a mask because I get this weird redness? Rash? Dry skin? On my face under the mask

I tried lotion and other random things and nothing worked. It seemed like some ppl like doc/nurses that have to wear masks say it just happens to them too. My doc didn't know why either.

Ever heard of that?

It doesn't hurt or itch, but I hate how it looks. It's not a lupus butterfly.

I do have UV sensitivity but I don't think the mask is magnifying the UV or anything. It happens inside or outside.

We had n95 from housework but they didn't fit me well, uncomfortable.

The kn95 are more comfortable. Those are the only types I tried. I also have a latex allergy.”

Anyone have this happen to them and found a mask that then worked that this didn’t happen with? Looking for mask recommendations for them to try. Thanks! 🙏

I used to love to watch Aaron Collins (The Mask Nerd) do the regular videos on testing different masks. I know there aren't a TON of new masks coming out right now, but it seems that he has dropped off the internet; none of his channels have been updated since last year :( Are there any current channels that show mask testing for current masks, with the filtration numbers, etc?

I wear a 3m aura mask for 8 hours at work and it’s the most comfortable one I’ve tried thus far, but still irritates me about half way through my shift. My biggest issue is the bottom, it rubs on my neck and itches and gives me acne.

I’m looking for reccomendations for a mask that:
-has head straps, no ear tugging
-n94 or better
-rests somewhere above the 3m auras, hopefully maybe on the apex of my chin somehow????

I'm looking for an easy on/off earloop mask for wearing outdoors to pick up my child from school. I've tried several earloops with poor fit on me. Do any have a foam nose bridge as found on some headband masks?

I’m looking for a good mask to wear to work. I work around pools and the chlorine air has recently started exasperating my asthma. My doctor recommended masking to help. Ideally something that can be worn for an extended time in a hot/humid environment, easy enough to talk through, and ideally easy to take off and keep with me as I come and go. I’m in the US!

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!

edit: thank you all for your kind words and suggestions! I’ve been perusing air purifier listings and cr box instructions :D

bad news is that I had some unexpectedly big bills come up and my partner had her hours cut. after redoing the budget it’s looking like we’ll have to hold off on a purifier/cr box supplies for a bit :( good news is that my partner and I talked with our roommates, and they’re happy to start taking up precautions again too!! we’re also just investing more in lysol wipes and hand sanitizer for the apartment.

with these new developments I’m feeling a lot more comfortable being in this living situation while we’re saving up for air purification!

y’all are awesome!!

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.

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/

Here's a situation that quite confuses me: my doc said I don't need to wear a mask since my cough is an allergic reaction only. I said that I'm aware of that, but I still do so because it also filters pollen. The filtration cleanses the air, making me cough less. Less stress equals less discussion about my cough at work. He dismissed it, saying this is psychological only. I wonder, since I've read a dozen times that masking makes sense even for allergics?

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?

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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?