Are Kn95 Masks as Good as N95 Masks?

You have likely been using a mask while out in public for most of the past year; however, are you still using the proper one? With new versions of COVID-19 coming on the scene in the United States, doctors are urging the general public to go beyond double masks, surgical masks, and cloth masks. They say that instead, you should choose a higher-filtration mask such as a KB95 or an N95.

In countries such as Austria, the government has even started to distribute the European equivalent of the N95, the FFP2 masks, for free to everyone over age 65. In the meantime, in Germany, a new mandate states that people have to use an FFP2 mask when using public transportation or grocery stores.

Since new COVID-19 variants are even more contagious, you must use masks with a high filtration level and a tight fit. KN95 and N95 masks fit that bill.

However, what are N95 and KN95 masks for sale, their differences, and which mask should you buy? Click here to buy masks online. Below is a discussion of the facts.

N95 Masks: How do they work?

According to the CDC, N95 masks filter out at least 95% of tiny particles around 0.3 microns in size. However, it’s the particle size for which they’re least efficient. As a matter of fact, N95 masks are better at filtering particles that are either smaller or larger than 0.3 microns.

The masks can filter around 99.8% of particles with a diameter of approximately 0.1 microns, according to February 2017 research published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Hygiene. According to an April 2020 review published in the journal eLife, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) is an enveloped virus around a 0.1-micron diameter; therefore, N95 masks are especially appropriate for the current pandemic.

How do KN95 masks for sale work?

KN95 masks work like N95 masks; however, they are not regulated by the same institutions. It led to questions about their efficacy in surgical settings.

Within a September 2020 analysis of 200 KN95s from 15 manufacturers, ECRI, the patient safety nonprofit, discovered that up to 70% of protective face coverings did not meet standards for effectiveness by the U.S., which ‘raises risks of contracting the virus for patients and care providers in hospitals and other organizations which imported masks from China.’

Still, according to ECRI, KN95 masks for sale are better than cloth masks or surgical masks. They’re most suitable in cases in which you do not expect to touch bodily fluids. Non-certified masks using neck and head straps also serve you better than the ones that have ear loops.

How do KN95 and N95 masks differ?

Both N95 and KN95 masks for sale use several synthetic material layers that protect you from outdoor particles. As their name suggests, both have to filter out 95% of particles 0.3 microns in size.

The primary differences are the regulating bodies controlling the masks, as well as the looks. The NIOSH regulates N95 masks, placing each mask prototype from various manufacturers through a stringent process of testing. In the meantime, the government of China regulates KN95 masks for sale.

For the average individual, KN95 masks and N95 masks have negligible differences. If you aren’t a health care worker, either will suffice. However, if you cannot find either type of mask, you should think about double masking using a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask.