How To Choose Face Breathing Mask
- the skill of breathing mask selecting
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Protecting level, material, breath-ability, fluid resistance, fire-retardantability, sealing ability and comfortable wearing should be considered when choose face mask (mask, breathing mask) from local market or global suppliers.
Brief Introduction
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Are you planning to buy a breathing mask for your job or daily using ?
Being the personal protective equipment, breathing mask is used to cover nose and mouth from the dust, airborne particles, vapors, gases or virus.
It is important to know the skill to choose face mask providing different level protection for different occasions.
You can get the best health-care protection only after a right selection before buying.
There are thousands of manufactures providing many kinds of face mask in different colors, patterns, protection levels. It is hard to choose, right? Lets show you the secret of choosing face mask.
Photo
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Several kinds of masks are presented in the photo.
Profile
- Section : Tips
- Key Word : how to choose face mask, how to choose breathing mask, how to choose mask
- Author : Jasper
- Industry : Face Mask
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Choose a Face Mask Based on Protection Level
As we are looking for protection by wearing face mask(breathing mask), so we should make clear the protection level and the appropriate face mask.
Face mask is divided into Ordinary face mask, Ordinary medical mask, Medical surgical breathing mask, N95(KN95 N90 or N99) breathing mask.
The protecting ability follows: N99 ＞ N95(KN95) ＞ N90＞ Medical Surgical masks ＞ Medical masks ＞ Ordinary mask.
N95 breathing mask : Covering N90, N95, KN95, N99, this type of face mask offers the highest protection level in the market. It also provides protection against smog (PM 2.5) bacteria and viruses. This is also the mask provides protection against COVID.
Medical surgical mask : This kind of breathing mask is designed to provide protection against germs and bacteria. So they are commonly used in respiratory and surgical apartments of hospital. You can buy them when you need protection in hospital or the daily use in preventing the virus COVID.
Ordinary medical mask : It is called medical face mask or medical breathing mask, but the protecting level is much lower than Medical surgical face mask. You can choose this option for outdoor using or when there are few people in room. It calso can be used for the protection against dust or smog.
Ordinary mask: Created for the basic protecting against frozen, dust or smog, this kind of face mask do not work for the against of bacteria or virus. You can buy this one when use it in freezing winter or use it in dusty workshop. There are many kinds of products in this level, such as cotton masks, activated carbon masks, gauze masks, etc.
Material
100% cotton breathing mask offers the most comfortable face mask, but it did not work well in moisture wicking and protection level.
The mask combine polyester and cotton offers a better balance between comfort and moisture wicking.
Polyester breathing mask is the best choice when you use it for sports, because of its quick drying capabilities.
Woven or Non-woven
Woven breathing mask offers lower filtration rates because of the gap between fifers. It is better to choose a face mask combines both woven and non-woven fabrics, which offers a better filtration.
Many masks are made in non-woven fabrics, from ordinary face mask to medical mask.
Filtration Efficiency and Breath-ability
Most face masks are composted of 1 to 5 layers of fabrics, woven or non-woven. One layer face mask offers the best breath-ability, but the protection level are low.
The mask with 5 layers offers much better filtration level, at the same time, the breathing mask is not comfortable to be used because of the low air flow.
Most mask manufactures want to get the best balance between filtration efficiency and breath-ability. So you can find most face mask contains 2 to 4 layers of fabrics.
You can decide the number of layers of fabrics. Face breathing mask of 4 or even 5 layers is the best choice if you prefer to have a better filtration efficiency. 3 layers mask is ok if you are not using it in high risk exposure. 1 to 2 layers is enough if you just use it to filter pollen or catkins.
Fluid Resistance
Fluid resistance ability should be considered when you choose medical face mask. It offers resistance ability of fluid to protect doctor or other staff in hospital.
This factor is not useful when you choose ordinary face mask.
Flame-retardant ability
Flame-retardantability of face mask is tested by exposing the face mask material in a fire, and measure the time used for the fire move up 5 inches.
It should be considered when you choose mask for special use. Perhaps you think this is only useful for Firemen, actually this factor should be considered in many living or working scene, such as driving, cooking, building, etc.
This flame-retardantability also affect the condition to store and transfer the face mask. You are suggested to choose a face mask works well in this aspect.
Seal ability
Sealability is important to mask, just like mobility to a bike. If the sealability of a breathing mask is not good, the air, dust or virus may flow in or out through the gap. This request a good design before producing the breathing mask, to make the mask create a sealed space around face, nose and chin.
How to test the sealability ? You can wear a glasses and breath in a cold room. The sealability is not good if your glasses fogged.
Another solution for sealability is buying different sized face mask according to age or face size. Most face mask are produced into one size, but you still can find different sized product. And you should choose children face mask for kids, which provides better sealability based on their little face.
Comfort
Comfort should be regarded as one of the most important ability of a face breathing mask, if you must wear it for a long time or even the whole day long.
You can buy one of the mask to find the obvious problem on wearing comfort. Other factors related with comfort covers ear loops, head straps, adjustable loops or straps are more comfortable.
Aesthetics
The appearance of a mask is not related with its function. But a beautiful mask may works well with your cloth, shoes, etc.
Choosing a right face breathing mask leads to a pleasant wearing experience.
So you can choose face mask with your favorite color, pattern and other designing elements.