While disposable N95 respirators can sometimes offer better protection for the wearer than any mask, they’re not that great due to the generally poor fit they provide.
Despite the high risk of leaks, N95s are probably a better solution for source control than masks due to their ability to filter out aerosols.
Reusable elastomerics offer better fit and more protection (N100) than N95s. There’s also somenon-anecdotal evidence that elastomerics are more comfortable than N95s. For me, elastomerics are more comfortable than even a surgical mask (due to less humidity and heat buildup) if wear time is long enough and if not engaging in a lot of physical activity.
The best N100/P100 particulate filter for a respirator is probably the 3M 2291 due to its lower pressure drop (that means it takes less effort to inhale) and that restricts respirator choices to the 3M 5000, 6000, 6500, and 7500 series (excluding respirators with full facepieces). Anecdotally, the effort to breath through the 2291 seems almost the same as breathing through an N95 filter. The 6500 and 7500 series probably has a somewhat better faceseal due to the more pliable silicone material that they use. Silicone also makes the faceseal hypoallergenic. I’ve seen some anecdotal reports that the 7500 is more comfortable than the 6500 due to (supposedly) slightly more pliable silicone. Personally, I’ve felt no significant difference in comfort between the rubber faceseal of the 6000 and the silicone faceseal of the 7500.
It’s been claimed that a lot of fake filters are on the market, so I’d try to acquire them from a reputable source like an established hardware distributor.
While disposable N95 respirators can sometimes offer better protection for the wearer than any mask, they’re not that great due to the generally poor fit they provide.
Despite the high risk of leaks, N95s are probably a better solution for source control than masks due to their ability to filter out aerosols.
Reusable elastomerics offer better fit and more protection (N100) than N95s. There’s also some non-anecdotal evidence that elastomerics are more comfortable than N95s. For me, elastomerics are more comfortable than even a surgical mask (due to less humidity and heat buildup) if wear time is long enough and if not engaging in a lot of physical activity.
The best N100/P100 particulate filter for a respirator is probably the 3M 2291 due to its lower pressure drop (that means it takes less effort to inhale) and that restricts respirator choices to the 3M 5000, 6000, 6500, and 7500 series (excluding respirators with full facepieces). Anecdotally, the effort to breath through the 2291 seems almost the same as breathing through an N95 filter. The 6500 and 7500 series probably has a somewhat better faceseal due to the more pliable silicone material that they use. Silicone also makes the faceseal hypoallergenic. I’ve seen some anecdotal reports that the 7500 is more comfortable than the 6500 due to (supposedly) slightly more pliable silicone. Personally, I’ve felt no significant difference in comfort between the rubber faceseal of the 6000 and the silicone faceseal of the 7500.
It’s been claimed that a lot of fake filters are on the market, so I’d try to acquire them from a reputable source like an established hardware distributor.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you!