Why N95 masks are still hard to get, even though production is up

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/why-n95-masks-are-still-hard-to-get-even-though-production-is-up/

by FreakyT • 5 years ago

2 1 5 years ago

I got an order of N95 masks off Amazon that was realistically priced (read: not obvious fake prices) and seemed to be a very real product from Kimberly-Clark.

The actual filtration material matches the few real 3M masks I had laying around in terms of feel, resistance to air movement, etc.

But the "trimmings" of the mask like the strap and nose bridge seemed like exactly what you'd expect out of emergency production. Instead of the usual rubber it was this weird almost pantyhose material, and instead of a usual stiff nose bridge, this one felt like a bread tie.

The end result is a mask that filters properly but is a nightmare to fit, which defeats the purpose in a sense.

In a pinch I'd take that over nothing, but I can see why institutions might be reluctant to take masks that are being made to fill the gap and possibly taking shortcuts to do so

Why N95 masks are still hard to get, even though production is up

Related Stories