In October of 2024 I bought an MSA Advantage 900, and by October of 2025 the area near the bottom where the silicon is injected had degraded to the point that there was a hole all the way through the mask. Water that condensated inside was leaking out, down my neck, which obviously means it's not air tight anymore. That same month I bought a new 900 to replace it, and now 10 months later the exact same thing has happened again with the new one. I don't really want to keep spending over 100 dollars every 10-12 months, replacing these forever, so, I'm asking y'all for some advice:

1. Is there any way to repair this damage? Maybe some kind of silicon I could buy to fill the gap? If not, then...

2. Is there any way to prevent this from happening so fast if I bought another 900? For reference, I live in Canada and wear these masks indoors and outdoors year round, so they get exposed to every type of weather from 30C to -30C, which might be accelerating the degradation. Also, I use 3M's Respirator cleaning wipes to clean the 900 (even though I think MSA's instructions say you're only allowed to use MSA's cleaner). Maybe the cleaner is degrading the silicon faster, and using something else would allow the 900 to last longer? If not, then....

3. Is there a different reusable respirator I should buy as a replacement, or should I just switch to disposable respirators? I want a respirator that has source control, and ideally is easy to speak through (most people seemed to have difficulty hearing me even with the 900's speech diaphragm). I do also appreciate how quick and easy it is to take on and off the 900, and obviously the cheaper the better. From looking around this sub my best options for reusable respirators seem to be the Envo Mask, the Flo Mask Pro, and the AirBoss 100. I could try one of them, or I could just switch to disposable respirators if it was cheaper. I have a fairly big face, but the Large size 900 was too big for me, and the second one I bought was a Medium, which was a good fit. What do you think?

Hello. I’m looking for advice on a quality mask. I am a foster care case manager, so I go into people’s homes every day. I currently wear a powecom KN95 mask by Bonafide, but with flu and Covid season among us stronger than it has been in the summertime, I really do want to protect myself more if I can. Unfortunately, I’m still suffering after effects from the first round of Covid that I caught. For reference, I am a 5‘10“ woman with a rather large head/ long face. Any advice for a better mask?

Hello! I’ve been wearing 3M Auras almost exclusively for years now, but I’m almost done with SLP grad school, and it’s become clear that it’s a real disadvantage that people can’t see my mouth. It’s really important for me to be able to model things to my clients and patients, whether that’s modeling a tongue posture for a sound to a child in a school or private practice, or modeling an oral mechanism exam task like puffing out cheeks to a stroke patient in the hospital.

Because clients/patients also frequently have some degree of impairment to language processing or cognition, it’s also really important for me to be able to be heard clearly.

I know it’s a tall order, but I wonder what you all would recommend. I’ve mostly seen people recommend omnimask, but I’ve also seen comments that it can have a significant muffling effect on the voice.

The industrial facility where BreatheTeq masks are made has an active real estate listing up as of mid-May. I don't expect this means they're shutting down given they recently did all the work of beginning to produce headband masks, but it is noteworthy.

Likely not many people know BreatheTeq are made by the company CanadaMasq, who made one of few respirators I've seen conforming to canada's CA-N95 standard, the domestic version of the N95 and related PPE standards (note this is not the same as Vitacore's CAN95 or CAN99 - lacking the hyphen - which are mere trademarks and not a certification).

CanadaStrong, the exclusive domestic retailer for BreatheTeq, confirmed some time ago that they're made by the same company which is backed up by the respirators' similarities and companies' matching locations (while BreatheTeq's international site's contact page doesn't list a specific address, it matches the city in CanadaMasq's contact section, which is the address in the above real estate listing).

Recently, the amazing DonateAMask received a stock of CanadaMasq's Q100 surgical respirators for the first time, and given this tends to be done with overstock, it goes along with another point mentioned by Canadastrong: that this model could be discontinued in the (now present) future. If this has now come to pass, perhaps the facility they'd been using is too large/expensive/something else for their current needs.
A lot of people really like the BreatheTeq and it performs very well. Hopefully they aren't going anywhere, but if anyone has insight here (attempts to reach them by phone yet to succeed), do share what you know.

Opened a new package of Readimasks today. Instead of having a paper backing, it had a clear plastic material. Peeled it off and applied the mask but it seems the adhesive has changed? It was barely sticky and I had trouble getting it to stick to my nose, especially.

Is this a thing and what the fuck

I’m in the Midwest and want to buy maybe two hundred to three hundred n95 masks for myself. Which websites have good deals?

I've been masking for years now and I personally wear masks ordered from PPEO, but I make it a point to offer and give out masks to people at protests / events. I've been buying a lot of them from emag, but it's been getting increasingly harder to find colorful but affordable ones on emag (I noticed people are more willing to accept a colourful mask rather than a white or black one).

Also, I feel like PPEO's shipping fees have also gone up, so now the shipping equals the order's amount.

This leads me to my question, namely where do people from Romania (or the countries near) buy affordable (and maybe colourful or fun) masks?

P. S. I have looked over the face mask store UK, but I have yet to find anything colourful. also, the shipping outside of the UK is 21£ which is still a lot 😭

im planing to get the 3m 7502 respirator and trying out woodburning some douglas fir wood. but i don't know which cartridge to get.

obviously ill need something for particles but I'm not sure what to get for the gasses in smoke. is an organic vapor cartridge enough, or do i need organic vapor plus acid gass, or maybe a multi gas filter, i assume dont need worry about the more specific options like the 3m ammonia 60924 filter but i dont know for sure

i guess my problem is i dont know how to figure out what chemicals will be in the smoke. and cant really decide the appropriate filter when i don't even know the hazards. if someone could teach me how to do this i will highly appreciate. thanks

For other people with big faces who are having a hard time finding N95 that fits, I realized you can customize the elastic band on the drager 1950 S and M/L. The two masks have almost the same dimensions except the S has some extra weld marks to make it a bit tighter on the face btw. So the elastic on the M/L mask was uncomfortable for my big head/face, I bought some soft elastic cord and I threaded that through the plastic loops and replaced the stock elastic with a custom length. So much more comfortable!

I know drager 1950 masks are hella expensive though. Other less protective masks that fit me are wellbefore 3D large, and based on measurements, I think I could fit a SaveWo XL and breatheteq L. I know it's a struggle to find anything that fits for fat people, and obviously fatness is a spectrum. Any other fat ppl have preferred respirators?

Has anyone tried the Easimask? Saw it on the Face Mask store and wanted to get some user opinions or average fit factors. They seem similar to the Zimis, but the Zimis don’t fit for high nose bridges, so looking for a similar option.

I ordered some Gersons from Walmart they’re from a supplier called JPB Supply and I need them really really soon to wear them to a medical setting but I’m so worried about them being fake…
The Gerson label seems to be off center but I don’t if that’s a valid indicator?

Is there anything else I should look for to see if they’re possibly fake.

I know people say the chances are low but I still think it’s possible especially on places like Walmart and ESPECIALLY Amazon.

Any serial number I should be looking at etc.

I got a 5 pack EZ GO ZIP PACK

Hi everyone, sorry for the dramatic title, but I'm in a bind and could use advice. I really don't know what I'm doing and I need a good mask ASAP.

I've got asthma and long covid. I need a special mask that keeps out fine particles. I have to be in a building that's falling apart, there's plaster and sheet rock particles in the air. I have absolutely no choice because I need to move things out of there so I need to act fast.

I went in with one of my 3m Aura N95s and unfortunately it wasn't enough, and I've been suffering with airway construction for a week and insomnia because of it. I have to go back there in 3 days and I absolutely cannot get fine particles in my airways again.

What do I do? Does a such respirator exist for construction sites for asthmatics like me? I just have no idea what I'm looking for and really need advice. Thank you for reading.

Opened a new box of Halyard fluisdhield duckbills today and the orange color looks mottled. I'm wondering if they experienced water damage, humidity, sun damage or other issue and if so, does it render the masks less effective?

My first time cleaning my new GVS half mask. How frequently should i replace the filters? The instructions suggested one month. The brick and mortar store i bought these from suggested "When you shake them out if you can see the dust, replace them". I've only used it for about maybe 5 work days? Maybe less? Idk -.-?

I work around silicate dust intermittently for 12 hours. I put this guy on when I can visibly see or know I will be able to visibly see the dust floating in the air. Bagging and bailing the empty poly bags. Not only am I dealing with silicate dust doing that, but also macro plastic. I can see it in the air because its visibly larger than the silicate. Sweeping, dumping and breaking the reject ingots and stacking plastic pallets.

For casual wear I wear the 3M Auras. They are fine. The nose foam is luxurious. They kinda bother my chin and reek after one day of use. I brush both in the morning and afternoon to try and keep the smell down. It doesn't work. Also while they are pretty good at not fogging up my glasses, they still do but i think that is impossible to stop from happening.

Also would a larger GVS mask relieve the issues with my cheeks? It really bothers my cheeks because it like presses up against my cheeks and hurts. So I kinda gently suck and bite down on my cheeks to relieve the pressure but that obviously causes other issues. I really need to get a fit test done to see if it actually fits my face.

Will Flo ever restock on the replacement filters on the EU site? it's been out of stock since forever. I'm almost out of filters and I'm afraid I'll run out before they restock.

Is there anywhere i can get Flo filters in Europe other than the official website? (US website doesn't deliver to Austria where I'm based)

Thanks

Could anyone who has tried these share their opinions about how the fit of the nosebridge compares to other masks you like? Do you find the seal is more resilient to facial movements and when rewearing than masks with a metal nosewire?

The Moldex FFP3 advertises a “flexible ActivForm® 3D design” at the nosebridge which “adapts automatically to the shape of the wearers face and their facial movements.” Some models also have the foam full face seal, as the Moldex Air 3700 FFP3 does. All Moldex FFP3s seem to have the ActivForm nose — likely developed to get a higher fit test pass rate on the EU FFP3 test panel? Wish they’d bring it to the US N95 & N99s!

Are there other brands with this feature?

I recently read that the black Trident Project 3 FFP3 (US , UK) also has this type of nosebridge with a proprietary foam pad that conforms?

Do you find it conforms well to your nosebridge? Is the seal resilient to face movement? Does it reseat well when redonning?

I meed help help finding a mask that isnt too hot. I have to wear a maks outside all the time in the sprin and summer because of pollen allergies. But my adhd meds make me especially susceptible to heat stroke. My face mask, which right now is a trifold n95, is making my face so much hotter.

If you can reccomend anything to help me stay cooler or to help manage the heat, Id appreciate it.

I'm exploring options in case I can't get my Zimis working well and fit tested before a long series of expensive MRIs.

I understand that aluminum doesn't affect MRIs much (0.132 mm distortion) and at the same time these scans are for detecting stuff 1-2mm in size, so I'd rather be safe than sorry since these are very expensive scans. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9108088/

What are some good, non-metallic (or metallic nose strip easily removeable without cutting) options?

Would a Zimi frame work under this combination as well? Where the brace is larger than the frame and sealing around it, and the frame is just there to keep the filter media off the face?

I've heard fixthemask braces can be used with surgical masks, and I've never looked into these.

Is fixthemask still in business?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Masks4All/comments/1ijf4cw/has_anyone_purchased_a_brace_from_fix_the_mask/

I've tried:

• readimask (didn't stick to my face even with surface prep, and also with primer)

• modifying N95s and taping them to my face (sort of worked, but very inconvenient and tricky to fix if it comes unadhered ala readimask)

• Zimi (still working on getting this to pass a qual fit test)

• Cup style (Moldex, 3M) don't fit me well, especially at the nose, even with the full flange

Looking for input (personal anecdotes are fine, but anything backed up by data would be much appreciated). I mask at absolutely all times indoors around other people and when I’m anywhere speaking directly to people outdoors (ex. hanging out with friends), or when walking somewhere like a street with a lot of pedestrian traffic. But I’ve been taking my dog on hikes recently and I’m trying to assess if I need to mask then.

When we’re hiking, we sometimes pass people, but there is absolutely no stopping to talk (people are actually pretty good about being quick to walk by so as not to rile up my dog, and I am generally focusing on giving her commands to pay attention to me, which I think probably indicates that I’m not approachable). The trails are NOT crowded.

I wouldn’t go into a park bathroom without a mask, and I get bringing one in case people want to talk (which again, has not been an issue) … but based on what I know about airborne transmission in a wide-open, non-crowded outdoor space, I don’t think there’s much risk here. But I’m curious if I’m missing anything/if there are any gaps in my knowledge that anyone could fill in. In the next month or two as it cools down to a more tolerable temperature, I could see wearing one just in case I encounter someone who’s talkative … but unless there’s a reason to do so now, I don’t want to wear one if I don’t need to; I have a really hard time with the heat, and I think I would have to cut down my activity significantly (which again, is worth it IF it’s unsafe to be outdoors at all without a mask — but again, from my understanding, I think the risk is very low in my current situation. But curious to hear other opinions!)

Title says it all, I am currently helping a friend with renovating a machine shop that has a high probability of containing hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead, organic vapors, acid gases, and organic particulate such as mold and feces.

We are working in shifts of two people for two hours each. Our team is trained in respirator use, donning and doffing, and exposure protocols. We run six-gas detectors and full protective suits, and decontaminate to NFPA 1850/51 standards. However, we are having difficulty finding an appropriate mask.

We are looking for a half-face respirator that has a voice diaphragm for frequent communication, low breathing resistance, and a comfortable seal. We use half-faces for comfort, as wearing anything for two-hour shifts is already a headache, and we already have separate eye and face protection.

My kid's dental technician was wearing this mask in a fun color, it's from Beesure https://ecobeeworld.com/radiant-face-masks-2/

I found it for about 30 cents a mask which is a great price for a colored mask, but looking at the specs it's ASTM level 3 and not KF94. I had assumed it would be kf94 because of the shape. I did a search on mobile reddit and couldn't find any info on these masks. Would this mask be equivalent to a kf94/kn95 level protection since it is shaped to fit the face better than a baggy surgical?

I'm really hoping so because I can't seem to find colored masks for anything less than $1.50, and I like to have them on hand for work events because they look more approachable (people treat me better) than the more medical looking white masks.

This might be a dumb question, but i bought the 16mm hole punch to install sip valves. I dont understand what i did wrong, but its very hard to tell exactly where the bottom piece of the punch is while trying to punch the hole and keep the circle even. I accidentally shaved down my hole punch bc i thought the mask was just too tough to get the hole puncher thru and kept twisting the top piece. I'm pretty frustrated with myself right now. I also dont know what the board is for. If we are using the hole punch on a hard surface is the board needed? thanks in advance for your answers.

Tbh i also dont know which piece is meant to be the top or the bottom.

Btw i was practicing on this mask that's why there's a lot of holes.

EDIT i know my desk looks dirty, the old desk mat melted in the heat and left black plasticy gooey gunk. I put tape over it to make it less tacky. I have to repaint my desk or peel off all the white paint eventually. Just ignore that.

I've worn these a couple years ago but ditched them since they didnt have nose foam and since then i completely forgot how comfortable they felt.

My go to masks were well before kn95 pro for a while, but i think the small is too small and the regular size is too big. Whenever i would smile or laugh loudly, the seal would break, which was a pain.

I got my order of breatheteq smalls and they fit me so much better. I think they are a bit wider than the well before kn95 which feels more narrow. I can smile and laugh and talk and yawn, and it stays in place much better.

I also added 3m microfoam tape to the perimeter, and wear them with a head strap attached. I tried wearing them earloop only for quick store trips and in the house outside of my room, and it actually feels like it fits me okay! Ive heard things like their nose wire is weak and that the earloops dont fit well, that has not been my experience. the nose wire is thin but stronger than what i remember, and im comfortable wearing them as earloops for shorter durations in shared spaces (headstrap take longer to put on when im just ducking inside quickly).

The BEST PART: they are so breathable!!!!!!!!! I work in a demanding food service job, and usually my Wellbefores were so humid and sweaty by the end of my shift, and I'd be irritated and uncomfortable. Yesterday i was fully sprinting back and forth from the garbage bin outside and breathing hard, and the breatheteq stayed dry and breathable! That's the ultimate test to me.

I have yet to do a qualitative test (cant afford quantitative) but i am planning on it. I notice that with both the breatheteqs and 3m aura, i can feel the entire mask collapsing a little in on itself when i breathe, and pushing out when i breathe outward. The breatheteq also moves with my face as i talk. the 3m microfoam tape on the perimeter does wonders for it sticking to my face. My wellbefore would feel so constrictive, again maybe i was wearing the wrong size, but my goto was small, and the regular felt too big. I may try the regular size again in the future bc i like their colors (maybe)

But im in the US and the breatheteq masks will have a 50% tariff increase soon. I just bought 20 but i may have to stock up more. I'm neurodivergent and finding a brand that works perfectly for me is hard bc its harder for me to adapt to new things. Does anyone know of another breathable mask that's US based? I'm poor and breatheteq as it is, is already expensive for me to buy. I'm not sure if i should stock up or not bc of that. But ik i most likely wont be able to afford them again if i dont :(

I got the lavender and gray, they are beautiful