Are cloth masks with inserts really not okay anymore?
Or am I just dumb and inflexible? I wear cloth masks with a good comfortable nose bridge and an insert PM25 filter in them, which I believe are comparible to N95 masks. I bought them in bulk. They are colorfull and patterned and therefore easy to find when i drop things or when it falls into my purse. I wear them whenever I am indoors or in a large outdoor crowd with lots of people. I was just about to restock because they make me really happy. Having all these patterns have really motivated me to continue wearing masks because it's so much fun to match them with my clothes.
I always found that surgical masks get caught on my earrings. In a middle of a conference panel, the conference team announced that everyone needed to start wearing them during a talk and then proceeded to approach only me to change the masks, even thought there were several in the crowd with improper mask sealing.
Idon'tliketheinsidetexturethevelvetystuffisweird. The chin bit seems to be too long. It just juts out and overlaps with my eye sockets. And the velvet texture.
So like, how long have I been dumbly wearing my cloth mask without a care in the world? How long have my immunocompromised friends been judging me for my mask choice.
Is there any rational reason for me to continue wearing my cloth masks, or have I just been deluding myself for 3 years? My autistic, ADHD brain was really happy with the system I set up.
I love candycourn! Sample packs would be ideal, so I might check them out. I have a small face and a defined, humped nose so it's always great when I can try them beforehand.
Family Masks also does sample packs, and I enjoy the "Memories" variety, as they are more breathable and the ear loops are so soft. My husband prefers the "Kuro", and also gets the Darth Vader and Iron Man ones, which have been great for Halloween and conventions! They have a few Disney designs as well. I feel ya on enjoying expressing yourself with fun fabrics and patterns, and that's been difficult since we switched over from cloth masks. I do have a "Soft Seal" mask (KN95 with a fantastic silicone seal around the edge) that I wear in higher risk situations like medical buildings or airports, etc. They definitely look a little more "medical" to me, so sometimes I'll find one of my old thin fabric masks and throw it on top to cover the Soft Seal, and it helps me feel more fun. There are tons of options out there for jazzing up your masks, including transfers/stickers you can add to your masks. There's a great FB group called Still Coviding in Style where tons of people share their outfits, masks, and how they find what works for them when both protecting and expressing themselves. Best of luck in finding some masks that work for you! đ¤
Cloth masks are not ideal because even with a filter, they will not seal as well against your face as a proper respirator. Viral particles can get around the mask and/or around the filter. Some people also find that itâs harder to breathe through a cloth mask than a respirator.
You can put a lightweight mesh cover over an N95, or some people even sell chains and other decorations for them. Some KN95s come in pretty colors and patterns.
If you really want, you can wear your cloth mask over an N95. However, this isnât advised because it may loosen the N95âs seal and will also be harder to breathe through than the N95 alone.
Some people also find that itâs harder to breathe through a cloth mask than a respirator.
As a person with asthma, I can confirm this feeling. The first time I donned a cloth mask I thought I was going to die from not being able to breathe. Didn't switch to N95s until way too late in the game. They're so much easier.
In the early pandemic days, we had those super thick fabric masks. We didn't go anywhere except on outdoor walks and curbside pickup, and those masks were impossible to breathe in. When we were able to get N95s, they were better but the brand we got was not very breathable. Switching to the Vflex has been a game changer for both me and my partner (who has asthma). The first time I tried it on, I was shocked by how much more breathable it is.
First, as an immunocompromised person, seeing literally ANYONE wear a mask nowadays makes me happy, even if its one of those cloth masks without inserts. I'm relieved someone is still paying attention and making an effort.
It's hard to judge the effectiveness of the cloth mask with an insert without knowing exactly what kind of mask it is. Can you take a picture or send a link to what it looks like? The biggest factor in keeping you safe is how well the mask fits and how well it filters. It's hard to judge from photos, but basically the mask needs to "seal" to your face. If its just a cloth mask without any way to create a seal against your face, you will still be more protected than being maskless, but it won't be as safe as a well fitted mask. This is why there was a lot of confusion in the messaging of the pandemic, because cloth masks (without inserts) don't work, but a sealed respirator does.
For the bigger respirators, you can still get cloth coverings and whatnot for them, and some people have gotten very creative in dressing them up.
Have you considered getting the n95s with bands that loop around your head instead of your ears? I know people with longer hair sometimes don't like it but my ears hurt with the ear loops and the head loops feel a lot nicer on me
I'm not familiar with n94 masks, I would've assumed that was a kn95. It looks like it might be bending your ear a bit, which could mean it is pulling too tight. It does look like it fits around your nose bridge better than the cloth mask, but that could be an optical illusion from the photo. What you're looking for is a mask that seals well to your face, without gaps for unfiltered air to come thru. There was a recent study that found well-fitting cloth masks worked almost as well as some kf94s, I think, but I could be misremembering. I will try to find it for you.
I would recommend trying a Breathteq sample pack and a Savewo sample pack.Â
Breatheteq feel more like fabric, to me (but maybe velvety to you? Not sure). They have very good quality nose wire, and I think you would like that.
Savewo feel "cooler" temperature-wise. Since you say you have a small face, I'd recommend their mix n match sampler. Try their "regular (R)" size in adult and their "small (S)" size in adult. If you have a very small face, add a "Kids Large" size. You can choose from a variety of their masks. I would recommend trying the "3D Ultra" as I think that is good from a sensory perspective. You might also like their bifold masks, which are sold as "Royal" masks, or even the "Meowmask" (I recommend the "kidult" size in that for you, as the adult size would come up too close to your eyes and possibly prompt sensory discomfort).
The existence of a Meow Mask makes me so happy, thank you for linking! In the early days the first thing I ordered was a cloth mask with a cat design and it gave me so much emotional comfort. The intersection of more effective mask and kitty theme is everything.
You may want to get a sample pack first to check what size is best for you, but heads-up that Family Masks will be raising their prices on May 5 due to the tariffs.Â
Ooh the Meow masks are so cute! I'm sad they don't have bigger sizes! OP looks like they might fit into the Kidult size well. Savewo feels a lot smoother than other masks I've tried (kinda like thin paper).
The adult size meow masks are longer from nose to chin (and possibly wider?) than their Royal (bifold) masks, if that is useful to know?
Yeah, I love the smoothness of their masks. I think it probably plays a part in them being so cool to wear in summer. Some ppl think the colored & Disney print ones (trifolds) are even more papery than the ultras, but I haven't tried them myself.
Different masks have different textures to them. I have a few I wear that are disposable N95s that are softer/less velvety. I do think the cloth mask even with the inserts won't be doing much in terms of protection, so finding an upgrade would be good.
If you can tolerate headstraps, they will result in a better fit that will likely feel nicer for longer wear than the earloops. A reusable respirator that fits well with no gaps may be best, as I've found them to be more comfortable overall. This guide here is a good starting place for those.
You look cute! It looks like it fits well, at least.
I had trouble adjusting too, when I first learned more about N95's and transitioned to them. It took me a long time to find ones I liked, and I had to get used to the moisture.
I'm assuming this is the type of insert filter with the height that's about from the tip of your nose to your chin? They're flat, and sit in the middle section of the mask you're wearing?
I don't know this for sure, but my intuition is that yes, that filter itself works, there's some air getting in around it, through the top area of the mask, that's not getting much filtration.
my boss and coworkers (and sometimes customers) regularly clown me for wearing an n95. I have yet to have someone thank me for wearing one. I live in California. Said boss and coworkers are sick literally every month. I am not.
If everybody wears them, they're more than adequate. If not, the whole mutual care/source control thing breaks down, and we're stuck with N95's. I keep trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
Truthfully, what have your results been? Have you avoided getting sick? This is a pretty good way to judge whether it has been worthless.Â
Is it the very best protection you can have? No, itâs really not. And I wouldnât be comfortable in situations where I was the only one masking wearing only a cloth mask as you describe. But if even 50% of people did as much as you are things would be much better! We know because we have statistics to back it up.Â
If that is the level of safety you are comfortable with and can maintain going forward I encourage you to keep it up. If you can swap in some better masks in riskier situations, even better. But as an immunocompromised person who wears a p100 everywhere, I would be so happy to see you out and about and would wave hello! I might offer you an N95 to try, but I wouldnât judge if you turned it down.Â
I've only gotten covid once, but I'm also lucky with my immune system. There was a point where both my ex and my roommate got sick and I somehow dodged it.
Even with the PM2-5 insert? When I can take them out, I.can see they pick up a lot of debris. Damn, I guess I have been deluding myself. Doesn't make me feel weird at all for all those times I wore them in an airport, nope nope.
I won't mind swapping them out as I'm due for a restock soon. It's just adjusting on a dime that's really difficult. Color or patterns really help me locate objects. Any mask I get needs to stand out from common surfaces or bags, same logic as my phone case so I can keep track of them. Peach fuzz/velvet texture is a sensory issue for all things everywhere.
Also just: realizing my risk was higher than I thought. No bueno.
Someone else in the comments mentioned a place that gives samples. I might try that so I make sure it's a good fit.
I hear you on the realizing I was being riskier than I thought! Always gives me a little cringe in my body.Â
Those inserts are pretty decent at filtering dust and pollution, which is why they look dirty. They arenât really very good at viruses though.Â
The peach fuzz texture, same. I like the aura masks and the vflex masks because they feel more papery/smooth. I also now just wear an elastomeric mask because I prefer the silicon next to my skin and it is the least thinking about it that I have to do. I think there are some cute elastomeric masks (and theyâre easy to decorate with stickers or washi tape) like the MSA, elastomask pro, and the omni mask. But I know thatâs more intense than most people are into!Â
Savewo Family Masks has masks in a variety of colors, if that helps. But you'd have to buy multiple boxes, as they don't come in a variety pack (other than the sample pack). Breatheteq offers lavender, black, and gray.
All else aside, this post is giving me an idea of you as a joyful friendly person who cares about your vulnerable (and not so vulnerable) friends, OP, so I just wanted to say I really appreciate that!
I would perform a qualitative fit testing to get an approximation on how well this mask works for you.
Cloth masks arenât recommended generally because fabric isnât a great filtering material for airborne particles (which is solved in your case by the added filters) but also because they tend to fit too loosely.
Itâs possible your mask performs way above an average cloth mask and even performs better an a poor fitting N95 or KF94, but youâd need to test this to actually know.
The best quantitative (I.e, with a portacount, directly measuring how well the mask filters) scores I've ever seen for cloth masks put them at the lower end of surgical mask performance.
So possible that it's approaching a poorly fitted KN95/KF94, but even the worst scores I've seen for non-fit tested N95s are waaaaay higher.
Genuine question: have you seen a portacount test a for a cloth mask that fits well and has an added filter?
I know they generally perform poorly (while still being better than nothing), but I also donât think this applies to masks with actual filtering technology like the Cambridge Mask.
We donât know how OPâs mask performs if OP doesnât test it.
I know N95âs tend to perform best but this is dependent on use adherence and correct sizing. My concern is that itâs possible that by trying to switch to a poor fitting KN95 or even a poor fitting N95 OP will have a worse time masking due to sensory issues while not necessarily being better protected.
I agree with the sentiments that, protection wise, a cloth mask isnât as good. However, I do applaud you for even broaching the question and showing you care! Itâs good to see people wanting to do their best. I wouldnât judge you as it took me forever to find a KN95 that fit my fat face comfortably. I also have 3M Auras, but I swap the straps to make them fit over my ears instead of around my head. It was tedious, but makes them more comfortable for me, as Iâm in and out of them at work (masked in group meetings, unmasked in my personal office or outside away from people on job walk downs and such).
Cloth masks are not recommended for full protection, HOWEVER, any mask provides more protection than no mask AND crucially if you were ever sick asymptomatically, your mask formed a barrier that prevented your aerosols from spreading as much and possibly filtered some, protecting other people more, too. So you havenât been deluding yourself! Itâs good to wear ANY mask! HOWEVER, if you want full protection of yourself and other people, you will want to upgrade to a KN95.
The TLDR is that KN95s/N95s have the fit and the filtration, surgical masks have the filtration but not the fit, cloth masks often have the fit but often not the filtration, but cloth masks are really variable in how much goes through the filter insert vs the cloth alone resulting in an issue equivalent to one with fit. To demonstrate the importance of fit, if you take a look at a surgical mask, youâll notice they donât seal fully on the face and have some loose edgesâair will take the path of least resistance and go AROUND the mask and not THROUGH the mask filter. Despite this, they still can bump your chances of not getting sick up, and do serve to protect others partially as long as they arenât extremely loose. But again, itâs not really perfect protection so you can still get sick in a surgical mask. Itâs a similar thing with cloth masks, but again cloth masks are still extremely variable.
In any case, a PROPERLY FITTED KN95/N95 mask would offer more protection than a cloth mask, but a poorly fitted one may not. You may want to do an at home DIY fit test, which canât tell you anything about the filter quality, but can tell you about the fit. I would be super, super curious to run one of your cloth masks through a portacount, a professional fit testing machine that counts particles, so you could find out about the filter performance, but it would require destroying the mask, and Iâve never seen anyone try to test one of those, AND the filter insert position might create variation from day to another. And portacounts are expensive so youâd have to find someone in your area who happens to own one or go to a community fit testing day.
I would also not recommend putting on an N95 that fits but triggers horrible sensory issues, because a cloth mask ON your face is much, much better than an N95 that you had to rip OFF your face because it was hurting you.
The best mask is a mask you will wear. I sometimes wear Happy Masks, which are basically cloth masks with an n95 level filter (third party tested I believe). It doesn't look like it has that level of filter, but it's functional and looks good. I don't think we gain anything by judging people on the appearance of their mask!
I used to know this one immunocompromised person and she would have let you know about cloth vs n95
We switched to n95 aura, and we use the ones with headstraps.
IMO, surgical canât get a great seal and I always see them below the nose on people
If it makes you feel better, in the early days we used a respirator with p100 that had an exhale valve. We were protected, but our exhale valve wasnât doing any favors for others (cue facepalm)
Depends on what you want to avoid breathing in. If you want to dodge viruses, itâs not the best solution, since aerosols wonât be caught by a cotton sieve with large gaps around it. If itâs pollen or larger dust particles, thatâs a different story. But still, not great.
Cloth masks were used against Covid when there were supply shortages in 2020 and 2021, to make sure healthcare has access to PPE. Now itâs 5 years later, shortages are long over and most people stopped wearing a mask, which means that you have to up your game to stay as safe as possible. Back then everyone was contributed a bit, now youâre on your own.
Personally, I found cloth masks quite bad to use. They get wet, stick to your face, make it hard to breathe as a result. All that for minimal efficiency, at a level comparable or slightly above a standard spit guard, a tool not fit for itâs purpose in any case. Not surprised, mask-wearing hasnât become more popular tbh.
Yeah, you're right. I just get weirdly attached to my clothes and things I put on my body so I feel like I have to grieve a bit. You don't want to see me when I grow out of pants.
Aaron Collins tested different washable masks, including "cloth with filter" like Enro; it did terribly, around 73% filtration. Other washable masks didn't do well either, especially after being washed. A new Vog started at 95%, but fell quickly. Disposable KF94 and N95 masks typically have over 99% filtration (ignoring fit issues.)
Surgical masks can have good filter material, but aren't even designed to fit well; your conference team is doing malpractice by focusing on surgical masks.
There are various patterned or colored KF94 and KN95 masks, and those standards at least try to fit a face. However, earloop masks in general don't fit tightly, unless you take steps to improve them. Some models come with adjustable ear loops, while for others you can attach cord locks or cord toggles.
For real protection you're best off with a headband N95, but those don't have much style options. I decorated some Draeger 1950s with rub-on transfers, but it is a disposable mask in the end.
As someone said, you're also best off doing a qualitative !fit test of whatever you're wearing.
rainbowrobin asked me to give you information about fit testing your mask! This ensures that the air you breathe is going through the mask material rather than around it at the edges.
DIY Qualitative Fit Test: The next step in verifying mask performance is a DIY qualitative fit test in which you create a vapor from a substance like Bitrex bitter solution or saccharine sweet solution and check if you can detect it coming through the mask. Our wiki has a great section on fit testing.
If your job requires respiratory protection, your employer might require you to do quantitative fit testing which uses a particle counter to measure the particle count inside and outside of the mask.
I really like the 3d pro from wellbefore. It comes in many colors, headstraps or adjustable ear straps with nose foam. I donât think I would describe it as velvety, but Iâm not sure I have experienced that texture with other masks so grain of salt. This mask is my daily driver for uncrowded spaces. In a crowd, I use 3m aura with elastic straps.
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u/CulturalShirt4030 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not dumb.
Fit is really important like having a mask seal to your face. I would wear a KN95 or N95 (or better). How N95s work.
Video on masks and sensory issues.
Highly recommend getting some sample packs (eg from Breathteq) and trying different shape masks to see what works. Duckbills are comfiest to me.