I’m looking for a go-to mask to protect myself from COVID, as well as from other airborne pathogens, pollen, and air pollution.
Based on Aaron Collins’ list and video review, I’ve chosen SaveWo 3D Ultra Mask - it has a very good filtration efficiency and high breathability (low pressure drop), but as in the case of every disposable mask, storage and proper fit with multiple uses are the issue.
This made me inclined to look for an elastomeric half-mask/quarter-mask respirator. I have a GVS Elipse P100, but I can’t use it due to the strong plastic smell and high breathing resistance (I’m very sensitive to both).
What would be then the best elastomeric half-mask/quarter-mask respirator (with replaceable filters) for me? Maximum breathability (minimum pressure drop, especially important during exertion) and no plastic smell are my core priorities. High filtration efficiency and general ergonomics, obviously, matter a lot.
Hi @Biosecured! Thanks for joining the forum. Great question!
Yes, I agree. I also don’t like the Elipse as I find it quite sharp in some areas. When I first tried it, I was a fan, but after using it for a few extended periods, it quickly became probably my least favourite elastomeric due to how uncomfortable it became.
This is a tough question to answer, and obviously, it comes with the usual caveats (respirators are only effective if correctly fitted, my face will be different to yours, etc.). Still, I will do my best to provide some suggestions.
Firstly, I would ask if you only want this respirator for the abovementioned cases (COVID-19, pathogens, pollen, air pollution). I ask because if only these were available, we could look solely at half-face respirators with particulate filters; however, if it’s also something you might want to use around the house (for example, when painting), it’s worth looking at a half-face respirator with a range of filters. Furthermore, if you’re sensitive to plastic smells, I guess you might also be sensitive to other smells and want a nuisance odour filter.
I found the Dentec Comfort Air series to be the best regarding breathability. Other respirators also provide better breathability than the Elipse (like the 3M 6000 series, MSA Advantage, and some Honeywell respirators), but the Dentec beats all of these in my experience. It’s been a few years since I got my Dentec Comfort Air, so I can’t entirely remember the smell when it was new, but I seem to remember the 3M 6000 respirators as the worst in this regard. Unfortunately, even after a few years, they all still have a slight plastic smell, and I have to wonder if there is even a half-face respirator without such a smell.
Do you mind the quite large size and look of respirators like this?
Protection against pathogens (especially COVID), air pollution, and (to a smaller extent) pollen would be the primary use case, so if the sole focus on half-face respirators with particulate filters means substantially improved breathability (and minimum plastic smell from the mask), then I would certainly go for it. Bulkiness would be a minus - the less “controversial” look the mask has, the better, but I could make compromises here if they granted extra breathability.
Would it be possible for you to compare the filtration rate and breathability/pressure drop of:
Dentec Comfort Air,
ElastoMask Pro,
SaveWo 3D Ultra (subjective breathability similar to that of a surgical mask, reference list here)?
This would give me a great reference point. Using numbers would be great, even if these were just best guesstimates. Thanks!
Awesome, that makes this a bit easier! However, I think the bulkiness aspect might be a bit more challenging. If you don’t mind ‘only’ an N95, I would recommend checking out these respirators:
ElastoMaskPro - this is outstanding in breathability and isn’t so bulky compared to other half-face respirators. You’ve already mentioned it, so I assume you’ve already looked into this respirator, but if not, you can find my full review below:
Envo Mask - I have never tried their half-face option, but I did like their quarter-face respirator. The biggest issue is the seal, which I’ve heard is a bit fragile.
These options are smaller than most other half-face respirators and offer good breathability. I really like the ElastoMaskPro!
Unfortunately, I haven’t actually used the SaveWo mask, and I don’t know the exact breathability (in terms of numbers) of the Dentec Comfort Air. What I can say, however, is that based on Aaron’s results, the ElastoMaskPro and Savewo 3D have almost the exact same pressure drop (breathability), and I find the ElastoMaskPro to be incredibly breathable. The Dentec Comfort Air is a step behind these two, but that’s with P100 filters (Dentec also offers ‘breathable’ N95 cartridges, but I haven’t used these). I would say that the N95 cartridges are probably much better than other half-face respirators, but they are a step behind the ElastoMaskPro.
Honestly, if you don’t mind that it’s ‘only’ N95 (although, in reality, most N95s filter far more than 95% of particles), I think the ElastoMaskPro best fits your criteria. It’s relatively low profile and has exceptional breathability. EnvoMask could also be worth checking out, as that might also fit your criteria. Their site is currently down for maintenance, however, and I can’t see the exact details of their respirator.
Thank you! ElastoMaskPro seems like the best choice; it’s probably better to have a consistent ~8x COVID risk reduction with N95 than a recurring discomfort with P100, even though the latter is said to reduce the COVID risk ~20x times.
Five more questions, and I (and other likely-minded readers) should know everything at this stage :
Does ElastoMaskPro have a non-negligible (plastic) smell - and if so, does it go away with time?
Does ElastoMaskPro seem like the best available choice for a mask for exercise (indoor gym, jogging on a day with high air pollution)? I guess that more strenuous exercise should be avoided at all when having to wear a mask…
How would EnvoMask compare to ElastoMaskPro in terms of breathability, no/minimum smell, and general convenience?
If I had to/wanted to switch to the maximally breathable and minimum/no-smell P100, would Dentec Comfort Air be the best option?
How would you store respirator and disposable masks (lasting e.g. 20 hours) between uses? I’ve been assuming that most of the infectious pathogens are being trapped in the middle layer of the filters rather than e.g. on the surface of the mask, but I’d like to minimize the surface transmission risk as well, and I don’t have a UV lamp (yet) for the quick surface disinfection. Would a paper bag with marked sides (outer/inner side of the mask) be sufficient for storage between the uses, or do you have a better alternative in mind?
I agree, and that’s assuming the worst possible performance of the filters in the ElastoMaskPro. Aaron’s results show a > 99% reduction in particles, but this will depend largely on fit. The filters themselves, however, are capable of > 95% filtration.
It is better than most other elastomerics I’ve tried, and the smell does largely wear off over time. I’ve had a couple for around two years, and the plastic smell is faint. With that said, it is still noticeable, and I believe it will always be.
I would say so due to its fantastic breathability. Remember that this respirator has a similar pressure drop to the SaveWo masks! That said, I don’t think any half-face respirator is particularly comfortable once you start to sweat. I find the ElastoMaskPro a bit better than other half-face respirators in this regard, as the respirator material is softer and generally feels more comfortable on my skin. Still, it’s only comfortable as far as half-face respirators can be (when exercising, at least). If you are doing heavy or strenuous exercise, I would probably still recommend having some FFRs on hand.
I’ve only used the smaller Envo Mask, so I will refer to Aaron’s results here. From the look of it, the Envo Mask Pro has about 50% worse breathability than the ElastoMaskPro. This isn’t bad by any means, but it will be noticeable. Interestingly, both the N95 and N99 variants seem to have similar pressure drops (perhaps because of the exhalation valve on the N99 filters). From experience, the Envo Mask also has less of a smell (but this might be different on the larger respirator). I would say the ElastoMaskPro is the better N95 based on your preferences, but the Envo Mask Pro could be a ‘halfway’ between the comfort of the ElastoMaskPro and the protection of the larger, P100 half-face respirators.
However, if you are considering the Envo Mask Pro, I would recommend checking some recent reviews first. The gel seal used to be a weak point and wasn’t particularly durable. I’m not sure if they ever updated this or not.
From my experience, yes.
I would guess (and I could be wrong with this; I need to research it more) that most infectious particles would either end up on the surface or very early into the filtering layers. For example, viral particles are rarely ‘naked’ and are usually attached to larger, exhaled droplets or aerosols expelled during breathing, talking, coughing, or sneezing. These droplets range in size, but most are large enough to be captured in the outer or middle layers of a filter rather than penetrating deeply into the finer layers.
With this said, I tend to use marked zip-locked bags myself, which is very similar to what you currently do. I don’t think it’s ideal, but when out and about it, it’s probably one of the best ways to manage respirators!
On a side note: whatever respirator you do end up getting, I would recommend letting it air for a good while before using it. Unfortunately, all half-face respirators have noticeable smells, and it’s very hard to tell exactly what smell will be too strong. From my experience, those that I’ve recommended have less obvious smells, but they are definitely still present. Therefore, I would recommend airing them out and not wearing them for the first week or two if possible.
Thank you very much, Ethan, for such extensive answers! You’re doing excellent work - may it benefit many readers.
I’m also awaiting a reply from OmniMask re: the breathability and the plastic smell, as I would like to compare them to that of ElastoMaskPro, but I think I will go with the latter anyway. Hopefully, companies producing elastomerics will account more for both factors, especially given the rising general concern about microplastics.
Re: ElastoMaskPro, there are concerns about the accumulation of humidity and biomaterial due to the lack of a valved airflow. I’ve been told that because of this, the breathing resistance in masks lacking the exhale valve can drastically increase after just a few hours of use, and it isn’t usually indicated in the measurements/comparisons.
Re: OmniMask, I have learned about an independently measured pressure drop as small as 10 H20 with OmniMask using the 3M 2291 P100 filters (adapters required), increasing to just 12 after some use. I think that would make it the best possible choice on the market, with the only disadvantage being the cyberpunk look.
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