Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm still a little bit angry at myself for not going to the hardware store in 2019 and buying an N95 mask that was made in the USA. In the early months of the pandemic, it would have made life a lot easier, since there were some occasions when I had to go into a business. I generally agree with my anti-mask friends that cloth masks don't do a lot of good. Where I depart from them is in my belief that on some occasions, you should wear a mask that actually does protect you. From my point of view, this pandemic ended the day my vaccine immunity officially kicked in. There are some occasions when I do wear a mask. I've noticed that many of my fellow shoppers don't look like they're in the best of health, so even if they're not contagious with COVID, they very well could be contagious with something, and I'd just as soon not catch their cold or flu. I've avoided these nuisance illnesses for the last year, and thanks to my BNX masks, I can continue doing so. More importantly, when the next pandemic rolls around (or even if I just need to do a home improvement project in a dusty environment), I want to be prepared with a mask that actually works, rather than trying to cobble something together at home. I now have three different styles of N95 masks, all from BNX. They are all excellent, and I'm glad I have all three. If I had to pick just one, it would probably be this one, but I also have their blue "duckbill" style N95 mask, and also their white KN95 mask that looks very similar to this one, but with ear loops. All three of them have their place. Overall, this mask seems to work the best. It has a good seal, and it's relatively comfortable to wear. If I had a job where I had to work inside for 8 hours during the next pandemic, this is probably the one I would use. The blue "duckbill" mask is also very good with a good seal. It's a little bit harder to put on, and it probably wouldn't be quite as comfortable for wearing all day. However, the duckbill mask seems to be a better fit for smaller faces. My kids can't get a good seal with the white mask, but the blue mask fits their smaller faces better. So if you have kids, I would stock up on the blue BNX masks in addition to (or maybe instead of) this model. FInally, BNX also makes a KN95 mask. This is a bit strange, since the mask (like the other models) is made in the USA. But even though it is made in the USA, it has the Chinese KN95 seal of approval, rather than the American NIOSH N95 certification. The KN95 mask is almost identical to this one, with one exception--it uses ear loops rather than going around the head. I'm guessing that the seal is not quite as good this way, and for that reason, it didn't get N95 approval. All N95 masks I've seen have headbands rather than ear loops. In my case, however, it seems to give a good seal. The advantage of the KN95 mask is that it's a lot easier to put on. The other ones require you to put the band around your head, and it takes a while to get it right. The KN95, with its ear loops, slips on easily in one second. Therefore, it's handy if you need to run into the store for just a minute, and you can quickly put it on and take it off. There are two disadvantages, however. First, it probably doesn't give as good a seal, which is probably why it doesn't have the N95 certification. But if you have to wear it a long time, it seems to me that the straps constantly tugging on your ears would get uncomfortable. It's handy to have some of the KN95 masks on hand, just because they are so easy to put on. But if you need to wear a mask all day, then I would get the N95 mask. I guess I would get the white one (the one this review is about) for a larger head, and the blue "duckbill" mask for a smaller head. If you are stocking up for a family, then I would get some of both. All of these are "disposable" masks. During the COVID emergency, healthcare workers were allowed to re-use them by carefully taking them off and storing them in a paper bag. That's exactly what we did. You can find guidance from CDC and other sources on exactly how to reuse them. Overall, all of BNX's products are excellent. I trust them because they have the NIOSH N95 certification, and more importantly, because they are made in the USA by a reputable company. Before ordering, I researched the company, and they are, indeed, a real bricks-and-mortar company in Houston, Texas.