What is the best disposable mask?

Even if you are fully vaccinated, if you don't need it, you may encounter situations where it is strongly recommended to wear a mask. Although not as sustainable as reusable cloth masks, disposable masks are also a good choice—especially if you find the right one. Of course, the best disposable masks are N95 masks-the gold standard pandemic masks, approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) because they can filter out 95% of airborne particles. They are particularly suitable for high-risk situations, such as flying on an airplane or spending a long time in a crowded enclosed space. In terms of efficiency, N95 is closely followed by disposable surgical masks worn by doctors and other healthcare professionals. These masks have been approved by the FDA to meet certain standards.

Cui Yi, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, said that although the certification process for KN95 and N95 masks is "almost the same", the certification process for many KN95 masks is "almost the same." All on the market now are fakes. It is difficult to distinguish between true and false. Fortunately, Professor Cui and his laboratory have discovered that even counterfeit KN95 masks can achieve a filtration efficiency of 75% to 80%.

Compared with traditional woven fabrics such as cotton, the random arrangement of fibers in non-woven materials does a better job of filtering tiny particles (such as bacteria and viruses).