Is the BreatheTeq Tri-fold KN95's with “Super Premium Nose Wire” the Goldilocks Mask? I put it to the test on a TSI PortaCount mask fit testing machine.
BreatheTeq posted that their tri-fold has a "super premium" nose wire. That caught my attention. Most tri-fold respirators other than the 3M Aura leak on me at the nose bridge, largely because they have a weak nose wire made out of thin wires cased in plastic, like a twist tie. But the BreatheTeq has a solid strip of metal. And the BreatheTeq tri-folds are available in a sample pack with 4 different sizes to try so you don't have to buy a giant box of one size only to find out it's not right for you. So I sent off for a sample pack with high hopes. Props to BreatheTeq for selling sample packs :-)
Fit is very individual, so my fit may not be your fit - that's one of the reasons BreatheTeq has sample packs, so you can try different masks. I tested the BreatheTeq against a 3M Aura N95 mask to see if I could get the convenience of earloops and the fun of masks that come in colors but also get performance similar to the Aura.
00:00 Start
00:45 3M Aura N95 - 578 Fit Factor | .17% Total Inward Leak
01:30 breatheTeq KN95 - 9.5 Fit Factor | 11% Total Inward Leak
03:21 breatheTeq KN95 + Aura Nose Wire - 3.8 Fit Factor | 26% Total Inward Leak
04:40 breatheTeq KN95 + Aura Nose Wire - 105 Fit Factor | .95% Total Inward Leak
05:31 breatheTeq KN95 + Aura Nose Wire / Foam / Head Straps - 89 Fit Factor | 1.1% Total Inward Leak
06:14 breatheTeq KN95 + Aura Nose Wire / Foam + Fix the Mask - 68 Fit Factor | 1.5% Total Inward Leak
07:27 3M Aura N95 - 721 Fit Factor | .14% Total Inward Leak
08:28 breatheTeq KN95 + Aura Nose Wire / Foam - 86 Fit Factor | 1.2% Total Inward Leak
Overall, the breatheTeq is a very breathable, comfortable mask. Out of the box it gave me fit close to what I get with an LG Airwasher KF94 respirator, which, on my high nose bridge, are protective but not nearly as much as I'd like, and not as good as the 3M respirator - details are in the video. YMMV. My search for the perfect tri-fold that isn't a white 3M Aura with headbands continues...
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In the video I'm using a PortaCount mask fit testing machine that gives scores in "Fit Factor".Fit factor is the the concentration of ambient particles outside the mask divided by the concentration inside the mask. So if there were 1000 particles outside and 10 inside, 1000 divided by 10 is 100, so the air inside the mask is 100 times cleaner and the fit factor is 100. The Portacount counts particles from .02 to 1 micron in size.
The PortaCount measures concentration of particles per cubic centimeter, so pay no attention to me saying something different in the video :-)
If you have questions about masks, please leave a comment.
You can also get feed back on respirators on Reddit: / masksforeveryone