Quarter Mask Elastomeric Review - Flo, Envo & Breathe
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- A detailed review of the three most popular quarter mask elastomeric masks, and a comparison to other respirators such as disposable N95's
All revenue for this video will be donated to support the legal defense fund of Marwa Zaatari's. See the GoFundMe link below to learn more and please donate if you can!
www.gofundme.c...
*Links to where to purchase reviewed masks*
Envo Mask - envomask.com/
Flo Mask - flomask.com/
Breathe - prescientx.com...
*What does this data mean*
Filtration Efficiency: The ability to filter out ~64nm NaCl particles using my test setup. Higher number is better
Time to Breathe: This is a kinda of crappy measurement that I use to estimate breathability. I time how long it takes me to breathe in while holding 0.25in H20 pressure drop. Longer time means the mask is hard to breathe in.
Pressure Drop: Using my Time to Breathe data I have estimated NIOSH 85LPM pressure drop. This is a measurement of resistance to airflow, so a lower number is better.
*My Data Set can be found here*
drive.google.c...
Find me on Twitter
/ masknerd
So very grateful for you, Aaron. I found your channel about 5 months into the pandemic and I've used your guidance on masks to make the choices that are protective and well-fitting, and nearly 3 years in, none of my family has gotten COVID, despite living in an area where mitigations have been nonexistent from the beginning and the vaxx rate is very low (Georgia). Your information and your selfless dedication to this cause has thus far saved my family and many others. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
My pleasure, just glad my work has helped others!
Aaron's great work
is one of the Silver Linings
in this dreadful Pandemic
and may his Tribes Increase
That's very inspirational, Megan. What masks are you and your family using that have protected you all this time? I've been working from home for 3 yrs but have to start teaching in person soon, so I'm trying to upgrade my protection, and it sounds like you've got the winning formula!
@@christopherantonio2465 Hiya! I use a 3M Aura N95. I work in person and teach as well, so I'm regularly in rooms full of people. (I also NEVER EVER take off my mask indoors, ANYWHERE. If I need to eat or drink, I go outside away from people.)
Good luck! Avoiding COVID *can* be done!
@@megancunningham9471 Hi, thank you so much, that is SO helpful and encouraging. I love your attitude about this -- we CAN avoid it if we just do these measures!
I can’t get the Envo to seal to my face, my nose bridge is too high and it’s uncomfortable.
I stopped following my crazy strict masking procedures and immediately caught COVID. It’s no picnic. Keep your masks on, guys!
Thanks for coming back with another video, Aaron. You perform a great service for everyone, even if everyone doesn't realize it yet.
I've tested a lot of masks myself, and I 100% agree with Aaron's review and conclusion.
Elasto masks are great for the people who love them, but I can't RECOMMEND such an expensive mask to a general audience when I have no idea if it will provide value to them. Less filter area for more money, and NO guarantee of a better fit.
I would recommend these masks to someone who has already exhausted all other options, and wants to try something new, AND has the money to spend.
My envo saved me from covid and influenza outbreaks among my friends. The envo isn't great with glasses but it never fogs the glasses which is why I use the envo when I need to mask for more than a few minutes.
Nice comparison Aaron. I love your focus on the user experience and the practical tidbits. Keep up the good work!
I cant recommend enough the us army field test manual method for testing fit. There's a great youtube video that covers it you can find. I went with an eyelash atomizer/steamer from Amazon, a trash bag, and a box of sweet and low.
Based on the performance and cost, Flo Mask is my primary, with my envo as my backup. 1.00 per filter is reasonable to me, especially as a delivery worker. I also don't use the full 40 hours. I use a filter per day. This allows me also to wash my mask in soap and water and air dry it daily. That way I know if one of thos other viruses that are a bit more likely to cause fomite transmission I know I have that stuff taken care of, every day.
Can you reply to my comment with the title of the video?
Sweet n Low can be dissolved in water to work as an inexpensive improvised mask fit testing challenge agent, but it is bulked up with ~97% dextrose and contains only a bit more than 3% saccharine, so it's not as concentrated as the sweet 3M fit test solution, which is a saturated solution of pure saccharine, allowing the detection of smaller leaks.
Could you use a can of Red Bull? I can taste that in the air whenever anyone opens one near me;)
@@Kathy-uk4nn
The question would be whether or not that taste you're sensing from Red Bull is particles. If it's particles generated from opening the can, then you could conceivably roughly tell if the mask is filtering out particles/fits well that way, although not necessarily reliably. But if there is a gas involved, then that would pass through a particulate filter and it wouldn't tell you anything about the particular filtration efficiency or the fit.
This is something that could be validated by using a porta count to verify excellent mask fit, preferably with a p100 elastomeric, and then seeing if a person could taste the Red Bull through the mask after freshly opening a can. And then doing the same with the mask off.
I would note, that even with Bitrex and sacrine taste fit testing, not everyone can taste those substances, so for industrial testing there is a pretest to make sure that you can taste them without the mask. You already can taste Red Bull, so that wouldn't be an issue for you. But it might be an issue for others were this to be a workable method for rough testing.
It is interesting that the Envo comes from a CPAP mask company, and seems to explain why they went with a quarter mask style, which is standard for oronasal masks for CPAP use (which, for some reason, are called "full face" CPAP masks in the industry). All of SleepNet's oronasal CPAP masks are quarter masks with gel seals. I've never even seen a half mask CPAP mask, and I wonder if it has to do with the fact that CPAP masks have to seal against positive pressure, and elastomeric respirators against negative pressure?
Notably, CPAP masks can leak a certain amount and still work fine because the CPAP machine automatically adjusts to a higher airflow to maintain the prescribed therapeutic positive pressure. Whereas respirators need to leak as little as possible and have no way to compensate for a leak. The nature of the required seal needed is different between the two kinds of masks.
I've read people complain about a lack of durability for the gel seal of envo, lasting under a year. But I don't have one, so I don't have any direct experience with them.
Envo has a half mask EnvoPro coming out. It is already NIOSH approved, and photos of it being displayed at a trade show recently show that the half mask design and lack of a valve allow for significantly more filter surface area. But I'm going to take a wild guess that it will be even more expensive than the regular Envo, and still have the limitation of having an unyielding hard plastic frame with limited range of face size that the gel seal can adapt to. Currently, NIOSH does not require any human fit testing for approval of particulate-only half masks, so we have no way to know in advance if it will fit a wide range of people or not.
As a CPAP mask user, I think quarter-masks are better at protecting leaks with the high levels of air pressure going through the masks. There are a couple of genuine half-mask CPAP masks, but they tend to leak more.
N95 user for almost 3 years now!! Avoided getting "blessed" by COVID so far.
Great video! My husband refuses to wear anything else even though they're more breathable than his envo because the envo doesn't fog his glasses. So I think that's one huge advantage of this style for glasses wearers.
One thing I will say in favor of the ENVO is that it's great for people with small faces. I really struggled to find a disposable mask that fit my small face (literally trying dozens of brands, none of which had a perfect seal). The ENVO, on the other hand, fit me perfectly and I've been using it for over a year now. So if your face is on the smaller side, I would definitely recommend giving ENVO a try.
*Where my fellow Mask Nerds at?*
Present 😀
Masking never worked. Move on with your life and ignore this grifter and his ridiculous channel. That's why he hasn't posted anything in 4 months as the game is up.
Your reviews have always been a great source of knowledge--I still have not had covid, which I attribute to always wearing a high-quality mask. So thank you!
The envo mask didn't work for me personally-- I get gaps at the bottom while talking and the edge of the straps are so abrasive!
A good assessment, Aaron is as usual, right on-point with his analysis. I often wear an Envomask and about the only thing I can add is that it's much easier to tell if you have a leak with an Envo, whereas melt-blown fabric seals can be harder to be certain about, espcially if there is some wear. Additionally, a leak (as what might happen if you turn your head at an extreme angle in an Envo) is often easier to fix by just rolling and/or reseating the mask against your face with the palm of your hand.
Situationally, I use masking for a lot of short term on/off interactions, such as shopping, and Envo with ear hooks (not headstraps) is much more convenient to don and doff, especially with a hat or longer hair. In-between uses, the mask can be just dropped to comfortably dangle around your neck.
But Aaron was correct, it's a big gamble as to whether any quarter mask will fit your particular face, and these types of masks are a lot less breathable than something like a 3M Aura.
My experience with the envo mask was great. I used it in conjunction with hepa filters and ballistic shields during pandemic. Never got COVID with high traffic into my bank branch with no requirement for visitors to wear medium. The envo was great for 8 hour shifts and talking. I would have to shout over the Germ guardians and plexi glass. I topped everything off with some glasses for a last line of ballistic protection and gloves to protect my skin not from covid but all the sanitizer! Was easy for me to do did not disrupt my business. I’m ready for pneumonic plague without lockdown. I would likely bump to a p99 however.
Thanks for the helpful video!
I've found that switching and then crossing the straps of the Flo mask helped me get a way better nose seal.
Thanks Aaron for covering this finally.
Yes, your conclusion is spot on! I joined the Vflex group too!
Hell yeah! Team *V* 💪
Didn't know James Franco would dedicate to reviewing masks after acquiring a McDonald's Golden Card. Jokes aside, it was a good review Fames Janco. Would recommend.
Thanks....I think that is a compliment.
I've used the Envo since March 2020 and love it and I've never gotten Covid. My first one eventually broke, the gel edge began splitting open and then detached.
A big plus for the Envo is if you have a beard the Envo still provides a perfect no-leak fit due to its thick gel edge that presses your beard flat. Otherwise, a beard prevents any disposable from having a good fit. I probably couldn't do proper masking with a beard and no Envo mask.
I have use the envo for years and I do not like it. The gel always separate with long term and the head strips always tear and than you can not keep it tight and so the seal will break.
Thanks for covering. I have been using the flo mask with pro filter since I was forced back to the office. I like it but the silicone gets hot/sticky after a few hours which is my largest complaint. The breathability is not as good but I fell I have to sacrifice that for protection.
Agree that it’s not for everyone but it was worth the gamble for me .
Flo mask does have a kids version.
I bought a Flo Mask and am trying to decide between using the Flo Mask or a disposable n95 mask for teaching a 3-hour class where I'll be talking almost nonstop and need to be understood by 40 unmasked students.
I'm very nervous about that and am going to prioritize my own life over whether they can perfectly hear me, but I would like to be audible if at all possible.
Sounds like the Flo Mask might start having hot/stickiness problems by the second or third hour, thanks for that tip.
I think I will have to figure out a good way to DIY assess the fit of the disposable versus the Flo Mask...
18:50 If you just want to know Aaron's overall recommendation.
Outstanding review thank you. Will you also evaluate the Breathe 2 in the future?
Getting the mask from Canada: I haven’t done this but I looked up how to get something in the US sent to me in Canada. If you’re near the border you can get it shipped to a company just over the border from where you are. And then drive over and get it. The shipping company can also send it over the border. Then there might be an issue about duty fees. I have the nano mask from Prescientx and it is astonishingly good. TPE around your face holds on beautifully. Very comfortable. They don’t make that one anymore though. The new Breathe 2 has TPE. it’s $80 Canadian.
Extremely rare canadian W I’m getting the breathe one immediately! Thanks for the review ☺️
It would seem to me that the fit would have to be much more exact for a quarter-mask or even 3/8 mask. The distance between the lip and chin can be a centimeter or less, and those of us with high nose-bridges have a limited area where the top of the mask can land comfortably. I think half-masks that go under the chin have a larger surface area where they can rest without compromising fit or seal.
I had the same sort of nose-rubbing issue with the Flo that you had with the Envo. Tried it for a while, but just wasn’t comfortable. Also got sick during the time when I was wearing it a good bit, which is the only time I’ve gotten sick since the pandemic started- don’t know if that was the fault of the mask, but shook my confidence in it. Been wearing 9105 disposable ever since.
Great info as usual! Thanks!
I have used the FloMask for over a year. Aaron is right about both the filter seating not being optimal and the comfort of silicon. The big flaws are straps and the strap attachment pins on the side of the “front cover”. The straps are too thin and narrow to the point that they become uncomfortable after a few hours of wearing. The straps rapidly deteriorate over the span of 3-4 months of daily usage (8-10hr days). The 4-pins that the straps attaches to the front cover of the mask is poorly designed. The pins will pop off of the front cover and cannot be repaired. From my experience over 15 months, I had 3 front covers (2 white and 1 black). Each front cover lasts for a little under 5 months and cost $15 per. This is a problem for many safety reasons that I won’t get into. This mask quickly becomes expensive to own. The other flaw would be the “daily filter” it is extra fluffy/thick that the main body and front cover wants and will separate. The only thing that is keeping that assembly (main body and front cover) together is the tension of the straps from the mask to your head and neck…futile cycle. The daily filter does have better airflow but it comes at the cost of the mask’s assembly/fitment. There needs be a melt-press on the circumference of the daily filter for the filter to seat onto the gasket of the main body so it isn’t too thick. I can go on and on. For a first time company they did well but there are many flaws to fix in this first generation mask.
Mask choice depends on your use cases. My mask goes on before I go into indoor public spaces and comes off once I'm out the door. I prefer the Envo to the 3m Aura disposable N95. The headband on the Envo relieves the weight. The Envo can dangle when I'm not wearing it and it goes back on faster than the Aura as no adjustment is needed. I don't need to communicate much and I don't wear it for more than 30 minutes at a time.
In a space where no one is bothering to wear any mask, I have no compunction about using the exhalation valve which increases comfort compared to the Aura. I do a fit test by loosely holding a piece of Saran Wrap loosely against the filter while I breathe in sharply. The airflow pulls the Saranwrap against the filter and totally blocks the air flow, so the face seal is perfect. I recently upgraded to Envo accessory shield that prevents touching the outside filter surface. Air flows around the shield and flow restriction is not noticeable.
Thank you! I’m a school nurse and I talk a LOT!
Thanks for sharing this necessary information!
I’ve been wearing the Breathe mask since August 2022 and it’s my favourite by far. It comes in 3 different sizes and there is a printable template on their website that you can use to choose the correct size.
Can you tell me why the breathe mask has a lower rating? I read somewhere the filter was only tested to the standard of a surgical mask. Does this mean it is less protective than a disposable N95? I get the best seal with my breathe mask, but am now wondering if I should go back to N95.
@@kimw6052 I think Aaron's test protocol is different so that's why the bioaerosol filters performed relatively poorly. I have good experience wearing the [breathe] mask but I think eventually I'll get an elastomeric that is a NIOSH-certified N95. I believe envomask, elastomask and flomask are all NIOSH-certified N95s. For disposables you can't go wrong with 3M N95s like the Auras and Vflex.
@@kimw6052From their website: “It was designed according to requirements set out by NIOSH and the FDA in 42 CFR 84, though it is not currently approved nor is it a medical device. Our filter material has been tested as >99% efficient for bacterial and viral filtration (ASTM F2101). However this test is not as strict as the requirements set by NIOSH for particle filtration.”
Aye reupload? Saw the first one posted. Keep up the good work Aaron
Yeah had a typo I missed so quick pull down and re-upload.
I almost loved my Envo, and the carrying case is a huge bonus, but the gel under my glasses tore up in under a year (you can get a replacement that's less than the cost of the full mask, but still not cheap), the head straps wore out where they rub against the plastic (cheaper to replace), and I sometimes had leaks around the nose and the way it pushed on my cheeckbones was uncomfortable after a while; I suspect my wide cheekbones are part of why I had trouble with the seal around my nose. If it ended up sitting a bit lower on my face it would smash the soft bits of my nose, making it hard to breath through. But I have a friend who's shorter than me who loves his, and I gave mine to another friend who's shorter than me who also gets a good fit with it. (I'm 5'6".) I agree that when it fits, it's a great mask, but the fit is tricky.
for those that would be interested the drage x-plore 1920 has an adjustable strap that is both straps with a loop and you can just have it hanging under your chin and put it quite fast; unlike the AURA which is a drag to put on specially with glasses. and apparently it fits as well as AURA.
This video was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
I guess i am a little late to the conversation. I have a big nose and a small chin. Regular N95 masks always leak. So I have been wearing an envo since the beginning of the pandemic. Since i live with vulnerable family, and work in a hospital, I wear it most of the workday. I have went through about 5 of them. The first models didnt hit my nose. On the newer ones i have to remove one of the braces. Also, i do a weird thing with the straps. I have to feed the strap differently through the mask and the cross the straps across the front of the mask then clasp the hooks to a loop of material at the back of my head. I also added a second strap that helps pull the mask closer to my chin. Also, like you Aaron, the bridge of my nose would rub on that rib in the silicon, so i wear a bandaid that has cushioning. Anyway, in spite of it all, the envo has kept me protected.
Thanks for doing the video Aaron! I will have to set the notification bell so i an not six months late to the conversation next time.
Have you tried the “sip valves” they allow you to drink with a straw without removing your mask but I worry about compromising the seal?
I’ve been using a Fix The Mask fitter with ASTM level 3 procedure masks for a while now, which I think combines the fit benefits of elastomerics with the breathability of disposable masks. I’m not sure why this isn’t a more popular choice.
Generally surgical masks are not as breathable as some of the better respirators out there. It's a viable option though!
Great review! I wear a [breathe], very comfortable and I get a great fit. Any chance of checking out the tensarc Facegaiter?
Which do you recommend for heavy sanding ? Thank you 😊
Have you tested the GATA mask? I have used it successfully in an outdoor shop situation where it prevented my glasses from fogging up. Entry cost was around $30 and style is a silicone half mask with a harder plastic insert holding the filter.
Have you tried cutting up a disposable n95 to use it aa the filter to the GATA mask? If so, how'd that go?
I, too, am disappointed the GATA was not tested. As you say, it is the cheapest elastomeric available to the general public, at about half the price of the others. The trade-off is that the filters are difficult to install (they have to be punctured at the edges and fitted about the plastic reinforcer, then inserted beneath the inner lip of the mask for the airtight seal). I’ve been reluctant to recommend them since there is no testing of the filter beyond what the manufacturer provides.
However, I’ve rediscovered them for special purposes, like eating and haircuts, since they are easy to hold against the face tor breathing.
@@utubepunk I would simply wear the N95, more breathable as per Aaron’s video. Another option is to wear an ASTM 3 surgical mask over the GATA with no filler, a somewhat less breathable but perhaps more comfortable alternative to the braced surgical mask.
I bought both sizes of the GATA after I saw a guy using them and was deeply disappointed. The filters do not fit well in the provided area, so I doubt you're going to get a high filtration efficiency. Further, their ear straps make it really hard to get any sort of seal since they're so incredibly stretchy (even securing them behind my head left substantial leakage points) and can't be easily replaced like you can for the Flo and similar. Yes, they're cheap, but that's all they have going for them in my opinion. They were nice enough to refund one of my masks, though, so I guess they have nice enough customer service, too.
@@spencerhunter1596 , you're probably better off with something like the Readimask for haircuts if you're looking for an N95-level of protection.
Yayyyyy
Why isn’t the breathe mask allowed to be sold here in the US?
I am low on my masks. I got the Aura and they are too big and gap under my chin. My new masks don't arrive from amazon until Tuesday and I need a mask Saturday night. I went to Walgreens, CVS, Target, and WalMart and no one had masks. Home Depot and Lowes had the ugly ones which will do, but I was shocked I could not find any in drug stores!
Aaron, can you clarify why you think elastomerics are “the way we need to go?” I felt like your summary was all cons and no pros for me. As a CPAP user, knowing that the seal on silicone-edged masks does wear surprisingly rapidly, I don’t even see any environmental benefits.
I think the environmental benefit is very small, since you still have to replace the filter material. In the spectrum of waste, masks really are a tiny tiny fraction of what an average American generates. I think if the devices were $20 the story would be very different, and if they had multiple sizes and some way to know it fits. It's just hard to compare against a V-flex which is 2.5 times more breathable and costs 1/80th of them.
Personally, I'd love to have a mask I knew fit me well all of the time instead of rewearing masks masks by day of the week and hoping I remember roughly how many times they've been worn so I can pick the least worn one for a higher risk event. But the quarter masks don't fit me well and half masks aren't practical enough (can't hear speech; appearance is too jarring even for mask-friendly Seattle, imo). Plus I get breakouts along the nose, which ruins the seal for many days... Having a guaranteed good fit day to day would be a huge boon, though, even if the environmental impact is marginal and the cost savings is also not huge.
I hated my Envo and gave it away. It kept sliding down my face. I only wore it when no other N95s were available for purchase.
Thank you for another detailed and very informative video. Any plans to review the child version of the Flo mask?
Not likely since I can't wear it.
🤣
is the filtration efficiency given the result of a fit test or is it just the filtration material?
we need fit-testing facilities like there used to be covid testing tents
Thank you so much
Great Review
Ugly as it may be I'm Team
3M 6200/7502
Are you gonna try their new mask?
Have you tried the “Canopy” mask?
I haven't, I generally focus more broad use masks so the Canopy and other elastomerics I think are too hard of a sell.
Where, in Canada, can I purchase the Breathe mask? I’m loving my disposable masks, despite the wonky elastic straps.
prescientx.com/pages/breathe
@@coll0412 TY
Would be cool if there were masks like these for kids tbh My kiddo would do much better with one
flo mask actually does make masks for kids!
The small PrescientX [breathe]™ is actually sized for children, so if you're in Canada or Europe you could give it a try. Note: They make ones with and without embedded metal nose-bridge pieces for fit adjustment. No metal means you can wear them if you're getting an MRI, which is an advantage over many disposable N95s. Also they have both silicone and TPE versions you can choose from for different stiffness levels. Best of luck. COVID indicators in wastewater and hospitalizations are currently at year highs in Canada, so I'm not lowering my guard.
Did you hear the earth shaking medical research news about our cold temperature noses causing us to get colds! (sure you did read it!) Another reason why masks work? (Warmer noses)
So these are rated by you as less effective than the best kf94 respirators?
I have a dumb question. If you get a good fit/seal, could you make a better filter by cutting out the right shape from an N95? You mentioned that the breathe filter isn't as efficient, but you still liked it. Those numbers scare me a bit-- does that 86% mean it's not as effective as a fit-tested N95? Thank you so much for your work!
That is only for the more breathable, and less protective filter options. They still have more protective filters but comes as the expense of breath ability. Most N95's these days are actually 98+% for initial penetration, or basically when they are first used. N95's have a loading of 200mg but must still maintain 95%, which is a metric crap load of material and would be damn near impossible to ever load a mask to that in a "normal" environment.