This was posted 2 years 3 months 4 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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20-Pack KN95 Face Masks $25 + Shipping / Pickup @ Crackerjack

50

Less ridiculous price for these than most other places here.

I can't vouch for these meeting the appropriate standard, but at the very least they will offer superior protection to the standard surgical and cloth masks that most of us have.

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  • Dr. Bloomfield just mentioned that these masks should be fit tested, otherwise, they do not necessarily provide more protection, so….

    But yeah, I reckon it's still helpful to have some handy

    • He was referencing the N95 masks, or P2 as our equivalent standard is known. Those masks use ties rather than ear loops, and have a more secure seal when properly fitted.

      These masks are KN95, which is a Chinese standard that is not regulated like N95/P2, so can not be trusted to the same extent.

      • Ahh I see, too many standards…haha. But KN95 is a pretty loose standard indeed, Bunnings were selling a batch for 20c each, but they did print on the packaging that they do not meet the standards.

      • The 3M 9123 P2 mask advertised in the previous deal also uses ear-loops. AFAIK the Aussie/NZ P2 standard doesn't say it has to be headstraps, although they do provide a more secure fit.

        Note however that these elastic headstraps won't last very long if you plan on reusing the mask.

        • The loops on the 3M 9123 masks secure with a hook behind your head so still meet the standard. If you wear them as ear loops they're way too loose.

          • @randomuser: Yeah you're right, there's a little hook included.

          • @randomuser: Either your head is tiny or mine is a virtual planetoid. I can only connect the hook behind my head if I don’t loop them behind my ears, but instead drop the elastics below my ears and across my cheeks/jaw.

      • For the comparison between KN95 and N95, https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/whats-difference-between…, https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/n95-vs-kn95-vs-kf94-mask….

        I think they're functionally the same as long as you don't buy counterfeit ones.

    • +2

      Having 90% or even 80% protection is still better than cloth or surgical masks (I reckon about 20-40% protection - those masks are designed to protect others from you, not yourself). Healthcare workers often nit-pick about this fit-test stuff but the average Kiwi isn't getting exposed with hospital ICU-levels of virus, with patients coughing their hearts out around them.

      These masks should suffice if you're going into an office or doing some grocery shopping, just like how cloth masks were previously in the pandemic. But note you need to wear them correctly as well as know how to don/doff them without getting yourself contaminated, and practice good hand hygiene as well.

      • I'm actually worried that with Omicron, as long as it's crowded enough, any place is really like a hospital ICU with "patients" coughing their hearts out…haha. Judging by the speed it's spreading elsewhere, Taiwan just lost it after many days of zero community.

        • Indoors, yes, the risk will be high.

      • +3

        Agree, the chin-strapping and nose-dangling really has to go.

  • +2

    There're lots of fake once especially kn95 from China. It's pretty hard to tell. Stocked some 3m p2 from Bunnings would be better.

    • +1

      Definitely, but stores will most likely be clean out of this stuff by the end of this week, so if you want to get any locally you'll have to get in now.

  • Yeah as other have said, fake vs real isn't really something everyday people should worry about. KN95 use ear straps, which is a less tight fit than the back of head straps from N95, still like 100x better than cloth/surgical. The material itself is exactly the same so that's not the issue, just how tight a fit people get with them. From what I read, the test is if you breathe in & out, does the mask expand & contract? if it doesn't you don't have a seal, and your not really protected.

    • Yep they are, and the top ones are at a comparable price to those in the Bunnings deal . Just note that the listed price is ex GST and shipping.

      • cheers mate , Bunnings are all sold out
        Top ones?
        This ?what about this
        https://www.nxp.nz/main-catalogue-productdetail/3m-8210-disp…

        • +1

          Yeah they're both good. P2 grade protection is P2 grade protection, the difference comes in their form and attachments. The 3Ms there look like they might have a more rigid structure to them, whereas the Bunnings ones fold flat.

  • Suspect these do not meet the standard. According to at least 2 people on OzBargain https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/11631245/redir and https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/11634390/redir, the KN95 standard requires the manufacturer name is printed on the mask. So unless it's on some part that isn't visible or the manufacturer name is KN95 or GB2626-2006, they can't comply. While that's not a safety issue, there's the obvious question of "if they get something so basic wrong, what else is wrong?" Sadly it looks to me like even the KN95 sold by St John may not comply https://buy.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid-products/infection-contr…

    I'd also note if these were manufactured from 1 July 2021 in China, they must comply with GB2626-2019 not 2006. (Although realistically, there's a good chance they're older than that.)
    https://www.cps.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/china-mandatory-s…
    https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/12-signs-you-have-a-…

    Another interesting test is how easy the straps break since they need to withstand 10N force https://twitter.com/kate_cole_/status/1264063097620201474

    Whether these would be better than a surgical mask that I make no comment in part since it's IMO impossible to know.

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