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Where do you buy a face mask?

Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
Given face masks are the new normal, where do you buy them? If you search online retailers like Amazon and Ebay you get thousands of listings for random things that may or may not be what you're looking for. What if you don't want to buy from them? Is there a good place to start, other than just searching keywords one at a time? How do you differentiate between a regular old cloth face covering and something that provides a little more filtration? Where do you get masks that have designs on them?

Curious what others have done in the past few months.

Posts

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    I've gotten a few from Etsy. I highly recommend ones that tie behind the head and that have an adjustable wire for the nose if you wear glasses. Also consider ones that have filter pocket. Get a decent supply of them. Ideally you wear it once, then toss it in the laundry.

  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    I just bought some from Zazzle (looks to be similar to Etsy). Finally found a design I like. Shipping is sloooow though so hopefully they actually turn up before the end of June.

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  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    100% shilling for a friend of ours

    https://www.etsy.com/shop/BitterCandy

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    My n95 masks are from a local ace hardware store during the beforetimes for sanding work, but its hard to still find those now. I have a cloth set from amazon that works just fine for short trips.

    After talking with a number of healthcare workers, you really don't need a high filtration mask unless you are using it at a business that works with people constantly. Even most doctors offices are just using cloth ones for the most part right now. It's only wards that are specifically treating the virus that are using higher filtration masks. If everyone is wearing a mask, the idea is that you are filtering the majority of the risk by keeping your own germs in.

  • HevachHevach Registered User regular
    Menards sells them for under a buck at the door now. Harbor Freight finally got disposables back in stock but not their store brand, $6 for a ten pack and sold right by the registers.

    A lot of gas stations are selling cloth masks in my area.

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    I've gotten a few from Etsy. I highly recommend ones that tie behind the head and that have an adjustable wire for the nose if you wear glasses. Also consider ones that have filter pocket. Get a decent supply of them. Ideally you wear it once, then toss it in the laundry.

    What's the adjustable thing you're referencing for glasses? My main challenge so far has been how much my glasses fog up.

    What is this I don't even.
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    I got a 20 pack from https://shopmaskdhealth.com/.
    Came out to a bit under 2 bucks a pop, washable and reusable.

    Haven't noticed too much in the way of fogging up my glasses.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    I've gotten a few from Etsy. I highly recommend ones that tie behind the head and that have an adjustable wire for the nose if you wear glasses. Also consider ones that have filter pocket. Get a decent supply of them. Ideally you wear it once, then toss it in the laundry.

    What's the adjustable thing you're referencing for glasses? My main challenge so far has been how much my glasses fog up.

    Nose wire. Doesn't eliminate the problem, but I've found it helps a decent amount at the cost of some discomfort after hours of wearing.

  • TastyfishTastyfish Registered User regular
    Threadless have some interesting ones if you're in the states and just wanted a cloth one.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Those are all over-the-ear types, and not really suitable for long term wearing unless you're going to replace the elastic.

  • thatassemblyguythatassemblyguy Janitor of Technical Debt .Registered User regular
    I had a surplus of medical masks from when a family member went through cancer treatments a few years ago, but I too have been looking into getting a set of fabric masks as those will run out before a vaccine is available.

    My concern is that it's not readily apparent how most non-medical/fabric masks are constructed.

    According to the WHO video (in the spoiler tags), they recommend a 3-layer mask where the inner layer is moisture absorbent, the outer layer is moisture resistant, and a third inner layer acts as a primitive filter.

    It's difficult to tell if a site says, "3-ply" if they've constructed it in this way, or if it's just three layers of the same material, or if the outer and inner layers are just plain cotton.

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    see317 wrote: »
    I got a 20 pack from https://shopmaskdhealth.com/.
    Came out to a bit under 2 bucks a pop, washable and reusable.

    Haven't noticed too much in the way of fogging up my glasses.

    Anyone else who is smart on masks able to confirm if this is a good mask type?

    What is this I don't even.
  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    Ideally your mask has a filter pocket to add material. I don't see any on that mask. It also doesn't say what fabric is being used but probably just cotton.

    I had bought a pack from" for days " and they are nice.

    camo_sig.png
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    mts wrote: »
    Ideally your mask has a filter pocket to add material. I don't see any on that mask. It also doesn't say what fabric is being used but probably just cotton.

    I had bought a pack from" for days " and they are nice.

    What filters are you using, if any?

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  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Aren't the filters for if you're actually trying to filter things from outside in? My general understanding is the mask is mostly so you don't sneeze or cough on other people and just generally your own mucus and slobber stays close to you, not much else.

    What is this I don't even.
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Aren't the filters for if you're actually trying to filter things from outside in? My general understanding is the mask is mostly so you don't sneeze or cough on other people and just generally your own mucus and slobber stays close to you, not much else.

    It helps block stuff going from inside out as well.

    My cloth masks sans-filter still transmits some amount of air through the front (I can feel it with my hand!). My N95 mask does not.

    The N95 provides more protection to people around me than my cloth masks.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited June 2020
    Orca wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Aren't the filters for if you're actually trying to filter things from outside in? My general understanding is the mask is mostly so you don't sneeze or cough on other people and just generally your own mucus and slobber stays close to you, not much else.

    It helps block stuff going from inside out as well.

    My cloth masks sans-filter still transmits some amount of air through the front (I can feel it with my hand!). My N95 mask does not.

    The N95 provides more protection to people around me than my cloth masks.
    Not true. N95 masks provide moderate protection the first day, and then practically no protection after, and it really stops being effective after you touch it with your bare hands.
    Everyone wearing cloth masks provides so much more protection than one person receives from a n95 mask. Masks prevent spread, it essentially makes caught by less likely to spread the virus.

    zepherin on
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Aren't the filters for if you're actually trying to filter things from outside in? My general understanding is the mask is mostly so you don't sneeze or cough on other people and just generally your own mucus and slobber stays close to you, not much else.

    It helps block stuff going from inside out as well.

    My cloth masks sans-filter still transmits some amount of air through the front (I can feel it with my hand!). My N95 mask does not.

    The N95 provides more protection to people around me than my cloth masks.
    Not true. N95 masks provide moderate protection the first day, and then practically no protection after.
    Everyone wearing cloth masks provides so much more protection than one person receives from a n95 mask. Masks prevent spread, it essentially makes caught by less likely to spread the virus.

    I don't see where we're in disagreement, except if I'm wearing the N95 once a week...the "getting soaked and becoming useless" factor isn't one.
    • Masks are better than no masks
    • Everyone should wear masks
    • in terms of protecting other people, the more the mask blocks aerosolized saliva in your breath from escaping, the better
    • my cloth masks do not fully block my breath, and ergo aerosols along with them
    • my N95 mask fully blocks my breath, and ergo aerosols along with them
    • therefore my N95 mask provides other people greater protection from my aerosolized saliva than my cloth masks when I use it appropriately.

    Wear your masks!

    If that list of statements is not true, I would be happy to stop wearing the N95 on occasion. It's less comfortable.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Orca wrote: »
    zepherin wrote: »
    Orca wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Aren't the filters for if you're actually trying to filter things from outside in? My general understanding is the mask is mostly so you don't sneeze or cough on other people and just generally your own mucus and slobber stays close to you, not much else.

    It helps block stuff going from inside out as well.

    My cloth masks sans-filter still transmits some amount of air through the front (I can feel it with my hand!). My N95 mask does not.

    The N95 provides more protection to people around me than my cloth masks.
    Not true. N95 masks provide moderate protection the first day, and then practically no protection after.
    Everyone wearing cloth masks provides so much more protection than one person receives from a n95 mask. Masks prevent spread, it essentially makes caught by less likely to spread the virus.

    I don't see where we're in disagreement, except if I'm wearing the N95 once a week...the "getting soaked and becoming useless" factor isn't one.
    • Masks are better than no masks
    • Everyone should wear masks
    • in terms of protecting other people, the more the mask blocks aerosolized saliva in your breath from escaping, the better
    • my cloth masks do not fully block my breath, and ergo aerosols along with them
    • my N95 mask fully blocks my breath, and ergo aerosols along with them
    • therefore my N95 mask provides other people greater protection from my aerosolized saliva than my cloth masks when I use it appropriately.

    Wear your masks!

    If that list of statements is not true, I would be happy to stop wearing the N95 on occasion. It's less comfortable.
    If I misunderstood you, and it looks like that is the case I apologize.

  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote: »
    If I misunderstood you, and it looks like that is the case I apologize.

    No problem! There's been enough changes in guidance I wanted to make sure I fully listed out my assumptions. It was entirely possible I missed a change in guidance and I both don't want to suggest incorrect things and I want to make sure I'm conforming the the latest guidance myself.

  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    edited June 2020
    I use 2 layers (a folded) of blue shop towel as an insert for when I go into a store
    They are non woven

    mts on
    camo_sig.png
  • CelestialBadgerCelestialBadger Registered User regular
    Most pharmacies should have disposable masks.

  • chromdomchromdom Who? Where?Registered User regular
    Most pharmacies should have disposable masks.

    I didn't think this was true; I checked my pharmacy, and couldn't find anything on their website beyond skin conditioning masks. Then I checked Target's (my pharmacy is inside a Target) site, and same thing, all I could see was skin care products.

    I went in this morning to pick up my prescription, and not only were they fully stocked on TP (remember the shortages? How quickly things can change...), but right on the end cap, boxes and boxes of 20-packs of disposable masks.

  • chromdomchromdom Who? Where?Registered User regular
    Incidentally, wearing a better quality mask makes me care a lot more about how my breath smells.

  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    Tool nut has disposable KN95 masks available if you're still looking.

    Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
  • OrcaOrca Also known as Espressosaurus WrexRegistered User regular
    I've tried out a variety of masks so far, and what I have to say is...try out a bunch before going all in on one design. Variables to consider:

    * Behind ear vs. behind head
    * elastic vs. ribbon or other non-elastic securing method
    * nose wire or no nose wire
    * pleated or not pleated
    * fitted or not
    * triple layer or filter pocket

    So far my favorite/most comfortable has been:
    * Behind head
    * Elastic
    * nose wire
    * pleated
    * not fitted
    * triple layer

    YMMV, try different styles out, what works for me may not work for you.

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