N95 Vs. KN95 Masks: What’s the Difference?
Here's what the science says—and which one is right for you.
By COURTNEY LINDER at at Popular Mechanics Image: RYANJLANE/GETTY IMAGES
You've probably been wearing a mask when out in public for most of the past year, but are you still wearing the right one?
With new variants of COVID-19 emerging in the U.S., medical professionals are urging the public to go beyond cloth masks, surgical masks, and double masks.
Instead, they say, you should opt for a higher-filtration mask like an N95 or KN95.
These masks can filter a higher percent of particles in the air than surgical masks or homemade cloth face coverings.
N95 and KN95 masks are held to different standards, though, so you need to be careful in deciding which is right for you.
For the average person, N95 masks and KN95 masks have negligible differences. If you're not a health care worker, either should suffice for you.
But if you can't find either kind of mask, consider double masking with a surgical mask beneath your cloth mask.
