Legitimate respirators should state where the masks were manufactured. There’s no company or location information. This bag is an example of tamper-evident packaging-it’s obvious when it’s been torn open. But all things being equal, masks in a well-secured box or bag, whether individually wrapped or not, are a safer bet. There are no hard-and-fast rules, however, and it’s certainly possible to find good masks that come in poor packaging. “The outermost packaging should be tamper-proof at this point due to all of the counterfeit products out there,” said Christina Baxter, CEO of Emergency Response TIPS, LLC, an emergency response education and consulting company. Legitimate masks are typically packaged in such a way (for example, sealed in plastic, or in a bag or box that's taped shut) that makes it clear whether anyone besides the manufacturer has handled the contents before you. Generally speaking, the more problems you see, particularly with unestablished brands, the more reasons you have to be suspicious.
Except for the N95 requirements (which are clear cut), consider these tips as guideposts-after all, it’s possible to have a legit design that falls short of best practices or illegitimate masks that check all the boxes. KN95s (masks claiming to meet Chinese standards) and KF94s (those claiming to meet South Korean standards) require similar filtration efficiency to N95s but not the same markings, and so they can be tougher to evaluate by sight.Īfter interviewing multiple experts, we’ve zeroed in on 12 red flags to look out for. (The CDC’s page on counterfeit respirators shows images of several examples.) And this makes spotting the duds a lot easier. N95s-which have passed strict tests administered by NIOSH, including demonstrating 95% filtration efficiency under set conditions-require certain markings on the masks themselves. A little common sense and knowledge can go a long way. Sloppier fakes are easier to detect, however, and they’re still out there. Unfortunately, it’s tough to separate the most expertly copied masks from the genuine articles. Or maybe you have little choice but to buy whatever is on the drugstore shelf. Or you might be tempted by a good deal from a brand you haven’t heard of.
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(In our guide to N95, KN95, and surgical-style masks, we explain how to do that, and we recommend specific masks that have passed government tests or independent lab tests to confirm their filtration efficacy.) But sometimes you end up with a pile of masks of dubious provenance, courtesy of your workplace or a well-meaning relative. The best way to find legitimate masks is to buy ones made by reputable manufacturers and sold by trusted retailers. Last May, investigators confiscated 2 million fake masks purchased and used by unsuspecting hospitals in Portland, Maine. Federal agencies seized a total of 21.2 million fake N95s that year, and the problem carried over well into 2021. In September 2020, ECRI (a nonprofit that advises hospitals and health-care agencies on product safety) reported that 60% to 70% of KN95s it tested did not filter the 95% of particles that they promised to. Whether it’s an imposter mask claiming to be from an established brand or a newcomer purporting to be highly protective, the problem is a matter of consistency. At worst, they give those who need protection most a potentially dangerous false sense of security. At best, fake respirator masks are just a waste of money. And along with that comes the nagging concern over being duped by counterfeiters.
The highly contagious Omicron variant has sent us on a mad dash for more-protective masks, such as N95s, KN95s, and KF94s.
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