Moldex 4200N95 AirWave Disposable Respirator

★★★★★

Extremely comfortable and made in USA!

I've been using the Moldex Airwave 4200/4600/4800 series masks for the past year and they are absolutely one of the best when it comes to breathing comfort and durability. I have worn these while going on 2-3 mile walks in 80+ degree Hawaiian weather and they don't fog up my glasses or move around on my face due to the comfortable foam inner lining. The 4200 uses rubber band head straps which are not as comfortable on my shaved noggin as the 4600/4800 series but their lower price point makes them a great N95 mask to consider now that it's easier for the average person to find one at a reasonable price.The accordion type design of the mask increases the effective surface area which allows you to breathe easier. I've tried at least 30+ different N95, KN95 and KF94 masks and the Moldex Airwave series masks are at the top of my list for comfort, durability and overall performance.

Verified Purchaser · April 5, 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★☆

Probably great maybe the best for removing asbestus and other dusts.

I ordered this "respirator" mask because it said it was effective at filtering out the smallest contaminants at 97 to 100 % or so it stated in a New York times or New Yorker (one of those can not remember). They interview a guy who tested masks for an independent test lab. Modex was at the top. Apparently this Specific Modex are not that effective consistently under non-ideal conditions. I think what happened was this Modex was not the one rated for medical use or lab use but it was next to the one that was on amazon. My eyes gravitated to this one. I really wanted this to be the one. The pleats "waves" are an awesome idea. They say in the fine print that they will not protect if the filter gets wet which it would from a blood or secretions spray. It says leave the area immediately. That would be ok if you were removing asbestos but not really that simple when you are involved in a critical situation involving another live besides your own. I really wanted this mask because theoretically the pleats provide more surface area to filter so less pressure to squeeze out from the seal. They are effortless to talk and breath and the seal feels tight enough to make a good seal which is moot since the exchange is happening in the medium. They were the only mask I tried so far that did not fog up my glasses and the nose seal felt tight enough to make a good contact all the way around my face and nose. Unfortunately they failed the fit test very quickly. They spray a mist of sour tasting substance with your head in a hood and as soon as you taste it they figure that is when you are contaminated. You need to make it to the end of a time test going a certain number of minutes with them spaying more mist every 30 seconds. I tasted it shortly after the first spray. So far, the one I tested out of seven was the three 3m Aura 1870 N95 which was the one I "passed" With. I may or may not have tasted it between the second and third. I am not confirming or denying that. I will snap a pic of that one as well. I will let you in on a secret. Don't ask how I know this but I have it on good authority that there isn't a disposable mask that you can use multiple times before throwing it out that will pass that test. I think everyone lies. I'm not saying I would do that; it is just one of those things that you can't prove but you just know it's true. Plus people talk. I think what happens is people pick the one that can go the longest under the hood and just act like they can't taste the spray. It is wishful thinking on both the tested and the tester that the one corporate can stock that goes the longest on most people at the least cost is the one your going to pass with. I bought my own box because I could not be assigned to a patients care until I passed the test. When I failed the 6th mask after the second trial the tester said "don't worry we can get more to try. Our other branch offices may have different ones." Well I was using up my PTO and could not go another week without an assignment. I immediately went on line and found the article about the independent mask tester and looked for the best which in this case was the best grade filter medium and it was moldex. I asked if I could get someone to meet me to test it and ordered a box. I threw in a couple other n95 I had around the house and made arrangements to meet someone. It was one of the higher up nurse supervisors smarter then me and about 20 years younger. I think he might own a lot of stock in the company too. I tested my moldex and it was a strange experience. The other tester was looking at her watch like she needed to keep track of the minutes as well of the seconds. She said awe darn you were so close that time. So now I'm meeting with one of the big cheeses and I can say with hind-site that he knew which mask was going to pass the test and it just so happened that they have them in stock at all the branches. I did''t understand what happened initially. I tasted it after the first spray. It was weird. How could this be that the more expensive mask failed so quickly. It was uncomfortable how long this went on. I finally said man how long does this test go and how much longer should I continue denying what we both know; I tasted that shit the first time and now it was a test of wills. I gave up and said I tasted it after about 4 minutes. Then I only had one more option which was also a similar 3m as the one they keep in stock. Subsequently somehow we only had to go two sprays to pass the same test and I passed. Well nobody had to tell me which way the sour spray blows.

Verified Purchaser · October 31 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Extremely Comfortable, Large Volume, Fits to Face, No Air Gaps, Easy to Breathe In!

I love this mask! It is one of the very best N95 masks I have worn. It is extremely comfortable, has a large volume so it does not touch your nose or lips or interfere with speaking or breathing at all! Very easy breathing with no detectable additional pressure required to inhale or exhale. A properly made N95 should be easy to breathe in and this meets that standard very well!. I was very, very pleased with my purchase from the moment I tried it on! I highly recommend this face mask for comfort and protection!

Verified Purchaser · March 4, 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Expensive but easiet to breathe through

Because of the accordion pleats, there is way more surface area to breathe through than typical N95 masks.So, super easy to breathe through, better than any other I've used.The mask I was using prior was the 3M Aura. Which is actually a bit more comfortable to wear and less goofy-looking, but wasn't nearly as easy to breathe through.If you're wearing one of these for hours a day, then you know that easy breathing outweighs how it fits or looks!Now that I've been using these Moldex masks for a month or so, they no longer feel slightly uncomfortable. I think it was more than I just had to get used to a different-feeling fitment.

Verified Purchaser · July 18, 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★☆

I can sing in this mask

The corrugations on this mask both give it an enormous surface area, and make it rigid enough not to flex inward when you breathe in. The combination, believe it or not, gives me something I can sing in.A couple of caveats: I have not given it a formal fit test, it fits my nose pretty well but might not fit yours, and it gets uncomfortable after a couple of hours (though it's better than many of the N95's I've tried).

Verified Purchaser · September · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Best Mask EVER

For someone who works in a compounding pharmacy and has to wear a mask most of the day, this mask get my award for best invention ever! This mask is comfortable, and since it does not use a "valve", you do not feel like every breath is a struggle. The mask is cooler to wear since air actually moves through it. I cannot recommend this mask enough. We saw this mask in an safety magazine ad and ordered samples. Now we are on our fifth box and many of us wear this as our preferred mask.

Verified Purchaser · April 18, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★★

Comfortable mask.

Good mask. Comfortable and seems to be effective.

Verified Purchaser · September · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★☆☆☆☆

Uncomfortable, no way to make a good seal

Pretty surprised at all the good reviews here, these are one of the worst N95s that I've tried. Specifically:- No metal nose bridge for making any adjustments, there's just some foam that maybe makes a good seal if you happen to have the right nose shape, but everyone else is out of luck (or unwittingly unprotected due to a poor seal).- The top part of this mask goes VERY far up your nose, all the way to right between your eyes. If you wear glasses, you will literally have to try to set them on top of the mask material. As expected, this doesn't work very well.- It's very stiff and rigid plastic, my nose was already roughed up after only a few minutes of (trying to) wear it, and the edges scratched my face when I was putting it on. The edges were already digging into my face.- Not individually wrapped or sealed at all, so even though I'm absolutely not going to use these masks, I don't feel comfortable returning them or trying to give them away locally. I guess it was good that they were pretty cheap at least so I don't feel too bad just throwing them away?Really disappointed overall.

Verified Purchaser · July 26, 2 · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★★☆

Awesome breathability, a little hard on your nose

These are the most easy N95s to breath in. The added filter surface area makes them way easier to draw a breath and exhale. The padding on the nose is helpful, but for my face, they sit a little hard on my bridge. It's not a perfect seal around my nose, but I don't feel a ton of air coming out.If I buy these again, I'll probably spend the extra for the 4600 series hoping that the nose comfort will be better.

Verified Purchaser · April 26, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase

★★★☆☆

THESE ARE NOT METAL FREE, BUT ARE ADVERTISED AS SUCH.

I was looking for a mask to wear for a series of MRI's. This mask lists itself as 'metal free'. It is not. the elastic is stapled to the mask with metal fasteners. Please correct your product information. That having been said, this is an extremely comfortable/durable mask. The nose bridge doesn't have metal. This having been said, I will be punching holes in the side and knotting the rubber head straps into the sides of the mask.

Verified Purchaser · April 18, · ✓ Amazon Verified Purchase