Looking at the Breathe99 B2 Mask

While looking through Time Magazine’s “The Best Inventions of 2020”, I came across the B2 mask.

Various: The 100 Best Inventions of 2020

B2 Mask Starter Kit

It’s Kickstarter campaign advertises NIOSH N99 standards compliance, but its official website walks back that claim, instead advertising N95 compliance.

Reading through a whitepaper that goes over some performance data, it seems to perform as well as N95 masks. Unfortunately, a very small sample size was used, which results in a standard deviation of about 2.5%. I guess that means in the worst case, it still meets the N95 standards but may not be as effective as other commercially-available N95 masks.

A comparison of facemask and respirator filtration test methods

The Breathe99 B2 mask uses easily purchased, replaceable filters, which compares well to disposable N95 masks, which are hard to purchase and degrade over time.

Disposable N95 masks are designed for 8 hours of use and to be reused up to 5 times.

Masks or N95 Respirators During COVID-19 Pandemic-Which One Should I Wear?

Overall, I think the Breathe99 B2 mask is great for long-term use, and I’ll probably be buying a set.