PLEASE NOTE: We are not scientists, so our opinion is based on a layman’s analysis of the specs and information provided by the company on the RZ Mask website.
RZ Mask is an US company (Minnesota) that makes premium protective face masks that offer excellent filtering effectiveness that has been verified by Nelson Labs, an internationally respected independent testing service used by companies around the world.
We tried to order RZ Masks but they are presently (on April 20, 2020) out of stock. Hopefully, they will get their inventory replenished soon.
RZ Mask Review
RZ Masks masks are among the more attractive looking premium filtration masks available but frankly we are much more concerned with the filtration efficiency of these face masks and the degree of protection they can provide. Here at ReviewWerx.com we have recently been adding reviews of what we believe are the best available, most efficient protective masks we could find and RZ Mask appears to be one of the better non-medical protective face masks available and they are located here in the United States.
Please be aware that we are not scientists or microbiologists, we are simply concerned citizens who happen to reside in the New York City Metro Area, in New Jersey, where the coronavirus has been rampant and devastating. So, our search for effective protection originated with our desire to try to keep ourselves healthy but after spending many days searching the globe for high quality face masks and realizing how time consuming and tedious the research process is, it would only be fair to share our personal research with our fellow citizens.
We could find only a handful of high-quality, efficient protective face masks available and many of them are from outside the USA. There may be more than we have identified and we don’t claim that we have found all of them. Many of the better quality face masks are available are from companies outside the USA and unfortunately those companies are probably not shipping to the United States, for one reason or another. So, we are primarily only posting reviews of masks from U.S. companies. Later we hope to add reviews from companies outside of the US such as ‘Airinum’ out of Sweden. Airinum makes an excellent product but they are not currently shipping outside of the EU. Another excellent mask comes from a company called ‘U Mask.’ They are based in the UK but their manufacturing and shipping is from Italy. U Mask will take your order but makes no guarantee that you will receive your mask due to various customs issues. In the U.S. there is the popular ‘Vogmask’ but their products are made in South Korea and as of today (April 20 2020) the government of South Korea will not allow their masks to be shipped from South Korea to the US. The company ‘Respilon’ out of Czechoslovakia can’t keep up with European demand. And on and on.
Anyway, RZ Mask is a US company with an impressive product line so here are our thoughts on what we discovered.
RZ Mask Face Masks Are RECOMMENDED
Based on the information provided on the RZ Mask websites, these face masks look like an excellent choice for people seeking a high level of protection, short of using a mask certified for medical use. So for non-medical workers like us, RZ Mask looks to be an excellent choice.
The RZ Mask website offers impressive specs and plenty of detail. More details regarding the RZ Mask performance certifications and testing can be found on the RZ Mask website. Just follow the link we provided below.
SAMPLE OF SOME RZ MASKS AND COLORS
About RZ Mask Face Masks
THE RZ MASK WEBSITE STATES THE FOLLOWING
All RZ Masks come with a replaceable carbon filter
The M1 Mask is made of Neoprene and is recommended for cold to mild weather
The M2 Mask is made of a breathable mesh material and is best for mild to warm weather
The M2 Nylon Mask recommended for warm weather
The M2.5 mask uses the same mesh material as M2 but has two adjustable elastic straps
RZ Mask Filters
MASK FILTERING
The masks offer three different types of filters. All RZ Masks come with a F1 Standard Active Filter yielding a 99.9% efficiency down to .1 micron. This filter is effective for dust, fumes, odors, smoke, allergens, organic chemicals and more.
As per the RZ Mask website, the F2 and F3 offer increased breathability compared to the F1. Each has a 99.9% efficiency rating down to 0.1 micron. The F2 does not carry any active carbon making it effective only to dust and allergens. The F3 does carry an active carbon element causing it to be effective towards fumes, odors, smoke and organic chemicals in addition to dust.
How long the filters last range from 20 hours to 60 hours depending on the type of environmental conditions it is used in. Filters are not washable (although the masks themselves are)
MASK COMFORT
After we get hold of a few we will update this post with details
RZ Mask Efficiency
LEVEL OF PROTECTION AGAINST VIRUSES AND PATHOGENS
The RZ Mask filters block 99.9% of particulates down to .1 micron. This rate is known to be effective toward most airborne pathogens like Influenza and SARS.
The M1, M2, and M2.5 masks only filter the air being breathed in and not the air being breathed out. Because of this, they will only provide protection for those wearing the mask, not protect those you.
There are additional ways that COVID-19 virus is believed to be contracted such as through the eyes, so users should follow all preventative measures recommended by the CDC and WHO.
NOTE: For protection against airborne pathogens, the mask must be washed with a sterilizing soap and the filter should be replaced after each use.
The company further states their “masks are not yet NIOSH approved. As part of the multi-phase testing process, our filters have been tested at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT and tested at 99.9% efficiency against particulates down to .1 microns in size. An N95 rating means that a mask filters at least 95% of particulates down to .3 micron.”
(Nelson Labs is a internationally respected independent testing lab)
For details see company website here https://rzmask.com/pages/technical-information