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Viewing this story on a mobile device? Click here for the best viewing experienceSure, the mask that makes you look like a cat is cute. But with more contagious variants of the coronavirus now circulating in the U.S., it’s time to upgrade.The problem, though, is that buying masks online is almost (almost) as fraught as online dating. With counterfeit products, misleading marketing, and a real lack of any government oversight, it's a retail quagmire. I should know, I purchased what I thought were KF94 masks online two weeks ago. What showed up was not that. To keep yourself from making my $64 mistake, learn the basics of how masks are classified, how online retailers work, and what to look for before you hit “add to cart.”Decoding N95, KN95, and KF94Masks are rated by how well they're supposed to filter out particles. For example, N95s should filter out 95% of all particles around .3 microns in size, says Eugenia O’Kelly, a Ph.D. candidate and principal investigator of the Respirator Protection Engineering Task Force at Cambridge University. KF94s, therefore, promise to filter out 94% of particles around .3 microns. And, in theory, then, KN95s should filter out 95% of particles too, but, quality control has been a real problem (more on that below). Should we all have N95 masks? The short answer is yes. Unfortunately, a year into this pandemic, N95s — especially those made by 3M — are still hard to get. Those are the gold standard in the U.S., says Aaron Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, Collins’ master’s degree research focused on aerosols. He’s been testing masks in this bathroom and posting YouTube videos about their efficacy since this summer. Because there’s so little info available about many of the masks Americans have been purchasing (or making) during the pandemic, Collins’ videos have garnered a loyal following. In school, Collins remembers learning about the SARS and MERS outbreaks of the early 2000s. “At the time, we learned, if this happens again, we need to have really good masks; you know, an N95 for everyone,” he says. “And as a student, you’re like, yeah right, that would never happen, modern technology will prevent from happening,” he said. It happened. And it’s clear we won’t have N95s for everyone anytime soon—so it’s time to look at other options. How do KN95 and KF94 masks compare? When N95s vanished from store shelves last March, many Americans ordered KN95s. KN95 is a Chinese particulate standard. The problem, however, has been quality control. Collins tested several KN95s that registered in the low 80s for filtration efficiency—far less than the 95% efficiency advertised. The South Korean standard KF94 masks, on the other hand, performed better in testing than Collins expected—typically greater than 98% filtration efficiency. Because South Korea had a number of SARS cases back in the early 2000s, the South Korean government “came up with a standard of like, how would you put masks on the general population in the case of a pandemic,” Collins explains. The KF94, a mask that was cheap to produce but could reliably filter out 94% of particles, was born.The difference between the KN95 and the KF94 is that the South Korean government’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rigorously tests and oversees the manufacture and distribution of KF94 masks. “The KF94 standard is really close to our N95 standard,” he says. While the 3M N95 is the gold standard for health care workers in the U.S., several KF94 masks Collins tested performed better than N95 masks from brands other than 3M. (Click for a spreadsheet of his results.)We are only now getting our hands on KF94s because the South Korean government has closely tracked its supplies of the masks, ensuring it doesn’t run out, says Collins. With production ramped up in South Korea, the government is finally allowing exports. How to shop for KF94sAs KF94s become popular in the U.S., there’s a strong likelihood counterfeit copies will crop up. “It costs less than 45 cents to make , maybe as low as 20 cents. And you can sell them for $2.50 in the U.S. If you’re a fake mask manufacturer, you’re just going to make money off this,” Collins says. A few visual cues can help. Collins says every KF94 he’s tested has had KF94 printed on the packaging. It should also have the red, white, and blue seal of the Korean government or the text 식약처 허가, which means "Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved." If the packaging is in English, similarly, look for the words “certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea.The South Korean government keeps a database of all approved KF94 manufacturers. That would make it easy for U.S. customers to look up whether the brand they’re about to buy is legit. Unfortunately, the site is in Korean and doesn’t mesh with Google Translate. KF94 Masks We TrustApproved-mask lists are limited and confusingAmerica wasn’t prepared for a world where every citizen would need good protection from an affordable mask. Since it became clear in early 2020 that Americans should be wearing masks, the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) set to work testing N95s and KN95s—see the list and results here. But in early February of 2021, the agency updated the list of tested masks, saying that even its scientists could not always tell between counterfeit and real masks and that some of the poor performers on its list could possibly be counterfeit versions of the masks regulators were hoping to test. It now has a list of tested masks that have been separated out by legit masks and suspected counterfeits.Further complicating things is that the FDA also regulates some masks — those used for medical purposes only, like surgical masks, while NIOSH traditionally covers masks used for construction and mining. In April of last year, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for face masks to increase the supply for the public and health care professionals. However, by May it had found that many of the masks that had been authorized under the EUA didn’t meet “expected performance standards.” Things have tightened up in the past few months. There are now EUAs for masks made in the U.S., masks made in China, and masks made in other foreign countries. Under the EUA, masks must be tested by an accredited lab and are subject to random tests by the FDA. You can find a list of masks that have been authorized by the FDA under an EUA here. The FDA approval — a step beyond EUA authorization — is significantly more stringent. Lloyd Armbrust, who founded Armbrust American Masks, an Austin, Texas-based mask manufacturer, opted for getting true FDA approval, instead of slipping his surgical masks in under the EUA. “I spent $12,000 on one test that took two months,” he says, adding that becoming an FDA-registered manufacturer was a vigorous process. If this is confusing, you’re not alone. I stared bleary-eyed at the FDA website trying to parse the different classifications before giving up and calling the FDA to ask for help. And I was being paid to do that research for this story. Aaron Ansel, founder of the Seattle, Washington-based mask company Puraka Masks, hopes another more clear-cut certification option is going to make things easier for consumers. In 2018, after experiencing the horrific smoke from wildfires, Ansel founded Puraka. While he was already two years into the process of learning about mask approvals when the pandemic hit, he says he’s been dismayed at how an “anything goes” attitude pervades the mask industry. And he has an inside look at just how complicated the buying process can be—besides having two years of experience selling masks, he also worked in Amazon’s compliance office until 2020—so he knows a thing or two about how hard it can be to keep counterfeit or shady products out of your online shopping cart. Ansel is serving on a new committee that is a partnership between ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials) and the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, which is part of the CDC. Because ASTM sets standards for private industry, the hope is that it will help bring basic standards for daily wear masks that mask manufacturers will meet. The committee just released an international standard for non-medical protective face coverings for the general public, called F3502, which brands could apply to the packaging of approved masks.What does “Medical Grade” mean?Unfortunately, this term doesn’t mean anything in America’s regulatory environment, says Collins. NIOSH certifies something called a “surgical N95,” an N95 that doubles as a surgical mask. These usually have some amount of splash protection for the wearer. But anything marked “medical grade” should be a red flag because this is not a term regulatory bodies are using in any meaningful way, says Collins. Think of it like “superfood.” It means nothing, really, since doughnuts are technically super (tasty) and also food.How to find good masks on Amazon The third-party seller model used by sites like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy makes these retailers ripe for knockoffs or misleading listings. My attempt to buy KF94 masks shows precisely that. I searched “KF94 South Korea mask” on Amazon and the first result, which had lots of good reviews, seemed promising. The packaging was in Korean, and it promised that the box would come sealed in cellophane. What could go wrong? When I got the box, though, the term KF94 was not anywhere on it. I went back to the listing to have another look. When I read the whole listing, I realized that I had just assumed these were KF94s because a search for KF94s produced them as a result. Because Amazon allows vendors to choose their own keyword search terms, it’s possible for a search result to not actually be the object you’re looking for.Amazon says it’s working to weed out counterfeit products and bad actors. “In 2019 alone, we invested over $500 million and have more than 8,000 employees protecting our store from fraud and abuse,” said a spokesperson in a statement. However, what’s trickier is when the listing isn’t actually wrong, but it’s not 100% truthful either, like in my case. Asked about that, the spokesperson said that “Amazon requires that sellers provide accurate information on product detail pages and put processes in place to proactively block inaccurate claims about COVID-19 before they are published to our store.” To buy on Amazon, give the product a hard look, see if it's been tested by the CDC (and performed well), and check that it's not also on the CDC's list of potential counterfeits. The six masks below (and the KF94s above) match those criteria. You might also start your search by looking for Collins's top masks. KN95 Masks We TrustBig tech companies are not really helping the search for legit masks. In a reaction to fake products and hoarding, Google and Facebook began flagging any ads advertising N95s. Right now, if you search for N95s on Google Shopping, you get a blank page. Ansel adds that he hasn't been able to advertise his masks or filters on Facebook, because the company essentially shut down mask advertisements. Armbrust says he hasn't been allowed to sell his masks on Amazon since he registered with the FDA and his surgical masks are technically considered a medical device. (Very weirdly, he found an Amazon ad for Armbrust masks on a website, and followed it through only to find the results were cheap, non-FDA registered masks.) While this potentially keeps illegitimate mask hawkers from being able to move their product, it also means real N95 manufacturers can't sell the inventory they do have. Where to shop beyond AmazonCollins's spreadsheet of brands he’s tested is a good place to start. His advice is to buy KF94 masks from companies with direct importing relationships to South Korea. He’s ordered several masks from BeHealthyUSA, New Jersey-based store that, until very recently, was known for importing Korean beauty products. Now it’s selling masks, and because the company owners had preexisting relationships in South Korea, there’s a better chance that product is actually coming from tightly regulated South Korea and not China.Armbrust, meanwhile, suggests buying American if you can. In part, because, well, he has a vested interest in people buying American masks. But he also notes that to be an FDA-registered device manufacturer takes significantly more work than selling your mask under an Emergency Use Authorization. Also, American companies can be sued by consumers they wrong. It’s much harder to file a class-action overseas. US-Made Face MasksOne more tip: Buy new masks in small quantities when possible. Fit is important for efficacy, so you need to find an option that will work with your face size and shape. Start by buying 2-3 of a couple of varieties. If they fit well, then spring for the bulk pack.What about the masks I already bought?Armbrust says there are a few ways to tell if a mask is counterfeit—especially when you’re looking at N95s. For one thing, N95s almost always have around-the-head elastic straps, because these straps offer a better fit, and that’s a crucial part of NIOSH’s N95 testing process. If you have an N95 with ear loops, there's a higher likelihood it’s a fake. Next: Look for the NIOSH TC approval number, which will be printed on the mask. It should be in the TC-XXX-XXXX format. NIOSH should also be stamped somewhere on the N95—though, this is easy for counterfeiters to fake, so it’s worth taking a stroll through NIOSH’s website, which shows recent examples of counterfeit N95s. If you, like me, realize you’ve bought masks on Amazon that are not what you thought they’d be, you may be covered under Amazon’s A-to-Z guarantee. And if the masks you ordered look suspect but you need to take your dog to the vet? Break them open. A mask is better than no mask, and you can always double up with that cute cat mask.Read More:18 Hand Sanitizers That Are Actually Effective at Killing GermsVaccine Accessories You'll Need Once You Get Your ShotMophie's UV Sanitizer With Wireless Charging Is a Techie Germaphobe's DreamFollow BestProducts.com on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!