Thread by @ghhughes

440 Auras for $27 from Amazon. Are they real?

I tested the Auras I got to find out.

I checked the nosewire properties, headband tension, static charge, and fit and filtration.

Video link in the next comment

Spoiler: the expiration date sticker was missing from my case, which could be accidental, or it could be deliberate tampering to hide the expiration date to help sell expired, or near expired masks.

The Lot Code for the Auras I got is A 20 3537. So they were made in 2020, which is likely the reason for the steep discount, and possibly the reason for the missing expiration date sticker.

N95s can still work for years after their expiration date. The filter media holds up well in decent storage conditions. The headbands may degrade before the filter media does.

NIOSH has done stockpile studies to see how well N95s stored for years perform.

netec.org/2020/03/05/nio…

Sellers vary on Amazon listings, so the masks you get if you order a case of 440 may be the same or different than the ones I got. The provenance could vary even with cases from the same seller.

First things first: If you need to be sure your 3M masks are legit buy from a 3M Authorized Distributor, such as RS Hughes (no relation). There have been some counterfeits on US Amazon in the past, and some still show up on Amazon in the EU.

Now that being said, here is the video where I find out if the super cheap Auras from Amazon perform like Auras should:

youtube.com/shorts/hgAK_zC…

Only 3M can say for sure if a mask is genuine or not. Only they know what manufacturing variations they have. What I can do is test whether a mask has the same performance as the same model I have from other sources. If the performance is the same, then I don't really care whether or not the mask is "genuine" or not because I buy masks for their performance. Though it is possible that a high performance fake could be made of materials that aren't as safe as a genuine mask.

My hypothesis is that counterfeiters won't bother to copy the quality and performance of the 3M nosewires. 3M nose wires are the best in the industry, but even legit competitors don't go to the expense of copying their quality and performance. So it seems likely that counterfeiters wouldn't either, even as they may copy the outward appearance of masks convincingly.

So, how were the nose wires? Similar in dimensions, springback and stiffness to other Auras I have on hand, and to ones I have tested in the past.

I measured headband tensions at the lengths they would extend when worn on my head with a force gauge. I measured in grams instead of Newtons because people are more familiar with grams.

There was some variability in the headband tensions in both the 2021 reference Auras, and this new case of 2020 test Auras. However, the highest tension tested was one from the test Auras from the "new" case.

The tension was recorded after the straps were extended and held at distance for 30 seconds to allow the readings to settle.

Due to the variability of the headband tension, I'd like to do more testing and compare some of my "stockpile" Auras to new production Auras.

I also measured the electrostatic charge of the internal electret filter media layers. I got identical readings of 3,100 volts of charge from masks from the reference and test Auras.

And, finally, I ran 4 exercise Fast Fit Protocol OSHA fit tests using a TSI 8048 PortaCount fit testing machine in N99 mode. All Auras tested passed a fit test.

I also tested each mask with a Fix the Mask mask fitter to try to isolate fit from filtration. However, I didn't get the improvement in performance I normally associate with Fix the Mask.

Although all the scores are passing, they aren't quite as good as I would prefer. But I do believe the Auras in the case of 440 are almost certainly genuine.

Mask fit is very individual. Although 3M Auras can pass a fit test on most adults, they don't fit everyone. You may need to try multiple models of mask to find one that fits you well.