this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2024
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Went to 4 different pharmacies, 2 of them enormous. Couldn't find any masks/respirators on the shelves. In each case I asked a store helper person. Only in the 4th one I went to did they have anything, and in that case there was only one type of product available - a disposable N95 respirator by 3M. They cost $5 each.

How are you finding masks and affording to stay masked all the time? It seems really expensive...

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[–] ButtBidet@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago

I'm buying them in bulk online. Depending on your location, there will be wholesalers, and Amazon is probably dependable, although I've never used the latter.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Particulate-Respirator-8210-Pack/dp/B008MCUZZS/

You don't have to worry about counterfeit when it's from the 3M store.

[–] CyberSyndicalist@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

Bulk buying online is the way to go, not just for masks but for everything. Every trip to a shop avoided is a mask saved. Well not exactly because you can reuse the masks a few times as long as the elastic is still good and you leave each mask 3 days between uses.

[–] dat_math@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

I buy them in bulk from home despot in amerikkka

[–] coolusername@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I live in Taiwan and manufacturers here have n95 equivalents (taiwanese gov standards) that are very cheap.

Masks were invented in Taiwan btw

[–] ButtBidet@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Ya I never see N95s in stores nowadays.

[–] Bobson_Dugnutt@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

I got some of those reusable silicone masks with the disposable filter inserts (there's a few brands that are basically all the same). I don't know how effective they are exactly but the filters are cheap.

[–] TheModerateTankie@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago

Amazon, currently. I pay about $20 a month for masks, and I often see deals on 3m n95s.

There are some medical supply places online where you can sometimes find deals on bulk masks. Haven't used any of those sites personally, by a friend of mine got about 400 3m n95 masks for about $150 a year ago.

Generally n95s are good for at least 8hrs of straight use from what I've seen. So if you are only grocery shopping or going on public transit or other relatively short time periods, you can re-use the same high quality one for a while.