{"id":10401,"date":"2024-04-08T19:18:20","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T11:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/?p=10401"},"modified":"2024-04-08T19:18:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T11:18:23","slug":"difference-between-n95-and-kf94-masks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/blog\/difference-between-n95-and-kf94-masks\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Difference Between KF94 and N95 Mask? (KF94 vs N95)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many people wonder about the difference between N95 and KF94 masks. But actually, for the things most people care about, the difference is not small. KF94 is the \u201cKorean filter\u201d standard similar to the US N95 mask rating<\/a>. Let’s dive into the differences: KF95 vs N95. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note, there is no “N94” or “K94” mask standard (even though many seem to think so!). We wrote an article going over all of the different mask standards<\/a> to make everything clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Difference Between KF94 and N95 Masks: Charted Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They look similar, and they filter a nearly identical percentage of particles\u201495% versus 94%. This chart from 3M explains the differences between the N95 and \u201cfirst-class\u201d Korean masks. The columns highlight these two types of masks.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Difference<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

On the metric that most people care about (filtration effectiveness), they\u2019re nearly identical. In most circumstances, mask users will not care about a 1% difference in filtration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KF94 Standards Borrow More From Europe Than US<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, of the differences between the standards, the Korean standards are more similar to the EU standards than the US standards. For example, US certification agencies test filtering performance using salt particles, whereas European and Korean standards test against salt and paraffin oil<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Paraffin<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Similarly, the US tests filtration at a flow rate of 85 liters per minute, whereas the EU and Korea test against a flow rate of 95 liters per minute. However, these differences are minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Differences Between Mask Ratings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Besides the 1% difference in filtration, there are some small differences in other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n