What does KF94 mean?
KF stands for Korea Filtration. The number is the minimum filtration efficiency the grade requires: 94%. The grade is set by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), which approves masks in this category individually rather than allowing manufacturers to self-declare.
Are there other KF grades?
Yes. KF80 requires at least 80% filtration and KF99 at least 99%. KF-AD is a separate, lighter Korean category. Good Manner masks sold here are KF94.
What is “yellow dust”?
Yellow dust is fine mineral particulate carried on seasonal winds across North East Asia. It is the reason the KF grades exist. Korea has regulated particulate masks for a long time, and the KF94 grade predates 2020 by years. The same filtration applies to fine and ultrafine particulate generally, not only to mineral dust.
What lab testing has been done?
Good Manner KF94 (Large White) was tested by KOTITI Testing & Research Institute in Korea against the MFDS guideline for KF94 masks. Report 82211509103328-001, issued 6 July 2021, on lot 21120F2.
| Test | KF94 requirement | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Filtration efficiency, sodium chloride | at least 94% | 99–100% |
| Filtration efficiency, paraffin oil | at least 94% | 98–99% |
| Inhalation resistance | 70 Pa or less | 8–9 Pa |
| Leak rate | at least 46 of 50 results under 11.0% | all 50 results under 11.0% |
| Earloop tensile strength | at least 10 N | 24 N |
Results shown for both untreated and pretreated samples. Read the full report (PDF).
Two things we want to be straight about. This report covers the Large White variant on a 2021 lot, and the Korean approval has been varied since, so we are seeking current reports for all four variants and will publish them here. And this is testing KOTITI carried out for the manufacturer against the MFDS guideline. It is not itself an MFDS test, and KOTITI’s report says so on its face.
Why is the inhalation resistance figure interesting?
It measures how hard the mask is to breathe through, not what it filters. The KF94 limit is 70 Pa and this mask measured 8 to 9. In practical terms that is the difference between a mask you forget you are wearing by mid-afternoon and one you keep pulling down.
Has anyone tested these independently?
Yes. In testing commissioned by CBC Marketplace and published in April 2021, three samples of the Good Manner KF94 (black) tested at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health recorded filtration efficiencies of 99.2%, 99.6% and 99.9%. CBC tested 14 KN95 and KF94 brands bought at retail; half did not meet their stated filtration standard.
Those samples were bought in Canada in early 2021 and predate later changes to the product’s approved materials and manufacturing method, so we cite it as independent corroboration rather than as testing of current stock. CBC and the University of Toronto tested the mask. They did not endorse or rank it.
How long can I wear one?
They are single use. Replace the mask when it becomes soiled, damp or damaged, and don’t wash or reuse one.
Will a KF94 mask fog my glasses?
Fogging happens when warm, humid breath reaches cooler lenses. Some of it escapes upwards around the top edge of a mask, and some passes through the mask itself.
The 3D boat shape of a Good Manner KF94 sits flatter against the cheeks than a flat pleated mask and holds a pocket in front of the mouth, so more air is directed out through the front. Some wearers find this makes a difference; others still get fogging.
It’s worth being clear about what the shape can and can’t do. The section that sits over the nose is three layers, outer fabric, filter and inner lining, so it is breathable, and some warm air will always pass upward through it. The mask also has a plastic nose piece rather than a metal wire, so it can’t be moulded to the bridge of the nose the way an aluminium strip can. If you wear glasses and fogging is your main concern, a mask with a mouldable metal nose wire and a non-breathable top panel is more likely to help, and we’d rather tell you that than have you buy the wrong thing.
To get the best fit: pinch the nose piece to the shape of your nose, make sure the side edges sit against your cheeks without gapping, and choose the size that sits closest to your face.
Which size should I choose?
| Large | Small | |
|---|---|---|
| Width, folded | 207.8 ± 10 mm | 183 ± 10 mm |
| Height, folded | 80 ± 8 mm | 70 ± 7 mm |
| Height, opened | 162 ± 5 mm | 142 ± 10 mm |
| Earloop | 150 ± 15 mm | 120 ± 12 mm |
Large is available in white and black, Small in white and yellow.
How do I know these are genuine?
Good Manner masks are made by Handa Health Care Co., Ltd, 98 Yuljeong-ro 165 beon-gil, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
You can read the Korean approval certificate (PDF) and the KOTITI test report (PDF). To verify the approval independently, search item code 202000037 on Korea’s Pharmaceutical Integrated Information System at nedrug.mfds.go.kr, filtering to quasi-drugs (의약외품) and classification 32200. The site is in Korean.
Counterfeit KF masks are a real problem. A counterfeit has no MFDS approval behind it, which means nothing has been assessed and no filtration figure can be relied on.
Who sells these in Australia?
Komno Store Pty Ltd, trading as kf94.au, is the authorised Australian distributor for Good Manner KF masks. ABN 36 658 150 059.
Is this a medical device?
No. Good Manner KF94 is approved in Korea as a quasi-drug in the health mask category, which is a different regime from Korea’s medical device rules. It is not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and we supply it as a general consumer particulate mask. We don’t supply it for clinical, surgical or aged care use.
Why did you pick this brand?
We tried them ourselves and preferred them, which is our own opinion rather than a test result. For the objective side, see the testing answers above.