The science behind Airinum’s products

What makes Airinum a ‘health-tech’ brand?

I have spent countless hours researching and testing all our products down to the smallest detail to make sure all components interact in the best possible way, providing the highest possible level of protection, comfort and design that we as a brand require. From digging down into the basics of filtration technology to evaluating the latest technologies in our production partner lab, as well as in third party labs all over the world.

What goes into developing a filter for the masks?

The key is to find the optimal filter media for your application. But because the filter in a mask is to be used on such a sensitive area as your face and affect your respiration, it’s key to take properties like skin sensitivity, fussing, breathability, filtration, pressure, sizing, leakage, and more into consideration during the development process.

How does the multilayer filter work?

Each layer has a specific purpose. The outer layer works as a structural layer, the second is an active carbon layer that reduces odors, the third layer removes the biggest particles, the fourth layer removes the smallest particles, and the fifth layer provides a soft inner surface. All together, they provide superior protection and filter out more than 99% of what you breathe.

What’s unique about Airinum’s filter system?

We have worked very hard to find the optimal balance between protection and breathability. These two properties contradict each other, and we have carefully evaluated every layer in the filter to find the perfect sweet spot where all the layers work together. This, together with all the unique features of the Airinum masks, provides the most comfortable and protective option on the market.

How does a filter become certified?

There are thorough requirements put on a mask for it to be certified. Things like filtration, breathing resistance, material safety, leakage, durability, cleaning, clogging, practical performance and more need to be tested. Requirements are also put on the information supplied by the manufacturer as well as on the quality control system to make sure each and every product fulfills all requirements.

What should people know when shopping for a mask?

When you’re looking at a protective mask, it’s very easy to get blindsided by claims and numbers like ‘99% filtration’. This is a key indicator, but it leaves a lot of information in the dark. The protection rate is highly dependent on what has been tested. If the mask doesn’t have full mask certification, it is most likely that only the filter in the product has been tested. These tests are performed with an air flow which is one third of that in a full mask certification. The particles used in these tests are most often also 10 times bigger than the particles used in mask certification testing, and which is easier to filter out. These factors combined would indicate that a fully certified mask will provide much better protection, even though both state 99% filtration.

But not only this factor, products without a full mask certification also haven’t been tested for leakage. If the product is leaking, you might as well not bother wearing a protective mask at all, since all air is drawn from the sides of the mask and into your respiratory airways and not through the filter itself.