What is the difference between N95, KN95, and KF94 mask?

The main difference between N95, KN95, and KF94 masks is where they are regulated. N95 face masks are regulated by the U.S. government and the CDC through the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (or NIOSH). KN95 masks are regulated by the Chinese government, and KF94 masks are regulated by the Korean Ministry of Food and Safety (KFDA).

If you’re trying to decide between an N95, KN95, and KF94, Amesh Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security says that you can consider the three types of respirator masks as “functionally equivalent.”

“There’s not really any difference in the protection these three types of mask affords, because they are all aimed at a standard of 95% filtration of certain size particles,” Adalja says.