Competition amongst many other face cover suppliers in the market was tough, so we are especially proud to be the first company to be granted this certification (and the accompanying quality mark) for our Premium face covers, by the certifying body, Kiwa Nederland B.V.
Our products not only meet, but exceed the requirements set out by the NEN Committee who established the certification protocols. These requirements include rigorous testing for bacterial filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, fit and ease of use and sustainability.
The bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of ISKO Vital™+ face covers is ≥95% (whilst the NEN’s minimum requirement is ≥70%), placing ISKO Vital™+ in the highest category of NEN Spec 1-2 certified products.
NEN also emphasises the need for comfort. If face covers are not comfortable, people tend not to wear them, or at least not in the right way. The certification scheme has a minimum requirement for breathing resistance of <70 Pa / cm2 and the ISKO Vital™+face covers beat this with a respiratory resistance lower than 40 Pa / cm2 – scientific proof that our face covers are very comfortable to wear.
The NEN Spec 1-2 recommends face covers are water repellent and ISKO Vital™+ face masks are water and oil repellent – another example of us going above and beyond the standard. From a sustainability perspective, it is very important that face covers can be washed and reused. The NEN-spec 1-2 requires a minimum of five washes to ensure durability. Our Premium face covers can be washed and reused 15 times without loss of quality.
And finally, the softness of the fabric, fit and ease of use, as outlined in the NEN-spec 1-2, has also been assessed by an independent panel and we passed with flying colours.