There are huge differences in the effectiveness of face masks on sale in supermarkets and high-street pharmacies, according to a new study.

Consumer magazine Which? tested 15 reusable fabric face masks including pleated, moulded, stretch and multi-layer coverings.

While three of the masks that were tested only captured 7% of bacterial particles, the best-performing face coverings were found to be as good as surgical masks at blocking bacterial particles, preventing more than 99% of them from getting through the fabric.

Bacterial particles were shot at sections of the masks using an aerosol generator and the proportion that travelled through was measured.

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The masks were also assessed on how breathable and comfortable they were to wear, as well as how well they survived being worn multiple times.

To see how breathable they were, the pressure required to draw air through the masks was measured, while testers put on and took off each mask 80 times to see how well they coped with repeated use.

Three testers with different face shapes then tried on the masks to rate them for comfort, fit and ease of adjustment.

The NEQI reusable face mask sold in Boots and Ocado in bundles of three for £15, and Bags of Ethics mask, sold by ASOS and John Lewis, also costing £15 for three, came out on top.

This was due to a combination of good filtration scores alongside being considered comfortably breathable.

The lowest scoring masks were the Termin8 lightweight breathable face covering available at Lloyds Pharmacy for £2, Etiquette face covering sold at Superdrug for £3 and Asda’s £3 white patterned face masks.

They are all only made up of one layer, making them lightweight and breathable but affecting their ability to filter potentially harmful particles.

Which? said Asda has pulled its face covering from sale as a result of the findings, while Termin8 and Superdrug disputed the findings and insisted their masks conform to government guidelines for fabric face coverings.

Based on its findings, Which? advises people to wear face masks that are at least two layers and made from woven cotton.

Anna Studman, a senior researcher at Which?, said: ‘Our first independent lab test of reusable face coverings has revealed that some cloth masks are highly effective at blocking particles, but that basic single-layer masks may not be up to the job.’

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