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FFP2 mask buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have an amazon.co.uk search open and the results are not one product. Ear-loop multipacks, valved cups and boxes marked FFP3 all sit under a search for FFP2. This FFP2 mask buying guide is the order before you sort by stars: name the hazard, read the class, choose the harness, decide on a valve, then read NR or R, and only then compare the price per mask. Peter F. checked these listings and public HSE pages on 19 October 2026. This is not a filter test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The seven shelf prices are on the [FFP2 masks comparison](/hub/medical-protection/ffp2-masks).

You have an amazon.co.uk search open and the results are not one product. Ear-loop multipacks, valved cups and boxes marked FFP3 all sit under a search for FFP2.

Our top picks

3M 3M 8822, 10-pack

Best overall

3M 3M 8822, 10-pack
9.0/10about £25.14
View offer
Cleanstro Cleanstro FFP2, 25-pack

Best value

Cleanstro Cleanstro FFP2, 25-pack
9.0/10about £9.99
View offer
3M 3M Aura 9322+, 10-pack

Alternative

3M 3M Aura 9322+, 10-pack
8.8/10about £35.67
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What an FFP2 mask is for
  2. 2.Strap and valve
  3. 3.NR, R and the mark on the mask
  4. 4.How the packs in this comparison split

What an FFP2 mask is for

An FFP2 mask is a filtering half-mask under BS EN 149:2001+A1:2009. The filter has to stop at least 94 percent of the test aerosol, and total inward leakage has to stay at or below 8 percent in that test. HSE’s HSG53 gives a correctly fitting FFP2 an assigned protection factor of 10, for dust, mist and fibres. It does not stop gas, solvent vapour or a space with too little oxygen. FFP3 is assigned protection factor 20 when the dust level is high. An FFP3 box in an FFP2 search is a class change. A bigger pack does not repair it. The boundary is FFP2 vs FFP3.

Strap and valve

For work, check the harness. HSE does not recommend ear loops, including tightening clips, as tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment, even with CE or UKCA. The 15 October 2026 designated-standards notice keeps that limit beside EN 149. The DOC 30-pack states ear bands, the Aura 9322+ a headband, and the 3-piece 8822 twin straps. Cleanstro and Apex state no strap type. A Cool Flow valve, on the 3-piece and the Aura, lets heat out and does not filter exhaled air. The 8822 10-pack title does not state a valve, so the shared model number is not a confirmed valved cup.
3M 3M 8822, 10-pack

Testsieger

3M 3M 8822, 10-pack
9.0/10about £25.14
View offer

NR, R and the mark on the mask

NR means non-reusable. HSG53 describes disposal after one shift of eight hours, and also lists disposable half-masks for less than one hour of continuous wear at a medium work rate. The leaflet decides. R means reusable on the manufacturer’s conditions. D is the clogging mark. Do not wash an NR mask. Great Britain accepts UKCA or CE on PPE. Northern Ireland accepts CE, or UKNI with CE. UK certified on the Cleanstro title is not a body number.

How the packs in this comparison split

Apex is about £8.99 for 20 (4.0 from two reviews), Cleanstro about £9.99 for 25 (4.5 from 96) and DOC about £14.99 for 30 (5.0 from one rating). The 8822 10-pack is about £25.14 (4.5 from 1,611), the 3-piece about £12.68 (4.3 from 583), the 8822PT about £29.99 (4.5 from 242) and the Aura about £35.67 (4.4 from 59). Apex, Cleanstro and DOC say they are individually wrapped. The DOC star has no review text, and one Apex review says dust passed the nose bar. Who should buy which row is on the best FFP2 dust mask page.

Common questions

Is an FFP2 the same as a five-layer mask?
No. Five layers describes how a flat fold is built. FFP2 is the class under EN 149:2001+A1:2009, with a filter floor of at least 94 percent and a UK assigned protection factor of 10 when the mask fits. A listing can claim five layers and still fail to show the FFP2 mark, a strap type or a body number. Read the class on the mask, not the layer count in the title, and treat a missing strap line as unknown rather than as a head harness.
Do I need a head harness or are ear loops enough?
For workplace respiratory protective equipment, HSE does not recommend ear loops, including clip-tightened ones, as a tight-fitting respirator. That limit sits in the ear-loop bulletin and in the 15 October 2026 designated-standards notice. The DOC pack in this set states ear bands, so it is the wrong mask to issue to staff. A headband, as on the Aura 9322+, or twin straps, as on the 3-piece 8822, is the arrangement to look for when you are buying for work. At home you still need a seal you have checked.
Should I buy a valve?
Buy a valve when heat and moisture are the problem and you do not need to filter what you breathe out. The 3-piece 8822 and the Aura 9322+ both state a Cool Flow valve. Skip a valve when you want exhaled air filtered, because the valve vents it. The 8822 10-pack title does not confirm a valve, so do not assume that listing matches the 3-piece. Comfort in a warm loft is not the same job as protecting people around you.
What does NR mean on the mask?
NR means non-reusable. HSG53 describes throwing a disposable filtering facepiece away after one shift, and it describes that shift as eight hours. The same guide also places disposable half-masks in a band of less than one hour of continuous wear at a medium work rate. If the mask is wet, damaged or hard to breathe through, change it sooner. Do not wash an NR mask and hang it up for the next day.
Is UK certified in a title the same as EN 149 on the mask?
No. UK certified on the Cleanstro title is a phrase in the listing. It is not a body number you can read there, and it is not a substitute for FFP2 printed on the mask under EN 149. Great Britain accepts UKCA or CE on PPE. Northern Ireland accepts CE, or UKNI with CE. Check the mark on the mask you unpack, not only the words in the amazon.co.uk title.

Related pages

How to fit an FFP2 mask

FFP2 masks

Best FFP2 dust mask for DIY from these seven packs

FFP2 mask for sanding wood, filler and ordinary loft dust

FFP2 vs FFP3 for assigned protection factor 10 or 20

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the figures on these seven listings. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. HSE HSG53, Respiratory protective equipment at work (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. HSE disposable respirator poster (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. HSE safety bulletin, ear loop respirators (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE disposable dust masks (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Designated standards notice, PPE, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. 3M technical bulletin, FFP2, KN95 and N95 classes (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. SATRA, EN 149 filtering facepieces (retrieved 21 October 2026)