FFP3 vs FFP2
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are about to cut or sand wood, the mask in the drawer says FFP2, and the spare packet says FFP3. A jump from 94% to 99% filtration looks small. This comparison of FFP3 vs FFP2 uses the assigned protection factor: FFP2 is APF 10 and FFP3 is APF 20. For most power-tool wood cutting that the Health and Safety Executive describes, that gap is why you step up, while extraction still does the first job. Listings are on the [FFP3 mask](/hub/medical-protection/ffp3-mask) comparison. This page decides which class belongs on the job.
You are about to cut or sand wood, the mask in the drawer says FFP2, and the spare packet says FFP3. A jump from 94% to 99% filtration looks small.
You are about to cut or sand wood, the mask in the drawer says FFP2, and the spare packet says FFP3. A jump from 94% to 99% filtration looks small. This comparison of FFP3 vs FFP2 uses the assigned protection factor: FFP2 is APF 10 and FFP3 is APF 20. For most power-tool wood cutting that the Health and Safety Executive describes, that gap is why you step up, while extraction still does the first job. Listings are on the FFP3 mask comparison. This page decides which class belongs on the job.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Class | Standard | Harness | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Spanner In The Works Spanner In The Works FFP3 20-pack | FFP3, APF 20 | EN149 in the title | Not in the title | 8.1 | about £21.95 | View offer |
| Alternative |  3M 3M Aura 9332+ FFP3 valved 10-pack | FFP3, APF 20 | EN 149:2001+A1:2009 FFP3 NR D | Headbands, red for FFP3 | 7.4 | about £58.03 | View offer |
| Best value |  Spanner In The Works Spanner In The Works FFP3 10-pack | FFP3, APF 20 | EN149 in the title | n/a | 6.6 | about £11.95 | View offer |
On this page
The two classes in one comparison
EN 149 sorts disposable particle respirators into FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3. A public BSI summary maps laboratory filter efficiency to about 80%, 94% and 99%. Those percentages describe the filter material, not the dust inside a mask on your face. HSE maps the same classes to assigned protection factors of 4, 10 and 20. If the air outside holds 20 units of wood dust, a sealed FFP2 is assigned about 2 units inside and a sealed FFP3 about 1. That sketch is the factor, not a test of your saw, and a leak at the cheek removes it.
Wood dust, the usual UK reason to step up
For most power-tool cutting and sanding of wood, HSE asks for respiratory protection of at least APF 20, and names FFP3 as the example. Extraction comes first. HSE illustrates the advice with a trigger time of about 15 to 30 minutes, especially in an enclosed space. Sanding MDF for a quarter of an hour in a closed garage is that situation. Past about an hour, WIS23 calls a disposable FFP mask a poor choice.
When FFP2 is still the class in front of you
FFP2 is the matching class when a competent assessment shows that APF 10 is enough. A lookalike cup with no class printed on it does not become an FFP2 because the packet was cheap. A minute with a cordless drill outdoors is not the 15 to 30 minute enclosed example. WIS23 states that nuisance dust masks do not filter wood particles. Neither class stops solvent or paint vapour. For particle work held at APF 10, the FFP2 masks category is the catalogue, while a wood job that HSE rates at APF 20 stays with FFP3.
What to buy after you choose the class
Shape and straps come after the class. The FFP3 mask buying guide covers harness and price, and the best FFP3 mask shortlist names a listing. An easier FFP2 is still the wrong stand-in on a job set at APF 20. The steps sit on how to fit an FFP3 mask. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools, used HSE cutting and sanding guidance, WIS23, WD7 and the public BSI summary. No laboratory test was run. An N95 line is not the UK factor. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Is FFP3 better than FFP2?
FFP3 is the higher class. BSI’s public summary puts filter efficiency at about 94% for FFP2 and about 99% for FFP3, and HSE assigns protection factors of 10 and 20. A sealed FFP3 is expected to leave about a twentieth of the outside dust inside the mask, and a sealed FFP2 about a tenth, if the seal holds. For most power-tool wood cutting and sanding in HSE’s guidance, FFP3 is the example for APF 20. If a competent assessment shows APF 10 is enough, FFP2 is the matching class.
Do I need FFP3 for sanding wood?
For most power-tool sanding of wood, HSE asks for at least APF 20, with FFP3 as the example, especially in an enclosed space. The trigger time they give is about 15 to 30 minutes, and extraction still comes first. A short outdoor rub-down is outside that example. If sanding continues for more than about an hour, a disposable FFP mask is a poor choice, and HSE’s hand-sander note points to a powered respirator for the longer session.
Is 99% filtration the same as APF 20?
No. The 99% figure is FFP3 filter efficiency in the public BSI summary of EN 149, beside 94% for FFP2 and 80% for FFP1. APF 20 is the factor HSE assigns to a fitted FFP3 while you are wearing it. The percentage and the factor answer different questions. Picking an FFP2 because 94% looks close to 99% misses the move from APF 10 to APF 20.
When is an FFP2 enough?
An FFP2 is enough when an assessment shows that APF 10 covers the exposure. A short, low-dust task can fall there, unlike the enclosed wood cutting HSE rates at APF 20. The mask must be a marked EN 149 FFP2. A nuisance dust mask is not a substitute, and WIS23 says those masks do not filter wood particles. An FFP2 already in the cupboard does not make 20 minutes of sanding in a closed garage into an APF 10 job.
Will an FFP2 or an FFP3 mask stop solvent?
Neither class stops gas or vapour. FFP2 and FFP3 filter particles such as wood dust, not solvent, paint fumes or adhesive vapour. If a coating gives off vapour while you sand, the FFP mark deals only with the dust. The safety information has to name a filter made for that vapour. Changing from FFP2 to FFP3 leaves the vapour uncontrolled.
What if I only drill for a minute?
A minute with a drill is not HSE’s picture of most wood cutting and sanding. That picture is about 15 to 30 minutes of trigger time, particularly in an enclosed space, at a minimum assigned protection factor of 20. A brief outdoor hole can stay with a marked FFP2 when a competent assessment supports APF 10. The same minute in a cloud of MDF dust, with no extraction, is a different job, and FFP2 is then the wrong class.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these ten listings were read on 20 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- HSE disposable dust masks (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE HSG53, Respiratory protective equipment at work (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE COSHH essentials R3 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE fit testing basics (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE INDG479, guidance on respiratory protective equipment fit testing (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE safety bulletin on ear-loop respirators (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE asbestos essentials em6 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK PPE marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 20 October 2026)