Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

FFP2 vs FFP3: assigned protection factor 10 and 20

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are choosing a class, not a brand, because a listing has called an FFP2 enough and a forum has answered with FFP3. The UK numbers are assigned protection factor 10 for a fitted FFP2 and 20 for a fitted FFP3. The percentage printed for the filter material is not the protection you get in the room. This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 20 October 2026, uses HSE’s HSG53 for those factors. It does not rank the eight products in our [German-made FFP2 masks](/hub/medical-protection/german-made-ffp2-masks) comparison. Jobs such as wood sanding and loft insulation are on [FFP2 mask for DIY dust](/hub/medical-protection/german-made-ffp2-masks/sub/german-made-ffp2-masks-dust-and-diy). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing a class, not a brand, because a listing has called an FFP2 enough and a forum has answered with FFP3. The UK numbers are assigned protection factor 10 for a fitted FFP2 and 20 for a fitted FFP3.

Our top picks

3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack

Best overall

3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack
8.2/10about £25.14
View offer
Exbert Exbert DM LK fish-shape FFP2, £13.84

Alternative

Exbert Exbert DM LK fish-shape FFP2, £13.84
6.2/10about £13.84
View offer
3M 3M 8822 FFP2 cup, 3-piece

Rank 3

3M 3M 8822 FFP2 cup, 3-piece
8.8/10about £12.68
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The two numbers
  2. 2.Surgical mask and KN95
  3. 3.What a valve does and does not do
  4. 4.When the class is the wrong purchase

The two numbers

HSE’s assigned protection factor is the figure to shop with. For a particle filtering half mask, FFP1 is 4, FFP2 is 10, and FFP3 is 20. Factor 10 means you should breathe in no more than a tenth of the contaminant outside the mask, if it is suitable, fitted, and worn the whole time. Factor 20 means no more than a twentieth. A poor seal, or a mask you take off in the dust, breaks that assumption. At least 94 percent is the filter-material figure for an FFP2. It is not the protection you get in the room. Particle filters do not stop gas, vapour, or a lack of oxygen. The German-origin cups in the main comparison are still FFP2s. Origin does not move the factor from 10 to 20.

Surgical mask and KN95

A surgical mask is not an FFP2. It is aimed at droplets and source control, not at an assigned protection factor for fine dust. Buying a German-made FFP2 because a surgical mask felt loose changes the product type. It does not reach factor 20. A KN95 is not an FFP2 either. HSE’s bulletin describes a Chinese GB 2626 rating that can look similar on paper. It does not say a KN95 is illegal to own at home. It does say you should not treat the letters as a synonym for FFP2 on a job that needs EN 149. If you work in a clinic, follow the infection-prevention policy you are given.
3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack

Testsieger

3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack
8.2/10about £25.14
View offer

What a valve does and does not do

A valve is not a class. Adding a cool-flow valve to an FFP2 leaves it an FFP2. The three-piece 3M 8822 listing states that valve, and it states FFP2, not FFP3. NHS England’s alert of 25 August 2021 says exhalation valves do not filter exhaled breath. You are not filtering what you breathe out. A valved cup is a poor choice when the goal is to protect other people. It can still be a reasonable choice when your own dust exposure sits inside factor 10. Do not cover the valve with tape. Listings that do not state a valve stay blank until you see the mask. Putting the mask on is on how to fit an FFP2 mask.

When the class is the wrong purchase

Buy FFP2 when the hazard is inside assigned protection factor 10, the mask can seal, and you will wear it the whole time. Buy FFP3 when HSE’s task sheets ask for 20. Most cutting and sanding of wood is that case. Removing loft insulation is another: CIS81 names an FFP3 mask. Solvents, isocyanates, two-pack paint, and welding fume are not a step from FFP2 to FFP3. Asbestos and confined spaces are stop points, not a class upgrade. If you are employed, a kitchen seal check does not replace the employer’s fit test.

Common questions

What is the UK number for FFP2 and for FFP3?
HSE’s assigned protection factor is 10 for FFP2 and 20 for FFP3 on a filtering half mask, with FFP1 at 4. Factor 10 means no more than a tenth of the outside contaminant if the mask is suitable, fitted, and worn throughout. Factor 20 means no more than a twentieth on the same terms. A Germany line on the box does not change either number.
Is 94 percent the same as assigned protection factor 10?
No. At least 94 percent is the filter-material figure HSE cites for FFP2. Assigned protection factor 10 is the protection assumed in use when the seal holds and the mask stays on. The filter percentage is not 95 percent protection in the room, and it is not a measurement of the leak around your nose.
Is an FFP2 a surgical mask?
No. A surgical mask and an FFP2 are different products. The FFP2 is a tight-fitting particle respirator with an assigned protection factor when it seals. A surgical mask is not that factor. Feeling a closer fit than a surgical mask, which some reviews mention, does not make the two interchangeable.
Is a KN95 an FFP2?
No. KN95 is a Chinese GB 2626 designation. HSE’s bulletin says it is not the same as a certified FFP2 for supply as workplace personal protective equipment. Owning one at home is not described as an offence in that bulletin. Using the name as a synonym on a job that needs EN 149 and factor 10 or 20 is the mistake.
Does a valve change the class?
No. A valve on an FFP2 leaves the class at FFP2 and the factor at 10. It can make the mask less hot for you. It does not filter exhaled breath, which is the point of the NHS England alert of 25 August 2021. The 3M three-piece listing states a cool-flow valve and still says FFP2.
When is FFP2 the wrong class?
When the task needs assigned protection factor 20, which HSE uses for most wood cutting and sanding and for removing loft insulation, or when the hazard is gas, vapour, solvent, or low oxygen. A particle FFP3 is the example HSE gives for the wood dust factor. It is still the wrong tool for solvents. A home seal check is not the fit test an employer must arrange for tight-fitting equipment at work.

Related pages

How to choose an FFP2 mask

Best German-made FFP2 mask

German-made FFP2 masks

An FFP2 mask for DIY dust when factor 10 is too low

How to fit an FFP2 mask and do the ten-second seal check

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these eight listings were read on 20 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. HSE disposable dust masks (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE HSG53 respiratory protective equipment (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE disposable respirator poster (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE fit testing basics (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE PPE product safety and supply (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. HSE cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. NHS England valved respirator alert (retrieved 20 October 2026)