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

Updated: 21 October 2026

The mask is already in your hand, and the question is whether it seals on your face or only feels snug. A leak at the nose feels like a weak filter, and it is often the fit. This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 20 October 2026, follows the Health and Safety Executive poster for disposable respirators and the limit of that poster when the mask has ear loops. It does not rank the eight listings in our [German-made FFP2 masks](/hub/medical-protection/german-made-ffp2-masks) comparison. What should have been printed before you bought is on the [buying guide](/hub/medical-protection/german-made-ffp2-masks/sub/german-made-ffp2-masks-buying-guide). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The mask is already in your hand, and the question is whether it seals on your face or only feels snug. A leak at the nose feels like a weak filter, and it is often the fit.

Our top picks

3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack

Best overall

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

Rank 2

3M 3M 8822 FFP2 cup, 3-piece
8.8/10about £12.68
View offer
Kela Kela FFP2 ear-loop extension, £24.95

Alternative

Kela Kela FFP2 ear-loop extension, £24.95
5.0/10about £24.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before it goes on your face
  2. 2.The two-strap seal check
  3. 3.Glasses, beard, and a valve
  4. 4.When the mask is finished

Before it goes on your face

Read the date before you shape anything. If the date on the box has passed, do not use the mask up. Check that the straps are attached. On the kela about £24.95 file a United Kingdom review says the string came away on first use. A strap that is already off the mask will not pass a seal check. The 3M 8822 three-piece listing states nose foam, a nose clip, twin straps and a cool-flow valve. The fish-shape listings do not print a donning method. Follow the instructions in the box you received. HSE’s poster assumes a clean-shaven face. If goggles will sit on the same skin as the mask, fit them together.

The two-strap seal check

Cup the mask over nose and chin. Pull the lower strap behind the neck and the upper strap on the crown. Shape the nose clip with both hands, not one pinch in the middle. Breathe in sharply and hold for about ten seconds. The mask should draw in and stay drawn in. If it does not, refit it. A user seal check is not a fit test. Do not copy that poster onto an ear-loop mask. HSE does not recommend ear loops as tight-fitting workplace respiratory protective equipment, even with CE or UKCA. The kela titles state an ear loop. Use the leaflet in that box. Covering a valve the wrong way can fake a pass. The three-piece file states a cool-flow valve. The 10-pack specification does not, so do not invent a valve-cover step for that file.
3M 3M 8822 FFP2, 10-pack

Testsieger

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

Glasses, beard, and a valve

Fogging is a leak signal. Warm breath is leaving at the nose bridge and hitting the lens. If the lenses still fog after you refit the nose clip, that mask is not sealing on your nose. The valve is not a guarantee for glasses. A beard, including short stubble along the seal, makes a tight seal impossible in HSE’s fit-testing guidance. If you keep the beard, a tight-fitting FFP2 is the wrong device. On the three-piece listing the cool-flow valve cuts heat for you. It does not filter exhaled breath. Do not tape over it. If you are still choosing the class, that number is on FFP2 vs FFP3.

When the mask is finished

If the mask is marked NR, HSE treats it as not reusable: about one shift, then the bin. The three-piece listing says disposable and does not print NR or R. The fish-shape listings do not state reuse at all. Do not wash a dusty disposable and hang it for tomorrow. Bin it earlier if breathing becomes harder, if a strap has pulled out, or if you can taste or smell the job through it. HSG53 notes continuous wear of less than one hour for this disposable type. A passed date ends the mask even if it looks clean. If you are an employer, this seal check is not the fit test the law expects.

Common questions

How do I do the seal check?
On a two-strap cup, follow the HSE poster. Fit the mask to nose and chin, place both straps, shape the nose clip with both hands, breathe in sharply, and hold for about ten seconds. The mask should collapse slightly and stay collapsed. If air runs to your eyes, refit it. Do this every time you put it on. The check is not a fit test.
Does the HSE poster fit an ear-loop mask?
The poster is drawn for head straps. Ear-loop masks, including the kela titles that state an ear loop, need the method in their own instructions. HSE does not recommend ear loops as tight-fitting workplace respiratory protective equipment, even with a tightener. This page does not invent a loop-tying sequence to replace that leaflet.
Can I wear it with a beard?
Not if you want the seal these masks are built for. HSE says facial hair at the sealing surface prevents a tight seal. Shave where the mask sits, before the dusty work, or use loose-fitting protection instead. A review that claims a seal over a beard does not change that rule and is not a personal fit test.
Why do my glasses fog?
Breath is escaping at the nose and condensing on the lens. Shape the nose clip again and repeat the sharp breath-in. If the lenses still fog, the seal has failed on your face. Reviews on the 3M cups both praise the valve for less fogging and report fogging anyway. The valve is not a guarantee for glasses.
Is a seal check a fit test?
No. A seal check is what you do each time you don the mask. A fit test is a formal test, and for tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment at work it is an employer duty. Passing the ten-second hold at the kitchen table does not certificate you for paid work. Failing it means you stop and refit or change the mask.
When do I throw it away?
When the shift is over if it is marked NR, when the listing says disposable and the mask is soiled, when breathing gets harder, when a strap fails, or when the printed date has passed. The three-piece file says disposable and does not print NR. The fish-shape files do not state reuse. Do not rinse a dusty disposable and wear it again.

Related pages

Best German-made FFP2 mask

FFP2 mask for DIY dust

German-made FFP2 masks

How to choose an FFP2 mask sold as made in Germany

FFP2 vs FFP3: assigned protection factor 10 and 20

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)