N95 Respirator Mask Types: Basic Information



Types of Mask:


  • N95, N99, & N100. These filters are not to be used with oil aerosols. These should be used in environments exposed to particulates that do not contain oil. In many cases, the n- respirators can be reused multiple times.
  • R95, R99, & R100. These filters are oil resistant. The r- respirators can be used in atmospheres containing particulates any solid or liquid hazard including oil-based hazards. These are one-time use masks.
  • P95, P99, & P100. These filters are oil proof. These respirators can be used in any environment exposed to hazardous particulates. The p- respirators are subject to time of use limitations.


NIOSH approved masks also come in different sizes, and a well-fitting mask is vitally important. When test-fitting an N95 mask or another particulate respirator mask, follow these easy steps:

  1. Press the mask (respirator ) firmly against the face with the outside nosepiece on the bridge of your nose.
  2. Stretch and position the top headband on the back of your head above your ears. Stretch the bottom headband over the head and position below your ears.
  3. With both hands, mold the metal nosepiece to the shape of your nose.
  4. To test fit, cup both hands over the respirator and exhale vigorously. If air flows around your nose, tighten the nosepiece: if air flows around the edges of the respirator, reposition the headbands to fit better and test again until there is no air leakage.

A traditional filter without the nanoparticle coating, like N95, would turn into a breeding ground for a virus or bacterial agent. Thus we caution you against using any N95 mask in a pandemic or epidemic or even to stop ordinary colds.

Every virus you see in the table below is smaller than 300 nanometers, therefore, N95's manufactured by 3M and most other masks are useless against these viruses and others.

Virus (Description) / Size Bacteriophage (MS) / 220nm Hepatitis / 24nm - 30nm Adenovirus / 70nm HIV / (AIDS) / 80nm Cytomegalovirus / 100nm Orthomyxovirus / 120nm Coronavirus (SARS) / 80nm - 160nm

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