Masks that actually protect
Choose a certified respirator, make sure it seals, and know when a mask is not the right answer, especially for children and people with heart or lung conditions.
A well-fitted respirator can cut the fine particles you breathe outdoors substantially. A loose mask, however good its label, lets most air leak around the edges. Two things matter: certified filter material and a seal against the face.
What to buy
- N95 (approved by US NIOSH), FFP2 (European EN 149), or FFP2 under India’s BIS IS 9473 (ISI mark). These filter at least 94–95% of fine test particles. Higher grades (N99, FFP3) filter more but are harder to breathe through.
- Head straps, not ear loops. Straps hold the seal; ear loops usually don’t.
- Try a few shapes (cup, flat-fold, three-panel, duckbill) to find one that fits each person.
- A valve is fine for pollution. It makes breathing out easier and doesn’t reduce your protection. It doesn’t filter your exhaled breath, so it isn’t suitable for infection control.
- KN95 (Chinese standard) can work, but counterfeits are very common, and many use ear loops.
How to spot a genuine respirator is covered in the mask spec guide.
Interactive
Mask chooser and 60-second fit check
Choose a certified particulate respirator
- Look for N95 (US NIOSH approval), FFP2 (EN 149 / CE) or FFP2 under India’s BIS IS 9473 (ISI mark). N99, N100 and FFP3 filter more but can be harder to breathe through.
- Pick head straps over ear loops: they seal better. Try more than one shape (cup, flat-fold, duckbill) to find one that fits.
- Cloth and loose surgical masks do little against PM2.5. A KN95 can work if it is genuine and seals, but fakes are common.
- A valve makes breathing out easier and does not reduce your protection from pollution. It does not protect others from your germs.
Fit check, every time you put it on
0 of 4 done. This is a user seal check, not the formal fit test used in workplaces.
Wearing it well
- Put it on before you step out and keep it on until you’re indoors. Don’t pull it down to talk.
- Replace it when it is dirty, damaged, damp, harder to breathe through, or no longer seals. India’s health ministry advises discarding a disposable N95 after a day of heavy use. Disposable respirators are not washable. Many people rotate a few and let each one dry out between uses.
- Facial hair under the seal defeats it. See the chooser above.
When a mask is not the answer
- Babies and toddlers under 2: never. Suffocation risk.
- Young children: NIOSH doesn’t approve any respirator for children, and approved ones don’t come in young children’s sizes. Children 2 and over can wear one if it fits, but reducing exposure matters more.
- Heart or lung disease: ask the doctor first. Respirators make breathing a little harder.
- Anyone who feels dizzy, short of breath or unwell in a mask should move to cleaner air and take it off.
- Masks don’t filter gases such as nitrogen dioxide or ozone. Spending less time near traffic still matters.