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Wildfire smoke contains many hazardous elements, including particles and gases. If you can, chose a respirator that can filter both.
If you are currently in smoky conditions, and have access to N95s used for COVID/flu, put that on while you consider upgrades.
Our suggestion as first choice to look for: The Honeywell 7700 half mask is a good option for balancing cost, shipping speed, fit, and size availability. The soft silicone seal gives a good possibility of fit. The Honeywell 7700 is available in small, medium, and large sizes, which will fit most people except small children and those with hard-to-fit faces. The small may fit kids as young as 6 years old. From there, chose filters or cartridges to attach.
Quick start guide
Good
Disposable N95/P100 respirators
that fit without gaps
(or KN95, KF94)
These will filter particles, but not the gases that are present in wildfire smoke.
widely used options include:
3M Aura N95 (boat style)
3M Vflex N95 (Regular and Small size, duckbill style) (regular fits larger faces)
3M 8210 N95 cup style
Blox N95 (duckbill, fits kids down to 6 yrs old)
Better: with carbon
Better
Elastomeric respirators with P100 (pink pancake) filters
Will filter more particles, but not gases.
Honeywell North 7700 face piece
small, medium, large
(S fits down to about a 6 yr old)
AND
Best
Elastomeric Respirators with particle AND gas filtering cartridges.
Honeywell North 7700 face piece
small, medium, large
AND choose one cartridge set:
–Magenta/Black label
–Magenta/Yellow label
–Magenta/Olive label (best/heaviest)
(cartidges / pink pancake filters are interchangable)
How to buy a respirator
For disposable respirators:
It is best to start at the manufacturer’s website, they’ll point you to reputable sources to buy from. Amazon carries some good disposable respirators and some fakes. Safest to buy from there only if linked directly from the manufacturer. Other vetted sources include protectly.co.
For the elastomeric respirator options, you’ll need to buy
1) the reusable face piece and
2) the filters/cartridges that attach to the sides.
These are interchangeable within a brand, but not across brands (Honeywell filters don’t go on 3M face pieces, for example).
For reusable elastomeric respirators, make sure to buy name brands only – don’t buy knock off or generic elastomeric respirators.
Brand names include: 3M, Honeywell, Moldex, Trend, GVS (Klein), Dräger, Parcil, Mira, MSA, Dentec.
Elastomeric suggestion: The Honeywell 7700 half mask (pictured above) is a good option for balancing cost, shipping speed, fit, and size availability. The soft silicone seal gives a good possibility of fit. The Honeywell 7700 is available in small, medium, and large sizes, which will fit most people except small children and those with hard-to-fit faces. The small may fit kids as young as 6 years old.
Alternatives
Honeywell 5500 has a slightly less flexible seal, (more flexibility creates better fit) but often more affordable. Small, Medium, Large.
There are more expensive 3M respirators with better seals, and various full-face versions for built-in eye protection that are also more expensive. Swim goggles are much cheaper for eye protection.
Cartridges are heavier, bulkier, and pricier but more protective than pancake filters, so factors to consider would be cost, proximity to fire, desired comfort level and preferences etc. May be best to have filter options available for people to choose.
GVS Elipse OV/AG-P100:
Best GVS option
GVS fits better on people with narrow faces
(note, this facepiece for gas cartridges is not the same as the facepiece with P100 pleated filters many use for COVID)
S/M and M/L: https://amzn.to/3Whd07j
GVS Elipse with OV-P100 Filters:
Good GVS option
GVS fits better on people with narrow faces
(note, this facepiece for gas cartridges is not the same as the facepiece with P100 pleated filters many use for COVID)
S/M: https://amzn.to/3ZUblHx
M/L: https://amzn.to/3zDfIfx
Color-coding chart for NIOSH-approved respirator cartridges
- You can easily tell what level of protection the cartridges for elastomeric filters give you just by looking at their colors, if they’re NIOSH-approved. This applies to all brands of elastomeric filters. Some filters have two colors and that means they have the effectiveness of both colors combined.
- More information RespiratorMaskProtection.com
Glossary of terms
AG: Acid Gases
Elastomeric Respirator: Elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMRs) are a type of air-purifying respirator and are reusable devices with exchangeable filter elements (cartridges or filters) that may be selected to provide the needed level of filtration (e.g., N95). Made of synthetic or natural rubber material. (source: CDC) (please see our elastomeric respirators page for more information)
NIOSH: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research and makes recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. (source: usa.gov)
OV: Organic Vapor
Pancake filter: a flexible, low-profile filter for a respirator that attaches to the facepiece cartridge connector of a mask
P100: high efficiency particulate filtering facepiece respirator that filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles and is strongly resistant to oil. (source: CDC)
For kids
Kids’ Flo Mask offers some particulate protection and is the only elastomeric option for young children; filters must be changed after 8 hours of wear.
Mask: Flo Mask Kids (Mask + 5 filters)
Extra Filters: Flo Mask Kids Replacement Filters (25 pack)
*Filters and accessories including halo strap also available on Amazon.
Our Kids’ masks page details more options for kids and small faces.
Reusable masks with a carbon layer will give some limited protection against gases, but are not as effective for viruses as N95 respirators. Not NIOSH-certified. Two available options, both earloop masks. Convert to headstraps for improved fit/protection. Both ship within the U.S.
Cambridge Pro mask: earloop mask, has carbon layer, available in multiple sizes
Earloop mask, Pro version has carbon layer (but not the basic version), available in multiple sizes, down to toddler size.
Head straps and nose foam included with the “pro” line.
*note: contains latex
cambridgemask.com
Vogmask: earloop mask, has carbon layer, available in multiple sizes
Earloop mask, has carbon layer, available in multiple sizes. Headstrap available as an accessory.
Small size “fits youth under 10 years”
www.vogmask.com
NIOSH particulate filter classes
Tips for fitting
On flat fold masks, you need to un-crease the nose wire before wearing to stop leaks. This makes the mask 5-10 times more effective at filtering out particles!
Additional Resources
Home Depot Home Depot’s excellent resource about respirator masks, including:
- Differences Between Masks and Respirators
- Types of Respirators
- Understanding Respirator Ratings
- Understanding Cartridges and Filters
- Choosing the Right Size Respirator
- How to Correctly Wear a Respirator
- When to Change Your Respirator
Department of Homeland Security
Respiratory Protection for Wildland Firefighters – Market Survey Report November 2022
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/28_11_22_st_wildlandfirefighterrespirators_msr.pdf
Explains how upgrading from N95s to elastomerics with multi gas filters will help significantly lower the amount of diseases experienced due to the smoke.
EPA et al
Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials
Revised 2019
“Other non-disposable NIOSH-certified respirators, such as elastomeric half-masks, can also be used for wildfire smoke or ash. They have a tight fitting, flexible, re-useable half-mask facepiece and replaceable filters or cartridges; these provide similar protection from particles when they are used with N95 or P100 particulate filters. This type of respirator may also be purchased with a combination filter and organic vapor cartridge, which can reduce exposure to irritating gases in smoke, such as aldehydes. (Disposable N95 or P100 respirators remove only particles, not gases or vapors.)” pg 28 (40/88)
https://www.airnow.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/wildfire-smoke-guide_0.pdf
CDC/NIOSH/NPPTL
The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
The Respiratory Protection Information Trusted Source
Resources and details about respiratory protection equipment.
In the News
Forbes: Protecting Your Health From The Risks Of Wildfire Smoke
Dr. Judy Stone, Jan 24, 2025
While the initial focus was on the acute health effects of the wood smoke and PM2.5 particulate matter, concerns are growing about the long-term effects of the (LA) blazes, especially since the they have torched houses and urban buildings full of plastics and chemicals.
www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2025/01/24/protecting-your-health-from-the-risks-of-wildfire-smoke