Elastomeric Respirators and COVID-19: A non-expert guide

Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor. Take this guide with a grain of salt. Always consult a medical professional.

tl;dr

I have an urgent/essential need to fly via air travel. I wanted to purchase a reusable respirator that I could trust on a long flight.

N95 surgical masks are in high demand for medical professionals, and there are underappreciated elastomeric respirators that are typically used for hazardous workplace applications that are proven to do as good or better a job than surgical N95s when properly specified and worn.

I bought a Honeywell North 7700 half face respirator (medium currently sold out at Amazon) and two different sets of filters (both P100 rated):

Honeywell North 7580P100 2-Pack

Honeywell North 75SCP100

Full face respirators are available and do offer more protection at some trade offs in comfort, etc. However, I opted to go with the half face respirator mentioned and I’ll consider some supplemental eye protection, if needed.

I plan to modify the exhaust valve of the respirator to add a surgical mask to filter my exhaust air (the exhaust valve on my mask is NOT filtered out of the box). I plan to be fully shaven before wearing the mask. I plan to conduct a negative / positive pressure test before flying. I plan to clean the mask (but not filter elements) between each wear.

I’m not a medical expert and I can’t provide medical advice, but my research shows these are a viable option and I’ll be taking this approach for my upcoming air travel.

Stock is still limited, I recommend buying well in advance from a reputable seller if you have a need for such PPE. And if you don’t, I encourage you to help leave the majority of the supply for those that do need it (namely medical professionals).

Introductory Reading / Watching

A well fitting elastomeric respirator, coupled with >N95 cartridge filters, could be used as PPE against COVID.

Manufacturers typically offer P100 filters.

N95: Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil.
P100: Filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles. Strongly resistant to oil.

Source: CDC

Oil resistance doesn’t seem to be necessary for COVID particulates. So a P100 is regarded as being more effective than an N95 for this application.

N95 vs P100

Product Selection

High quality elastomeric Respirators are primarily made by:

3M
Honeywell North

Respirators: 3M

Half face 6000
Half face 6500
Half face 7500
Half face HF-800
Full face 6000
Full face FF-400

Selection Guide for 3M Reusable Respirators

Respirators: Honeywell North

Half face 5500 (economical model)

Half face 7700 (I’ve bought this model)

Full face 5400 (economical model)

Full face 7600

Filters: Honeywell

Honeywell North Cartridge and Filter Reference Chart

(I’ve bought both the 7580P100 and 75SCP100 filters for my Honeywell North 7700 respirator, both filters are P100 rated)

Filters: 3M

3M Cartridge & Filter Guide

7093 filter looks like a good option for COVID

Considerations for buying an Elastomeric Respirators

Sizing and seal and fit is critical. Look for a sizing guide and buy a size that fits properly.
- Look out for facial hair, stubble, piercings, etc that may prevent an airtight seal

Honeywell North 7700 Sizing Guide

Consider eye protection too
Perform a negative and/or positive pressure test before entering an area with potential contaminants
Buy from a reputable seller (pay attention to sellers on Amazon)
- Watch out for counterfeit products
Buy the corresponding filter for the same brand mask
Replace filters based on exposure / restriction in airflow. These filters are made for industrial applications. I would imagine the PPM (parts per million) of contaminants related to COVID are much lower than in industrial applications.
These models will typically have an unfiltered exhaust valve (i.e. the incoming air into the mask is filtered, but your exhale breaths won’t be). If you’re sick and wearing one of these masks, you could get someone else sick. You can consider a modification like this to help mitigate this (another option: wear a surgical mask over the exhaust valve entirely).
Carefully clean and decontaminate the mask between uses. Be sure not to apply cleaning solution to the filter element.
- Follow manufacturer recommendations on cleaning process
- 3M cleaning guide
- Honeywell: How to Clean an APR North Respirator Mask guide
Elastomeric respirators are generally more difficult to talk in
Learn how to wear properly
Do your own research. I can’t imagine this guide is exhaustive and I encourage everyone to take this write up with a grain of salt and consult a medical professional if in doubt.

Where to Buy

Amazon (from trusted sellers only)
Grainger (example)
ULINE (example)
Fastenal (example)
Norkan (example)
- I’m not familiar with this company, but I purchased filters from their Amazon store that arrived and appear to be genuine
pksafety