Half-face masks

There are 2 types:

• Proprietary filter connection: filter and mask must be from the same brand
• EN 148-1 standard thread connection: filter and mask may be from a different brand.

Half-face masks with proprietary filter connection use two filters instead 1. This improves the weight distribution on the mask. A disadvantage is that they are often from Class 1 because they have less filter surface area. Moreover, they are not fully maintained (apart from a few exceptions).

The best seal on the face is achieved with a full-face mask, less so with half-face mask, and least with a dust mask.

For those sporting a beard or wearing glasses, working with dust masks, half-face masks and full-face masks are not allowed because a good seal of the mask is not guaranteed.

The mask-filter combinations may have a variety of nominal protection factors, depending on the type of filter.