The Only Respirators (PAPRS) That Work With Beards

Shanna Cooper
Fri May 15, 2020
21 Comments

So you have a beard, want to grow out a beard or don’t want to give up your beard for the sake of safety? Is it possible to wear a respirator? Do you sacrifice your health for the sake of your beard? This is by far one of our most popular topics from customers when it comes to respiratory protection. With little guidance on the topic and incredibly limited product offerings out there for beards, we thought we should break down why a beard is so difficult with a respirator and how our Powercap, Pureflo, Sundstrom, CoolAir and AirWing lines are the only solutions out there.

Why can’t you wear a normal respirator with facial hair or a beard?

  • The seal of a respirator is the most important aspect for ensuring proper filtration
  • Facial hair that lies along the tight sealing area will interfere with the respirator
  • This interference will prevent maximum protection and prevent proper fit testing 

Why does it prevent proper fit testing?

  • Gases, vapors and particles (like COVID-19) always take the path of least resistance
  • By taking this path, these particles will manage to avoid the part of the respirator that keeps these particles out

 

Why doesn’t facial hair act like a barrier of sorts for particles, gases and vapors?

  • Our hair is actually larger than the particle size one would inhale
  • Our hair is not dense enough to capture these particles
  • Our individual hair follicles are too large to capture particles like a filter does
  • Studies show that even a day of stubble can cause 20 to 1000 times more leakage

How can I wear a respirator with a beard and make sure it works?

  • Perform a user seal check (check out our user seal check article on how)
  • Speak to a respiratory protection program manager about respirator selection options
  • A loose fitting respirator aka a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)

Is there a respirator designed for beards?
We have a comprehensive line up of beard friendly respirators to suit all of your application needs:

Breathe easy and never have to shave again. 
Stay safe out there.

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21 Comments

Do these masks work with NH3 Anhydrous Ammonia filtering and are Safety Authority and WOrksafe approved?

Markus @ 11/29/22

Are they csa approved?

Martin Diotte @ 09/21/22

Interesting options but certainly NOT the only options out there. There are loads of Powered Air Purified Respirators (PAPR) out there for those who cannot or do no wish to shave. You can’t change the scientific fact that if air can go round the edges of your mask filter then the contaminates can too. They will not be filtered by your stubble or beard which is no use for high efficiency filtration of airborne contaminates even if you are very attached to it!

MM @ 07/07/22

Are the beard respirators CSA approved?

Thanks

Susan Sangster @ 07/06/22

Would this work with mold remediation

Jacob @ 06/08/22

I am a pest controller with a major problem in the UK there seems to be no one offering a solution to bearded men for masks against dangerous insecticide, surely someone in the world must be doing a mask to suit people like me???

Mohammed @ 04/19/22

Would this be suitable for asbestos works?

MD @ 04/12/22

Will these protect against round up and other herbicides?

matthew Breniman @ 03/26/22

Will these protect against round up and other herbicides?

matthew Breniman @ 03/26/22

Is the power cap pesticide effective?
Thanks!

Jake @ 03/17/22
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