Who are Stiftung Warentest?

Stiftung Warentest, a German consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way, has examined ten FFP2 masks from different manufactures. Think of Stiftung Warentest as the German version of Which?.

However, not all models provided equally good protection: Many of them when tested were not close enough to the face and unfortunately let aerosols through. With three masks, the testers complained about the low breathing comfort, which makes it relatively difficult to breathe – dm Mivolis, Hygisun and Rossmann Altapharma.

How did Stiftung Warentest test the fit of the respiratory masks?

Both men and women from a fire department were the candidates to check the fit of the masks. Each model was worn by ten of the subjects. It was made sure that different face types were represented in each group of test persons and that the mask fitted correctly for each of them.

Below is a list of the tested products and the results:

Best in Class

• 3M Aura 9320+ FFP2 Mask

Suitable with restrictions:

• Gebol Fine Dust Mask FFP2 – the mask was leaking in 4/10 test candidates
• Xique FFP2 NR LK-Z1510 – the mask was leaking in 6/10 test candidates
• Univent Medical Atemious Pro Art. 2001 – the mask was leaking in 4/10 test candidates
• Obi Lux Tools Ju PM0201-966 FFP2 NO – Suitable with restrictions, the mask was leaking in 4/10 test candidates
• Medisana RM100 – the mask was leaking in 4/10 test candidates
• Hase Safety 957000 – the mask was leaking in 3/10 test candidates

Not very suitable

• dm Mivolis FFP2 respirator – due to poor breathing comfort, the test was not carried out.
• Hygisun REF HS0501A – due to poor breathing comfort, the test was not carried out.
• Rossmann Altapharma FFP2 masks – due to poor breathing comfort, the test was not carried out.

The full test details are available here – https://www.test.de/Masken-Welcher-Mund-Nasen-Sch…

Conclusion

The issues with using a sub-optimal FFP2 mask is that if a FFP2 mask does not fit optimally, it may not protect better than a medical mask or a cloth mask

The test winner and only suitable mask tested, was the 3M Aura 9320+ mask. It fits well on a wide range of faces, is tight and enables very comfortable breathing. The FFP2 mask from 3M is the only respirator in the test to meet the most important test criteria without restriction.

If you would like to purchase this mask, you can do so  here

3M Protects the Best….Tried and Tested.