Counterfeit and Fake Respirators: How to Check Before You Trust One

A respirator is only as trustworthy as the claim on its label. Because "N95" and "NIOSH Approved" carry weight, they are sometimes copied or borrowed by products that were never tested. This sheet sets out what NIOSH means by counterfeit and misrepresented respirators, what a genuine US approval label contains, how to look the approval up, and what UK and EU-style markings can and cannot tell a buyer. It names no sellers. NIOSH's own pages list specific products, and readers can consult them directly.

Counterfeit versus misrepresented

NIOSH (page updated 3 February 2025) separates two problems. Counterfeit respirators are products designed to look like a genuine NIOSH Approved model. Misrepresented respirators are products that misuse the registered certification marks, or are falsely marketed and sold as NIOSH Approved when they are not. Neither type is evaluated by NIOSH, and neither may give the level of protection a genuine approved respirator carries.

A fake respirator can look right and still fail to filter as claimed. The marks "N95" and "NIOSH Approved" are registered certification trademarks of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and only approval holders may use them, according to NIOSH.

What a genuine NIOSH label shows

NIOSH's page on identifying approved respirators (21 January 2025) says an approved filtering facepiece respirator has its marking printed on the facepiece. If a respirator lacks any component of the required label, it is not approved, even when it says N95. The required markings are:

• the name of the approval holder or manufacturer;
• a part number (the most accurate way to identify a particular respirator);
• the filter series and efficiency level, most often N95;
• the testing and certification approval number, in the form TC 84A followed by digits;
• the word NIOSH in capital block letters;
• a lot number, which may be on an abbreviated label or on the packaging.

Checking the approval number

NIOSH calls its Certified Equipment List the official listing of approved respirators and says the easiest check is to search it by the TC approval number. It stresses that the model name and the approval number must both match the list. This matters because NIOSH's examples include cases where a real approval number had been printed on a product without the holder's permission. A valid number on its own is therefore not enough.

The NIOSH examples page (updated 3 February 2025) also gives signs of a counterfeit filtering facepiece respirator: missing label components, NIOSH spelled incorrectly, decorative fabric or add-ons such as sequins, and ear loops with no fastener joining them behind the head. It adds that NIOSH does not approve any type of respiratory protection for children, so a product claiming approval for children is misrepresented. One listed example combined a CE mark with an N95 marking, which NIOSH said is not an acceptable format.

Warning signs when buying

NIOSH's tips for third-party marketplaces and unfamiliar websites include these. A listing that insists it is "legitimate" and "genuine" likely is not. Price swings that look too good to be true, and "unlimited stock" during a shortage, can signal a product that is not approved. Sellers who hide contact details inside images, use a free email address as the main contact, or run sites with typos, dummy text or odd privacy pages deserve caution. Looking at a seller's history and whether it sells the same items over time is another check.

If you suspect a respirator is counterfeit or misrepresented, NIOSH asks for a report with the manufacturer name, model or part number, photographs of the product and packaging, any approval number and the web address where it was sold. Its contact details are on the page cited below.

Markings outside the United States

The pages opened for this sheet give a less complete picture outside the US, and the editors cannot state that a public lookup like the NIOSH list exists for those markings. The UK Health and Safety Executive (page dated 7 August 2024) says respirators provided for work must be CE marked and marked with the standard, EN 149 for disposable ones, plus an FFP class. It describes "nuisance dust masks" or "comfort masks" that look like respirators but carry neither CE nor any standard marking, sometimes with packaging saying the product does not provide respiratory protection. The MHRA (page last updated 1 July 2023) says masks intended to protect the wearer are regulated as personal protective equipment and need an EU Notified Body or UK Approved Body to verify requirements, and that general-public face coverings carry no CE or UKCA mark and should not be sold as PPE or medical devices. Read the marking against the sheet on the standards behind masks.

Even a genuine, approved respirator only protects if it seals, so see fit and seal, and types of masks and respirators for what each type is for. A respirator needed for work should come through an employer's programme, including fit testing, rather than a marketplace purchase. This is general information; an occupational-health adviser has the final word for workplaces.

The short version

A genuine NIOSH Approved respirator carries a full label, and its model and TC number match the Certified Equipment List. Missing label parts, misspelled marks, decoration, children's claims and too-good marketplace listings are warning signs. Markings outside the US point to a standard but, on the pages opened, are not checked the same way.