Reference

EN 149 grades European disposable respirators FFP1, FFP2, and FFP3; EN 143 grades P1-P3 filters. This guide decodes the classes, the CE marking string, NR/R/D suffixes, gas-filter types, and Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — plus how the European system maps to NIOSH N95 and P100, with a dual-certified GVS Elipse worked example.

N95 is a NIOSH (US) filtering facepiece rating; FFP2 and FFP3 come from Europe's EN 149. The filtration numbers look close — 95%, 94%, 99% — but the test methods, leakage requirements, and legal acceptance differ. Here is the honest conversion logic, the markings that prove authenticity, and what each jurisdiction accepts.