Mira Safety has changed the game when it comes to the retail gas mask & respirator space. They are bringing professional grade products to the US consumer base in a well thought out and organized way.

No more buying surplus on eBay or in an Arny / Navy store and hoping for the best. Mira Safety offers brand new products backed by warranties.

They recently came out with something I haven't quite seen before but that plays into a space that i think makes a ton of sense: a half face mask respirator with multiple configuration and attachment options for a wide range of use cases.

They call it their Tactical Air-Purifying Respirator Mask (TAPR) and although it has tactical uses, it also can come in handy for us "regular folk."

A High End Half-Face Respirator Mask

There are a lot of different consumer level options available when it comes to respirator masks, and many of them are very good, but the TAPR is the first one I've seen that is adaptive in the ways it can be utilized or configured.

It's well built and ready to go out of the box, and is small enough to be carried easily in multiple scenarios.

It can be purchased as a kit, or you can purchase each element separately, which we like.

Why to Use One:

For a deep dive into this subject, check out our explainer: The Ultimate Gas Mask & Respirator Guide.

But in a nutshell:

• Protect yourself from environmental hazards, from particles to viruses to radioactive isotopes (depending on filter)
• Small enough to carry in a backpack, purse, etc and quick to deploy
• Compatible with a huge array of 40-mm filters
• Dual exhalation valves for easy breathing during long hours of use
• Can be cleaned with common disinfectants for regular/repeated use
• The mask body has a 20-year shelf-life while the head harness and valves have a shelf-life of 10 years and 5 years

Filtration:

The TAPR comes with standard 40mm NATO mounts (EN 148-1, NATO STANAG 4155, 40×1/7“) for filters, so you have a huge variety of protection to choose from that work right out of the box, be them Mira Safety branded or otherwise.

Mira Safety provides two filters with their Standard Kit, the ParticleMax P3 Compact Filters which offers protection against bacteria and viruses and their P-CAN Compact filter for riot gas protection.

You can add their NBC-17 SOF for full nuclear biological chemical protection, depending on your needs.

For protection during a fire, you'll need the VK-450 Smoke / Carbon Monoxide Filter for Carbon Monoxide protection (although having a full face mask in that scenario is ideal.)

Construction:

The mask itself is made from silicone rubber and is designed to be reused after proper cleaning and disinfection.

It's pliable and conforming to multiple face types and sizes so is considered one size fits all. There are no hard parts which press against your skin.

It's lightweight but well designed and built. Without the filter it adds 4 oz of weight to your head.

The mesh harness which comes with the standard kit is comfortable and intuitive to use - the pull tab is bright red making it easier to see.

To don the mask: place it over your face, and pull the mesh harness over the top of your head first, and pull it downwards towards your neck.

Here's what it looks like from the back when properly worn.

Configuration:

The mask can be adjusted into a variety of configurations. The filter port is set in the middle of the mask, as this is the most balanced place to have it. It can be moved to either side, but Mira Safety only recommends that trained professionals take on that task.

What the average user can do is to change out the type of exhalation valve used: there are low-profile ones and the standard ones. The kit we received came with one low-profile valve cover, which can be installed on your preferred side to make cheek welds easier.

Most people will be fine with leaving the mask as it comes from the factory, which is the right most photo above, filter port in the middle, large exhale valves on either side pointed downward.

There are alternate harness types available from the mesh one that comes standard for those who wish to use the filter with a tactical helmet.

• ARC Rail / M-LOK Fidlock Connectors
• M-LOK Adapters (Requires ARC Rail Connector)
• MSA Gallet “German” Adapter Kit

It's more of a pro feature you likely won't need, but is there for those who are professionals or who use that type of gear.

Communication:

Again, this is more of a pro application, but Mira Safety has a microphone which can be attached to one of the exhale ports for folks who use Peltor or Ops-Core communication headsets.

For those interested in such things, our suggestion is to look at the Peltor Comtac III or Peltor Comtac V headsets, with noise cancellation and built-in communications. eBay often has new ones or lightly used ones available.

You'll also need a PTT adapter, which connects the headset to the type radio you have, i.e. a Baofeng UV5R. Head over to SRSTactical.com and they can make them for you based on your specifications, shoot them an email and they will work with you to figure out what you need.

Mira Safety Tactical Air-Purifying Respirator Mask (TAPR) Review

What MS has done with the TAPR is found a product style that is not readily available in the marketplace, but that would be useful for many peoples needs.

You can think of the TAPR as a 3M 6000 series on steroids: it's better built, more adaptable, uses higher end filters and offers much more protection options for only a few dollars more.

The mask feels strong enough to do its job, but is light enough to stay comfortable for long-term wear. I felt myself at first thinking I would prefer something more substantial, until I wore it for a few hours and realized that wearing masks like these is no fun - especially the full face models, and so I began to appreciate it's lighter profile.

The way the harness connects to the mask is smart, it keeps it locked in place while not adding too much weight. It's easy to take on and off the mask body should you have multiple harnesses (head to helmet for example.)

The included pouch is nicely built as well, with MOLLE attachments and a weather resistant zipper. One could argue about the presence of the Mira Safety logo on the outside, it is not removable, so if you are trying to stay low-key while carrying this kit, you might opt for a different bag.

The case which came with the Standard Kit is cool, but probably overkill. I personally wouldn't use it to store the mask and accessories in, and it might wind up being repurposed to carry some other gear.

Where to Get One:

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Mira Safety offers the TAPR as a kit, or you can purchase each individual part separately.

If you only wanted to purchase the TAPR Mask Body ($75) in a Right-Hand or Left-Hand Configuration, and use the ARC Rail Adapter ($80) instead of the Mesh Harness ($30) you can do that and save a few dollars.

The link below will take you to the configuration page.

Tactical Air-Purifying Respirator Mask (TAPR) Kit

Typical Price: $200

The Tactical Air-Purifying Respirator (TAPR) is the first EN-140 certified half-face respirator mask specifically designed for special operations, security actions, and rescue teams. Originally developed to suit the needs of the Czech Special Forces, the TAPR is designed to provide flexible, versatile protection for even the most challenging tactical situations.

• Center Port TAPR Body
• Mesh Harness
• ParticleMax P3 Compact Filter
• P-CAN Compact Filter
• Carry Case Nylon Pouch
• Low-profile Exhalation Cap

$200Mira Safety