I have been a user of the Elipse P100 Dust Mask for a few years now and love it because of the lightweight, slim design and comfortable feel. It is one of the few respirator style masks that I have found that makes a tight seal. Therefore, I was very excited when the Elipse OV/P100 Organic Vapor & Dust Mask was announced. This new mask is rated for both nuisance dust and organic vapors.


The mask comes nicely packaged and is inside a heavy duty resealable bag. As with all organic vapor masks, you should store the mask in a sealed bag when not in use. If you don't, the activated carbon will absorb chemicals from the air and lose its effectiveness prematurely.



The OC/P100 mask is larger than the P100 mask but maintains the slim profile and contoured look. The mask has two fully-adjustable elastic headband straps which provide a comfortable yet snug fit. The mask plus filters weigh approximately 12oz. The mask comes in two sizes, small/medium and medium/large. There are instructions on Highland's website to help decide which mask to purchase and it is important to get the right size in order to have a nice snug fit and tight seal around your nose and mouth.

As noted from the Highland website:

The Elipse OV/P100 is a 1/2 face mask made of hypo-allergenic, medical grade thermo plastic elastomer (TPE) for long wearing comfort. It has no silicone or latex. The filters use resistance optimized high-activated carbon for vapor absorption, plus a HESPA (High Efficiency Synthetic Particulate Airfilter) for P100 dust removal. The OV/P100 filters meet NIOSH standard TC-84A- 8062.


What that means in English is that the mask is rated for homeowner grade finishes and solvents. The company also mentions that although it has a built-in P100 dust filter it is not designed to be used as a nuisance dust mask for everyday use, which is more for what the P100 is designed for. The OV/P100 is designed primarily for organic vapor filtering. In the picture below, the P100 is on the left and the OV/P100 is on the right.


The filter is made up of two parts, the activated carbon module and the P100 dust filter. Both are replaceable when expended. You can tell the carbon filter needs to be replaced when you can start to smell some organic vapors coming into the mask. As I will mention shortly, I sprayed some table bases while wearing the mask and did not smell any of the finish's vapors.


I needed to help a friend spray some table bases so it was a good opportunity to try out the mask. These are the table bases that needed to be sprayed. I was using a water based lacquer type finish.


I could not smell any of the fumes from the finish. I found the mask very comfortable to wear and it did not get in the way at all. In fact, it was so comfortable that I kept the mask on while reloading finish into the spray gun rather than taking it off.

If you already have an Elipse P100 Dust Mask this will make a nice compliment to it for when you need to do some spray finishing in the shop. If you haven't tried the Elipse brand of dust masks I highly recommend you try both the P100 and the new organic vapor OV/P100.

Click here to find out more and purchase your own Elipse OV/P100 Organic Vapor & Dust Mask from Highland Woodworking.

Click here to view our Tool Review Archive.

Jeffrey Fleisher has been a woodworker for approximately 20 years and a professional woodworker for the past 6 years. He is the president of his local woodturning club, the Woodturners of the Virginias and past president of the Northern Virginia Carvers. You can see some of the furniture he has made at www.jeffswooddesigns.com. He can be reached by email at furnmkr@gmail.com

Return to the Wood News Online front page