Every time I find myself coughing amid a cloud of sawdust I vow never to work wood again without some form of protection. However, I don’t especially like disposable masks, and whenever I have looked at more sophisticated forms of protection, the high prices convince me to go without.

Two new powered respirators from U.K. toolmaker Trend Machinery and Australia-based Triton Workshop Systems make the offer a little harder to refuse. Both companies now sell battery-powered, forced-air respirators priced at less than $275. Both respirators advertise protection from general dust-inducing tasks; they aren’t designed to defend against harmful fumes or vapors. I put them to the test in two dusty situations in the shop: sanding a turning on the lathe and cutting on the tablesaw. Both respirators work in a similar manner. They use a pre-filter to stop coarser dust and a second finer filter to deliver dust-free air into an enclosed helmet. A fan blows the filtered air across the face shield and out through vents below the chin. I found both provided adequate protection for my eyes and lungs, and they offered unobstructed views out of the high-impact shields. Also, after a few hours with each one, I still didn’t have to plug them in for a recharge.

As fashion goes, though, Triton’s Powered Respirator has room for improvement. When I put the helmet and waist pack I got several odd looks from my shop mates, who might have mistaken me for an escapee from the local HAZMAT crew. It was also quite bulky, and its hard hat and integrated ear muffs were overkill for anything I’d do in the woodshop.
 
Trend’s Airshield was much less of a hassle to put on, and its overhead filter design was less of an intrusion than Triton’s waist-worn unit. It fit on my head with minor adjusting, and the power switch was also located in a convenient overhead location. The face shield didn’t raise and lower as easily as the shield on the Triton, but the entire unit could be removed easily for a quick escape.
 
All in all, it was nice to work in a dust-free environment, and reducing the dust I inhale might be enough to justify the price for these respirators. On the other hand, you have to be willing to be the butt of a few jokes around the shop.