Batch closes 18 September  ·  at your door by end of October  ·  first 30 at $499

Breathing Dust
Is For
Suckers.

“Better than similar $1,500 big brand units.” Gerry M. Smith, verified buyer Read the reviews →

The Breathie Thingy is a powered air-purifying respirator built for woodworkers. Full face protection. Works with beards and with glasses. The battery comes out, so a spare keeps you working while the other charges. Half the price of the competition.

$589 Save $112.99
$499 First-30 price
Normally$589.00
September founders batch$499.00
Spare Complete Filter Kit, included free$22.99
You save$112.99

Order by 18 September to join this batch  ·  at your door by end of October  ·  first 30 at $499 + spare filter kit  ·  $589 after

The Breathie Thingy PAPR
⭐Reviewed by Real Woodworkers
🛡EN 12941 TH3 Rated
🔋Up to 8-Hour Battery
🧔Beard Friendly
💰Half the Price of Competitors

Real people, real shop

See it on
an actual face.

More on our channel →
Independent field review Months of real shop use
“After several months of use, I can confidently say it performs as advertised.”
John M. Hebdon Bearded Vet Workshop
★★★★★
Against the Trend Airshield

“Compared to systems like the Airshield, where the fan and battery are mounted on the helmet itself — causing fatigue quickly — this design is much more wearable for long periods.”

Under metal grinding

“Despite exposure to metal grinding, it showed no pitting or burn marks.”

With a beard, and hearing

“Cloth air dam accommodates users with beards. Leaves ears uncovered, improving situational awareness and comfort.”

Disclosure: we gave John the unit to test. He has since bought filters from us at full price.

You told us. We changed it.

The complaints,
in their words.

These are real criticisms from our own reviews. We have left them exactly as written, including the ones that still sting.

Gerry M. Smith · 4★ · March 2025

“Took three tries for the seller to respond that additional filters were available. Otherwise this would have gotten a five-star.”

What changed

You no longer have to ask. Every filter, visor, battery and charger is listed on this site with a price and a buy button, and they stay in stock. See the parts →

Papa Jack · 5★ · February 2025

“It is easy to assemble, although the manual is lacking.”

What changed

The manual was rebuilt from scratch — a 12-page printed booklet with photographed steps for charging, filter fitting, hose connection and power-on, plus the full specification sheet. It ships in the box.

Sierra · 2★ · July 2025

“The charging mechanism is proprietary, and the battery dies while sitting… the charging mechanism is cheaply made and the battery should be more universal.”

Straight answer

We stock both parts so neither one strands you — a replacement charger is $25 and a spare battery is $65. The battery lifts out, so one charges on the bench while the other keeps working. Lithium cells self-discharge in storage, so top it up before a long session.

Why this exists

I'm a woodworker.
This thing changed my life.

“A PAPR for 1200 bucks — if you got the coin, drop it. If you can't, I would like to be able to give people an option. This is a way for you to have this same setup, same configuration, similar function, at half the price.”

“I don't really care if I sell them. I would rather you get something that makes more sense. Trend Airshield makes more sense? Go for it. If you need certain certifications ours doesn't have — go for it. I'll be as honest as I possibly can.”

“I'm a good person. I'm not a good business person.”

Jama  ·  Fish Bladder Woodworking

The problem

Your lungs remember
every hour in the shop.

Fine wood dust and MDF particles hang in the air long after the tool stops, and they build up in your lungs year after year. A paper dust mask barely filters the fine stuff — and if you've got a beard, it can't seal, so it isn't protecting you the way you think. It's hot, it's hard to breathe through, and the safety glasses you pair with it fog up the first time you sweat. So it comes off, and you work unprotected. You need real filtration and a clear view you'll actually keep on all day.

Positive Pressure Technology

No seal.
No problem.

Traditional respirators rely on a tight facial seal — which means they fail the moment you have stubble, a beard, or glasses. The Breathie Thingy uses positive pressure to push clean filtered air directly to your face. No seal required. Works perfectly no matter what.

  • Works with any beard length
  • No fit testing required
  • No pressure marks on your face
  • Comfortable after hours of wear
Breathie Thingy — no seal required
LCD Display

Smart LCD Display

Work all day.
Know exactly where
you stand.

The waist-mounted blower unit features a clear LCD display so you're never guessing. Battery level, airflow rate, fan speed, and clogged filter alerts — all at a glance. Three fan speeds let you dial in exactly the airflow you need.

  • 7 to 8 hours per charge on low
  • Battery level always visible
  • 170, 210, or 250 LPM airflow
  • Audio + visual clog alert

Full Face Protection

See everything.
Breathe clean.

The clear polycarbonate face shield covers your entire face — protecting you from chips, splinters, and debris while you stay fully visible to everyone around you. Impact resistant, scratch resistant, and designed to be easily and affordably replaced.

  • Full face polycarbonate visor
  • Impact and scratch resistant
  • Replaceable and affordable
  • Lightweight helmet design
Full face protection
Everything in the box

Complete System

The whole system, nothing to add.

Complete 3M Versaflo kits list from $759.99 to $1,829.54. The Breathie Thingy is the same kind of system — powered blower, filter, full face visor — for $499, with nothing extra to buy to get started.

  • Helmet with full face visor
  • Waist-mounted blower with LCD
  • Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
  • P3 filter + steel mesh + carbon pre-filters
  • Charging cable and connecting hose

Belt-mounted powered respirators

Belt-mounted. More airflow.
Under $500.

Blower and battery on your belt, hose to a full-face headpiece. That keeps the weight off your neck. Here is ours against the two best-known alternatives.

  Breathie Thingy$499 Dräger
X-plore 8500		 3M Versaflo
TR-300N+
Complete kit $499first 30, then $589 $1,313.99hood set + filter $1,586.99
Blower and battery On your belt On your belt On your belt
Max airflow 250 L/min 210 L/min 205 L/min
Runtime ~8 h on low 4 h8 h, high-capacity battery 4–6 h12 h, high-capacity battery
Charge time ~4 hours Under 4 hours Under 3 hours
Particulate rating EN 12941 TH3highest European class NIOSH NIOSH HE
Airflow alarm Yes Yes, with vibration Yes
Works over a beard Yes Yes Yes
Spare battery $65 $225.43 $347.29
Replacement filter $14.99full kit $22.99 $26.53 $55.59 each

Same arrangement. More airflow. No distributor markup.

TH3 is the top class in the European standard. Worn, fan running, less than 0.2% of your shop air gets inside. The Trend is TH2 — ten times more. The JSP is TH1 — fifty times more.

$499 for the first thirty of a batch, $589 after — still less than half of either unit above.

And it stays cheaper. A spare battery is $65 against $225 and $347. A filter is $14.99 against $26.53 and $55.59. Over a few years in a working shop, the consumables cost more than the unit did.

Built to order in monthly batches. Questions go to the man who makes them.

How it compares to the helmet-mounted units
  Breathie
Thingy		 Trend
Airshield Pro		 JSP PowerCap
Active		 Dräger
X-plore 8500		 3M Versaflo
TR-300N+
Blower on yourWaistHeadHeadWaistWaist
Battery on yourWaistHeadHeadWaistWaist
What your neck carriesHeadpiece + hoseEverything — 2.4 lbEverythingHeadpiece + hoseHeadpiece + hose
Particulate ratingEN 12941 TH3EN 12941 TH2EN 12941 TH1NIOSHNIOSH HE
Max airflow250 L/min200 L/min140 L/min210 L/min205 L/min
Charge time~4 h14 h5–8 hUnder 4 hUnder 3 h
Airflow alarmYesNovisual ball onlyNoYes + vibrationYes
Complete kit$499$429–$550$654.16$1,313.99$1,586.99
Replacement filter$14.99$70.87 pair$56.60 pair$26.53$55.59 each
Spare battery$65.00$82.99$224.26$225.43$347.29

Read off each seller’s own live page on 28 August 2026, using the cheapest complete kit we could find for every brand. Kept on file.

Technical Specifications

Built to perform.
Built to last.

250
Max Liters Per Minute
8hrs
Battery Life
3
Fan Speed Settings
P3
Filter Class
TH3
EN 12941 P R SL Rated
$499
Preorder Price

The full sheet

Every number,
no salesmanship.

Copied from page 9 of the manual that ships in the box. If a figure is not here, we have not measured it and will not invent it.

Blower unit

MaterialFlame-retardant PC, PA
AirflowUp to 250 L/min · 3 speeds (low / med / high)
Dimensions140 × 220 × 80 mm
Weight1,200 g
NoiseLess than 65 dB(A)

Filter

Main filterTH3 P R SL, pleated
Pre-filterStainless steel wire mesh
AdditionalActivated carbon filter
Efficiency≥ 99.95% (TH3, EN 12941 / 12942)
ReplacementFilter $14.99 · complete kit $22.99

Battery & charger

BatteryRechargeable lithium, 12.6 V · removable
Run time~ 8 hours
Charge time~ 4 hours
Charger input100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Charger output12.6 V DC
ReplacementBattery $65.00 · charger $25.00

Headpiece & hose

VisorClear polycarbonate, full face
Air damCloth — seals over a beard, leaves ears open
Hose materialPU
Hose length800 mm
ReplacementVisor $14.99

Rating

CertificationEN 12941 TH3 P R SL
Rated forWood dust, MDF, sanding debris, fine airborne particulate
Not rated forGases, vapours, solvents, paint fumes
NIOSH certificationNone

From the shop floor

What woodworkers
are saying.

★★★★★

"I searched for a long time for a waist mounted battery/blower and this is the only one I found at an affordable price. Easy to assemble, fairly quiet, and great airflow even on the low setting. Shield stays fog free. Funny name for a great product."

Papa Jack

✓ Verified Purchase 28 Feb 2025

★★★★★

"It's light, powerful, comfortable and cool. Better than similar $1,500 big brand units. I'm a big guy with a long head/face and have had fitting problems in the past. These fit fine!"

Gerry M. Smith

✓ Verified Purchase 26 Mar 2025

★★★★★

"When I found this unit with the back-of-the-head intake and waist-mounted blower at half the cost of other high-end units, I went for it. It does what I need without breaking the bank. Definitely worth considering."

Kendice Supaul

18 Sep 2024

Every quote above is a real customer's own words, published on our Amazon listing. Read all of them, good and bad →

Can't make this window?

Catch the
next batch.

We open one direct batch a month. Drop your email and I'll tell you the day the next window opens, before it closes again. No spam, no marketing list.

Pre-order — batch closes 18 September

Order yours
in the next
run.

We run one direct-to-customer batch a month — built to order and shipped straight to you, with no Amazon in the middle. This batch closes 18 September. Everyone who orders before then is on the same order, which goes to the factory that day — they build in about 30 days and it is 7 to 8 days to your door, so it lands by the end of October. The first 30 units are $499 and ship with a spare Complete Filter Kit. After those 30, it's the regular $589. Every unit is backed by a one-year warranty. If anything slips you'll hear a new date from me, not silence.

✓ First 30 at $499 + a spare Complete Filter Kit
✓ Closes 18 September — at your door by end of October
✓ One-year warranty · secure checkout
✓ $589 after the first 30
$589 Save $112.99
$499 First-30 price

Closes 18 Sept · door by end of October

Secure checkout.

We're on Amazon too — but it's $589 there and out of stock. Cheaper, and in stock for preorder, right here.

See our Amazon reviews →

Keep It Running

Parts & Accessories

Everything you need to maintain your Breathie Thingy. Replacement parts are affordable and ship fast.

Replacement Visor

Replacement Visor

Full polycarbonate face shield. Impact and scratch resistant. Drops on in seconds.

$14.99
Complete Filter Kit

Complete Filter Kit

P3 filter, steel mesh pre-filter, and carbon pre-filter — everything for a full replacement.

$22.99
Primary Filter

Primary Filter

P3-rated replacement filter. Captures fine wood dust, MDF particles, and airborne debris.

$14.99
Replacement Battery

Replacement Battery

Rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Full 8-hour run time. Keep a spare in the shop.

$65.00
Replacement Charger

Replacement Charger

Replacement charging cable for the blower unit. Standard connector, easy to use.

$25.00

Need more than one part? Put them all in a single order — set the quantity for each at checkout.

FAQ

Questions answered.

This is a pre-order for the next batch. This batch closes 18 September. Everything ordered before then goes to the factory that day. They build in about 30 days, then it is 7 to 8 days to your door — so the end of October. The first 30 units are $499 and include a spare Complete Filter Kit; after that it's the regular $589. I'll email you tracking the day yours leaves, and if anything slips you'll get a new date from me rather than silence.
Yes — that's exactly what it's designed for. Positive pressure means no facial seal is needed, so beards are no problem whatsoever.
Fine wood dust, MDF, and sanding particulates — that's the rated protection. The activated carbon pre-filter also cuts nuisance odors, like sawdust and general shop smell. It is not rated for gases, vapors, solvents, or paint fumes, though — for chemical fumes you'd need an organic-vapor respirator, and this isn't one.
7 to 8 hours on a single charge on the low setting. The LCD display always shows your current battery level so you're never caught off guard mid-project.
It's rated EN 12941 TH3 P R SL — a European powered-respirator standard, with P3-equivalent particulate filtration (≥99.95%). It's built for dust and fine particles: wood dust, MDF, and sanding debris. It is not for gases or vapors. For powered dust protection that works over a beard at a fraction of what the big brands charge, this is it.
Yes — replacement filters, visors, and batteries are all available right here on this site. Scroll up to the Parts & Accessories section or use the Shop link in the nav. If you need something you don't see listed, reach out — we stand behind every Breathie Thingy we sell and we'll make sure you're taken care of. Email us at info@fishbladderwoodworking.com or fishbladderwoodworking@gmail.com.
You get the same kind of system for $499: a powered blower, a pleated P3 filter and a full face visor, with air pushed out past your face instead of pulled through a seal. Complete 3M Versaflo kits list from $759.99 to $1,829.54. Rated EN 12941 TH3 P R SL, at least 99.95% particulate.
Fish Bladder Woodworking is a United States company based in New York, NY. We sell and ship the Breathie Thingy to woodworkers across the USA.

Get In Touch

We're real people.
Talk to us.

✉
Email
info@fishbladderwoodworking.com
📞
Phone
(914) 510-2548
📍
Address

767 Broadway #1146
Manhattan, NY 10003