Is a powered respirator loud? Can you still hear anything?
The blower runs under 65 dB(A), which is roughly a conversation across a table. You will hear it, and you will hear over it. It is quieter than every machine you would be wearing it for.
People imagine a leaf blower strapped to their waist. It is not that.
The blower runs under 65 dB(A). For scale, normal conversation sits around 60, a table saw is up around 100, and a router is louder still. So the respirator is not the loudest thing in your shop by a wide margin, and it is not close.
What you do get is a constant low rush of air near your ears, and it does change how the shop sounds. Most people stop noticing inside a week; some never quite do. There are three airflow settings, 170, 210 and 250 litres per minute, and the lowest is noticeably quieter if you are doing something that needs listening to.
You can hold a conversation in it. You will raise your voice slightly, the way you would with a fan running. If you are teaching, filming, or working next to someone all day, that is worth knowing before you buy rather than after.
Related questions
I have a beard and I wear glasses. Is there anything that works? Do I actually need a respirator for woodworking, or is that overkill? Is a powered respirator heavy? Does it hurt your neck? Does the carbon pre-filter mean it handles fumes?The Breathie Thingy
A powered air-purifying respirator for woodworkers. $499 for the first 30 units of each batch, including a spare filter kit.
See the current batch