Dräger PARAT 5510 Fire Escape Mask

Dräger produce a few smoke hoods, but the 5510 model is really their entry-level model. That being said, it’s not cheap, and this doesn’t mean this fire mask is basic – it is made to the kind of quality you would expect from German engineering and the filter is P2-rated so you can be confident of it doing its job.

The 5510 is a mid-range fire mask when it comes to price and is packaged in a sealed carton for storage. Other models in the same range include the 5520 and 5530 which are essentially the same fire escape mask but are packaged differently to facilitate use in different environments. This sealed box makes it easy to store safely in a drawer or cupboard for example, ready to easily open in case of an emergency. This also means the cost of the other two models are slightly more than the 5510.

The manufacturers state that the filter the brightly-coloured, highly-visible smoke hood uses will protect the wearer from hazardous fumes and smoke for at least 15 minutes, but not maximum time is indicated. However, as this is a fire mask designed to aid your escape from a burning building, you would expect this timeframe to be more than adequate. As with all escape masks we review, the 5510 is designed for single-use only and has a maximum life of 16 years, as long as the filter is replaced after 8 years.