Question: How do I know if my respirator is approved?

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
section_headers: Respirators
What do I do with an expired respirator?
section_content: In times of increased demand and decreased supply, consideration can be made
to use N95 respirators past their intended shelf life. However, the potential
exists that the respirator will not perform to the requirements for which it
was certified. Over time, components such as the strap and nose bridge may
degrade, which can affect the quality of the fit and seal. Prior to use of N95
respirators, the HCP should inspect the respirator and perform a seal check.
Additionally, expired respirators may potentially no longer meet the
certification requirements set by NIOSH. For further guidance, visit Release
of Stockpiled N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Beyond the Manufacturer-
Designated Shelf Life: Considerations for the COVID-19
Response .

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This answer is about n95 respirators without saying n95 respirators are the ones you should be using.
This is about how to use N95 respirators, not about how to determine if they are approved.

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Bad

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
section_headers: Respirators
How can I tell if a respirator is NIOSH-approved?
section_content: The NIOSH approval number and approval
label
are key to identifying NIOSH-approved respirators. The NIOSH approval label
can be found on or within the packaging of the respirator or sometimes on the
respirator itself. The required labeling of NIOSH-Approved N95 filtering
facepiece respiratorspdf
icon includes the NIOSH name, the approval number, filter
designations, lot number, and model number to be printed on the respirator.
You can verify that your respirator approvals are valid by checking the NIOSH
Certified Equipment List
(CEL).

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
The answer goes over several different ways to determine if a respirator is approved and also links to other sites for more information.
This answer tells you how to find out what respirator you're using without actually telling you which respirator you need to be using. It answers a part of the question.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: CDC):
page_title: Personal Protective Equipment: Questions and Answers
section_headers: Respirators
How do I know if a respirator is falsely advertising NIOSH-approval?
section_content: When NIOSH becomes aware of counterfeit respirators or those misrepresenting
NIOSH approval on the market, these respirators are posted on the Counterfeit
Respirators / Misrepresentation of NIOSH-
Approval
webpage to alert users, purchasers, and manufacturers.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This answer is only about counterfeit respirators and not about which respirators to use so it's really not helpful.
This is about what NIOSH did when it found counterfeit respirators. It does link to a site listing those counterfeits, but doesn't explain how to determine if your respirator is approved.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Could be Improved