What is the difference between Adflo and Versaflo?

Based on our records, Adflo and Versaflo aren’t simply two rival PAPR systems — Adflo is 3M’s belt-mounted welding PAPR blower unit, and Versaflo M-series is one of the headtop/hood families that blower can power (alongside 3M Speedglas 9100-Air, 9100 FX-Air, 9100 MP, G5-01 and G5-03 Pro Air).

Pairing Adflo with a Versaflo M-series headtop requires the correct breathing tube/duct for that combination — 3M’s own user instructions state this is required for the M-400 headgear specifically, and warn against using any parts or accessories other than those named in the instructions or on the respirator’s NIOSH approval label.

Our records don’t cover Versaflo as an independent, non-Adflo PAPR system, so we can’t give a fuller side-by-side comparison here. Whatever combination you’re running, check the approval label / EN 12941 or NIOSH certificate for your exact headtop-tube-filter stack — the certified combination is what determines the protection class, not the individual parts on their own.