3M Personal Protective Equipment Particulate Disposable Respirator 8233, NIOSH APPROVED, Exhalation Valve, N100, Certain Non-Oil Based Particles (1 Piece)

Exactly what I wanted. Hood product!

This is the best mask I have used for when the wildfire smoke is really bad outdoors. With the mask on and fitted properly, I can't even smell the smoke. One mask lasts me one fire season each year of nearly daily use for 3-6 weeks.It's most important to make sure the nose fitment is as perfectly bent to your face shape as possible. That's where it's most likely to leak on the edge of the mask.

I have not tried the Honeywell Saf-T-Fit Plus P100 Disposable Respirator, which comes in 3 different sizes instead of 1. Search "B0067NLRL0" on Amazon.I recommend the 3M Particulate Respirator 8233, N100(1 for $9.77) over the SAS Safety 8641 P100 Particulate Respirator (2 for $13.18), both sold by Amazon because :(1)My experience shows that the filtering media outlast the 2 elastic straps, which wore out and no longer stretch to seal the mask to the face.(2)3M's 2 spandex-like straps stretch better and last longer than those for "SAS". You put on the "SAS" mask on the face and then pull the 2 straps through the holes to tighten the seal each time. You do not have to pull the straps through the holes on 3M mask each time unless your face is sweaty (slippery). The 3M straps are much more elastic and stretchable.(3)The straps on "SAS" mask wore out quickly and stopped stretching. 1mm long pieces of white rubber(?) fall off the SAS straps. The straps on 3M last longer and stretch better.(4)You get more uses out of the 3M mask because the straps last longer than those of SAS mask.(5)3M's black smooth soft silicone-like waterproof gasket provides a better seal, but it CRACKS and SPLITS easily into 4 to 9 pieces after about 10 uses. It slips easily on a oily sweaty face, in warm to hot weather, requiring pulling the 2 straps tight to keep it from slipping downwards to the mouth and pinching the nose.SAS's grey cloth-like gasket absorbs sweat, does not slip as bad as 3M.(6)N100 masks filter at least 99.97% of non-oil airborne particles. Not for use against oil particles.P100 masks filter at least 99.97% of oil and non-oil airborne particles.I recommend the P100 over the N100 masks because they can be used against both oil and non-oil particles.It is much cheaper to replace the masks or respirators than your lungs. Many people diewhile waiting for lung transplant which cost $400000 or more for one lung. Plus you have to take immunosuppressive drugs regularly to prevent rejection of the transplanted lung.It takes time to research these information. Please click "Yes" below this line if this review is helpful to you.

It is absolutely true that respirators ONLY protect the wearer. They are ideal protection for medical staff working in non-sterile environments such as emergency rooms and EMT calls. This is true of ANY RESPIRATOR and hospitals and EMTs have been asking for respirator donations since the beginning of this pandemic.The fact that this particular respirator was not certified for medical use at the time it was sold does NOT mean it is of no value in such applications now and to suggest such, however well meaning, is to needlessly devalue a resource that is in terribly short supply. I suggest a few minutes research on evolving standards and recent findings in this area. Ongoing testing is being done to determine the efficacy of various respirators and masks not initially medically certified for exactly this reason.If you have some of these respirators still in unopened bags PLEASE DONATE THEM to ER staff or EMTs. I assure you they will be thrilled to receive your N100 respirators even though they are not, technically, certified for medical use. It’s very likely that at the moment many of them are having to work with makeshift masks, disposable masks that have been in use for weeks, or masks that offer the wearer far less protection than one of these would.

Did a lot of spray painting of items in my garage and this mask was a tremendous help keeping me from inhaling fumes and particles. This one worked a LOT better than a thinner mask I used in the past. I did only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is very hot/uncomfortable to wear - the straps are not uncomfortable...just it being on my face made me sweaty, but it's better than breathing in the fumes - small trade off. Very glad I found this!

These masks saved my life in China.I have serious asthma. The air in China is worse than you could possibly imagine - you think it will be like LA - bad sometimes in some cities. What you find is it's the whole country, and the clear days are the tiny exception.I took along several masks, and these were the ones that got me through. This is the first time I really could tell the difference, instantly - you put the mask on, and the air magically felt clear and clean. Whereas before - hoo boy.The key difference is that the others I took along either 1) lacked an exhaust valve (essential); 2) fell apart much faster; or 3) were too cumbersome to wear.You should know that they don't last that long. I used mine for 2-3 days at a time, but after a while I got concerned that in humid conditions, even that was courting mold problems (they get very moist in use of course). Also they get dirty and the metal piece at the now starts to separate.)So the take-away from that is, take enough along.BTW the US Gov't publishes very helpful information about masks and mask ratings; just Google "N-100 respirators".

In order for this to be 100% filtering, there's a rubbery 'skirt' around the inner edge of the mask so as to get a good seal on the face. After working for a while it became uncomfortable, so I've decided that for most uses I can do with N95 and don't need N100.