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!

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".

Good mask, already bought one. But the shipping time was way too long. Will not be using them again. Sorry..

I used these on my 2 week trip to China where the air has been at red-alert status for a while now. I felt so much better using these masks. In certain areas, like in Beijing, you could smell the pollution in the air. These masks cut the smell out and helped me to breathe easy (literally, and in that I felt better about being there with these masks on). Other people I was traveling with were not wearing these or were trying to get away with lighter medical masks and you could tell the difference. I'm so happy that I had these throughout my trip.If you are going to China or someplace like it, plan to use one mask each day or at most one mask for two days. By the end of the day, the masks get pretty grimy and smell of the pollutants (on the outside). You'll observe that it's noticeably more difficult to breathe as the mask becomes clogged.

I have a home-brew plasma cutting machine that generates smoke when it runs, something that I really don't want to inhale. The first few times I used the machine I got this terrible metallic smell and taste stuck in my head, took over a week to clear. Now when I cut I wear this 3M mask and no more problems.I know it's working -- when I take the mask off briefly the smell of burning metal is very strong, mask-on: no smell at all. I also see there's a brown coating on the OUTSIDE of the mask (it was white when new), telling me that it's really working.It's the first such mask that I find comfortable, and it's easy to adjust the nose bridge (with a bendable metal insert) to fit my slightly oversized schnozz. In case you didn't notice from the description, there's also a built-in vinyl (I think) membrane that conforms very nicely to my face. No gaps, no leaks, real protection.I'll be buying more when this one turns a dark brown.

Wide seal works well when (firm) metal nose strip is correctly positioned/fitted. Doesn't fog glasses at all. Excellent breathing - very little resistance on inhale. Medical mask overtop works well to protect others. Cut lower strap and add stick-on Velcro to make it more convenient to don/remove. Seems to be the real thing (not counterfeit).

I purchased three of these masks. What I liked was the easily adjustable straps and how well they hold in place. As a small-medium woman, the masks would NOT adjust to fit my nose and eye area, just as another review with a photo had posted, no matter which was I manipulated the metal and especially the foam insulation would now outward. One I gave to an average/large athletic man, formed around his nose and eyes just fine. I would never purchase for myself again.