3M Safety 142-6100 6000 Series, Small Reusable Half Face Mask Respirator

PS: This is only a respirator and you need to buy correct filters, else it is unusable.I bought this 3m 6100 half face respirator (SMALL), for protection against CoVid-19, from Aabaco Environmental. They are a pleasure to work with. I had never used such respirators and the Seller Dan/John were kind enough to give me a call and explain me about size, fitment and filter cartridges.Within 6 days, I received a zip-lock packed 3M packaged respirator, in 3m packing which said imported from Canada.It is surprisingly light and comfortable. The part touching the face is all silicon rubber style padding, which provides comfort as well as a perfect fit.Fit:Model 6100 small fitted perfectly for my wife who is 5'1" 110 lbs.The fit is very important, I tested by blocking the intake and I couldn't breathe in, similarly by blocking the exhaust valve I could not feel any air slipping out from sides.A word about Covid-19/CoronaVirus:This respirator is not designed specifically for CoVid-19, but with right filters it can be better than N-95 masks. However, there is a confusing array of filters and cartridges, so new users need to understand a bit about it. I suggest checking you-tube videos (search for "3M 6100 respirator").Filter:I bought "3M 60926 Multi Gas, Vapor Cartridge, Filter, P100 (2 Pack)" (pink) filter cartridge separately. This is a Gas + P100 particulate combo. For CoVid, you shouldn't care which type of gas it filters, as long as it comes with a P100 filter which provide a 99.97% protection against particulates of sizes up-to 0.3 micron.The typical cough/sneeze droplets are about 5 microns in size so this should be adequate protection even if CoronaVirus gets air-borne (which means mist with particle size around 0.25 microns)So with a P100 filter, this is even better than N-95 masks (which only provide 95% filtration and are nowhere to be found). Just ensure that the respirator is correct size for your face (3 models of respirators 6100/6200/6300 which are S/M/L respectively)The filters and cartridges typically say "compatible with 6000 series, which means any of 6100/6200/6300).While selecting a filter, note that there are some which are some "gas-only" cartridges which provide no protection against any particulates, so useless against CoronaVirus/CoVid-19.If you do not like pink color, you may use the circular 3M 2297 style filters, just ensure that you are getting a P95 or P100 protection. The circular filters attach directly to the respirator without any extra adapters etc, look for "bayonet" attachment mentioned in the filter description and make sure you get 3M branded filters. As a bonus, the circular filters are lighter, but on the flip side they are also more exposed whereas 60926 style combo cartridges protect the actual filter inside a plastic box.Bottomline: For CoVid-19 protection, surgical masks provide only a 20-30% filtration efficiency and are meant more to protect others from your cough/sneezes. If you need to protect yourself, you need either this or N-95 masks.Tip: To extend filter life, keep the respirator and filter in ziplock or some other seal when not being used.