I need different CPAP headgear.

March 8, 2023 10:28 AM

Can you recommend good CPAP headgear?

I've been using a CPAP for about five years now, and I'm generally pretty happy with my setup. One thing that's always bothered me, though, is the headgear. I use an Airfit P10, which is mostly fine on the nose and seals well, but I am a very active sleeper.

I roll around a lot, and at least 2-3 times a night I find myself half-awake, pulling the straps up to where they should be after the top strap has slid down off the top of my head and joined its partner strap right under my ear. I've used the adjustment buckle that Airfits come with, and I inevitably have the same issue. I'm finally to the point where I'm sick of that, and want to explore other options the next time I'm eligible to replace my mask.

There seem to be several options for a more stable fit, including the Airfit P30i. But honestly I'm not even sure what I should be looking for!

My two main questions:
- Is the connection-on-top style, like the P30i, as good/effective at delivering air as the in-the-face connection?
- What should I be looking for in a headgear to have maximum stability as I roll around at night?

(Assume brand/cost is not an issue, as long as it's compatible with a Philips DreamStation 2 with heated tubing)

Tell me your experience with this type of headgear - I'd love some recommendations based on actual use.

posted by pdb to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Best answer: I currently use the AirFit F30i (so the under-nose full-face version of the P30i), & like it. I've used a tube-in-front mask for my portable-CPAP for a while, & definitely prefer the tube up top. I'm fairly active as a sleeper, & don't usually run into fit issues unless the straps are getting close to time for replacement & the elastic is going out.

If you're looking to avoid the straps moving to where they're not effectively securing the mask, look for 4-point straps rather than 2-point. With 2-point (like the P10), there's one axis of pivot & the tube is working against you, so the tension is front-to-back & if it gets dislodged it'll slide off you rather than correcting itself.
With 4-point, there's a pad in back to spread out the harness & there's 2 pivot points in tension against each other, so if it gets bumped one direction the other pivot is pulling it back into position.

Connection on top is mostly as good at delivering air, in my experience. It can feel a bit slower if you're sleeping directly on one of the tubes running down & pinching it off; but not enough to bother me as air's getting through the other side.

I think you're on the right track looking at the P30i, though I'm not as familiar with other brands so there might be a competitor that's similar & offers a different benefit I'm not aware of.
posted by CrystalDave at 10:57 AM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Well, I going to chime in and say switching my CPAP mask to a different one was a life changing experience just below getting a CPAP machine in the first place, but that better mask is literally a ResMed P10 and the one I just hated was similar to one you are contemplating, so...

I think you are going to just have to try out different versions and see what clicks.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 11:05 AM on March 8, 2023

I should also say that I've just done my sleep study stuff because I have switched insurances, and my somnologist (sleep doctor) asked me a bunch of questions to ensure the mask I was using was still the best option. So, you could also tell your doctor your issues and see what they recommend. You'll likely get better answers than the "this one worked for me" ones you'll get here.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 11:08 AM on March 8, 2023

I switched from the P10 to the P30i three months ago. It's a tremendous improvement for me. I can now fall asleep without a sleeping pill, it's so much less annoying! It's no longer impossible for me to sleep with my dental guard and the BPAP at the same time; previously the annoyance of the two added up to be just too much to allow sleeping at all. But I tried the N30i cushion with it and got no sleep at all for the three hours I used it, until I gave up. Noses and faces vary a lot. It's always a gamble, trying a new mask.

What I like about the P30i: no pressing of the nasal cushion to the entire area between my nose and upper lip - it used to really stick to it, once some humidity accumulated, and caused irritation. And no whooshing of air into my eyes or onto my partner. I expect to have much less trouble with dry eye from now on; I haven't had annoying eye dryness at all lately. It's also quieter, with the air outlet at the top of the head instead of the middle of my face. The way the tubing runs up both sides is great for side-sleeping, not just back-sleeping, and the pillow doesn't dislodge it. And not forcing airflow onto your partner's back, if you sleep with someone else, is very nice. But I think the main thing is that it feels better on my face.

I loved the P10 compared to the gel-cushioned nasal mask I had before, which in turn was much better than the hard, ill-fitting nasal mask the durable medical guy tried to sell me. PAP therapy is getting better and better. The machines are much better now, too.
posted by metonym at 11:15 AM on March 8, 2023

Best answer: Oh oh I can actually answer this. I just switched from that exact mask to the Philips DreamWear and I love it, even though it's super goofy looking. It's pretty ingeniously designed, with the tube on the top of your head. I can toss and turn and sleep on my side now without any problem.

-the in-the-face connection?
- maximum stability as I roll around at night?

I've found the DreamWear to be far better than what you've used on both these questions.
posted by umbú at 11:33 AM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

Another Resmed-to-Philips Dreamwear user here and it was a gigantic improvement, though I have close to zero luck sleeping anywhere but my back. You'll probably have to get a variety pack of those pillows/cushions/whatever they call the thing with the slit you breathe through -- at least for me there's one specific size that's great and everything else is terrible; it's not a gentle gradient of badness but One True Fit surrounded by garbage.
posted by range at 12:01 PM on March 8, 2023

Also using Dreamwear and I'm a side sleeper/flipper and it's been great.
posted by dpx.mfx at 12:25 PM on March 8, 2023

When I first started CPAP, the durable goods provider had a local distribution office with a technician who would let you try various masks until you found the best fit. I don't know if that kind of service still exists but you might try calling your provider and asking. I think it may be that that perc has gone the way of so many good things - no cost effective.
posted by charlesminus at 4:52 PM on March 8, 2023

Response by poster: Looks like I've got a couple options to choose from and some research to do! Thanks all.
posted by pdb at 7:17 PM on March 8, 2023

For future reference, this is all of ResMed's masks on one page. They only have two nasal pillow style masks: the P10 and the P30i. The P30i is in a series with the N30i and F30i and is their answer to the Philips DreamWear, with the tube at top.

I use a full facial mask; I have an F30i and it was a huge improvement over the F20. Having the tube come out of the top is much better. I found the fit is very stable. But the F30i has a strap down low under your ears - not an option with the nasal pillow masks I've seen. It took some doing to get the straps adjusted right, too tight is as bad as too loose.
posted by Nelson at 7:21 AM on March 9, 2023

Long shot that this is the answer, and also I'm going on like 20 years of not successfully using CPAP, but source aside here, just in case it'd work: You might have luck changing out your pillow -- pillow pillow, not mask pillow. I think it's more better for keeping the seal with your face intact than it is with straps like you're describing, but a pillow filled with buckwheat hulls can be molded into whatever position suits you at the moment; maybe it would result in your moving less in your sleep to begin with?
posted by troywestfield at 8:15 AM on March 9, 2023