A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is effective in treating sleep apnea.
A CPAP mask is worn at night over the nose or mouth. It is then connected to a CPAP machine through a hose. A CPAP machine helps to pump pressurized air into the airway and keep it open.
There are different brands of CPAP mask in the market. You will need to buy a type that seals well and does not leak. Getting a comfortable and easy to use one will guarantee you a good sleep.
Making a decision in getting one can be so overwhelming sometimes. Here is an article to guide in choosing the best. In this article, we will be reviewing the best ones in the market. We will first list them and thereafter go into full details.
If you’re looking for silence, get some rest with the new Pilairo Q ™ Nasal Pillow mask by Fisher & Paykel. It is a quiet, lightweight and comfortable nasal pillow mask. It is one of the lightest CPAP masks of just 1.83 ounces. Light means comfort and a less invasive night’s sleep. It offers you comfort, safety, and compliance.
The AirPillow ™ Seal is a self-inflating cushion made with soft, supple silicone material that has minimal leakage. It feels absolutely like a feather on the skin. As it has only 3 major parts, maintaining it is quick and painless.
The featherweight pillow seals well and has a headgear that is easily adjustable with the Q cover over the diffuser. Its headgear has been expanded to accommodate a number of larger head size of CPAP users. With a wide adjustment range of its headgear, you can achieve the perfect fit and best seal.
The AirPillow CPAP cushion is inflated after use to provide a lightweight. It is completely sealed to reduce leakage and noise. As the Q-cover and diffuser complete the job, the exhaust air is diffused, virtually eliminating possible noise. Sleep apnea therapy can be challenging, but by using the right CPAP mask and headgear, these challenges become compliance and comfort.
This is a CPAP mask specially designed for women. It conforms well to female facial contour. It has its air diffuser placed at the front of the mask. The straps of the headgear are designed from a stretchy fabric making it a “one size fits all”. It has a unique split strap design that offers stability and adjustability without much facial contact.
It is easy to clean as the pillows parts can be pulled apart and clean. It is designed with a QuietAir woven-mesh vent technology making it quiet to use. This CPAP mask is also very light, it is about 50% lighter than the common nasal pillow masks. It ensures you have great comfort as you sleep at night.
It is made with dual-wall technology that has trampoline action seals on contact. This makes it disperse air gently to your nose. Its tube is very light, durable, and flexible. It gives you full freedom of movement with the seal still intact.
Majority of user gave a positive review about this product as they sleep well when they use it. It is very soft and comfortable for them.
This is a soft CPAP mask that conforms better to your face for a better seal. It has an outer silicone membrane that ensures an effective seal. Also, the Comfort Flap seals the pad tightly using the Sure Seal technology. It also protects its cushion from dirt like the oil that come from the face. The blue gel cushion and the SST flap are can be replaced thus allowing a longer mask life.
The micro exhalation ports reduce the operating noise making it quiet. The angle of the ports is positioned in a way to direct air away from you and your bed partner. The 360-degree pivotal connection of the elbow enables you to move during sleep. Its hose can run down the head and over the chest.
The pillow is redesigned to reduce pressure points and makes it comfortable to use. It has a stability selector placed between the forehead support and mask. This stability selector is easy to adjust and thus allows you to find the best fit.
It has one resistance control to offer the best pressure for your mask-based therapy. This system detects when adjustments are required and automatically makes these adjustments.
Most user likes the durability and quietness of this mask. However, there are complains that it leaves sleeping marks that disappear with time.
This is a low weight brand with few parts. It has a MicroFit dial on the mask frame. It provides you forehead support in 24 positions. It seals around the bridge of your nose and conforms to different face shape of users. Its headgear clips are set to be adjusted in optimum settings. This ensures quick positioning and removing.
It is designed with the Spring Air technology to allow different users’ sleep motion. The full masks ventilation design is designed to reduce the noise of air by more than 50 percent. This brand offers a nice and quiet performance. It is very easy to handle and use.
As it has few parts on it, it is easier to assemble and disassemble. Also, its replacement parts are available in the market. There are also head clips and lower head clips available.
The dual-wall spring air cushions are also replaceable. This pillow fits well with its great airtight seal. It is available in four sizes: small, medium, large and extra small size.
Most users commend the good quality of this mask. It works perfectly for them. However, there are a few complaints about it being too tight and thus not really comfortable.
The Nuance CPAP Mask comes with two different framing options. Nuance Pro has a silicone frame while the Nuance has a soft cloth frame. Its frame is made of silicone, which is flexible and provides more comfort during CPAP therapy. The silicone frame is lightweight and it will be very easy for you to carry.
It comes with gel pads that help to soften the mask’s feel on the skin, especially around the cheek. It offers you a high degree of comfort and seal as the gel pillow does not cause discomfort.
The material of the Nuance Pro CPAP mask frame is soft, flexible and light in weight. It has a built-in retaining ring which holds the gel nasal pillow in place. Just like the silicone frame, the soft fabric frame is also light and can be easily transported.
It has a non-slip headgear that stays in place at night while you sleep. Its tubes are also light and flexible. It adapts to your nostrils shape and size. This nasal pillow mask is available in 3 different sizes: small, medium, large.
If you use a nasal mask before, you will probably enjoy more freedom while you sleep. However, you cannot use it when you have colds or allergies. When you have nasal congestion due to flu, pollen, or any sickness, your nose might be blocked. At this time, your nasal mask will not be able to supply the oxygen you need.
With a full face mask, you can get oxygen by breathing through your mouth. If you use BiPAP, you will also need a face mask with a soft gel pad. This will help to ensure a tight seal and avoid air leaks. This is a great way to get the best CPAP therapy.
Many people relax comfortably with the nasal CPAP mask as they can be more mobile in their sleep. This is because it requires less space. You can enjoy sleeping on your side when you have it on. You can move without fear of it knocking off your face.
In addition, they are more portable because of their smaller size. Hence, it is an idea for traveling. It is quite cool to use a nasal mask to feel more comfortable as you move. As a full face mask can make you feel hot and wet as you sweat in the hot summer. You can switch to nasal mask in the summer months.
If you like to relax and watch a movie before going to sleep, a nasal mask is ideal for you. A full face CPAP mask may block your view when you read or watch television in bed. It can also be difficult to wear your glasses with a full face mask.
manufacturers recommend daily cleaning. In practice, it is advisable that you do this at least twice weekly. It is not compulsory that you use an expensive CPAP sanitizer.
When you have a cold, thoroughly clean the mask, tube, and device to remove mucus and other unwanted residues. This hygiene can help prevent unpleasant odors from your mask.
Do not leave water or moisture in the unit for a long time. You can use a heated humidifier and heated tubing to reduce condensation. If you will not use it for some days, clean and dry completely.
Clean humidifier with distilled water to reduce the risk of amoebic infection in certain parts. This will also prevent minerals from accumulating in the water chamber.
Replace your filters as often as you should. It has been shown that filters reduce the spread of bacteria in the device. The masks should be changed at least every 3 months. Mask pillows that touch your face should be changed every two weeks or monthly.
Avoid sharing your mask with others to prevent the spread of the infection. Do not buy used masks.
A mouth leak occurs when you sleep with your mouth open and exhale air during therapy. The opening of the mouth during sleep can be a habit except you have a stuffy nose. As mouth leak can cause a dry mouth which is not comfortable, it is good to control it. It can be really annoying and loud. It can also wake you up or even your bed partner.
The goal of a good CPAP mask is to achieve a stable and stable seal to protect you against air leakage with comfort. If your mask leaks, it will affect your therapy and you will not get the full benefits. To achieve a good seal, you need to attach the mask well before you connect the tube. Applying the mask when the air pressure is on may cause the pillows to bend or twist. This will result in leaks.
If your nasal pillows are very small or feel heavy to use, you might want to tighten the mask too much and can be very uncomfortable. However, over-tightening the mask can also cause leaks and should, therefore, avoid it.
Ensure your mask is well positioned on your face before you turn on the airflow. You may need to make some minor adjustments to ensure that it is well sealed.
Misalignment is the cause of many problems that mask users have. Each type has a specific adaptation sequence. It is advisable you follow the steps in the manual or videos on how to use it. Get used to your mask, the more, the better. Practice putting it on, pulling it off and taking it out of the tube during the day so you feel safe doing it at night.
After you get used to it, you even put it on in the dark or when you are half asleep. However, you might not know how to adjust your mask well the first time, it requires time to perfect this. With time, you will find an adjustment path that works best for you.
If you have difficulty fitting your mask, your health provider can help you in solving it. Ensure you get in contact with them if you have difficulty getting a good seal. It might be because you have a wrong mask or the size.
Getting the right CPAP mask size will give you a perfect and accurate mask fitness. It should not be too loose or too tight. If you have the wrong mask size, it will difficult to get a good seal that fit comfortably. Some might even cause facial change.
You can also check your manual if you have any problems with your mask. It can help you adjust it properly. Also, check for pillow wrinkles that can cause leaks. You can try a different mask size if you still leak which can be around the nasal bridge for a nasal or full face mask.
Wearing a chin strap can help in stopping it by keeping your mouth closed. Also, a humidifier can also help by preventing your nose from getting blocked.
However, a full face covering will help if the mouth leak is much. It will help cover the nose and mouth. When you even breathe through your mouth, you will not have any leak.
Have reviewed the best CPAP masks, we will like to get feedback from you. Do you find this review helpful? Have you used any of these masks before now? Do you know of any other CPAP mask that should be part of this review? Kindly let us know by leaving a comment.