Travel machine

[fredr500]

My name is Fred and I have sleep apnea. I've been on the mask for 3.5 years.

I found this wonderful place when first diagnosed, you saved me from a brick and I got an S9 Autoset that has and continues to serve me wonderfully. I can't remember the last AHI >5.0, and it is usually <2.

But travel with this thing can be a pain. On a whim I searched for travel cpap and found several options less than $500 that look pretty small.

So of course I returned here to read up on them. A search on "TRAVEL" turns up a pretty snipey conversation (unusual on my past visits) but no real discussion on these mini devices.

Any comments? Anything to stay away from? I want to say I was in the 12-15 range for the first year but switched to auto and started doing much better and never returned and haven't loaded SleepyHead in a while so i have no idea what my current setting is.

Thoughts? Take the S9, power brick and case and lug it all on the planes? Buy a cheap travel unit and just use it on the road? Spend more bucks and get something better for the road?

Thanks

[K8TEK]

This is NOT my machine, but it seems like a good deal for an autoset Airsense 10.
https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/for/5647089796.html

[fredr500]

Thanks K8TEK but that's not much smaller than what I have.

[Pugsy]

Cpap.com used to have one of those tiny travel machines offered with a money back guarantee (within like 30 days I think) but I don't remember exactly which one it was.
That way you could test it to see if it meets your needs or not.
The number one complaint that I have read from people who got these tiny machines has been machine/blower/motor noise.

Let me see if I can figured out which machine had the return policy available...most do not so you are stuck with them.

I have never even seen one of the tiny machines so I can't comment on noise or function. I prefer to have something that I know works well and since I don't travel all that much it isn't that big of a deal to use my S9 or PR 1 machine for trips.
Plus I absolutely have to have my humidity (and lots of it) and often with the travel machines you have to either give up humidity or use something that provides much less moisture and that is something I simply can't do.

[Pugsy]

Okay I found the email from cpap.com that offered the 2 travel machines with a risk free return policy.
It's 30 days but you pay for return shipping...be sure to read and understand the return policy.
Also if you need extra humidity...be sure to see how humidity is addressed. It looks like the XT has an optional humidifier for an additional 100.00.
The Z1 doesn't appear to have additional humidity and it's quite a bit more expensive than the XT but you might look closer because I just briefly skimmed the product information.

I know nothing about these machines but IF (big IF) I was wanting to go this route I would want to make darned sure that I could use it and sleep with it and be happy with it on a trip and thus the return policy would be a deal maker or breaker for me. If it is noisy or doesn't treat my OSA well or whatever...and I can't sleep well with it then I would want to for sure be able to return it and I figure the cost of shipping is an acceptable expense to incur for that experiment.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/apex-x ... 04ubtnrtso

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/z1-aut ... wndpo28tiv

[K8TEK]

The AS10 is significantly smaller than your S9 because the humidifier is integrated. Plus, you can get a side cover and bypass the humidifier.

[hobbs]

The AS10 is significantly smaller than your S9 because the humidifier is integrated. Plus, you can get a side cover and bypass the humidifier.

I have both a S9 and S10 and IMO the S9 is a better travel machine. Of course I do not use the humidifier when traveling.

[Thatgirl]

The biggest way travel machines cut size is by cutting the humidifier. I'd suggest trying your S9 without the humidifier (if you haven't already) to see how you tolerate it.

[Cardsfan]

Travel with the S9 and leave the humidifier home.

[egzbuen]

I'm not familiar with the features of the S9 but I have the Apex travel machine mentioned here. I'm new to it and have tried using it 3x already, so, I'm by no means an expert on the machine.

Size and weight is awesome, not to mention its footprint. Comes with a nice carry bag.

My main machine, Remstar 560, is a lot better, hence the difference in price too, as well as the numerous positive reviews it has. The exhale relief from pressure (I think cflex in Philips machines) is a biggie for me so far. I always feel like choking on the Apex specially during exhale.

Bringing your main machine sans the humidifier sounds like a good idea. I might just do that and relegate my Apex as a spare machine for emergency purposes.

Sent from heaven

[yubaz]

I saw the travel machines and really compared the sizes and weights versus my S9 without the humidifier and they were not significantly smaller or lighter.

I hate the brick on the power cord because it is far and away the heaviest element involved but this forum was super kind and explained why it was necessary and that otherwise temperatures would be too high and dangerous re fire. (at least that is how I understood, in very lay terms, the answer.)

Reading the reviews given no humidifier (and no need to find distilled water in foreign languages) the travel machines were noisier, slipped around during use, provided no weight reduction when ALL parts were included ... and cost a bundle. I do better by using my own very light weight carryon bag. Put the parts in clear plastic bags and wrap your emergency clothes around the physical machine as protection. You are carrying it on and so you know you will be careful in stowing and transporting it. However, I am not car camping or back packing .... if you were to do those things there might be some considerations that do not apply to me.
(What I saw about the batteries to operate without electricity however didn't make me think you could really go for more than one night on batteries rather than electricity so I if you were looking at that sort of thing you need a lot more information.)

As other responders said: TRY without the humidifier at home first to be sure you know how it will work for you. I spent my first 5 years without humidifier (insurance would not pay) until I found this site and actually got good information about equipment and SLEEPYHEAD. SLEEPYHEAD IS THE BEST. And this forum has helped me save my life.

[hobbs]

I hate the brick on the power cord because it is far and away the heaviest element involved but this forum was super kind and explained why it was necessary and that otherwise temperatures would be too high and dangerous re fire. (at least that is how I understood, in very lay terms, the answer.)

I never understood why the S9 went to a power brick?

The S8 was a perfect travel machine.

[RogerSC]

I use an AutoSet S9 as my travel machine for airline travel and tent camping, and find it works really well for me. The cases that they come in are great for travel. I do take the humidifier, and use it powered off with water in it for tent camping, or normally powered on for hotels or motels, etc. This gives you humidified air without sucking down your battery for tent camping. For me, the humidifier acts as a muffler and makes the S9 much quieter in use. If the S9 noise without the humidifier doesn't bother you, then you can go that way, and it would be even a little lighter.

Anyways, the reason that I mention this is that cpap.com has the S9 AutoSet on sale at the moment at a great price, complete humidifier and full warranty. Or you can go to secondwindcpap.com and look at the "gently used" or open box ones over there.

But personally, the S9 is my choice for travel, since I know a lot about them, the noise level, and how to set them up. And they aren't large or heavy, and a great carrying case comes along with it.

[K8TEK]

I hate the brick on the power cord because it is far and away the heaviest element involved but this forum was super kind and explained why it was necessary and that otherwise temperatures would be too high and dangerous re fire. (at least that is how I understood, in very lay terms, the answer.)

I never understood why the S9 went to a power brick?

The S8 was a perfect travel machine.

SMPS (Switched-Mode power supplies) are very prone to failure. The MOSFETs and bridge rectifier generate a significant amount of heat as well. It is easier (from a longevity standpoint) to build the power supply outside of the CPAP. It then becomes a user replaceable part too.

[Tino2You]

I too use the S9 AutoSet as my primary machine. In my case it was not the weight or size of the unit during travel, but the risk of damage to my primary unit which drove me to purchase a second machine here. I bought a S9 Escape Auto (I know a brick) from someone on this board. It had practically zero hours on it and it was a fifth of the cost of a new S9. It uses all the same filters, tanks and accessories as my S9 AutoSet so supplies are not duplicated. As a side bonus, the algorithm it uses during therapy is identical so I switch back and forth without even knowing it.

This is just my opinion and may well differ than yours. That is, as they say, what makes the world go round.

Cheers,
-tino