Traveling to Japan with ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset for Her

Hi all,

My partner and I both use ResMed machines (me: AirSense 10 Autoset for Her) with humidifiers and heated tubes. We are traveling to Japan for about 2.5 weeks in early April. We will need to use our CPAPs on the plane, and while we're in the country.

The issue is that while the US has 110v power, Japan has 100v power. Most electronics apparently work just fine (though we'll be buying some 3->2 prong adapters as many places only have 2-prong outlets?). But I've repeatedly read that "anything that heats up" does NOT work well on the lower voltage system and can malfunction or sustain damage - curling irons, hairdryers, and CPAP humidifiers among them. The advice is to get a [url https://voltageconverters.com/collectio ... converters]voltage converter[/url] - a device which is both expensive and bulky. Or perhaps to get a travel CPAP like the AirMini that doesn't use water for humidification - but that's $1000 each, with no idea if we'd find them acceptable (and wouldn't we still need our heated tubes?)

But looking on the back of the brick, it says "AC Input: 100-240V" - so would it work after all on 100V power, or would it only be safe to use if we did so without the humidifier? None of the travel guides I've read mention the possibility that existing devices might be rated to work fine on 100V as is.

Has anyone here actually travelled to Japan with your CPAP? Did you need a voltage converter? Were you able to use the humidifier/heated tube? What about on the plane?

The caution about using 110V AC heating devices on 100V AC supply probably applies to things that have the heating element directly connected to the AC power & use a significant amount of power (for example, the curling irons and hairdryers). The humidifier heater in the AirSense 10 is not like this - it uses a small amount of current & is driven by DC from the power supply brick. The power supply is perfectly happy operating in the range on the label - 100-240V.

My wife took her Airsense 10 along when we traveled to Japan a few years ago - there were no problems at all plugging it in & using it including the humidifer (of course, we needed to use a shape adapter for the plug). No voltage converter needed.

The cpap power supply is already two-prong.

mpeg2 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:01 pm

The caution about using 110V AC heating devices on 100V AC supply probably applies to things that have the heating element directly connected to the AC power & use a significant amount of power (for example, the curling irons and hairdryers). The humidifier heater in the AirSense 10 is not like this - it uses a small amount of current & is driven by DC from the power supply brick. The power supply is perfectly happy operating in the range on the label - 100-240V.

My wife took her Airsense 10 along when we traveled to Japan a few years ago - there were no problems at all plugging it in & using it including the humidifer (of course, we needed to use a shape adapter for the plug). No voltage converter needed.

Thank you, this is really helpful to know!

Was she able to use hers on the plane, do you remember? Did she use the humidifier? (I don't even know how to run my machine without a humidifier on it - wouldn't it make noise?)

Neither of us try to use our CPAP machines on the plane - so no experience. I do recall seeing some threads about that in the past, so doing a search might help. From what I vaguely remember reading - you want to keep your tank connected without water in it - and turn off the humidifier & heated hose. Of course, this assumes there's AC power at your seat.

If you know these already, then please ignore - but a few things that we learned when first visiting Japan can be helpful:
- While non-Japanese credit cards are commonly accepted in most businesses, getting local cash from an ATM can be difficult, as most machines will not take non-Japanese cards. However, post offices & 7-11 stores all have international ATMs (and 7-11's are everywhere).

- the subway system in Tokyo is quite extensive - but can be very confusing. There are some apps for your smartphone that will guide you through the system - well worth using.

Enjoy your trip...