A better travel case for CPAP machines?

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I’ve followed up on several of them already.

For right now, I’ll add the bubble wrap! That’s a great quickie solution to make for the almost-nonexistent padding on the bag that PR provided with the machine.

The Resmed S9 case looks promising, but I’m not sure it would fit my machine; I can’t find that bag’s dimensions on-line.

I hadn’t thought about camera bags, but there’s a whole another world out there! Camera bags come in every shape, size and style. I’ve found some that are lightly padded; others are heavily padded and have a “trolley sleeve” and straps that would let you slide it over the handles of a roll-aboard suitcase and really secure it there, which would ideal for me. The good camera bags are REALLY expensive, but I can often find stuff like this at a big savings on eBay, when I’m patient enough to wait for a bargain.

I looked at the rock-solid Pelican instrument cases – they’d certainly do the job, but they don’t strap onto a suitcase, and the available sizes don’t match my machine that well.

I searched old forum posts and came across other ideas as well. One was to pack the machine carefully in a roll-aboard suitcase, but that sure wouldn’t work for me. On my last three flights, the airlines insisted on gate-checking all roll-aboards for the last 20 or 30 passengers because there was no room left in the overhead bins.

Last trip I used my Bag Bungee, a really solid-looking device for attaching a second bag onto your roll-aboard. The darn thing busted in the airport, spilling my CPAP bag onto the terrazo floor. I cannot believe that wasn’t its final experience . . . .

As to “just be careful with it” – well, I do my best, but air travel is such a harrowing and impersonal experience that I look for things I can worry less about. On my last flight I saw a big guy forcing his carry-on into an overhead bin that was already full. Anyone who had a CPAP machine up there in the cheesy PR carrying case would have only a pile of junk left after that experience!

calusa wrote:The Resmed S9 case looks promising, but I’m not sure it would fit my machine; I can’t find that bag’s dimensions on-line.

I don't think the prs1 would fit great in the resmed s9 bag, the case is tailored to fit the resmed curved front, you take the machine apart, then back them into the case so that the halves have padding between them and the most robust bits, the outside front case, is at the top, it's curved, and the bag is curved around it.

I think the resmeds are thinner than the prs1's so it wouldn't fit well into the bag... ah..

resmed is 6x5.5x3.4", and the prs1 is 7x5.5x4" the s9 humidifier is 6x5.7x3.4, and prs1 is a bit wider than the blower, but I can't find the measurements in their 'documentation'.

why not just go with the prs1 travel case linked a couple times above? cost? annoyance that it's an 'extra'?

resmed is 6x5.5x3.4", and the prs1 is 7x5.5x4" the s9 humidifier is 6x5.7x3.4, and prs1 is a bit wider than the blower

why not just go with the prs1 travel case linked a couple times above? cost? annoyance that it's an 'extra'?

Thanks for the dimensions and explanation -- that's what I was afraid of!

As to the PRS1 travel case, I think it's the same bag I already have, which seems confirmed by this comment from an Amazon customer:

This case which originally came with the very excellent System One Phillips CPAP provides little and mostly no protection for the plastic machine including the rotating plastic nozzle atop the machine. This is why I am searching for another case for an international flight and stay. The case provided poor protection for a great machine.

I said earlier it had "no padding"; that's not quite true, but the padding is so thin that it's as if they put in just enough to say the case is padded, but nowhere near enough to give any confidence that a machine would survive a mishap . . . .

fwiw - in my (flt attendant style) carryon I pack my hose on top of the swivel, always have, that seems to provide it protection.

For bungees - I came across some I really like both have latching hooks
Crawford-Lehigh CZB3 3-Feet Cordzilla Stretch Rope, Green
I really like this one. Found at a discount store for maybe $5 - believe me I wouldn't pay much but Amazon has them for $13.
The store sells discontinued items so I know it wasn't much. I went and bought more to put in every suitcase and the car trunk too.

Have another that is adjustable with the same kind of hooks not as thick a rope but can't tell who made it since it is out of the pkg.

I don't have a clue about this one but found it on Amazon it shows the kind of hooks I am talking about.
Keeper 06154 36" Super Duty Bungee Cord with Carabiner Hook

ps. I can't post links

calusa wrote:As to the PRS1 travel case, I think it's the same bag I already have, which seems confirmed by this comment from an Amazon customer:

amazon is selling the cheezy 'standard' case, however, the travel case that I linked to above *is* padded, and has a luggage handle strap to slip down over the handle of your roller case.

someone else even linked to the same case on cpap.com.

see the third post...^^^^ up there.

however, the travel case that I linked to above *is* padded, and has a luggage handle strap to slip down over the handle of your roller case.

I looked at that one first -- it must be for different machines. My CPAP's smallest dimension is 5.25". This case's smallest dimension is exactly the same; so if it's padded, the padding would have to be compressed to nothing to make my machine fit. Too bad -- that one sounded like exactly what I was hoping to find -- maybe bigger in the other dimensions than I'd prefer, but I could live with that.

Have you seen this case? Am I misinterpreting the dimensions?

calusa wrote:

however, the travel case that I linked to above *is* padded, and has a luggage handle strap to slip down over the handle of your roller case.

I looked at that one first -- it must be for different machines. My CPAP's smallest dimension is 5.25". This case's smallest dimension is exactly the same; so if it's padded, the padding would have to be compressed to nothing to make my machine fit. Too bad -- that one sounded like exactly what I was hoping to find -- maybe bigger in the other dimensions than I'd prefer, but I could live with that.

Have you seen this case? Am I misinterpreting the dimensions?

have you even looked at what I posted??? "respironics cpap TRAVEL case? with the nice picture of the inside of it, showing the padding??? lots of room for hose and mask and such? cost 90bux, individual pockets for each piece so you don't stress the connection between them by moving it around with them clipped together? not at all what comes with the machine?

calusa wrote:I searched old forum posts and came across other ideas as well. One was to pack the machine carefully in a roll-aboard suitcase, but that sure wouldn’t work for me. On my last three flights, the airlines insisted on gate-checking all roll-aboards for the last 20 or 30 passengers because there was no room left in the overhead bins. * * * On my last flight I saw a big guy forcing his carry-on into an overhead bin that was already full.

For this reason alone it is worth exercising your rights under the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act) to preboard and place your "assistive breathing device" in the "priority stowage" area of the aircraft. If you do that they can't bump your CPAP, and the only item that takes priority over a CPAP in that stowage area is a folding wheelchair. I think the FAs like to use that space for their own stuff, but ACAA gives you the priority.

have you even looked at what I posted??? "respironics cpap TRAVEL case? with the nice picture of the inside of it, showing the padding??? lots of room for hose and mask and such?

I've read every word you posted, and followed that link and studied it carefully!

Yes, the link says "Respironics CPAP Travel Briefcase" and shows a picture of the bag with a CPAP machine that looks like mine.

I'm fairly new to CPAP. Given all the different models that Respironics has sold, I'm not willing to assume that the pictured machine is identical to whatever my DME sold me.

The phrase "...padded compartments to keep CPAP items stored inside less likely to be damaged during travel" doesn't suggest much confidence, even from their marketing people, that this case is as protective as what I'm hoping to find.

The web page provides dimensions for the CPAP portion of this case -- the smallest dimension is identical to the exact measured size of my machine. Where does their padding fit? If this case isn't padded enough, I wouldn't even have room for bubble wrap or extra padding.

Please, if you have this case and it's better than this webpage suggests, tell me more!

I might spend $90 or even more for a great CPAP travel case, but I need more than a promising picture that's accompanied by unpromising dimensions.

You can lug the machine (or a foam dummy--or a tape measure) around
to retail outlets and measure whatever looks close to what you want.
Don't rule out tool cases, instrument cases (musical and electronic), or
even "daddy" diaper bags/backpacks. Lots of things will work off-label,
and you might hit jackpot.

calusa wrote:

have you even looked at what I posted??? "respironics cpap TRAVEL case? with the nice picture of the inside of it, showing the padding??? lots of room for hose and mask and such?

The web page provides dimensions for the CPAP portion of this case -- the smallest dimension is identical to the exact measured size of my machine. Where does their padding fit? If this case isn't padded enough, I wouldn't even have room for bubble wrap or extra padding.

I've pretty much decided you're just looking to waste people's time, or you're not looking at the same thing.

the smallest dimension of the cpap case listed is 5.25", your cpap is 4" tall, that's up to 1.25" of padding in that padded case.

just because this thread is about cases....

I just purchased a "new in sealed bag" Quattro FFM mask on craigslist. Interestingly enough, it came with a brand new sealed in plastic bag RESMED blue zipper bag that is labeled for use in storing the Quattro mask..

As far as I can tell, it is what RESMED used to provide for the Quattro mask. At some point they replaced it with the mesh bags and eventually gave up the bags too

This is a way cool find for me!

the smallest dimension of the cpap case listed is 5.25", your cpap is 3.4" tall, that's up to 1.85" of padding in that padded case.

As I've said previously, my CPAP is 5.25" tall -- that's its actual measurement -- identical to what the webpage says is the dimension of this case.

calusa wrote:

the smallest dimension of the cpap case listed is 5.25", your cpap is 3.4" tall, that's up to 1.85" of padding in that padded case.

As I've said previously, my CPAP is 5.25" tall -- that's its actual measurement -- identical to what the webpage says is the dimension of this case.

how are you measuring "tall" the PRS1 60 series is NOT 5.25" tall.

tall is from the little rubber feet on the bottom to the top of the unit. according to the manual, it's 4" tall. are you measuring it front to back?

how are you measuring "tall" the PRS1 60 series is NOT 5.25" tall.

tall is from the little rubber feet on the bottom to the top of the unit. according to the manual, it's 4" tall. are you measuring it front to back?

My machine doesn't have rubber feet on the bottom (which I find odd).

The 5.25" measurement is from the table the machine sits on to the highest point on the swivelling output of the humidifier (with the hose removed). This isn't from the manual, it's an actual measurement of my machine.

Maybe I'm not describing my machine correctly -- I think its full name is: "System One 60 Series REMstar Auto with A-flex"