Best nasal pillow mask ?

I have a beard and mustache that I refuse to shave and due to this I have been through about 5 or 6 different types of masks. I had pretty much given up on using my CPAP but figured I give it one last try since I read a recommendation for a nasal pillow mask for people who have beards/mustaches. What is the best/most comfortable one out right now? I have fairly large nostrils if that makes any difference. Thanks for the advice.

HighSierraGuy wrote:due to this I have been through about 5 or 6 different types of masks

Are you sure the beard is the problem? Sizing the mask and adjusting it properly are more common problems. Plenty of men with full beards use a variety of masks.

You shouldn't have any problems with nasal pillows if you do a little minimal trimming around the interface (mouth breathing issues aside). That said, the best nasal pillow mask is the one that works best for you. I used to like the Swift FX line back in the day, but there are some new ones that people seem to be adopting. I'm sure others are going to contribute along those lines. You certainly have an overriding decision to make: Is your CPAP effort going to go down in flames due to facial hair vanity? Just saying.

And the new ones your speaking of are?

HighSierraGuy wrote:And the new ones your speaking of are?

Sorry, I've not used them in a few years so that's why I said hold out for some current users. Good luck getting it all sorted out. Yeah, I know the feeling of dependence on maintaining full beards... I myself kept my full goatee far longer than I should have. Also, some of the biker dudes I used to work with in the machine shop would literally rather be dead than shave their lifelong beards. Hey, not my decision to make, so I offer no counsel in that area.

Take a look at the ResMed P10 which has minimal headgear and interface with the nostrils. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html
The Swift FX also might work. I believe it's nasal pillow area is a little larger and there is more headgear but it is adjustable which is an advantage for some.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

I believe if you ask the question properly of 1000 CPAP users you can get one consistent answer.
The one I use.

Mine is the Sleep weaver élan.

Im in the same position. Hands down, the DreamWear mask is what you should try. Just sits under your nose, nothing invades your nostrils. After a few minutes, you won't even feel it on your nose.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... -pack.html

JasonK94Z wrote:Im in the same position. Hands down, the DreamWear mask is what you should try. Just sits under your nose, nothing invades your nostrils. After a few minutes, you won't even feel it on your nose.

The part where it sits under your nose, how does it seal? The problem I had with the last nasal pillow model I had, the ResMed Swift FX Nano, was that it needed to seal on your upper lip, so any facial hair on your lip made it near impossible to use. This is why I've considered the tube that have the nasal tubes that seal at the end of each nostril.

The two most popular nasal pillow masks on our host's site, cpap.com, are the airfit p10 and the swift fx. Both of those masks are sold with free return insurance so you can try them out yourself without risk.

I did a poll here recently that you can view here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106883&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=poll Note that there are a couple of newer masks that were not included in that poll, like the dreamwear and sleepweaver.

To me, the free return insurance is worth a lot because we never know how well a mask will work for us until we try it. I hope that you are able to find something that you like.

Also have a beard...Swift FX and AirFit P10 are the two nasal pillow masks that work for me. The Swift FX more, since can I get the leaks lower, but either or both may work for you.

Good luck. A lot of us out here have beards, and it is by no means insurmountable.

I have a substantial mustache and find that nasal pillow masks are by far the best choice for me. I use the ResMed Airfit P10, which I like because it has the least amount of hardware and headgear on my face/head. I find that the P10 pillows actually work better when they are nestled against my mustache, as opposed to my bare upper lip. The seal is entirely around the edges of each nostril, so there is no concern about the rest of your face. As with most nasal pillow masks, the P10 comes with three sizes of pillows, so you can figure out the best size for your face/nose. I also like the minimalist headgear, which has no buckles or adjustments, other than a split in the thin strap. The wider the gap between the two strap sections along the slit, the greater the effective length of the strap. Lastly, I really like that the air vents through screens that distribute the venting air so there is no air stream that has tended to wake me up with other masks.

As others have recommended, you should try at least a couple of different nasal pillow masks from a vendor that has a return policy.

yaconsult wrote:The two most popular nasal pillow masks on our host's site, cpap.com, are the airfit p10 and the swift fx. Both of those masks are sold with free return insurance so you can try them out yourself without risk.

+1

You may need to try more than one before you find the ONE.
Subtle variations between size divisions and nare angle have made some brands unusable for many.
Do not feel you have failed--THEY have.
Three sizes per style does not begin to approach the variety in human honkers.

I have a beard and mustache and my favorite mask is the ResMed Airfit P10 by far. It is a very minimal mask and it just seems to work.