Beards with Respironics DreamWear Full Face Mask?

I'm wondering if any bearded sleepers have tried the Respironics Dreamwear FFM? If so, how was the leakage around your beard & mustache? Any other thoughts about the mask?
Thanks!

It would be a shame to die from poorly treated Sleep Apnea, when with less vanity you could have lived better and longer. Jim

rubinken wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 07, 2018 5:37 pm

I'm wondering if any bearded sleepers have tried the Respironics Dreamwear FFM? If so, how was the leakage around your beard & mustache? Any other thoughts about the mask?
Thanks!

It's just barely starting to come out so unfortunately I don't think you'll get too many options just yet.

The DreamWear Full Face mask is not yet readily available for public sale. I don't know of anyone who has used it other than as part of the testing/trial process. Have no idea if any of those had beards or not.

You are going to have to wait until it is commonly available and people start trying it to get much feedback from anyone.

But to be honest when it comes to masks just because someone else has a problem with a mask doesn't mean you will and just because they might love a mask doesn't mean you will love it too.
You will just have to try it yourself to see how well it suits your needs.

There are people with full Santa Clause type of beards using any number of full face models quite successfully. They probably had some challenges but met them and conquered those challenges. I full expect the same to be true with the DreamWear Full Face mask.

Nasal masks are generally less problematic (especially with facial hair), but if you really need a FF mask, that's not relevant.

So let me ask, do you really need a FF mask?

I need a full face mask because at night I breathe through my mouth. Chin straps have not solved my problem.

I'm scheduled to get a Dreamwear full face mask tomorrow, 3/19. I'll let y'all know how it works after I try it a few nights.

I bought it new from Secondwind a few weeks ago. They are nice enough folks. and come well recommended here, but they don't offer return insurance on masks. As an Amara View user, and fairly happy with it, I assumed this would be a good upgrade...WRONG. I don't have a beard or mustache, but I have had bad Darth Vader breathing, wife complains of leaks as pressure increases while I am sleeping. Magnetic clips are hard to use. Headgear not any more comfortable. The over head hose connection is nice, but not worth the rest of the crap. I shoulda waited and got it from Cpap.com and got the insurance, lesson learned. $149.00 pissed away. Will probably try it again when work slows down and sleep is not as important, sell it if it don't work out.
WOW...that rant felt really good

i've been following any reviews on this one that I can find...I have a strong feeling i'm gonna get told to use a FFM as I am a mouth breather too....this is the one i'd like to try just from what I have been able to read...I have a gotee as well and sometimes full beard, but it's not thick. Hoping that this one will work...otherwise, it's good bye gotee Hopefully whichever DME I get sent to can get one.

I know this doesn't totally answer your question but I have a goatee and stache that about 6 inches long and do not shave the rest of my face on my days off or vacation (just went 13 days no shaving) and have very little issue with the Resmed F20 FFM. I don't have to crank it down real tight and have very little leakage.

J-

rubinken wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:09 pm

I need a full face mask because at night I breathe through my mouth. Chin straps have not solved my problem.

I'm scheduled to get a Dreamwear full face mask tomorrow, 3/19. I'll let y'all know how it works after I try it a few nights.

I'll be interested in your results after you get it.

Sheriff

I have tried this mask for two sleepless nights. It would not seal well with my beard and mustache. I tried numerous permutations of adjustments. When it did not leak briefly, it was adjusted so tightly that I felt uncomfortable- great physical pressure around my cheeks particularly- that I was unable to sleep.

I'm disappointed. I had high hopes that this mask would resolve my problems. Nope, not for me.

Obviously this is only my experience and it may not be relevant to others.
Thanks for all your responses, Ken

That's the way masks are. I'll eyeball a mask for a while and imagine wonderful things.... then get it home... unwrap it.... the be greatly disappointed. All the while, someone here raves great things about it. Women think the same about men!. Anyway, I have had fond visions about the Amara View mask. My daughter tried on at Cpap.com, and after looking at it, I knew it wouldn't work for me.... so I stuffed the money back in my pocket.

Sheriff

I just received my Dreamwear FFM several days ago. Three nights now and I've had some problems but it's better than just the nasal pillows.

I have a mustache that's not always trimmed (I'm retired). With the nasal pillows I found I had to shave the hair immediately below my nostrils in order to keep the pillows from riding up and blocking my nostrils. If I didn't shave for 2 days, I would wake up several times each night because I couldn't breathe - kinda defeats the purpose of a CPAP machine.

The Dreamwear FFM works better. It still rides up after a few days but even then tends not to block my nostrils. The problems with it are that, even shaved, it leaks around the mouth unless I make the head bands really tight. Then it's uncomfortable.

This past winter I bought a Resmed AirMini for travel. I needed something smaller than the Dream Station for use on a charter boat. The Resmed came with a full face mask that covers the entire nose and mouth. Mustache problem solved! Somehow, by bypassing the mustache area the mask had no leaks even with up to a week's worth of beard growth. After that it had similar leakage problems around the mouth. However, if I kept my beard shaved without shaving under my nose, the Resmed FFM worked fine. Thee's nothing to ride up and block my nostrils.

I prefer the Dream Station for home due to the moisture/heat controls it offers. But I'm going back to my medical supplier to find out if there is a FFM for the Dream Station like the one for the Resmed.

B1948J wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:55 am

I prefer the Dream Station for home due to the moisture/heat controls it offers. But I'm going back to my medical supplier to find out if there is a FFM for the Dream Station like the one for the Resmed.

There is already....it's the same mask as you use with the AirMini but just has a different hose to mask attachment thing.

This mask...will work with your DreamStation...it's the same mask as one that works with the AirMini.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

Well I'm getting it on Monday (or by Wednesday at least). I'll let you know how it goes with my beard. Of course, I have the thickest hair on the planet... as someone else mentioned mileage may vary. But I will shave if I can't get a good seal.