Soyala FF Early Review

ejdischer · Post by **ejdischer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:33 pm

Well, I got my Soyala FF in the mail yesterday. I was heading down to NJ for the night and was going to leave it home and bring the Hybrid, but I couldn't resist. So I brought the Soyala and the Hybrid just in case.

For the record, I got my Soyala FF from CPAP.com and it's a size large.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
Out of the box the Soyala is already assembled. Although it comes with an assembly guide and list of parts. It also came with a manual which I imagine is fairly useful if you're new to CPAP.

HEADGEAR
The headgear is one solid piece. It connects to the top and bottom of the mask and has a mesh piece connecting the top and bottom straps. When I initially put the mask on, I found the headgear to be incredibly comfortable. I barely noticed it was there. One of the things I like about it is the way it snaps onto the mask. You put the clip flat against the mask, it clips in, and the clip rotates back. Very easy to put on and take off. The velcro on the mask seems pretty strong. After one night and one nap it did not come loose at all. It also seems like it's better than my Hybrid headgear. Even better than the new gray Hybrid headgear.

MASK USE
The forehead support on the mask has three settings. Initially the mask came with the forehead support on it's tightest. When I put the mask on to go to sleep last night, the front of the mask hit my nose a bit. I moved the forehead support to it's furthest setting and got the perfect fit. I could tighten the bottom as much as I needed and didn't felt he mask on my nose. With the forehead support as far out as it is, I could keep the top straps just tight enough for a seal and the mask did not hurt at all.

Upon turning the machine on, the rubberized seal on the mask felt like it sealed even better. My APAP machine starts on 13 and goes up to 18. So the initial pressure is pretty high for most I would think. I sat there breathing for a bit just "feeling out" the mask. The seal was great and the mask wasn't too tight. One thing to note is that I kept this mask MUCH LOOSER than the Hybrid. That was my major complaint about the Hybrid. I had to keep the headgear way too tight.

I woke up this morning around 10am after about 7.5 hours of sleep. I didn't wake up once all night. But I was really tired and had a few Guinnesses in me, so that could explain that. BRILLIANT!!! I felt as refreshed as ever when I woke up. I've had a few nights like that with the Hybrid, but I really felt good this morning. I had small marks on my cheeks, but my Pad A Cheeks should solve that tonight.

As far as noise, the mask is ultra quiet. You can't even hear it at all. Also, I was able to sleep next to my wife and she didn't have the same problems she had with the Hybrid. With the Hybrid, the exhaust was so forceful I had to turn over. This is not the issue with the Soyala. It's ultra quiet, and has a very soft exhaust.

The mask also has a ball and socket joint on the elbow. This allows for much easier hose movement. I don't mind having the hose(it has a fleece cover) on me during the night, but I imagine for people who are particular about where the hose goes, this would be a fantastic feature.

CONCLUSION
So far so good. I slept 7.5 hours last night and 2 hours today since I'm working until 3am. The Soyala was great both times. It may have been the most peaceful sleep I've had since on CPAP. When I went for a fitting last week I tried the F&P 431 and 432, the Resp ComfortFull, and the Mirage FF. The only one I got a good seal with was the 431, but I wanted to have a mask without a chin support. I don't enjoy that about the Hybrid. I have a goatee and I don't like how it can pull on the hair. The Soyala pulls at nothing. I was very impressed with how easy it was to put on and off. It looks like this is the mask I'm gonna be using for quite awhile. I'm supposed to get an Opus to demo this week, but I may not even bother if this mask continues to work the way it did in its trial run.

PROS
Incredibly Comfortable
Great Headgear
Ultra-quiet
Very soft exhaust
Easy on/Easy off
Ball 'n Socket elbow

CONS
If I had to come up with one, I'd say the forehead support cushion is a bit hard. I was reading a post earlier about someone wanting a new matress and being recommended to memory foam. I know they'll send a sample of that stuff if you request. I wonder if you could glue some memory foam to the forehead support. It's not uncomfortable to the point where I feel I need to do this, but hey, if you can make it even more comfortable, why not?

I'm gonna use the mask for another week or so and I'll post a follow up quick reveiw.

EJD

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): mirage, hose, cpap.com, CPAP, seal, APAP

jules · Post by **jules** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:46 pm

I assume the forehead piece is the same as on the Soyala nasal mask. You can rotate the piece 180 degrees and change the height above the mask which gives you a few more settings. I also found a 3 inch square piece of Nexcare Guaze (just what I had in first aid supplies) under the forehead pad helped a lot.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:47 pm

Sounds good....My soyala FF came in the mail today. I will give it a go tonight but agree with you on the clips...far easier than the Ultra mirage and the comfortgel clips.

ejdischer · Post by **ejdischer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:52 pm

I assume the forehead piece is the same as on the Soyala nasal mask. You can rotate the piece 180 degrees and change the height above the mask which gives you a few more settings.

You can adjust the forehead support to one of three settings. I don't believe you can adjust the height of the support. It just clips into the mask.

EJD

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:54 pm

Maybe you can get a Pad-a-cheek for that forehead piece.

Dish, what an excellent review. And keep them coming. I'm going to order a full face mask in April for when I have a cold. I've been lucky, I've only had one cold in almost 4 years of therapy - but that wasn't fun.

Wishing you continued good luck.

jules · Post by **jules** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:07 pm

ejdischer wrote:
I assume the forehead piece is the same as on the Soyala nasal mask. You can rotate the piece 180 degrees and change the height above the mask which gives you a few more settings.
You can adjust the forehead support to one of three settings. I don't believe you can adjust the height of the support. It just clips into the mask.

EJD

Try pulling it out all the way and rotating it and putting it back in. You can do this on the nasal mask version.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:01 pm

jules wrote:
ejdischer wrote:
I assume the forehead piece is the same as on the Soyala nasal mask. You can rotate the piece 180 degrees and change the height above the mask which gives you a few more settings.
You can adjust the forehead support to one of three settings. I don't believe you can adjust the height of the support. It just clips into the mask.

EJD
Try pulling it out all the way and rotating it and putting it back in. You can do this on the nasal mask version.

First off, very good review.

Second Jules is CORRECT, just squeeze the top release where you adjusted the forehead bar out in your post and it will completely release the forehead support bar. Next, un-hook the headgear clips and flip it upside down, re-connect the headgear and this will change where the forehead support bar rides on your forehead.

There are 3-4 settings at the top to move the bar IN/OUT from your forehead in addition to the 3 main slots at the base of the mask. So you have like 6 or more different settings just for the forehead support. The lower 3 main slots can also change the "tilt" of the mask if you are getting too much pressure on the forehead or leaking into the eyes. Once you get it all adjusted right it stays put.

I got my Soyala Full Face arrived today, so I haven't slept with it yet, but I did try it on and adjust the straps. I did turn on the machine and so far feels just as comfortable and is silent just like the nasal version.

I am sure glad I got the Medium size, I use the Large in the nasal version, but the Medium Full Face appears perfect for me. It is a bit wider at the mouth area, which is probably good because that seems where my UMFF was leaking, hopefully the Soyala won't leak there even if my mandible drops.

The Soyala Full Face is near identical to the nasal version only difference seems it is larger so it can cover the mouth and it includes an entrainment valve in the swivel elbow where the nasal version doesn't.

I highly recommend if you are considering this mask to first download the PDF sizing guide, cut it out and size it to your requirements. Unfortunately, SOMNOTECH doesn't have an easy link to this sizing guide where you can download it

Maybe if everyone SPAMs Patrick at SOMNOTECH for this sizing guide they will put up a simple link on their website where you can download it.

You can request one from:
CUSTOMERSERVICE@SOMNOTECH.COM

My rant; Come on people if you are going to sell something, get your act together and put up a link so people can easily find things and download them.

Rabid1 · Post by **Rabid1** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:12 pm

Dang you Dish! Now I'm out another 165 bucks!

Sleepless_in_LM · Post by **Sleepless_in_LM** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:13 pm

Dish,

Thanks for the review. You stated you could face your wife with this mask. Is that because of the lower noise or does it not "blow" as hard as the others? Also, how well does it work for side sleeping?

Todd

ejdischer · Post by **ejdischer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:22 pm

Thanks for the review. You stated you could face your wife with this mask. Is that because of the lower noise or does it not "blow" as hard as the others? Also, how well does it work for side sleeping?

I slept on my side. No issues. No discomfort. It was very quiet as well which helped. But my wife never really complained about the noise since I was a snorer. However, the fact that she doesn't have the air blowing on her really hard is a major plus. The exhaust is very very soft. And the mask is essentially silent.

EJD

Alisha · Post by **Alisha** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:45 pm

The link below is the only description I've found so far on this mask. Ignore the inflated price; I was just looking for some description. Says shares same headgear as Soyala Nasal Mask.

http://www.aftermarketgroup.com/cgi-bin ... roupType=0

Snoredog, I e-mailed the address you gave about a week ago...but they did not respond. Have you seen the PDF sizing guide? If so, is there any way you could direct us to it or share it with us? If you have the FlexiFit 432 which for me required a larger size than other ff, did you purchase the same size in the Soyala ff?

Dish and Track, did you order the same size as other ff you have tried?

I'm still looking for a ff that gives a good seal without further damaging my delicate skin.

Thanks,

Alisha

ejdischer · Post by **ejdischer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:49 pm

It says "dishwasher safe." Really? You think everything but the headgear??? Would anyone try this ever?

EJD

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:52 pm

Snoredog wrote:
I am sure glad I got the Medium size, I use the Large in the nasal version, but the Medium Full Face appears perfect for me. It is a bit wider at the mouth area, which is probably good because that seems where my UMFF was leaking, hopefully the Soyala won't leak there even if my mandible drops.

I'm glad to hear that. I also have the medium size, which is what I always used in the UMFF. In the nasal version of the Soyala, I use a large, just like my Activa.
I haven't had a chance to sleep with my Soyala Full Face mask either, even though I got it early this past week.

Thanks again Snoredog, for being the one who made all of us here aware of the Somnotech Soyala masks.

I plan on giving my review of the mask in a separate post, after using it for at least a week. If it's anything like the Soyala nasal mask that I've been using, it's got to be unbelievable!

Alisha · Post by **Alisha** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:59 pm

Snoredog, I just found the PDF sizing guide on another internet DME site:

http://www.cpapusa.com/pdfs/Soyal%20FFM ... 0Gauge.pdf

I'd still like to hear whether or not you, Dish, and Track purchased the same size in this mask as in other ff masks you have tried.

Sorry, Dish, it's late and I forgot to thank you and say what a great job you did on the review. Will be anxious to hear what you say after using this mask for a week. And I'll be waiting for others to review it or add to your review.

Regards,

Alisha

ejdischer · Post by **ejdischer** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:04 pm

CpapUSA is where I got the sizing guide. Used it got a large. With the Hybrid, I tried large and medium. I was a medium mouthpiece and medium nasal pillows. However, when I cut the chin piece of the hybrid, I had to use the large pillows to prevent the pillows from slipping out. Overall, I have a pretty big melon, but I've tried mediums of some masks at my DME. Although, in the FF masks, (FP 431, 432, and Comfortfull) I was a Large. In the Mirage FF I was a medium.

EJD

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