Beyond Swift LT ...

Have any of you used the ResMed Swift LT consistently for more than 3 years and then found a better nasal pillow mask?

I've had mine for about 10 years and it has worn out to the point of needing full replacement. I hate to mess with anything that has worked so well for me for so long but still wonder if I should try another pillow mask in the same style as the Swift LT.

No offense to others, but I'm only interested in the opinions of those who have had 3+ years experience using the Swift LT every night. If you've had 3+ years with Swift and then found a better nasal pillow mask, what was it about the better mask that made you switch?

Advance thanks.

Good to see you again! I can't offer you any advice, but wanted to let you know you helped me on this adventure. I'm 10 years in with an AHI of 0.9! Good luck on your mask quest.

RiverDave wrote:Good to see you again! I can't offer you any advice, but wanted to let you know you helped me on this adventure. I'm 10 years in with an AHI of 0.9! Good luck on your mask quest.

Hi Dave. Congrats on your 10 years of excellent therapy -- and I hope you’re well with all other aspects of your health too.

Yep. It's looking like I should probably stick with what already works for me. The only two that I've not tried that could come close to the Swfit LT are the AirFit P10 and Swift FX -- but I don't see any functional benefits of either over the Swift LT.

The other two possibilities are the Opus and Aloha ... which I've already tried way back when they first came out. As I recall, the nasal pillow walls for both of those were thinner and easier to collapse and break the seal than the ResMed pillows. Perhaps they've updated their pillows with thicker silicone material since then but I never went back after getting such a good fit with the Swift LT.

Anyway, thanks Dave and hope everyone has as great of success as you and I have had with CPAP therapy.

The P10 and the Swift FX pillows are very similar to the Swift LT pillows in terms of material used and if you just glance at them and in how they feel in general.

I used the Swift LT for probably 18 months and while I did well with it those side things were a bit annoying and I had to use the padacheek wraps or I got some nasty dents on my cheeks and under my eyes...and actually a little too close to my eyes to suit me.
I started my cpap therapy in 2009 with Swift LT...spent some time just trying the others available at the time like the Opus but I didn't care for the stability of the Opus head gear. The pillows themselves were quite nice.

Then the Swift FX was released and I knew that I would like those side straps better than the plastic L thingy under my eye.
So I changed to the Swift FX.

Since I have a personal preference for as little on my face and head as possible I always lean towards masks with minimal contact anywhere.
I even used the Tap Pap with mouth guard and no head gear for about a year.

In terms of the pillows themselves...not a whole lot of difference but the difference comes in flexibility of the hose and the swivel (FX) compared to LT and the side silicone things vs the plastic.
Is it worth changing??? Obviously it was for me but as you well know...YMMV.

Pugsy wrote:....
Obviously it was for me but as you well know...YMMV.

Yep, I know. The L thingy doesn't bother me as I probably have a larger head than you do and it's not close to my eyes -- and I actually find the L thingy provides a "little" extra headgear stability for me.

I'm not sure how the swivel is different between FX and LT though. It looks like the FX has the same type of swivel (360-degrees) as the LT ... maybe I'm seeing it different?

The one thing I liked about the Opus more than any of the other nasal pillow mask was the "ball & socket swivel" which I think offers the most flexibility with respect to hose management -- for those of us who toss and turn while sleeping like I do. It does look like F&P updated their pillow design from their original design but only in shape. The main problem I had was that their pillows were too thin and would collapse and sort of fold over and leak -- thicker silicone walls might have been a solution but I don't know if they ever did that. And the one thing I really like about the Swift LT above all other nasal pillow masks is the ability to adjust the angle of the pillows to seat onto the nostrils.

Yes, I agree ... everyone has unique facial morphology as well as preferences for comfort and fit when it comes to these masks. That's why I think that only those who found the Swift LT to work for them and then later found a better mask have the greatest possibility to work for me.

Anyway, thanks for your input and thanks for all that you do to take rested gal's place and help everyone here in the forum.

Finding someone with your 3 yr requirement for using the Swift LT and changing is going to limit responses.
Most of the active members now who are using pillows weren't around when the Swift LT was the latest and greatest.
There may be a few here or there but you pool to draw opinions from is going to be a bit small.

Ultimately you just will have to try it to see how it suits your needs as your personal needs and preferences could be entirely different from someone else's.

DreamStalker wrote: I'm not sure how the swivel is different between FX and LT though. It looks like the FX has the same type of swivel (360-degrees) as the LT ... maybe I'm seeing it different?

The Swift FX swivels in a complete circle within one plane - like screwing a hose onto a faucet, as opposed to a ball-and-socket type of movement.

eta: Gotta say that I love the ball-and-socket of my new F&P Simplus!

Pugsy wrote:Finding someone with your 3 yr requirement for using the Swift LT and changing is going to limit responses.
Most of the active members now who are using pillows weren't around when the Swift LT was the latest and greatest.
There may be a few here or there but you pool to draw opinions from is going to be a bit small.

Ultimately you just will have to try it to see how it suits your needs as your personal needs and preferences could be entirely different from someone else's.

Yes indeed. And that was my intent -- to limit the pool of opinions relative to Swift LT.

Thanks, again.

luvsbluberries wrote:

DreamStalker wrote: I'm not sure how the swivel is different between FX and LT though. It looks like the FX has the same type of swivel (360-degrees) as the LT ... maybe I'm seeing it different?

The Swift FX swivels in a complete circle within one plane - like screwing a hose onto a faucet, as opposed to a ball-and-socket type of movement.

eta: Gotta say that I love the ball-and-socket of my new F&P Simplus!

Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for full-face masks ... but certainly glad they work for you.

DreamStalker wrote: Unfortunately, I'm not a candidate for full-face masks ... but certainly glad they work for you.

There is, I think, a pillow that has a swivel that works similar to a ball-and-socket. I was thinking it was the LT (my memory is shot though) but can't remember now.

Not sure if you are interested in a long-time Swift-FX user's thoughts, but after about 6 years on the Swift FX (and trying numerous other nasal pillow masks during that time), I recently tried the Brevida Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask. I think I saw someone else here post about it.

I am now a convert (though I've only used it three nights) unless something changes. Incredibly comfortable, ZERO leaks, silent, and no noticeable exhaust flow. I've slept better the last three nights than I have in years...

GrantT wrote:Not sure if you are interested in a long-time Swift-FX user's thoughts, but after about 6 years on the Swift FX (and trying numerous other nasal pillow masks during that time), I recently tried the Brevida Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask. I think I saw someone else here post about it.

I am now a convert (though I've only used it three nights) unless something changes. Incredibly comfortable, ZERO leaks, silent, and no noticeable exhaust flow. I've slept better the last three nights than I have in years...

Looks like F&P's updated version of their Pilairo Q (similar pillow design anyway).



It's a nasal pillow mask design I've not tried before ... it looks sort of like a hybrid between a classic nasal pillow and a mini-nasal cushion type of mask. Unknown whether my nose would fit inside their pillows for proper seal. But more concerning to me is that I generally do not do well with masks that place any pressure on either side of my nose/nostrils ... I have dense and sensitive blood capillary network there that creates sinus congestion within my sinus cavities with minimal accupressure (main reason I cannot use FF or nasal cusion masks).

Thanks though.

Hi DS!

Swift LT used to be my favorite mask for a long time, but I've had a few in the interim. Right now the Dreamwear is my favorite.

I wonder if you might like the Dreamwear with the gel nasal pillows? It has the swiveling hose attachment at the top which is nicer than the Swift LT because it really does move smoothly with you. With the hose hung from overhead I barely even know it's there anymore.

I love the minimalism of the Dreamwear mask but it is a bit loosey goosey with just the nasal "slit". The pillows seem to marry the best of both--stability in a light and minimalistic frame. For some reason, I haven't been able to tolerate nasal pillows myself in a long time--for some reason my septum has become really sensitive to having any pressure on it at all. So my second favorite mask these days is the Wisp.

I, like Janknitz, also have a sensitive septum - which is why I cannot tolerate the Swift FX. I tried on the DreamWear and really liked it, but the opening-under-the-nose design concept is similar to the Amara View (which I stay away from because of the issues it has for those with glaucoma). Once my settings settle out, I may return to the DreamWear if the pressures are not high.

Janknitz wrote:Hi DS!

Swift LT used to be my favorite mask for a long time, but I've had a few in the interim. Right now the Dreamwear is my favorite.

I wonder if you might like the Dreamwear with the gel nasal pillows? It has the swiveling hose attachment at the top which is nicer than the Swift LT because it really does move smoothly with you. With the hose hung from overhead I barely even know it's there anymore.

I love the minimalism of the Dreamwear mask but it is a bit loosey goosey with just the nasal "slit". The pillows seem to marry the best of both--stability in a light and minimalistic frame. For some reason, I haven't been able to tolerate nasal pillows myself in a long time--for some reason my septum has become really sensitive to having any pressure on it at all. So my second favorite mask these days is the Wisp.

Hi Janknitz.

Thanks for the suggestion. Looks sort of like a hybrid between the Bravo the old discontinued Headrest mask. The nasal pillow part is certainly intriguing with a slot instead of traditional nasal pillows ... but after reading the Dreamwear thread, It appears to have the issues I would expect from such a design.

So I've decided to stick with what has worked quite well for me for a long time now and ordered another Swift LT ... if ResMed would just put a ball & socket swivel on it, I would never seek out another cpap mask again. Thanks to everyone for their input and suggestions.

Sleep well my friends!