Airfit P10 vs Swift FX Pillows

What is your preference between these two? Besides for the headgear and different exhaust vent, the feel largely similar to me. I had an old swift fx I was using on CPAP and now I am on an ASV machine and the doctor gave me the P10 to try out. I like tht it is lighter, but it doesn;t feel as durable. At first I didn't like the new headgear, but now I am finding it okay.

I do nowever feel that the P10 is not as good at exhausting air with the diffuser, should I be concerned that I am rebreathing the same air?

What are your preferences?

Thanks!

I switched to the P10 in November. For me, it functions perfectly. I have no issues at all with the diffuser or durability. I think it's the most unobtrusive solution on the market. After 5 months, I'm barely aware I'm using it. There is no one-size-fits-all solution out there but I think everybody should see if they can use the minimalist solution successfully before moving on to other alternatives if it doesn't work. I just wish I'd engaged fully with CPAP message boards before doing my 2nd sleep study where I picked a Wisp nasal mask thinking I'd hate nasal pillows jammed into my nostrils. I suspect I'd be just as happy with Swift FX nasal pillows but I've never needed to try the experiment.

I used the Swift FX for a long time before switching to the Airfit P10 in December. I have had no problem with durability and I actually get a lower leak rate in spite of the minimum head gear. The exhaust rate is engineered and the volume of the mask and pillows is small so I'm not worried about rebreathing CO2. I love the quiet diffuser because I can sleep without blowing air on my wife and I found the FX exhaust disruptive.

If you're worried about CO2, keep in mind you will naturally react to increased concentrations by increasing your respiration rate. It's simple, compare your respiration rate in breaths per minute to what you had with the FX. I would think they will be the same.

Long time user of the Swift FX and part time user of the P10, but I'm not yet a P10 convert.

Big advantages of the P10: The difused, almost silent exhaust venting. My number one complaint about the Swift FX is the noisy jet stream exhaust flow.

Biggest disadvantage of the P10 for me (YMMV): The fact that the pillows rest on a rigid plastic foundation at the top of the hose is the main reason that the P10 has not become my "go to" mask. The Swift FX pillows are more squashable in terms of accommodating where I want to put my face when I'm falling asleep. I have no problems with my bed pillows or covers dislodging the Swift FX pillows no matter how I move around. The P10's pillows get knocked ever so slightly ajar when I'm nuzzling into hubby's armpit. Not enough to cause a large leak, but it is just enough to create discomfort for me. This has been the deal killer for me, and it's why I'm still using the FX most nights.

Other things I think the Swift FX does better than the P10: The FX is easy to put a barrel cozy on the pillows, and that helps me with rainout at the pillows level. I have found a way of adapting the FX barrel cozy to fit the P10 without blocking the vents, but it is harder to put on and less stable. It also does not provide as much insulation since the whole back half of the pillow is uncovered. I also find the P10's headgear much harder to adjust than the FX: With the FX, once I have the top strap adjusted after opening the mask up for the first time, I pretty much don't have any more adjustments. Once I have the back strap adjusted after I put it back on after washing the back strap, I pretty much don't have any more adjustments. With the FX, it's pretty much yank it on at tight, tug the pillows once or twice to get them at the angle I want them and I'm done. With the one-size-fits-all headgear of the P10, I find that I'm constantly struggling to figure out just how wide to spread the split straps and how to stablize those split straps. If the split straps are not "just right", I get some serious piggy nose from the P10 and I've got a pretty small head, and I don't have that problem with the Swift FX. I also don't like the fact that the rigid plastic base the pillows snap into is permanently attached to the small hose. It's also easier for me figure out which side of the Swift FX is "up" in the dark if I've taken the mask off to do some serious nose scratching or if I've had to remove the whole mask in order to re-invert a collapsed inner cone.

Other things the P10 does better than the Swift FX: The lightweight short hose for the P10 is much nicer than the exceptionally heavy short hose that the Swift FX comes with. I've never understood why the Swift FX hose is so darned heavy. The P10 pillows are certainly easier to clean since when they're popped off the small hose, they're really only the "top side" of the pillows and the bottom side is still on the hose. It's much harder to accidentally attach the P10 pillows to the headgear incorrectly.

Both of the headgear are reasonably comfortable, although the only way I can tolerate the FX's silicone is to have a custom made Padacheek FX pad that covers the entire silicone part of the FX frame. Without the pad, the top strap gets tangled in my curly hair pretty badly. The P10's headgear's split straps seem to get tangled in themselves more than they get tangled in my hair.

Sleeprider wrote: not worried about rebreathing CO2..

If you're worried about CO2, keep in mind you will naturally react to increased concentrations by increasing your respiration rate.

put your hand up by the p10 and breath, unless you've got the tube temp cranked way up, you can feel the exhaust air warm as you exhale, and cool as the last of your exhaled breath is flushed from the mask, it always gets cool before I inhale again (at least, while awake and futzing with it)

I really like the P10 for venting diffusion and quietness, and light weight. In fact, just tried it again for the last 3 or 4 nights, hoping that getting a new bed pillow might have changed something. I found the same as I've found before, that when it's fitted comfortably, and I move my head on my pillow I get leaks which wake me up. When it's tight it's not comfortable *smile*. And yes, I've tried all the pillow sizes, I really want this one to work.

So I'm back to the heavy and noisy, but less leaky for me, Swift FX. Even though it's heavier and noisier, the range of adjustment allows me to have very few leaks when I move my head on the pillow with it comfortably fitted.

As I'm fond of saying, right at the moment my "ideal" mask (other than no mask) would be the P10 nasal pillow/nosepiece with the Swift FX headgear. Pretty sure that ResMed's not listening, though.

My experience is the same as Sleeprider's.

I agree with everything Robysue wrote in her comparison. For me, the airjet coming out of the mask on the Swift FX was a deal breaker - it would wake my wife several times a night (and when she wakes up, she makes sure I wake up, too). So I prefer the P10 even though I think the Swift FX has better headgear.

At first, I also worried that the P10 wasn't venting properly, but that was because I was used to the jetstream exhaust from the Swift FX. When I held my hand VERY close to the mask, I could feel the venting.

Thanks everyone! I tried using my old Swift FX last night and while the headgear was generally better since it can be adjusted, I have been using the P10 for the last couple of weeks and have gotten so used to the quite diffuser that it was very difficult to use the Swift. I also noticed I had to make the headgear tighter on the Swift so it wouldn't leak. So, I wound up switching back to the P10 and slept with that for 7 hours comfortably for the most part. This pretty much decided it for me. I actually like the P10 headgear, I just wish it was adjustable. I noticed when I first used it that it was too tight (I have a large head). It seems to have stretched out over the last couple of weeks, so it is fitting better. I did like the swivel on the Swift, but overall have been sleeping okay with the P10.

Does anyone else with pillows notice they collapse at some point during the night and you get leaking and then have to readjust them? I notice this with the P10 and always wake up having to adjust them at least once during the night.

On another note, I tried seeing if I could get the Aloha from my DME, but they said they would have to special order it and it would be $240 not covered by insurance and there would be no returning it. That is ridiculous since I can order it online for around $100 with returns. I will keep with the P10 for now and hope they come out with adjustable headgear in the near future.

Guest wrote: Does anyone else with pillows notice they collapse at some point during the night and you get leaking and then have to readjust them? I notice this with the P10 and always wake up having to adjust them at least once during the night.

Yep. This is a problem on both the FX and the P10. In my experience, the cones may invert once in a while just because ... But when I notice that the cones are inverting several times a week, I know its time to think about replacing the pillows---worn out pillows collapse a lot more frequently than brand new pillows.

If a particular set of pillows collapses more than one time during the night and it's not my last set of pillows for that mask, I ditch the pillows in the morning because that's a sign that they really are worn out in my experience.

The Swift FX and P10 are the only two masks I've had success with so far. I think I had less leakage with the Swift FX than I have now with the P10, and I hate the P10s headgear passionately, but the lack of jet stream from the exhaust has been enough to to keep me with the P10 over the FX. Having said that, my Pilairo Q just arrived and I think it may be my new best friend.

Katy,
That Pilario Q looks like it has a great headgear option. Let me know how you like it compared to the P10. I find I get headaches from my F10 FFM when I was originally given it to try and I like the single strap on the Q. I like the P10 headgear as it sits really flat and comfortable, other than it not being adjustable.

I love the way the AirFitP10 fits and feels, but I have had this strange feeling of starving for air in the night and when I wake up. Never had that with the SwiftFX I've used for over 2 years. I'm wondering about the special quiet vent, and whether I'm rebreathing and dropping my O2 saturation. Been using the AirFitP10 for about 2 months, and recently I'm also feeling like I did before CPAP - extremely fatigued, anxious, excessive daytime sleepiness. CPAP machine says 0 AHI and no leaks. Decided to try my old SwiftFX last night just to see - I feel 100% better today. I'll try the AirFit10 again as it is so comfortable, but if the fatigue continues, I'll have to go back to the SwiftFX. Like many of you, I don't like the heaviness of the Swift FX hose, and also don't like the nasal pillows lay on my upper lip, but may have to live with that.

I do get leaks with the P10 as I move around when I'm sleeping, and they wake me up (which is the real problem, there will always be leaks with any mask *smile*). I can make this much less with the FX, so that's why I'm back on the FX. I can make the FX as tight or loose as I need to for comfort versus leaks, whereas the P10 tends to adjust itself over a night, and I don't want to be waking up to readjust it.

The only good thing about the headgear on the P10 is not having strap marks when I get up in the morning *smile*.

I have gone through three P10s. Every single one of them worked great at the beginning, but the filter mesh clogs when wet, and simply will not vent, afterward. This means that whenever I get condensation issues, the mask stops working properly and doesn't vent on the breathe-out at all. Eventually, I wind-up laboring to breathe to the point where I have to remove the mask altogether.

Cleaning with a soft-bristled brush, as per the manual, doesn't seem to have any effect. It doesn't seem to be a particulate issue, but a moisture issue. So, whenever I've a cold night in the room, my P10 stops working and I can't sleep. I've read that others are having similar issues with the mask. It's a pity, too, because otherwise the thing's delightful to use. But I'm going to have to switch back to the Swift or something else that works, even when it's chilly. Having the thing simply stop working because of condensation in the hose is a deal-breaker.

I've been using the FX for over a year, the P10 for only about month or so.

To me, the single greatest benefit by far that the P10 has over all other masks is: how quiet it is. It totally solves the exhaust noise problem for you and especially for your bed partner. That alone is an enormous plus. It is also the lightest mask you can find, even compared to the minimal FX.

Now about maintenance: Cleaning the FX is much easier because its exhaust vent is simple to wash along with the rest of the unit. But then you have to put up with its exhaust noise and the not so minor blowing of that exhaust air. After changing sleep position, it can be annoying in the middle of the night suddenly to feel that air blowing on your wrist or arm.

The main question for the P10, and it's a biggy, is how clean, dry and open to air flow is its porous exhaust screen? That's a real issue and, to me, an open question for easy ongoing routine use. The best way I have found to clean that screen (actually two screens, the left and right sides) is to run hot water through them followed by a very careful soapy scrub using a fine bristle tooth brush, and then a final hot water rinse. Tiny holes tend to clog up -- unless cleaned frequently and carefully. So the P10 is higher maintenance than the FX, but so much nicer for the person next to you.