Just A Word on the FP HC431 FlexiFit Mask

JUNK


Cheers,

Chris

Howdy,

chrisp, that's not very constructive! We talk to the people who make these products and they are always trying to pick peoples brains to make them better. When we're asked next, shall we just say "JUNK!"?

What about it don't you like? What are some things that need to change for it to be acceptable? Can you see how it would work on other facial type, sleep habit types, etc?

Johnny

Johnny, The title of this post was A word. If i discribe the things i dont like I'd have to change the title of the post. LOL

It is to dificult to put on. Its more like a firefighters latch or fighter pilot mask than something you sleep with. I was a firefighter and pilot so i can relate.

The elastic has no stretch to it.

I can live with the above .

The swivil elbow isnt smooth. It squeeks when its turned and doesn't turn freely. Use the snap lock rings like Resmed. They are smooth.

Its loud ! Amplifies any sound that comes into it like a megaphone.

The incoming airflow is directed straight into your mouth causing more drying problems. I have a heated humidifier. Could use a baffle to disperse the airflow.

The way the headgear fits you can't just slip it on like the Resmed Ultra. You must unsnap it put it on with 2 hands.

The forehead rest isnt adjustable like the Resmed Ultra. Forehead rest could be wider (like Resmeds).

These are the things I found with 2 nights attempted use . I switched to my Resmed ultra nasal after a few hrs of batteling the FP HC431A mask.

The loudness of it is totally unacceptable along with the rush of air in my mouth. If they can't fix that its JUNK.

I use a Resmed Spirit set on auto . Average pressure 6.6 , max 10.

Also used it with a pB420E same pressure. It was even louder.

Cheers,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your two posts... I got a belly laugh from the first one and an education from the second one.

Hi Johnny,

Are you telling me that somehow our comments on the forum get heard by the people who actually decide how these masks are made? I mean that seriously. I have a new motivation to post my comments. (and I'm not being sarcastic)

Don't go too hard on chrisp. It is frustrating to spend a lot of money (even with cpap.com's low prices) on a mask that won't work for you from the moment you put it on. I understand that there are physical differences we all have that make the effectiveness of different masks vary, but when you compare to the superior design of the Activa (even with it's flaws) it sets the standard quite high. A mask that fails on the first attempt has a long way to go to reach the current standard of mask excelence.

Thanks for your input/prodding/advocacy. I'm not sure you and your family and the staff at cpaptalk and cpap.com can know how much we lost cpap souls appreciate it.

Yea , Like they care what we think.. Truth is they spend more on lawyers than they do on Engineers and product testing. We get 20 minutes with it. The lawyers psychoanalyze the product and it ends up doing everything but what it was designed to do. Then it costs so much nobody can afford it. Well they missed something on the FP 431 Mask..Don't barf in it cause you cant get it off fast enough with that heavy duty latch . Forget about pulling it off also cause the headgear wont give an inch.
Just my 2 cents

Waverly

Waverly wrote:Yea , Like they care what we think.. Truth is they spend more on lawyers than they do on Engineers and product testing. We get 20 minutes with it. The lawyers psychoanalyze the product and it ends up doing everything but what it was designed to do. Then it costs so much nobody can afford it. Well they missed something on the FP 431 Mask..Don't barf in it cause you cant get it off fast enough with that heavy duty latch . Forget about pulling it off also cause the headgear wont give an inch.
Just my 2 cents

See Johnny, Like I said... FRUSTRATION!

Topping for peter

I wasnt slamming you Peter, Just trying to add a little humor . I know how you feel paying all that $$$$$$$$ for a mask that doesnt work.

Sometimes my sarcastic NY nature is misunderstood by those from more civilized parts of the country

This mask is my nightmare

Irving

First mask I have used, don't mind the head gear, don't mind the latch, like the full face thing to keep the air going in nose or mouth, don't like that the thing is falling apart after a little over two months use. Forehead pad is dead, elbow has lost two teeth and now falls off every time I move. I can put up with the $9 to for a two pack of forehead pads a couple of times a year put the $40 for a new elbow every few months is not cool, I would change junk to cheap junk, but at $149 (now $129) not so cheap. Is there a similar full face mask with chin support that is not going drain my wallet so fast?

mwood, perhaps try a ResMed Ultra Mirage FF mask (my favorite, by far, in FF masks.) It doesn't have anything under the chin, but quite frankly, I don't see any benefit in having any part of a FF mask go under the chin. Just one more tricky-to-fit area which might leak or end up with a person's jaw pulling downward on the mask itself, perhaps irritating the bridge of the nose.

Actually, when I use my FF mask, I'm not using it to try to keep my chin up or my mouth closed....I'm using it for the purpose of being able to breathe easily through my completely relaxed open mouth when I want to. But even if I did want to breathe through my nose and was using the FF mask only to contain persistent mouth air leaks, it would be ok for the jaw/mouth to relax open.

The first time I saw a picture of a FF mask with a chin cup, I thought it looked like a good idea. But having used FF masks for over a year, I really see no benefit for a chin cup built in. I've tried 3 FF masks (not the F&P you have, though). One that I tried for about 15 minutes was the Hans Rudolph FF mask that does have a chin cup completely under the chin. That mask leaked like crazy and was totally useless for me.

I've found that the cushion design of all types of masks made by ResMed are the most leakproof, cushy-comfy masks on me. They can be adjusted with straps much more slack than most other brands. The only ResMed mask I've tried that didn't work for me, has been the Mirage Vista. I couldn't use the Vista - too many tiny leaks would spring out at the top near my eyes.

The ResMed Ultra Mirage FF (full face) mask cushion comes in a lot of different sizes. You don't have to buy the entire mask over again if it turns out that you need a slightly different size. Example, if the size called "Medium Standard" was a tad leaky up around the eyes, a "Medium Shallow" might work better. Even buying just another cushion gets expensive, but not as bad as having to buy a whole new mask, just to try another size.

The trick to adjusting any mask, including the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF mask, is to lie down in sleeping position while you adjust the straps and move the "tilt button" on the vertical piece of plastic that connects up to the forehead pad. The straps don't have to be very snug. The most important adjustment to keep fiddling with (while laying down) is the forehead adjustment angle...to tilt the mask. Often just getting a better "tilt" angle while laying down will stop leaks, without having to tighten the straps at all.

A really well built mask that is the right cushion size should feel a bit loose and floppy while sitting up. Everything about one's facial and neck muscles change as one lies down. Neck might thicken a bit, cheeks change shape, jaw position changes slightly. Gravity goes to work in a different direction than when you are sitting up. Straps that feel fine while sitting up can all of a sudden start feeling too tight (especially the lower strap near the back of the neck) as you begin to lie down. The mask that felt fine while you were sitting up may actually be strapped on too tight once you're finally lying down.

It seems counter-intuitive, but tight straps can actually cause more leaks - not allowing a well designed cushion to fill out as much as it should. So, it's always best to do final tweak adjustments (particularly to the forehead angle thingie) while laying down in sleeping position.

Possibly the reason some people think a chin support is a good idea, is because their jaw relaxes so much that their open mouth drops down below the bottom of some FF masks. In that case, I'd guess the mask cushion simply is not large enough. Fitting instructions for full face masks seem to have measurements that would apply only if the mouth/lips are barely open. I believe that you should measure with mouth hanging open as far as it normally does when you are in relaxed sleep. The many combos of sizes in the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF line make it easier to find one that fits a "hanging wide open" mouth better, yet still seal well below the eyes. Gets to be an expensive proposition, of course.... buying masks and cushions...until you get a really comfy fit.