Aloha, Opus, Pilairo? Need help choosing one.

I've been pretty happy with my Swift FX, especially since I got the bella loops several days ago. I've been sleeping great since those came - until last night. Last night was a rough reminder that masks can be fickle things. This morning I'm swimming through a brain fog and I feel like I worked hard manual labor all night.

I still love the bella and am pretty sure this will be my primary mask, but I'd like to have another nasal pillow mask on hand for nights like last night. This topic has probably been discussed over and over, but I could really use your input on which mask to choose. This mask will be bought out-of-pocket so I want to make a good choice the first time.

I am a side-sleeper, and I will roll over at least a couple of times during the night but not a lot. I prefer something with less headgear....the less I can feel anything on me the better.

So, which nasal pillow setup do you like best? And why?

Bon Bon,

The right mask for you is something only you can figure out.

My favorite is the Swift FX that you use. The Opus is good and my backup. It is comfortable, but leaks more easily than the FX for me. The elbow pivot is not as smooth and the hose is stiffer than the FX. These two concerns are irrelevant to some people. I'm an engineer so I like things that have a quality feel.

Some people think the Pilairo is great. I did not like it because the "one size fits all" was too tight, it pushed between my nose and lip, and it hurt my nostrils. I returned it.

My DME does not carry the Aloha so I have not tried it. People rave about this. I might try it someday, even if I have to pay out of pocket. I'll get insurance if I do.

Get a mask that you can return if you don't like it, if you can.

Ed M.

I use the Swift FX and like it a lot, especially after adding the rubber o-rings under the nasal cones. However, I'm due for a mask this month via insurance and am going to be trying the Pilairo. My DME doesn't carry the Aloha, but I'm thinking of buying one myself to try.

tattooyu wrote:I use the Swift FX and like it a lot, especially after adding the rubber o-rings under the nasal cones. However, I'm due for a mask this month via insurance and am going to be trying the Pilairo. My DME doesn't carry the Aloha, but I'm thinking of buying one myself to try.

I just learned about the o-rings a few weeks ago and they've made such a difference with my Swift FX! I need to buy extras to keep on hand from now on.

My DME doesn't carry any of these three masks I'm interested in or else I'd be asking them to let me take a test fit in them.

Ditto the o-rings for the FX.

edm_msu wrote:Bon Bon,

The right mask for you is something only you can figure out.

My favorite is the Swift FX that you use. The Opus is good and my backup. It is comfortable, but leaks more easily than the FX for me. The elbow pivot is not as smooth and the hose is stiffer than the FX. These two concerns are irrelevant to some people. I'm an engineer so I like things that have a quality feel.

Some people think the Pilairo is great. I did not like it because the "one size fits all" was too tight, it pushed between my nose and lip, and it hurt my nostrils. I returned it.

My DME does not carry the Aloha so I have not tried it. People rave about this. I might try it someday, even if I have to pay out of pocket. I'll get insurance if I do.

Get a mask that you can return if you don't like it, if you can.

Ed M.

Thanks Ed!

I wish my DME carried these masks so I could try them on before I decide. I'm leaning towards the Aloha right now, because like you said people are raving about it in the reviews. And you make a very good point about the Pilairo's being one size fits all, that concerns me some.

And yes, I will definitely be getting the inurance when I place my order.....just in case.

edm_msu wrote:Ditto the o-rings for the FX.

Whever the genius was who came up with the o-ring idea should have patented it. It really works (until last night anyway).

I switch off between the Aloha and Pilairo and am love them both. Don't dismiss the Pilairo simply because of the ridiculous one size fits all head strap as there is an easy fix for that. I get the most flexibility in sleeping positions with low, low leaks from the Pilairo and find that it is becoming the one I most often reach for.

Suz

You know the Swift FX is my number one mask.
I have tried the Aloha and the Pilairo.
The Aloha ranks a real close 2nd behind the Swift FX. Despite there being a little more headgear it is really quite comfy and not a problem. It is super easy to fit and get a good seal and keep a good seal. Amazing how it won't budge even with my tossing and turning (which is a lot).

If you have a smaller head the Pilairo might suit you. That one size fits all head strap was snug even on me and I have a small head. The pillow is larger though and a person notices the inflation and deflation with inhale and exhale. It is comfortable though. I still haven't decided its ranking but it would be behind the Aloha.
Back when I first started therapy I did try the Opus 360. The pillows were great but I found the headgear a bit troublesome and seemed to move around a lot. I was new and inexperienced though...I haven't tried them since. I might do better now.

My recent trials with the Aloha and Pilairo were just to see what the new stuff was like since I hadn't experimented with masks since I was new to cpap therapy.
I used the Aloha for a month last spring and the Pilairo for about a week before I gave it to someone who was in need.
I have since got a replacement but haven't yet spent any more time with it to give it a fair trial. The size of the pillow takes a bit of getting used to. It is real easy to have it too tight and your nose feels like you ran into someone's fist.

I was just looking at these on cpap.com, reading the reviews, and saw that the insurance on the Aloha is only $15.69 and the Opus is about $20 while the insurance on the Pilairo is over $38!

Yep...the more the return insurance the greater the returns have been in the past.
I suspect the biggest problem with the Pilairo has been that strap. Even with my small head if I placed the strap where the picture show it going I had piggy nose and my nose was very sore. When I moved it down a bit on the back of my head then I didn't have piggy nose and no more soreness. F & P needs to do something about that strap...yes it will stretch out a lot to accommodate the larger heads but it is not a comfortable stretch.

The reason the Aloha insurance is low....they don't come back very often.

Pugsy wrote:Yep...the more the return insurance the greater the returns have been in the past.
I suspect the biggest problem with the Pilairo has been that strap. Even with my small head if I placed the strap where the picture show it going I had piggy nose and my nose was very sore. When I moved it down a bit on the back of my head then I didn't have piggy nose and no more soreness. F & P needs to do something about that strap...yes it will stretch out a lot to accommodate the larger heads but it is not a comfortable stretch.

The reason the Aloha insurance is low....they don't come back very often.

Ah! That's good to know. Thank you!

The strap issue may be what decides it for me. I have an average to slightly large size head for a woman, and it sounds like these might be a little too tight for comfort. I'm all about comfort ya know!

I'm really leaning towards the Aloha right now. The Pilairo is still tempting because it only has the one strap around the head, but really the Aloha only has one once it reaches the main part of the face.

I have to give you my vote in favor of the Aloha!! I love it.... Have tried a lot of masks and find this one to be the most comfortable.....Good luck!
Janice

Insurance prices are a reflection of the return rate.
Now you've got to think to yourself: "How typical IS my face?"

I think you probably stand a good chance of really liking the Aloha from the onset.
The Pilairo...it takes a bit of getting used to. Not horribly bad getting used to...just different getting used to.
I knew immediately that the Aloha would be a keeper.
The Pilairo does have some pros to it though. The openings in the inner cones are more "slotted" than the other nasal pillows so if someone has narrow slotted nares...it could be a definite plus over the more oval openings of the other nasal pillows. The inflation and deflation of the pillow I thought would be highly annoying but after a couple of nights that became a non issue. I think the main drawback is that head strap.