Travel CPap

[harpo029]

I travel for work all the time. I am looking to buy a travel size cpap machine. Looking for suggestions on the best option to buy

[Holden4th]

Are you driving or flying? If flying would this include overnight flights?

[D.H.]

Note that the travel CPAPs might not have a lot of the features of your regular CPAP; especially humidification. If you do add humidification, it won't be much smaller than your regular CPAP.

[HoseCrusher]

I travel all the time too. I use the ResMed S8 Autoset II for my travel machine. In my carry on I pack the machine, power cord, hose, and mask. In my checked baggage I throw in the humidifier.

[harpo029]

Are you driving or flying? If flying would this include overnight flights?

Mostly flying. Not a whole lot of overnight flights. Not so much worried about using it on the planes more just something easier and more compact to travel with

[tedtomato]

The Dreamstation Go seems to have good reviews, if you don't need a humidifier and don't mind the high price.

The ResMed Airmini is getting more mixed reviews, particularly around noise. However, it's the smaller machine around with some humidification. It's pricey.

Otherwise, the Apex XT types of machines are quite small (when used without the humidifier), light and have a power supply built in (no separate bricks). They are cheap but some people complain about noise.

If you don't want to spend too much on a travel machine, and want a very quiet/"fully functional" machine, a Resmed S9 (without the humidifier) can be fairly compact, apart from the standard 90w power supply brick (but a smaller 30w travel one, with multiple plugs, is available to purchase). A second-hand lightly used S9 Autoset (APAP) can be bought for cheap.

[Holden4th]

I travel with my Respironics machine which has a detachable humidifier. Like Hosecrusher, I put the machine in my carry on backpack and the humidifier in my checked luggage. The machine, without the humidifier, is not that big or that heavy. At least I know that if my checked luggage gets lost then I still have my machine - I can survive without the humidifier.

Seriously, if you are flying mainly during the day then save your money and travel with your current PAP machine packed into whatever carry on you use. Yes, you will have to pull it out of the bag for the xray machines but this is not an issue when you consider what you also put into those trays rolling along the conveyor belt. To make life easier I put my machine in a large ziploc bag with the power supply etc. It makes the process so much easier. Some here talk of labeling the machine as medical equipment but the security guys will have seen so many they won't even question it.

[gw812]

I have traveled with my prime machine (Resmed S9 BiPAP) and it's a brick. I'm normally a carry-on, minimalist traveler and it sucks. Either takes up a huge chunk of my bag space or I have to roll with another bag and damage my travel zen. Unless you don't care about carrying a bunch of crap I do not recommend this. I just got my doc to write me an APAP prescription and I ordered a ResMed AirMini yesterday. From today's tests so far, the noise either isn't that bad or my BiPAP's already so loud that I don't mind.

[Guest]

I have traveled with my prime machine (Resmed S9 BiPAP) and it's a brick

I just got my doc to write me an APAP prescription and I ordered a ResMed AirMini yesterday. From today's tests so far, the noise either isn't that bad or my BiPAP's already so loud that I don't mind.

I know going from a bipap to an apap wouldn't work for me. It's part of my life - I take it with me wherever I go. For me it is hard to enjoy traveling or any part of life if I don't sleep good. Things could be sooo much worse.

[or.slacker]

If you do TSA pre screen, you do not have to remove the unit from the bag. And it is not counted as a carry on either.

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[harpo029]

I am a TSA precheck so the security process isn't the issue. I travel A LOT and constantly packing up my machine to travel (especially for the early flights, I like my sleep and don't like getting up earlier for this process) and then re-setting up at home and back and forth is just driving me crazy. I would rather have a smaller machine just for travel. I have that travel zen as well and I don't like extra baggage with me. Some of my trips are even just overnight or two days and all that extra is just time consuming and annoying. I have looked at the new Airmed Mini but not realy wanting to spend that much extra. My current machine has a humidifier but I am pretty sure I could live without it too. I am considering giving the air mini some time to go down in price but I really don't want to wait.

[HoustonMedic08]

I travel often as well, probably one night away from home a week on average, so I can definitely relate to these frustrations! I prefer travelling light and I've been very happy with the HDM Z1. I currently pack the AirFit P10 Nasal Pillows with it, although I prefer the DreamWear mask I have at home and will switch to that when I replace masks. I also find the HDM Heat-Moisture-Exchanger (HME) inline "humidifier" to be invaluable for comfort. I find the Z1's size and ability to go battery-powered are huge upsides; the downside is that it is noisier than my home machine and the "breath relief" curve is a little rougher. Still, it is not loud and doesn't bother roommates, and I sleep comfortably enough with it.

I am very intrigued by the new Resmed AirMini and Dreamstation Go devices, but don't have any personal experience with them.

I will say that having a complete CPAP kit in my bag ready to go makes those early morning departures a LOT easier.

[Pugsy]

My current machine has a humidifier but I am pretty sure I could live without it too.

I suggest you do a trial run without the humidifier at home to see for sure if you can do without added moisture.
You don't want your trip ruined should you happen to find out that maybe you did need some moisture after all.

I didn't see where you mentioned what brand and model machine you are using but they all have ways to turn the humidifier off even if you can't detach it.
Even the new ResMed AirSense 10 model line with the built in humidifier...you can just turn everything off and leave the water chamber empty.

Sorry, can't help with specifics on those tiny travel machines. I have no experience with any of them. I just use my spare machine for my travel machine but I don't travel all that often so no need to really go tiny. Besides I already know that I have to have the added moisture for sure. I had disastrous results just from turning it down to 1 once. No way would I ever not use the humidifier. Would totally ruin the trip for sure with horrible nasal issues.

Good luck to you.

[gw812]

If you do TSA pre screen, you do not have to remove the unit from the bag. And it is not counted as a carry on either.

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Nah, not paying 85 more bucks for the government to still get to violate the 4th amendment.

I know they can't count it as another bag, it's ME that doesn't want to lug another bag.

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[gw812]

So, I used the AirMini last night. Given that:
1. My scrip pressures are already high - 18 in, 14 out
2. I have only use one type of machine and mask since diagnosis
3. I have traveled without humidification before and it doesn't bug me

Here is what I have learned:
1. The f20 mask is a little noisier at the mask than the Quattro, but not near enough to bug me
2. The machine is no noisier than the S9 and, if I weren't looking, I could not tell the difference between the two
3. Going without a humidifier is no problem
4. Quality of sleep was identical to my home machine

The clinician settings were a snap to get into and review. My doc wrote the scrip with an older (higher) set of numbers so I was able to edit them to the same as my home machine. In fact, when setting the pressures for the exhalation relief I was close enough to my BiPAP numbers to not perceive ANY difference in function between the two machines at all. The AirMini seems to work like a poor man's BiPAP in this case! Purchase is totally worth it, especially if you're a minimalist traveler.

As a side note, digging into the instructions taught me about the autostart and autostop functions. Besides working well, as I learned how to set them I learned that my S9 has them too - something my shitty DME never taught me - and that I could have been using them all along!

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