Nasal pillow with better headgear than Aloha?

[Quickstrike]

I like everything about the Aloha but the headgear. It doesn't adjust much and seems cheap and the plastic digs in when I bury my head in the pillow. The Airfit P10 is probably too small for my big head as the Aloha is about as loose as I can get it.

[Elle]

I have a big head and the P10 is comfortable for me. My DME insists the "for her" (which is the one i have) is smaller than the regular.

[Quickstrike]

I've read problems with the P10 stretching out?

[Pugsy]

I've read problems with the P10 stretching out?

It does stretch out some but if your head is really that large it might not stretch out enough.

I would suggest that you look at the ResMed Swift FX nasal pillow mask..the headgear is definitely more adjustable and it doesn't have the annoying side plastic things to dig into your face.

Are you going to use insurance to pay for it or buy it out of pocket? The P10 has free return insurance with it for 30 days from cpap.com and I would think that you would know by 2 weeks if it was going to stretch enough for you...wrap it around a basketball for a few days.

If you are going to use your insurance then maybe try the Swift FX as I am more sure it might suit your adjustability needs better.
If you really, really want to try the P10 though and don't want to lose money...you maybe could sweet talk me into letting you borrow mine. Mine is getting pretty stretched out (for me anyway) and I am having to start do the hot water thing to shrink it up a little. I even have a couple of brand new nasal pillows you can try and it doesn't bug me to get a nasal pillow that has been slightly used. Should you end up loving it and not want to send it back then we can probably work out something.

I have a big head and the P10 is comfortable for me. My DME insists the "for her" (which is the one i have) is smaller than the regular.

She obviously can't read a tape measure...I can and have compared both and I couldn't tell even 1/2 inch difference between the for Her package and the regular package (except for the XSmall vs Large nasal pillow thing).
I currently own both...they are the same size.

[Elle]

Cpap.com even has the measurements and they are identical but she wanted to win the argument. She gave me the large pillows instead of extra small so i was pleased....especially since the large solved my smothering issue.

[Quickstrike]

I've read problems with the P10 stretching out?

It does stretch out some but if your head is really that large it might not stretch out enough.

I would suggest that you look at the ResMed Swift FX nasal pillow mask..the headgear is definitely more adjustable and it doesn't have the annoying side plastic things to dig into your face.

Are you going to use insurance to pay for it or buy it out of pocket? The P10 has free return insurance with it for 30 days from cpap.com and I would think that you would know by 2 weeks if it was going to stretch enough for you...wrap it around a basketball for a few days.

If you are going to use your insurance then maybe try the Swift FX as I am more sure it might suit your adjustability needs better.
If you really, really want to try the P10 though and don't want to lose money...you maybe could sweet talk me into letting you borrow mine. Mine is getting pretty stretched out (for me anyway) and I am having to start do the hot water thing to shrink it up a little. I even have a couple of brand new nasal pillows you can try and it doesn't bug me to get a nasal pillow that has been slightly used. Should you end up loving it and not want to send it back then we can probably work out something.

I have a big head and the P10 is comfortable for me. My DME insists the "for her" (which is the one i have) is smaller than the regular.

She obviously can't read a tape measure...I can and have compared both and I couldn't tell even 1/2 inch difference between the for Her package and the regular package (except for the XSmall vs Large nasal pillow thing).
I currently own both...they are the same size.

I've been buying out of pocket since my deductible is $2500. I may return the Aloha and get the P10, Swift FX, or Tap Pap.

[Pap365]

Hello,
Hubby started with Aloha and switched to the Swift FX and he loves it. Worth a go esp. with insurance.

[Nick Danger]

If the quality of the headgear is your main concern, I second the recommendation of the Swift FX. I prefer the Airfit P10, but that's because I like the diffused vent stream (the Swift FX vent stream is a cold jet of air that I really don't like). The headgear for the Swift FX is far more adjustable than the Airfit P10, though.

[RogerSC]

Second the recommendation on Swift FX headgear. I tried the P10 for several months, and couldn't make the headgear work for me. Loved it otherwise. So I'm back with the Swift FX, more stable = lower leaks. As a result I wake up less times due to leaks.

If ResMed were to put out a mask with the FX headgear and the P10 nasal pillows and hose, I'd be on it like a bad rash (or was that a cheap suit) *smile*.

Side comment, I also couldn't get the Aloha headgear to work for me. Tried it a few times, it just moved around too much for me. I have a beard, which seems to make masks that have cloth covers on the straps (or padacheek strap covers for the FX) not work for me...too much sliding around.

[Quickstrike]

How is the Swift FX with higher pressure? I noticed the Aloha moving around a lot last night at mostly pressure above 10...12.7 is the highest I've seen it go.

[Pugsy]

The Swift FX is fine with the higher pressures. I used to see 18 cm fairly often and routinely used my auto bilevel machine with 10 exhale and 14 inhale starting out the night and when I saw 18 inhale that meant I had 14 exhale. Never knew it until I saw the report.

Funny thing about the Swift FX...yeah, compared to the P10 the vent noise is much louder but when I got the Swift FX I had been using the Swift LT and I thought the Swift FX was soooo much quieter than the LT. Of course back then the P10 was just an idea that someone might have had. It never even dawned on me that there could be a mask as quiet as the P10 and have a venting system that I had to put my hand 1 inch from to even feel the air being vented.

I did use the Aloha for a little while just to try it out. To me it was more like the Swift LT was...both in noise and those side bar things which was the main annoyance I felt with the LT. So for me the Aloha was like a slightly improved Swift LT but because of the side things I still preferred the Swift FX back then over the Aloha.
I have always had this thing about just preferring as little on my face and head as possible so when the Swift FX came out I knew it would like it. The Aloha I would rate above the Swift LT for comfort reasons but below the Swift FX just because of the side bar things...the P10 of course above them all but the Swift FX is still a very good stable mask with minimal "stuff" to annoy me on my face and head.

[Quickstrike]

Thanks for the breakdown. I have 30 days to return the Aloha and I'm on the first week. The pillows kept moving last night and I was just trying different sizes. Surprisingly the small seems to fit the best...I've been using the medium and they squish up inside my nose while I sleep. I have to say that this is the best I've slept since I started mid January. I've experimented with several masks..the Wisp, Quattro air, Simplus, and now the Aloha. I'm keeping the Simplus as an option for when I'm stuffed up...I can't return the Wisp or Quattro air.

[Pugsy]

You know if you simply don't want and will never use the Wisp or the Quattro Air and can't send them back you can always either offer to swap for something else you want to try or maybe just sell them for a reduced fee and get back some of your expenses.

I would swap you for the Quattro Air because I know someone who has been wanting to try it but I don't have anything that is any good to swap for it and I don't want to buy it just to give it away.

Oh wait...just remembered...I think someone is sending me a brand new unopened Swift FX package. It was supposed to go out yesterday if he had time and if not it will be a week before he can send it out.
So don't buy the Swift FX just yet...get with me first and maybe we can work out a deal.

[RogerSC]

How is the Swift FX with higher pressure? I noticed the Aloha moving around a lot last night at mostly pressure above 10...12.7 is the highest I've seen it go.

I'm currently on 11cm -> 15cm apap with the Swift FX, and no problems. Don't know how high your pressure goes, but the Swift FX really is a solid cpap mask.

[Quickstrike]

How is the Swift FX with higher pressure? I noticed the Aloha moving around a lot last night at mostly pressure above 10...12.7 is the highest I've seen it go.

I'm currently on 11cm -> 15cm apap with the Swift FX, and no problems. Don't know how high your pressure goes, but the Swift FX really is a solid cpap mask.

I'm usually 8-10 but sometimes it goes as high as about 12.7. The plastic on the Aloha is the only thing I dislike about it...I'll send it back after I receive the Swift FX or Tap Pap.