Pilairo Q VS Nuance Pro

[Tequila Mockingbird]

It would be great to get your opinions on this...

I have decided to make the move from a nasal mask to a nasal pillow. My two finalists are the Nuance Pro and the Pilairo Q. They both have generally good feedback from what I've read.

So here's the thing, I sleep on my front, with my head turned to the side, so one of the most important things for me is that the nasal pillow holds in place well when my face is against the pillow.

What are your experiences with these masks?

[grayghost4]

I have not used the Nuance ... but I use the Q for the last six months ... I am a side sleeper with a down pillow and the Q is very stable for me. It takes a little fiddling to get it set just right in your nostrils.

[Tequila Mockingbird]

That's good to hear. So it's a +1 for the Pilairo Q so far.

One thing that occurred to me. As the air pressure changes on an auto CPAP, would that make the air pillow on the Pilairo inflate or deflate slightly?

[grayghost4]

I use a rather low pressure ..8 .. straight cpap ... some have said at higher pressure with a spread between Epap and Ipap the pillow will "pulse" some ... and for some that has caused them trouble .

[Pugsy]

I have used both the Pilairo and the Nuance on short term trial just to be trying them.
The Pilairo will inflate and deflate with each breath to some extent and that was something that I found slightly annoying about it. It took about 3 nights and I got to where I didn't notice the inflation/deflation thing with each breath.
Remember I was coming from years of regular nasal pillow only experience where I never had the inflate/deflate thing happen. Might not be as noticeable to someone with zero nasal pillow experience.

The Pilairo is one size fits all and is going to have a larger presence on your face than the Nuance but the ultra thinness of the overall pillow makes up for it I think.
The Nuance is going to have multiple sizes (or should) in the package available to try.

Both are good masks and between those two choices I think I would probably lean towards the Nuance just because of the XSmall nasal pillow choice which I felt better with than the one size fits all Pilairo...but that's just me and my small face.

How come just these 2 front runners? Did you look at the ResMed nasal pillows?

[Tequila Mockingbird]

Interesting to hear your thoughts, Pugsy.

Did you use the Nuance or the Nuance Pro? I hear that the strap on the Pro stays in place better, but some say it leaves a mark on their face.

How come just these 2 front runners? Did you look at the ResMed nasal pillows?

The only ResMed nasal pillow available from my healthcare provider is the Swift FX, and I decided against it. I spoke to a couple of sleep techs at different clinics and they said their patients favored the two I listed above. When I looked at customer reviews, both the Nuance and Pilairo Q had high satisfaction ratings - assuming the reviews are genuine!

[Pugsy]

I tried the Nuance Pro when I tried it. I was using the Swift FX at the time and the straps for it I always wore Padacheek side strap covers to help prevent strap marks. I don't remember if I had marks with the Nuance Pro or not. I think I experimented with it for a week or two (that's typically the length of time I experiment with a new mask that works fairly well for me...if it is a disaster I won't get past the first night) and decided I liked it well enough to keep it on hand in case I wanted to use it again but it didn't knock the Swift FX (what I had been using primarily at that time) out of first place on my preference list.

So in other words I likes the Swift FX better than the Nuance.

When it comes to any mask I think that each person probably has different preferences as to what they need or want in a mask. I happen to have a "want" of as little on my face or head as possible and for that reason the Swift FX (at that time) involved less on my head and it won out over the Nuance headgear.
The nasal pillows themselves were quite nice and I found nothing to complain about with them. I will give up a little stability in a mask in favor of "less on my face and head". Now someone else might prefer a much more stable headgear but to have that stability it usually involves more "stuff" on my head and I personally don't care for it.

So this preference area is something that you have to decide which is more important to you. Your preferences/needs may not be the same as mine and that's okay. That's why there are so many masks to choose from...not every mask can fulfill every user's preferences or wants.

If the only complaint about the Nuance Pro is minor strap marks from the silicon straps..that's an easy fix with something as simple and a strap cover made with fleece like Padacheek makes or a person can make their own.

My face gets marks on it pretty easily. Probably due to my bed pillow and fluid pooling. Fortunately it goes away pretty quickly in the AM but if it didn't I would just add some strap covers.
I am using the ResMed AirFit P10 now...and I get a little strap mark sometimes depending on how much I lay on my side. Even a wrinkle in the pillowcase will give me a little line on my cheek...so it's just something I deal with. So far the strap marks with the P10 haven't been enough to warrant getting a Padacheek strap cover.
The reason I prefer the P10....the minimal headgear and the simplicity of it. About the only thing I have to do in terms of adjustment is wash the headgear about once a month so that the elastic tightens up a little.

[HoseCrusher]

If I can add a couple of comments to this...

I love the Swift FX. Well all except its small connecting hose. With my "style" of sleeping I would only get about a week out of the small hose. After repairing many hoses I found a way to reinforce the hose and then it would last.

I changed to the Nuance and have never had a problem with its small hose.

I don't notice any impressions on my face from either mask and think the Swift FX is the better mask but the Nuance has a better hose.

[Tequila Mockingbird]

From what you say in your post, 'HoseCrusher' is definitely an apt username!

Did you find the Nuance stayed nicely in place when you moved around in bed?

[cpierc01]

I have been using the Q for a little over two years. It is the one I was given during my titration and I love it. I sleep mainly on my back with head turned also. i start out on my side but since I have been on Cpap when I wake up I am on my back. My ahi is generally under 1. Hope this helps.

[HoseCrusher]

Yes, I thought the name appropriate...

As you may infer I move a lot in my sleep. Both the Swift FX and the Nuance (both normal and pro versions) do not give me any problems at all.

[RogerSC]

Neither the Pilaro Q or the Nuance Pro worked for me. I didn't find the Pilaro Q comfortable, given the way that it fit my nose (too much nose contact *smile*), or as quiet as I had hoped. The problem with the Nuance Pro was that the gel tabs on the straps bothered me the way that they pressed into my face (I'm a side sleeper) and the nasal pillows didn't work that well for me, either. Makes me sound like the Princess and the Pea, but I'm a light sleeper and really do need to be comfortable to get to sleep.

The two masks that have made the cut for me are the Swift FX and to a lesser extent, the AirFit P10. I keep coming back to the Swift FX because even though it isn't the quietest or the lightest (like the AirFit P10), it can be fitted in a way that has the lowest leakage for me. That's important to me since leaks wake me up.

I guess my answer to the OP's question is "none of the above" *smile*.

[Tequila Mockingbird]

So I bought the Nuance Pro and it arrived today. I haven't slept with it yet, but first impressions of it are good. It is very light, and even if I press my face right up against the pillow it doesn't leak one bit. I don't even need to have the straps very tight.

One question though, because I am new to all this CPAP stuff. I am using a REMstar 60. As I understand it, it is automatic and supposed to figure out the pressure settings for its self. However, I find that with the Nuance Pro it feels like I am not getting enough pressure. Inhaling is quite hard work, which I never had when using a nasal mask. Do I need to adjust something on the REMstar 60 or is it just how it is with nasal pillows?

[chunkyfrog]

My Nuance Pro felt wonderfully soft, but did not make reliable contact with my nares.
Used maybe a week, only small pillows used. Original packaging.
Make me an offer, PM, please.

[Pugsy]

What pressure are you starting with?
With nasal pillows it seems like often we feel like not enough air is moving/stifled due to the small volume of air space in the nasal pillows. At lower pressures it feels like we are suffocating but of course we aren't. It just feels that way though.
Usually we suggest either trying the next size up in nasal pillow (if possible) or simply just increase the starting pressure just a little.
This is especially true if someone is using the ramp feature and it is starting out at 4 cm.

You might also play with the Resistance control setting on the System One. It has to do with the inherent resistance in the mask and the resistance control number should be on the nasal pillow because I do think it varies with the size of the nasal pillow. A few members have mentioned that the resistance control number does seem to "feel" different/better.

With non Respironics masks we are told to set it to 0 which is off...and yours may already be off.
You may need to go into the clinical setup menu to get to the Resistance control setting if it isn't available to you now.
Should be explained in the provider/clinical manual for your machine. Do you have it?
If not you can request it here.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual