Dreamwear under the nose vs Resmed airtouch N30i

[hoserdude]

Curious if anyone has any opinions if one works better than the other. I find the Resmed is more comfortable, but my numbers show that it leaks a bit more even though it seems a lot quieter than the dream wear. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks

[mlmollenkamp]

I use the both the Resmed N30i, and P30i. I used Dreamwear previously. In most respects they are very similar, if you like one the other will probably be just fine as well.

My breakdown:
The Resmed side tubes have an accordion profile that makes them more springy than the Dreamwear. For me this works better, less leakage because the mask accommodates movement better.

The Dreamwear mask has plastic side pieces that place the headgear low on the back of the head rather than straight across the back. I always had problems with the Resmed mask headgear slipping up the back of my head. But the Respironics headgear fits the Resmed mask perfectly so I use both P30i and N30i masks with Resmed headgear. (I buy 3rd party head gear out of pocket, its cheap on Amazon). For me this is the best combination.

The Dreamwear frame uses separate cloth covering that attaches with Velcro. The Resmed P30i and N30i have cloth covering that's permanently attached. On the P30i and Airfit N30i its the lower half, but the Airtouch N30i it covers the whole frame. I prefer the Resmed attached cover but I can definitely see where others would prefer the Resmed separate covers. On the Airtouch frame the cloth covers the accordion upper tubes as well as the lower ones. It might be a little quieter, but the frame looses some of its spring.

The Dreamwear mask front vent has a substantial air jet coming from it. It doesn't bother me, but it bothers my wife. You could blow out candles with it. The Resmed Airfit p30i, and Airtouch N30i have a special air vent with paper in it. They are extremely quiet, and the airflow is so diffused you barely feel it even with your hand right in front of the vent. The Airfit N30i has a more conventional multi hole vent which is somewhere in between, less jet like than the Dreamwear but much more so than the Airtouch version.

Just to expand a little. I used the Dreamwear pillows mask for about a year. I switched to the P30i and had issues with the strap slipping up the back of my head. But I still had supplies and found the Dreamwear strap was a perfect fit. I get the lowest leakage with the P30i using Dreamwear headgear. The Dreamwear gives me fewer leaks than the P30i used with its standard headgear though.

I also use the N30i. The P30i is better for me if my nose is congested, but the N30i is more comfortable. The P30i is less prone to leaks than the N30i for me, but either is good as long as I use the Dreamwear headgear. The P30i and N30i parts are interchangeable, the only difference is the pillow part, except the Airtouch version of the frame is completely covered with cloth. I use both P30i and N30i and often change between them in the middle of the night if my nose is congested. They use the same quick connect elbow so I can swap between them in a few seconds. If you get either N30i or P30i from your DME you can purchase just the pillow part to try the other version. The sizing doesn't necessarily translate though, I use large pillows on the P30i but medium on the N30i.

Finally, I've also used both the Dreamwear and Resmed hybrid full face masks (F30i). I don't like full face masks and rarely use them although I keep one around because there are a few nights a year that I can't breath through my nose at all. My preference is the Resmed Airtouch version of the F30i, but don't read too much into that because I don't do well with full face masks.


I hope this is useful and not too much......

[hoserdude]

Wow! Thanks for the response very detailed and appreciated. I also use the dreamwear headband on the airtouch N30i.
As you say comfort, airflow and quiet are much better on the Resmed airtouch although I find the leaks a bit less on the Dreamwear?
However, I did read something that the "airtouch" N30i cushions only really last about 30-60 days because of the memory foam getting brittle and that you should wipe them with a cpap cloth instead of washing them? Unlike the Dreamwear cushions which seem indestructible. Thanks again.