MIRAGE LIBERTY OR HYBRID UNIVERSAL-HELP ME DECIDE PLEASE...

[SleepyNoMore]

FELLOW HOSEHEADS, I USE THE SWIFT 11 NASAL PILLOW SYSTEM THAT THEY GAVE ME A MONTH AGO WHEN I STARTED MY CPAP THERAPY, I HAVE HAD CONSTANT LEAK PROBLEMS AND DISCOMFORT FROM THE LONG STRAPS THAT RUN ON EACH SIDE OF THE FACE AND THE HOSE HANGING OFF THE SIDE I SLEEP ON, AND WHEN I ATTACH IT TO MY HEAD(THE SIDE), IT'S ALSO THE SIDE I SLEEP ON AND IT IS HURTING & LEAKING ALL NIGHT LONG, I AM SLEEPY, LOL... I HAVE NEVER WORN A FF MASK BUT I DID TRY ONE THAT COVERS THE NOSE WITH THE BAR ACCROSS THE FOREHEAD, WOW NO WAY CAN I WEAR THAT TYPE OF PAINFUL MASK, ALSO HAVE AIR LEAKS WITH THAT AS WELL.... I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HOSERS THAT USE OR HAVE USED ~ EITHER , THE "MIRAGE LIBERTY OR THE "HYBRID UNIVERSAL" I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE 2 BUT CAN'T DECIDE.. I HAVE A SMALL FACE, VERY SMALL CHIN AND HIGH CHEEK BONES ! WILL ONE OF THESE MASKS WORK FOR ME ? I THINK THAT IS WHY THE MASK LIKE THE COMFORT GEL WOULDN'T FIT CORRECTLY ON MY FACE IE, HIGH CHEEK BONES, ETC. WHAT TYPE DO YOU PROFESSIONALS THINK WOULD WORK BEST FOR ME? WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY, OUT OF POCKET FOR THIS EQUITMENT THAT I REALLY ONLY HAVE ONE MORE SHOT AT THIS! THANKS FOR LISTENING...
Thank All of you wonderful people for helping me out, that's one of the things that is so awesome about this for forum, the people are great & so helpful.. I think I will try the "COMFORT CURE NASAL INTERFACE" first and I will not pay for the return insurance as the mask is only $109.00 and the return insurance on the mask is like $ 35.00 or $ 39.00, any comments regarding this issue? Don't you think for an inexpensive mask like the Comfort Curve that the return I ns shold not be over $ 20.00? The Liberty return Ins. is only like $ 64.00 and it's almost a $ 200.00 mask, makes no sense to me... I wish each and everyone of you "THE BEST NIGHT"S SLEEP EVER" ~ Sleepy
_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, nasal pillow, swift, CPAP

[azaloune]

I have tried both the Liberty and the Hybrid. I think the Liberty is a better designed mask. The Seal around the mouth is built better and with the bone structure you describe, I think you would have better luck with the Liberty.

[rested gal]

I've tried both. The Liberty suited me better. I don't normally wear a FF mask though, so didn't use either more than a couple of nights each.

[geoDoug]

I have a Liberty and Hybrid. I decided to try the Hybrid first, simply because it comes in more sizes of masks and nasal prongs, giving me a little more flexibility. So far I've been quite happy. As always, your mileage may vary.

Doug.

[bdp522]

The hybrid was my first mask and I still love it. I found the right combination of pillow and cushion for me and found it to be very comfortable. I did use padacheeks on the straps, so I could tighten them a bit more without having any mask marks. Unfortunately the material they use to make the cushion causes an allergic reaction for me. My favorite part was the chin flap. I don't just mouth breathe or mouth leak, my jaw drops all the way open, the chin flap kept it shut with no problems.

Brenda

[cflame1]

I like my Hybrid

[Sid]

I like my Hybrid but hated the head straps. Took the straps from my Ultra which leaked and put them on the Hybrid, much more comfortable.

[sleepyred]

I tried the hybrid and even in the tall position, the nasal pillows kept coming out of my nose.

Are the nose pillows basically the same?

[Ody]

I tried the newest version of the Hybrid for a week and could not stop the leaks. I then went to the Swift II and tape. That combination will work until I find something that will. Maybe the Liberty.

[Dgrendahl]

I started off with the Swift Nasal II, then had to go to the Ultra FF mask. I purchased the Hybrid and found that I didn't get a real good fit with the large mask since the bottom portion which rides under your chin was causing the nasal pillows to leak. So, I cut off the chin portion and then it worked better. Since then I have found that I'm not breathing through my mouth so much anymore so have switched back to the Swift and now absolutely love it! I called Resmed and talked to them about the leaks and was put in touch with a clinical nurse. She told me that the correct way to set them for the evening is to lie down with the mask on real loosely, then turn on the "mask setting function" which blows in a higher rate of flow. (NOTE: this function is not found on the Respironics.) She said you then adjust it which its blowing lickety crazy so the leask stop...then you turn on the regular pressure function. Well, since I know how to get into my machine and turn it into a CPAP instead of Auto, I did so and turned the cm upto 15. I tried what she said and lo and behold, it worked! I then reset the machine to Auto, pressed the start button and went to sleep. No leask that night nor since. Hope this helps.

[neverbetter]

Hybrid is a far superior mask on both my wife and I. We have both.
I will list some of the things that bother her from the Liberty.A, the nasal pillows on the Liberty push up against the nose causing discomfort after a few hours (never mind nights) and there is no such pushing against the nose with the Hybrid. B, the Liberty parts must be delicate because she broke hers in two places the first night.C, no chin cup to hold your mouth gently closed to help teach you to breathe correctly with proper support with the Liberty, you have a chin cup/ chin flap that holds beautify with a Hybrid. D, you need to buy two separate shells to test small and large with a Liberty and you get everything in one box (all three sizes) with a Hybrid. F, the Liberty is just not as comfortable as the Hybrid.

The only downside to the Hybrid that my wife or I could find is that the clips on the new headgear is a little harder to undo that the quick release (comes undone too easily for me, however) on the Liberty.

[Tasmania]

the nasal pillows on the Liberty push up against the nose causing discomfort after a few hours (never mind nights) and there is no such pushing against the nose with the Hybrid

I actually have the OPPOSITE problem. For me the Hybrid pillows absolutely destroy my nose. Major pain. The problem seems to be that in order to keep the pillows from popping out I have to really tighten the top straps on the headgear. But by the time they are tight enough to stay in place they put an insane amount of pressure on my nostrils.

I will say though that the mouth cushion on the Hybrid fits me better than the Liberty. Even the large Libert is really too small for me. I have trouble with it slipping up and down so that it slips off one lip or the other. I wish they would add an x-large size so that I had a bit more vertical height in the mouth cushion.

I also like the chin flap on the hybrid... it really helps stabilize the mask. The headgear on the Hybrid is also better for two main reasons. One: it has an extra point of adjustment on the top strap. Two: the plastic cheek "clips" on the Liberty can be uncomfortable, not to mention a bit too delicate to hold up long term.

I really like the Liberty... it just has a few significant flaws. It also is WAY overpriced (but that's Resmed for you) I will probably try putting the Liberty nasal pillows on the Hybrid mask (there was a thread where someone talked about doing this successfully) to see if it helps solve my nose pain issue.

In general...

the Hybrid is made from slightly thicker silicone... which is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand it holds its shape better but on the other hand it isn't as comfortable against the nose (FOR ME... I know others totally disagree). The Liberty on the other hand employs a double cushion system for both the nasal pillows and the mouth cushion. This makes it feel lighter and softer against the face and nose and I feel it also seals better.

The Hybrid is sturdier throughout... better priced... and gives you ALL the sizes in one package.

The Liberty is a lot lighter and has some well thought out features... but should have been built a little sturdier at attachment points (the quick disconnect on the elbow broke after 3 days on mine... although I was able to successfully reinforce it and haven't had problems since). It is also overpriced and does not include both sizes of frame and mouth cushion (though it does give you all sizes of nasal pillows).

Both these masks have made me realize things about my facial anatomy I never even thought about before. I have a small head (I can easily wear youth sized hats) but a long face... particularly on the lower "half" of my face. I have very high cheekbones and the distance from the bottom of my nose to my chin is quite long (which is why the size large Liberty is still too small for me). The Hybrid mouth cushion fits me better primarily because the chin cup keeps it from sliding up so much and the headgear is more secure. Even so... I have trouble with the nasal cushions being too short even in the tall position which is why I have to tighten the headgear to the point of causing nose pain to keep them in place.

Unfortunately there is no "right" answer as to which is better. If there is any way you can try both out before buying either I highly suggest you do. If your DME won't let you try them then check here on the forum for someone willing to lend one to you (or sell at a greatly reduced price). Folks here are pretty generous about helping others out. We have all had the experience of buying mask only to find we can't use them for one reason or another and most of us have a silicone collection that rivals that of every Playboy Bunny ever splashed across a centerfold. Look for threads that talk about "Mask Roulette"

[Dgrendahl]

Someone should develop a FFMask that has the nose & mouth parts separte...or maybe someone does and I just haven't seen/found it. I still think it would be nice if someone were to produce a system whereby an individual could get a perfectly fit mask. Maybe they could provide you with some type of material to stick your face into, like dentists do when they take impressions of your teeth, then send this back to the manufactuere and then get a perfectly fit mask. But, I'm thinking they don't have an incentive to do so. Why? Because they are probably making more money on all of us as we try to find a good fitting mask. That is what I think.

[geoDoug]

Someone should develop a FFMask that has the nose & mouth parts separte...or maybe someone does and I just haven't seen/found it.

That's how the Hybrid works. The mask comes with three sizes of cushions and three sizes of nasal pillows that are all separate and interchangeable, which means you can use any size of pillow with any size of mask. Not to mention the fact that if your nostrils are different sizes, you can use different sizes of pillows together!

I like the flexibility. But of course YMMV.

Now that I've posted that, I realize you said FF mask, so I suppose the Hybrid wouldn't exactly fall into that category. Oops.

Doug.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Nasal Pillows

[Dgrendahl]

Someone should develop a FFMask that has the nose & mouth parts separte...or maybe someone does and I just haven't seen/found it.

That's how the Hybrid works. The mask comes with three sizes of cushions and three sizes of nasal pillows that are all separate and interchangeable, which means you can use any size of pillow with any size of mask. Not to mention the fact that if your nostrils are different sizes, you can use different sizes of pillows together!

I like the flexibility. But of course YMMV.

Now that I've posted that, I realize you said FF mask, so I suppose the Hybrid wouldn't exactly fall into that category. Oops.

Doug.