Briefly tried the N30i and P30i and they were so noisy with the Darth Vadar sounds that I didn't even try to sleep with them.
When the N30 was released my interest perked up because it supposed was an under the nose cushion version of the P10 nasal pillow mask.
I have tried probably 40 or 50 masks in the past 12 plus years...not so much because I was unhappy with whatever my current mask was but just because I like to try new things if they interest me. I always learn something from my experiments either about the mask or about my own personal preferences, wants and needs. Now sometimes I learn what a bad idea that was but I always learn so I don't ever consider any experiment a failure when something is learned.
No mask is ever going to be the perfect mask for everyone because we all have different personal preferences, wants and needs. The N30 is no different. There are going to be lovers and haters and in betweeners. It is the life of any mask out there. I do think that any mask that anyone thinks looks "interesting" is a good enough reason to try the mask if someone has the ability to try it. I know it isn't always an easy thing to do because these masks aren't cheap and often we are using our insurance allowance for experiments and we hate to burn up our insurance allowance on something we might end up hating. So I had some FSA funds I needed to use or lose and decided to give the N30 a try because I have always thought it was "interesting" especially since I used the P10 for years before I switched to the Bleep. So I went shopping at cpap.com.
I have my own set of personal preferences, wants and need and they may or may not be similar to someone else's preferences, wants or needs. So bear that in mind when evaluating any mask. Just because I might like a mask doesn't necessarily mean that the next person will like the mask.
I have always wanted as little as possible on my face and head. I hate anything touching or putting any sort of pressure on the nasal bridge area of my nose. I want a diffused venting system so that I don't shoot cold air onto my husband or get blow back of that vented air onto my face or arms when the air hits something. I get "dents" on my cheeks from straps and I get bags under my eyes from the straps even with strap covers. The dents are lessened with strap padding but still there...and annoying. So I am going to "want" less straps as much as possible. It's a critical want for me.
Often when we want less of something we have to compromise with something else. I found that less straps meant a little bit less stability in terms of mask movement. It is a compromise I am more than willing to make because the dents annoyed me more than a little mask movement annoyed me.
We all have our own priorities in life.I like to wear my masks very loose as well. This goes back to the dent thing I guess. Less tension will equal less pressure that causes the fluid dispersal problem that causes the dents or bags under my eyes. Minor mask movement leaks have never disrupted my sleep. Heck, I have slept through massive leaks and not woke up.
So the N30 meets most of my general wants and needs. Diffused venting and minimal headgear. It's a very comfortable little mask. I was pleasantly surprised in that regard. The under the nose cushion silicone material is extremely soft and pliable and quite comfy. Comparing it to the P10...the P10 pillows are slightly more "stiff" IMHO. The P10 is more stable though. I anticipated a bit of mask movement stability issues with the N30 and that was what I found given my overall preference for "loose" fitting headgear. It wasn't a deal breaker though. I was able to crank down that headgear using the new adjustable headgear buckle (very nice feature and is now including on the P10 masks) and with the softness of the N30 cushion the cranking down action didn't cause any discomfort. So the N30 is very forgiving in terms of tightening the headgear and not causing pain. If I had tried that with the P10 I know it would have caused discomfort...but then I have never really needed to tighten the P10 much anyway.
Now I have read that some people seem to have trouble breathing easily with the N30 and they attribute it to the holes in the cushion not lining up with nostril holes. I didn't have that issue at all...and in fact I didn't even consider that potential issue when I got the mask. I didn't bother to read anything about fitting or watch any videos. I just slapped it on and went to sleep.
So I don't know what to say about those who think the holes don't line up and cause a problem unless it is a sizing issue.
Or maybe it's like any other mask...just doesn't suit a person's facial structure.
I did notice a higher baseline leak on my software detailed reports. Meaning I never could get a 0.0 base leak line even when I knew for sure it wasn't leaking. This happens sometimes for some people with some masks and other than potentially changing the large leak real threshold....I don't see that it means much. Example below with my last nights report. Note that I can achieve a 0.0 baseline with the P10 and the Bleep.
Overall the N30 is a nice little mask and if someone just doesn't like the nasal pillows themselves and prefers the under the nose cushion type of mask...certainly worth trying. It is more prone to mask movement leaking for sure but IMHO easily dealt with by cranking the tension down a little more without causing discomfort. I had a lot of mask movement leaking at first but once I really cranked it down...the movement leak reduced dramatically. Though to be honest...the mask movement leak didn't disturb my sleep anyway. Will it replace my other preferences in masks....no but that wasn't the goal of the experiment anyway.
My main preference is still the Bleep and the P10 is in second place (and I have been using it since wrist surgery because I can't yet manage attaching the Bleep ports because of thumb and finger dexterity issues but expect to have that resolved shortly as my grip strength is improving)...but the N30 would be rated as a solid third in preferences.
I have used it for 2 weeks now which is saying something. If I don't like something I don't spend much time with it. I have zero patience when it comes to struggling with any mask that does something that is a deal breaker for me.
The P30i....deal breaker noise so bad I didn't even attempt to sleep with it. I guess I got spoiled with the zero noise from the Bleep or the P10.
I can usually eventually tune out the Darth Vader breathing noises but I am a point in my life that I just say "why do I have to tune out something when I have an option where I don't have to tune out anything?".Here's my report from last night. Side note...only the very first flagged OA was the real deal. I looked at all the flagged events and the rest of them were awake/arousal related. This is common for me as I don't sleep so great because of tossing and turning because of pain issues. I am not certain that I remember those arousals anyway. I know I have some because I always do but most of the time I just roll over and go right back to sleep.
Last night was actually a good night for me. Got a little over 7 hours of decent, for me, sleep. Feel very decent today. Going to be a good day.
