Trying to find a mask that fits..opinions on Mirage Liberty?

[DreamStalker]

I tried all of the versions of the Hybrid (~ 3 or 4 different ones ... some different head gear, others different CO2 vent rates) and in the end found the Liberty was the best fitting for my ugly face. Ergo ==> Hybrid must be for beautiful people and Liberty must be for ugly people.

Anyway ... Hybrid offers greater variety of fitting options with 3 sizes of oral cushion and 3 sizes of nasal pillows ... Liberty you must decide on either small or large oral cushion both are not available with single mask purchase (money grubbing product marketing) but you do get all 3 nasal pillow sizes with which ever you decide. The Liberty CO2 vent flow is quieter IMO than Hybrid. The Liberty may be better for those with a longer distance between nares and upper lip since the pillows seem to be taller. There is a difference between the curvature of the oral frame but I can't remember which was more curved (could make a difference for those with more or less angular faces). The nasal pillows on the Liberty are softer whereas the Hybrid pillows are a little stiffer.

In the end ... it is a matter of the one that fits YOUR face better.

[NoREMs]

Thanks for everyone's input. Unfortunately, the Liberty did not work well for me and Maskquest 2009 marches on.

I didn't have very many leak issues and I found the mask quite comfortable, but my pressure is 16 and I had a really hard time with the pressure going directly into my nostrils. (After reading the comments here I had a feeling that might be the case.) I also found myself waking up with a very stuffy nose, so I don't know if the pressure irritated my sinuses or something. It was strange...

The DME supplier had given me 2 nasal masks to try as well, which is not going to be an option for me 100% of the time because of my allergies. But I have to say -- I tried the Zest last night and LOVED it! I had the fewest leaks of any mask I've tried, it was comfy and didn't put pressure on the bridge of my nose, and the fact that it can sort of slide back and forth on the wire thingie on the front was nice. My question is whether F&P makes a full face that's made of the same material as the Zest. I could see that as having potential. I figure if I can find a comfy full face and get that along with the Zest I'll be in good shape. DNAClone, do you know if the materials in your Full Face Forma are comparable to the Zest? I know that the DME supplier has one that goes under the chin but she discouraged me from trying it (discouraged me from trying anything but ResMed and Respironics to begin with, now that you mention it!) -- it could be an F&P.

Thanks again for the warm welcome and good advice!
Shari

[ricochetv1]

I figured that the Hybrid and Liberty have both the mask and pillows to worry about leaks.
I am trying the F & P Full Face Forma which is basically an HC432 with medium and large cushion. It's soft foam does not bother my nose bridge like the Qauttro did. The foam is flexible and can be tightened to stop leaks.
The fact that the mask goes slightly under the chin makes a huge difference for me.

I discovered this mask after trying the F & P 407 Nasal mask which was much better than the Comfortgel and Activa LT. Now I have a found a great nasal mask ans well as full face when I have bad allergies.
I am surprised that my sleep lab and DME never recommended the F & P masks. They only mentioned the Resmed ad Respironics models.

They do, but so far I haven't had much problem with leaks. My tytpical reading ranges from 0.5 - 3.6 L/s (liters)

[mdintx]

If you do get one go very careful with it, it is very fragile. The clip holders broke on mine within a week. I normally use a Swift LT with no pillow issues at all, however i could not get used to the pillows on this mask.

I tried it for the first time last night and had a problem with the pillows as well. One thing I noticed was that the surface of the pillows was slick whereas the surface of the pillows for the LT are textured. I definitely noticed Liberty's pillows getting moist and sliding around on me. This doesn't happen with the LT.