Aeiomed HeadRest Nasal Pillows

Breathe Jimbo · Post by **Breathe Jimbo** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:01 am

How does this mask vent? My wife complains that my current nasal pillows "blast" her when I face her.

Any other wife-friendly nasal pillows for men with facial hair?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:01 am

Breathe Jimbo wrote:How does this mask vent?

The vent on Aeiomed's "Headrest" nasal pillows mask is located high up above the wearer's eyebrow level. It cleverly vents straight up like a little chimney.
Doesn't hit anything - not the arms or hands of a cpap user who likes to sleep on his/her side...not the bed pillow or bed covers... nor the all important bed partner who deserves to get some sleep, too.

Well, I said "doesn't hit anything." I take that back. The exhaust air could hit the headboard -- IF you sleep with the top of your head wedged smack up against the headboard.

Unfortunately, I don't think that mask is being manufactured anymore. Like a soon-to-be extinct animal, once the ones that are still in stock at various places are all sold, it will be....gone.

On the good side, if you can get one, the nasal pillows seem to last forever. The current nasal pillows on mine have been holding their shape and effectiveness perfectly for well over a year of 100% nightly use -- still showing no sign of wear or tear. And if the headgear ever gives out (it's very sturdy, too) there are all kinds of "lab rat" fixes to let you use the nasal pillows and exhaust without needing the headgear that came with it at all.

An amazing mask...my favorite since it came out in 2005. The mask I've used for 6 years. I hate to see it go. But since I have several of them stashed back, and given how unusually long the nasal pillows last, I expect to continue to enjoy using a Headrest mask for the rest of my life.

A lab-ratted (modified) Headrest:
Headgear removed - two homemade soft stretchy straps added.

More pictures of "deconstructed" (headgear removed) Headrest masks:

LINKS to HeadRest nasal pillows mask topics (same mask has had other names: Aeiomed Aura, then Headrest, then Invacare Twilight NP, then back to Aeiomed Headrest again.)
viewtopic.php?t=3098

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:25 am

....a "second" to what Rested Gal says........

I've got my "stash" too.....enough to last a lifetime.

G

deerslayer · Post by **deerslayer** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:02 am

yup ...me as well.
would hate to have to find different gear

packer · Post by **packer** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:21 am

agree it is best- but what are you going to switch to?

tried swift fx last night- ok but like headrest better

Bert_Mathews · Post by **Bert_Mathews** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 6:39 am

I have a wife that MORE than anything is REAL HAPPY when I changed to Aeiomed's "Headrest" nasal pillows -- She thinks it allot quieter!

Also have started with a "STASH" -- The only problems I have had is a little plastic tab on the head gear broke but was repairable -(BUT)- if the head gear goes to hell you can strip it off and refashion gear as Rested Gal has shown in her pictures or explained elsewhere on the forum.

I have been a user starting back in 2007 and the mask gets packed and travels almost every two weeks which is alittle Rough on things!!!

Bert

Breathe Jimbo · Post by **Breathe Jimbo** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:48 pm

Thanks for the info and photos. The ingenuity of the lab rats among us is quite impressive.

Did Aeiomed go out of business? It appears so from the letter replacing the web site.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:11 am

packer, I'll bet you can still find Headrests for sale for awhile at various online cpap stores, including cpap.com. And if you find them cheaper at another site, cpap.com will price match. The way the pillows last, you could probably get many years use out of, say, just three or four complete Headrest masks. If the headgear gave out before the pillows did -- well... need I say, "legs cut off a pair of pantyhose tights?"

If I were not using a Headrest mask, I'd use one of these -- but you know how different masks suit different people:

These three nasal pillows masks are closest in type to the Headrest:

Respironics ComfortLite 2
Visit the Lab Rat Awards page, though, to see what I did to my ComfortLite 2 -- I removed the ridiculous "swivel connector" on top.

Puritan Bennett Breeze with nasal pillows
Good for side sleeping...not so good for sleeping on one's back unless you modify the headgear. Again, visit the Lab Rat page. I used a Breeze for over a year and liked it all right.

Adams Circuit - I've never used that very old mask, but can see how it could be a good one. Uses the exact same nasal pillows as the Breeze.

Their exhaust vent placement is nothing like the Headrest's wonderful vent, though. Their vent placement is the usual with just about any mask -- down low.

Breathe Jimbo wrote:Did Aeiomed go out of business? It appears so from the letter replacing the web site.

That's the way it looked to me, too.

Breathe Jimbo · Post by **Breathe Jimbo** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:24 am

I really like my Swift LT, but the vent is a problem for my wife. Maybe another company will buy the rights to this Aeiomed design.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:17 am

Breathe Jimbo wrote:Maybe another company will buy the rights to this Aeiomed design.

I wish. I doubt any other company would be the least bit interested in it. It's too "different" looking. Too bulky looking. Too weird looking. Even if a person from another company put a Headrest on and thought, "Wow, this doesn't feel heavy or awkward at all. This is a really good design." I still doubt they'd want to start making it. They'd know it would be too hard to convince DMEs to stock it because DMEs wouldn't like the way it looks either. A DME would know new patients would accept any other mask in the store over a Headrest. Just looking at it would be an instant, "No WAY!"

I mean, if we were newly diagnosed, knew nothing about masks, and were shown two masks on mannequin heads -- one was a Swift FX and the other was the Headrest.... well, we could get rich quick if we were allowed to place bets on which one the new person would choose.

Not that the Swift FX isn't a good mask. It is. But who, in their right mind, having no experience at all trying to sleep with a mask on and choosing their first mask, would point at a Headrest and say, "I want THAT one." Or as their second one, or their third one.

Unless maybe by "3rd mask time" they had found their way to cpaptalk.

Now, if the DMEs slid a Headrest into the bag along with the mask the person picked out and sent them home with two masks...
Then, maybe after fighting leaks, and hearing "vent" complaints from the bed partner, and finally getting frustrated enough with having to pull straps uncomfortably tight to stop leaks...
Maybe a really determined new person might get up in the middle of the night to give that crazy looking "extra" mask a try out of sheer desperation.

No DME is going to do that though. And no DME is going to even suggest the Headrest at any point in the patient's mask quest.

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:07 am

How was the leak line on your model Laura? Notice the open mouth?

Breathe Jimbo · Post by **Breathe Jimbo** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:52 am

sleepycarol wrote:Notice the open mouth?

I noticed that and assumed you were modeling with the machine off and had to open your mouth to breathe because your photographer was taking his sweet time.

Kiralynx · Post by **Kiralynx** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:37 pm

Breathe Jimbo wrote:How does this mask vent? My wife complains that my current nasal pillows "blast" her when I face her.

Any other wife-friendly nasal pillows for men with facial hair?

It vents straight out the top. So unless you point the top of your head at your wife, it'll work great.

rosacer · Post by **rosacer** » Tue May 17, 2011 12:49 pm

Thanks VERY MUCH for the picture Laura. Me too I noticed your lips were open and I say to myself ' oh look at that Laura is smalling at us' . Thanks again that picture is very useful to understand what is a lab-rat deconstruction for the Headrest.

I will start my deconstruction today, I love too much my Headrest to stop using it but I have had problems with my front teeth because of the pressure over my nostrils, for sure I haven't been able to adjust the Headrest properly. Yes I know I'm very special Your picture arrives just in time thanks.

dtsm · Post by **dtsm** » Tue May 17, 2011 2:29 pm

Gerald wrote:....a "second" to what Rested Gal says........
I've got my "stash" too.....enough to last a lifetime.
G

Bump ++++
We all got a stash of them to last us until someone takes over Aeoimed. My nasal piece on 9th month and still strong.

Aeiomed HeadRest Nasal Pillows

Aeiomed HeadRest Nasal Pillows

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