Breeze First Impressions Compared to My Aura/Headrest

[Snoozie]

Received my Breeze this evening. After taking it out of the box, I was amazed at just how little there was to it. After hearing how top heavy it was, it seems very light to me!

Put it together, and messed with different adjustments. (There are a lot of adjustments to this interface). Found one that was fairly comfortable fairly quick without a whole lot of adjusting, so I tried it out. Tossed and turned and it seems to be ok.

In comparison to the Aura/Headrest, it feels much lighter and less confining on top of the head...so far. I actually weighed the two on my food scale and the Breeze was 4 oz. and the Headrest was 6 oz.

I ordered the medium and large nasal pillows. Ended up that the large are the ones that I am using. The medium caused leaking. The medium are clear and the large are made of a soft green material. They are much softer and more flexible than the clear ones, also.

The part that I think I will have a problem with and will probably have trouble getting used to is the nasal shell. I think this leaves much room for improvement. I don't like the fact that it is hard and doesn't leave much room for adjustment, even with the screw. It would be so much nicer if it were made of a soft material and just one piece like the Aura/Headrest - why not? It could be done.

The other thing that could be improved upon is the cradle in the back. I have thick hair, so slipping probably won't be a problem for me, but I could see how it could be for some. If it had the nubby rubber that the Aura/Headrest has on top, it would be an improvement, IMO.

My conclusion of the design is that if these 2 systems could have their good qualities combined, it would create one perfect interface.

All in all, it seems comfortable enough. Looking forward to trying it out tonight...

Maggie

[rested gal]

Good report, Maggie!

The Breeze was my favorite interface for almost a year until I heard about the Aura and began using it. Very unique designs. Both are much lighter than they appear in their ad pictures. Very easy to wear. Well, with a few tweaks here and there sometimes.

[apneaicinisrael]

Thanks for the posting, I have been thinking about the Aura Headrest and that really helped.

I have a question for Aura users out there:
Does the Aura have a tendency for leaks any more than the Breeze or Swift?

My DME, who surely only has my good health in mind, says that he doesn't carry the Aura because in focus groups run by his company they found that the Aura has more leak issues than the other nasal pillow interfaces. I hadn't heard any of that here on the forum, and I trust this more than I trust his focus groups.

So, what do you think?
THANKS!!

AII

[Snoozie]

Just a quick post before work. Slept great with the Breeze! Only turned one time all night, and nothing bothered me about the whole system. Found it to be very comfortable. Even used the humidifier.

rested gal, you are so right about the tweaks, and you are the expert on that one! And the Breeze leaves a lot of options for tweaking. Luckily I didn't have to spend too much time on it.


AII, No the Aura does not leak - at least not for me. There is nothing to bump in the middle of the night so-to-speak so nothing shifts. You just need to find the right size pillows. Too small, and you will get leaks. It is also a great interface and I like them both.

[ozij]

I would say that for many

The Aura untweaked

Leaked.

But the Aura tweaked

or deconstructed

Keep many asleep

De - leaked

And de-obstructed.



Ok, now seriously:
If you'll do a search for "Aura" and "leaks" on this forum, you'll actually find quite a lot of posts - some complaining, some giving up, and many - and that's the important part - with solutions never thought of by the manufacturers or the DMEs.

I doubt your DME gave his "focus group" (or did he mesn "rumors in the trade"?) a chance to know and try all the tweaks and tips suggested to keep the Aura from leaking. Some people are lucky enough to find a mask the fits them out of the box. But, considering the variety of faces and noses, I would say that can't be the rule.

I have found two masks that I can sleep in. Both are used with additions not suggested by either DME or manufacturer, and both are great.

I think I've said this already, but it does bear repeating: Rested Gal's lab rat approach to making masks work for you has been one of the most important lessons of my life. Seriously. I have a tendency to give up on things if they're not pefect and here was this amazing example of how to work on perfecting the imperfect.

I fought the Aura for about a month - it was worth it.


O.

[BrewSwain]

The search function is not working well for my question...... Rested Gal, What are the best full face masks?

I know everyone is different, I am not able to sleep with the Mirage Swift

[rested gal]

Oh gosh. ozij and Snoozie...thanks for your much too kind words.

Really, all I've been doing for the most part is passing along hints that other smart, creative, desperate cpap users came up with long before me.

Taping the mouth
Aussie heated hose
Headband for steadying the Breeze
Scrunchy for hanging main hose
Nasal pillows "bigger = better"

All those were fixes I had read about on message boards that were around before cpaptalk came into existence.

I'm just doing the same thing you all are doing. Passing the good old hints along to help others who're trying to manage this strange new way of sleeping.

Like you all, I get a kick out of reading about new fixes too, like jcarn's elegant rubber band trick for the Aura. You're right ozij -- I doubt the DME's "focus group" (my doesn't that sound fancy! lol ) had much guidance about simple fixes.

Brew, my personal favorite in full face masks is the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF.

[sleepyred]

It seems to me that people who like the breeze like the headgear, and the people who like the aura like the nasal part - hmmmmmm - wonder if the two could be combined - best of both?

I am in love with my breeze, but I do wish the nose piece was not hard plastic.

Rested gal - you are so right and others have told me this - with the breeze - the bigger the pillows, the better!

My nose has finally adjusted (soreness healed), my heated hose is "in the mail" (still waiting!) and I am really liking the breeze.

I still have my mirage activa and love it, but just needed something "off my face!"

[gerry]

I have been a cpap user for three weeks. Without having any knowledge my provider gave me the Breeze with the nasal mask. I was extremely uncomfortable and then received the Nasal Pillow attachment. The pillows were ok but I found that each time I turned in bed the headpiece had to be readjusted and the adjustment never seemed to be right. After finding this forum and reading the posts, I purchased the Swift which I used for two nights. Compared to the uneccessarily complex Breeze adjustments, the Swift was a breeze. (sorry) Much lighter and easier to use. I still have not managed to sleep uninterrupted for 7 hours, but I'm on my way.
By the way, no one seems to complain about the cost of the headgear. $117 out of my pocket for a few dollars worth of materials seems excessive. Of course when Medicare paid for the initial headgear I didn't complain. I guess this is comparable to the $5.00 aspirin charges from hospitals.