The Bella Loops. Your Experience??

[portiemom]

HA, ems, that's pretty funny! Well I have an ironing board and sewing machine that I don't use so I will gladly ship it to her so she can begin her new business! I aleady gave it a snappy name!

[Pugsy]

Don't you girls start making more work for me. Trust me...you wouldn't like my feeble attempts at constructing any comfort accessories. I have skills but none in the homemaking department except maybe cooking. I was a math and science girl...

I have no desire to create a new business. None. I know my limitations too well. I would go broke in a month and be a candidate for the funny farm in less than that. I can't even get iron on hemming tape to stick. Sad, I know..especially for someone who took 4 years of Home Ec in high school.
Besides...when would I have time for computer stuff if I did that?

[ems]

Besides...when would I have time for computer stuff if I did that?

You are quite right, Pugsy... stick to what you know best!

Speaking of computers/machine/humidifier/mask/bella loops/bella covers ... ... how did last nite go? Come on now... I was awake half the nite waiting for a full report from you!

And, from Nate!

[portiemom]

You're right again Pugsey, after thinking about it, I wouldn't want to pidgeon-hole you to one thing, you are WAY to valueable to keep on just one thing, we would depriving ourselves of all your cpap talents, so you go girl get that Bella straight and on to the next fix for the next problem!!! We love ya!

[ems]

BTW... I love you, Pugsy. It's been such a long time since anyone called me a "girl"!

[NateS]

…Speaking of computers/machine/humidifier/mask/bella loops/bella covers ... ... how did last nite go? Come on now... I was awake half the nite waiting for a full report from you!

And, from Nate!

Well as for me, another good night with the elephant grey loops - AHI back down to under 1 - (0.74 to be exact). And leaks pretty much staying below the ResScan red line most of the night. The two hissing nights my AHI was up to 2-ish I think I was trying to push the bottom platform of the nasal pillows up into my nostrils. Last night I was more careful.

It is true that the material of the Snuggle Covers looks to be a bit bulkier than it needed to be - maybe to match their Snuggle Covers for the Hose - but they stay on my ears without any discomfort whatsoever. Looks bulky but feels comfy.

There is something else I like about the Covers that I think I previously failed to mention. That is:

1) That with the Snuggle Covers on I no longer feel the need to fiddle with the flat straps across my cheeks and over my ears. Before the Covers, I felt I had to adjust the Bella Loops "just right" and would debate whether the part of the straps over the ears should be flat against the side of my head or flat against the top of the notch between my ears and the side of my head. Now I don't worry about it and don't care. I just pull them on and don't have to worry about the position of the flat straps inside.

2) In addition, the adjustment of the tightness or looseness of the straps doesn't seem to be as critical. With the cloth covering the straps, they seem to have a wider range in both comfort and in staying in place. I just pull them on and that's it, even though I assume that natural variances occur in the circumference of my face and head from night to night depending on natural fluid retention, temperature, humidity, etc. Before, these variances seemed to require me to adjust the tightness or looseness at the beginning of each night.

Nate

[ems]

Hi Nate... thank you for getting back to us!

If you feel the Snuggle Covers are a bit bulky, I have a feeling I would find them more than a bit bulky. Although, I would so like to experience numbers 1 and 2 in your post, I'm going to wait a while and hope that Pugsy/Pad-a-Cheeks comes up with something thinner.

[Pugsy]

how did last nite go? Come on now... I was awake half the nite waiting for a full report from you!

First let me clarify...the SnuggleCovers...they are comfortable. The bulk itself is not uncomfortable. What the bulk does to me is that is pushes the top of my ear down and when the top of the ear goes down...the whole thing slides out of the groove and we know what happens then.
So my problem is not really a comfort issue (even though I don't really care for the material itself) it is a mechanical issue with the bulk simply pushing the top of my ear down and it doesn't matter if I have it loose or tight or in between. I had my husband try it...he did not have that problem at all.

Last night went much better. I made a change in the side covers to allow the loop straps to have more mobility and the loops stayed in place much better. Current prototype of the loop cover still wants to bunch up though. When it bunches up it moves around on the loop causing the loop to slid out of the groove a little and that isn't good.

Overall last night was a huge improvement from the night before. Slept much better. The slight change in the side covers worked wonderfully. Easy fix. Karen has ordered a different skinny velcro for the loop covers and when it comes in...then I will have another example to try. We need something that is comfortable..skin tight..and easy to put on over the silicone. Kind of a tall order.
Last night's report for those of you who like to look.
Some leaks but better than before and more importantly...minimal awakenings from the loops coming out of the ear groove.

[NateS]

Last night, with the Bella Loops, the Snuggle Covers (I call them my "Elephant Ears") and my Ruby Chinstrap was THE LOWEST LEAK rate I have ever had since I started on xPAP about three months ago: Min 0.0 Med 4.8 95% 18.0 Max 26.4 - lower than any leak rate I ever achieved with the headgear.
Nate

[squid13]

Question to ask about the covers from cpap.com. The long ones go on the strap but what are the other 2 for, the shorter ones? No trouble getting them on. Took a metal coat hanger and cut a piece long enough to go through the long cover, then taped the strap to the metal piece and pulled it back through.

[Pugsy]

The 2 shorter SnuggleCovers are for the side straps for the traditional headgear that uses the back strap.

Though....I absolutely couldn't stand the bulk of the longer strap around the Loop. Way too much material. So I opted to put the shorter cover over the loops...still too much bulk to suit me.

The bulk thing may be related to size of ears. I haven't heard from another woman...only men.

[portiemom]

The Bella Loop covers don't work for me for the same reason as Pugsey. So I tried this fix, I took a few elastic hair ties from my granddaughters hair accessories, made the Bella Loops as small as I could, passed the hair ties through the loops to create and extender and tried them over my ears. My ears are small and the rounded elastic ties fit better in the groove on the top and all the way around the ear, the hair ties covering was also comfortable and cooler than the silicone flat Bella Loop, IMHO, this worked great for me, and my AHI is below 1, the fix stayed in place for me and also helped with the strap marks. I've been fixated on having a rounded loop ever since Pugsey mentioned it in the beginning of the Bella Loops thread. Pugsey you are amazing, always on target, and always a blessing! Thanks for all your help!

[ems]

Wondering if there is any more news on the Snuggle Covers?

I rearranged the little pink covers on the Loops (again) and I'm happy with the results... at least temporarily.


Portiemom... glad you found something that is comfortable for you. Rounded edges behind the ears does sound more comfortable.

[NateS]

I'm feeling a little guilty, but I have to confess - I've been cheating on my Bella for the last several nights with Aloha.

I got the Aloha recently and started using it the night of April the 5th. The headgear is more comfortable than the headgear that came with my original Swift FX. The top and back straps don't shift around like the Swift ones did, which led me to try the Bella Loops. The Aloha headgear stays in place even when loose.

As much as I liked the Bella Loops and my Elephant ear covers, I like the Aloha even better. The part that comes down across the cheeks is non-adjustable and very comfortable with built-in removable covers and now I have no temporary marks whatsoever when I get up and look in the mirror in the morning.

But what really is a big deal to me is that, unlike the Swift FX or Bella, the nasal pillows can be so precisely angled in two ways - first, by the rotation of the pillows forward or back from a vertical position, and secondly by the choice of two different slots with which to attach the head strap. The result, at least for me, is that the nasal pillows are much less likely to slip down or sideways in the middle of the night. And when the hose got tangled and pulled them slightly away from my nose, as also sometimes happened with the Bella, it is much easier to get the Aloha put back right in the dark, because there is only one way back for it to go - the way you pre-set it. No more tightening my Bella earstraps out of frustration in the middle of the night when it seems like I can't restore the angle needed to stop the hissing. The angle which you set is from that point built into the mask.

With the Swift FX/Bella, I often wondered, after tipping the nasal pillows into place upon going to bed, what was going the keep the "pitch" of the pillows in place if they slipped out during the night. The answer turned out to be - nothing. With the Aloha, the answer seems to be - the design of the mask fittings. Great engineering!

I still like my Bella setup and may at some point switch back and forth but, for now, Aloha is my new love.

Poor Bella! I hid her in the nightstand drawer.

Regards, Nate

[ems]

Poor Bella is right. You are not very nice after all!

I've been thinking about the Aloha and seem to have the same concerns about the Bella that you have. Now, after reading your post, that's the next mask I'll try. You did say it was comfortable - but, as compared to the Bella or to the original Swift FX? Hope that makes sense.

Thanks.

Edit: The side straps appear somewhat thick and warm. What say you?