Recommendation for a Travel Machine Please S8 vs. 420E

[sundial]

Hi all:

I was just recently diagnosed with OSA. I felt so much better after just the 3-4 hours on CPAP during the sleep test that I immediately went out and bought a used machine from someone else to use while waiting the (2 weeks!) for my sleep study report to be produced and a prescription to be written. MD mentioned an apnea event approximately every two minutes - which sounds pretty bad to me.

I've been using a Remstar with C-Flex and I think it's great. Have fought a bit with masks but seem to have found the right fit. My brain has returned and the increase in energy level is unbelievable. I feel literally like a new man.

Well, my prescription has finally come through and now I'm in the market for a second machine. In choosing this one I really need something that will travel well (I travel at least once and often twice per week). MD has prescribed an auto-adjusting machine and my DME (Praxair) has offered me a choice of the S8 Vantage EPR Auto or the Goodknight 420E Auto.

I'd appreciate feedback from forum members on the relatively pro's and con's of 1) these models for travel, and 2) how badly am I going to miss the C-Flex? I'm not staying in a tent - so I don't care about batteries. Just durability, size and general travel convenience.

Thanks all,

[jnp323]

Hi Sundial,

I have used and traveled with the S8 Vantage with an H3i humidifier for about 5 months now and I think that it not only works well, but is well-suited for travel. I travel by airplane and by car a lot, and have not had any problems with space in my suitcase or reliability. The only thing that I don't do is send it as checked baggage - wherever I go, it goes with me! Since it does have EPR (although not in the auto mode) you don't have to give up the "C-flex like" feature. In short, I really like this system, it travels well for me, and I highly recommend it.

[dsm]

I have used both an S8 and a PB420S.

Both are excellent. Naturally when travelling by air I preferred the 420S as it was noticably lighter.

When travelling by car I take the S8 as it has an integrated h/h that is controlled directly by the CPAP machine whereas the PB420 H2O H/H has both a separate on/off sw and a sep power cord.

The PB420 was so quiet that to me it rated as among the quietest cpap I have used.

The S8 is also quiet but the PB420 I have is the quieter of the 2.

Both are excellent choices.

Cheers

DSM

[th]

I was thinking of getting the 420E for travel and found out I could not do without the c flex on my remstar auto . I turned the auto on without the cflex and I did not like it. The small M Series RemStar auto will be out soon....something to think about if you are like me and you have to have the C fLEX.........GOOD LUCK
th

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): 420E, cflex, auto, Travel

[Guest]

If it were me, and I was currently using cflex and benefitting from it, then I'd go for the Resmed machine and use it in CPAP mode when traveling so the EPR feature could be enabled. What setting is your cflex on? If it's only on 1, then maybe you wouldn't miss it much, but I'd suggest you experiment with turning off the cflex feature for a week on your current machine just to be sure.

[ufo13]

sundial:

I totally agree with jnp323 above. IMO the S8 is the best Auto on the market at this point in time. All the other points jnp323 made are right on. I also would add that this machine gives much info reference AHI's, AI's, Hi's, Leak (over & above the fixed exhaust leak of the mask itself), and also has a feature where by it tells you if you have the mask fitted properly with a star rating 1*=Poor up to 5*****=excellent! It also gives you this info as part of the overnight results along with the other results in the clinical menu. You just have to take the readings before noon, when the machine clears the overnight info for the next night. To me this is a great advantage on the road! After 12 years on this therapy and quite a few other machines I rate this one the Gold standard of Auto's! The PB420 is also a great machine with a large following, but I would pick the res-med S8 Vantage! Also the S8 has a very nice, sturdy blue carry case which has seperate compartments for the machine, HH, etc.

Hope this helps with your choice!

best to you!

Steve,
ufo13

Steve,
ufo13

[reval]

I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

I have the 420e and I think it is an excellent machine. I don't have experience with other APAPs, but according to a number of people on this forum, it is very responsive to "respiratory events" and gives them a lower AHI than they have with other machines.

[DME_Guy]

Studies show greater compliance with C-Flex technology. Your breathing feels more natural with it and mask leaks are reduced. I recommend you wait until the M Series Remstar Auto is out since you already have a machine if size is an issue. I saw the Remstar Plus with C-Flex today with the heater attached. Very nice unit IMO.

[dsm]

[quote="DME_Guy"]Studies show greater compliance with C-Flex technology. Your breathing feels more natural with it and mask leaks are reduced. I recommend you wait until the M Series Remstar Auto is out since you already have a machine if size is an issue. I saw the Remstar Plus with C-Flex today with the heater attached. Very nice unit IMO.

[NOLONGERTIRED]

Sundial,

Please allow me to share a brief, but telling story. Like you, I fell in love with xpap therapy upon my first use. When my time came for a travel machine I posted the same inquiry as you and received many similar replies. Ultimately, I chose the 420E due to it's slightly smaller size and lesser weight. On my first trip, I heard the most annoying whining coming from my bedside...my 420 sounded like a vacuum cleaner with something stuck in it's hose. Another posting specifically asking about that verified that it is an issue with some of those machines; although other apparently work just fine. I've used the machine several times since, my last trip being the day before yesterday. On that particular trip I decided I've got to replace the dam thing because it keeps me up! Perhaps a second post seeking disgruntled 420 users may help complete the full picture. I wish you the best of luck in your quest...

[DME_Guy]

Excuse me on this but I would replace the use of the word 'Studies' with the words 'marketing hype'

Sorry but that post comes across as sales splurge rather than honest to goodness real world feedback.

Tks

DSM

Didn't mean to make it sound like that. An independent study did show this but you're right, all companies use studies in their favor and hype them up. I purchase about 120 xPAPS per month and have access to any of them. I use the Remstar Auto with C-flex. The Resmed S8 is by far the most popular CPAP I purchase based on consumer demand. As a purchasing person, I prefer to purchase Resmed products. Overall they have the best masks and make the most reliable machines although reliability has improved across the board in the last couple of years. I think consumer demand will equal out with the new M-Series and Comfort Lite 2 on the market.

C-flex isn't just hype. Respironics owns the patent on the tehcnology. C-flex is flow based and that is what they own the patent on. Resmed uses a technology called EPR. It lowers pressure on exhalation as well but it is mechanical rather than flow based. In other words, as our breath rate varies, C-flex technology can adjust the exhalation pressure to adjust to our breathing. Resmed's EPR technology can't. It'll always lower the expiratory pressure at the same level regardless of how big a breath we take. The Resmed machine will turn EPR off if the machine can't recover fast enough to stop an apnea event. The Respironics machine with C-flex doesn't need this feature, again because it's based on flow.

Even the Resmed reps say they found less mask leaks with EPR engaged.

In summary, I don't like to buy xPAPS with C-flex or auto because insurance companies won't pay the extra charge for them. However, as a consumer the Remstar Auto is my machine of choice.

One thing I've learned though is we all have different needs. For me, I hate breathing against full pressure but for many people that's not an issue. For me, I sleep more comfortably with an auto-titrating machine but for most people, that's not an issue. I don't travel that much so the size of the machine isn't an issue for me. The good news is the technology of the machines and masks have greatly improved over the past 5 years and I expect that to continue.

[NightHawkeye]

Thank you DME_Guy for your providing that very forthcoming assessment of the main two manufacturer's equipment. It's very enlightening.

I'm curious though about why ResMed would be the most popular, and most popular with whom - patients or physicians? You might have seen a poll running here which shows that folks here, by a large margin, are much more likely to be using Respironics machines rather than ResMed.

Regards,
Bill

[DME_Guy]

[quote="NightHawkeye"]Thank you DME_Guy for your providing that very forthcoming assessment of the main two manufacturer's equipment. It's very enlightening.

I'm curious though about why ResMed would be the most popular, and most popular with whom - patients or physicians? You might have seen a poll running here which shows that folks here, by a large margin, are much more likely to be using Respironics machines rather than ResMed.

Regards,
Bill

[NightHawkeye]

Thank you, DME_Guy.

Resmed started to take a biger market share when they released the S8 and Swift. For the company I work for, it's heavily scripted by Sleep Labs and Doctors.

OK, so a lot of the sleep docs are at least prescribing specific machines. That sounds like a good thing. Intentions are in the right place at least.

Regards,
Bill

[snork1]

If you are getting an irritating whistle or whine from your 420E... that is a DEFECT and you should go through your purchase source and have PB replace/fix it on warranty!

I put up with the whistle because my DME said PB wouldn't do anything about it. I finally convinced the DME to send it back and PB was extremely responsive, ended up relacing the machine, did this quickly and the new one is VERY quiet. Not quite as silent as my dead quiet Remstar Auto, but the very slight whooshing sound is well worth the trade-off since for unknown reasons I seem to get significantly better results (according to the software) on the 420E than the Remstar Auto.



[quote="NOLONGERTIRED"]Sundial,

Please allow me to share a brief, but telling story. Like you, I fell in love with xpap therapy upon my first use. When my time came for a travel machine I posted the same inquiry as you and received many similar replies. Ultimately, I chose the 420E due to it's slightly smaller size and lesser weight. On my first trip, I heard the most annoying whining coming from my bedside...my 420 sounded like a vacuum cleaner with something stuck in it's hose. Another posting specifically asking about that verified that it is an issue with some of those machines; although other apparently work just fine. I've used the machine several times since, my last trip being the day before yesterday. On that particular trip I decided I've got to replace the dam thing because it keeps me up! Perhaps a second post seeking disgruntled 420 users may help complete the full picture. I wish you the best of luck in your quest...