Best Full Face Mask??

bhoffman57 · Post by **bhoffman57** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:23 am

I know there must be a million posts on this on this site, but I have not been able to find many. I've searched on FF, full face, and every other combination I can think of.

I have been approved for a FF and simply want to know which (most people) think is the best. I know it's subjective and everyone is different, but I would really like to see other people's comments.

I have narrowed my choice down to the Resmed Ultra mirage (2?) and the respironics Respironics Comfort Full Face

If there's a section on this, please point me to it.

johnnygoodman · Post by **johnnygoodman** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:27 am

Greetings,

Others will come behind me and give their real life experiences. However, here is what sold on CPAP.com last quarter for full face masks:

Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask (Resmed) 43.9%
ComfortFull 2 Full Face Mask (Respironics) 24%
HC431 Full Face Mask (Fisher & Paykel) 19.3%
Series 2 Full Face Mask (Resmed) 4.9%
VIP76 (Hans Rudolf) 3.3%

Johnny

bhoffman57 · Post by **bhoffman57** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:32 am

Thanks:

I already saw the stats, but I was more curious on the user opinion after purchase. I nopticed that whule still on top, the ultra mirage sales dropped while the comfort 2 increased.

rbv24 · Post by **rbv24** » Thu May 25, 2006 11:26 am

I started out with the Ultra Mirage FFM and had nothing but problems with leaks and the bridge of my nose getting chewed up. I switched to the Hans Rudolph in December and I love the comfort of it. If you decide on the HR make sure that you use their measuring caliper to get a proper fit and also request the V-Foam headgear and not the mesh cap.

CRMW · Post by **CRMW** » Thu May 25, 2006 1:35 pm

I have the F&P 431 and it is great. I test fitted the Resmed ultra mirage & series 2 as well as the Respironics ComfortFull 2 at the DME and they all leaked whenever I moved. I even have an unopened ComfortFull 2 that is not worth taking out of the package. I guess everything is dependant on facial structure & sleeping positions / movement etc.

Chris

RedThunder94 · Post by **RedThunder94** » Thu May 25, 2006 6:20 pm

i have the comfortfull 2 and the f&p 431, i use the cf2 daily, the 431 was a leak monster if i used it overnight as my pressure went up, but it was the more nose friendlier of the two, i use it only for light naps every now and then. the cf2 bit the bridge of my nose the first night i used it, so i just used a regular bandaid until the sore healed and broke the mask in finally, now i can use it without hurting my nose, but i still get that dang red mark, but it is not painful and goes away after a few hours. i also have a mirage ff s2 that i'm gonna try after i get rid of that smell it has, must have been next to a smelly pkg on the way here. HTH, later'z...

tooly125 · Post by **tooly125** » Thu May 25, 2006 9:42 pm

Of your two choices I would go with the Ultra mirage.The ComfortFull 2 tore the bridge of my nose up.
My favorite mask is the F&P 431 but It has a large surface area so if you sweat even a little it starts sliding around, with the warmer weather coming I expect to have more problems.
I am on my third night with the Ultra mirage still fooling with it but I think it will become my warm night mask and the F&P will be for nights with the AC cranked up!

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Thu May 25, 2006 11:01 pm

i have not tried comfortfull but would like to. i did not really consider it at the time i was buying because cpap.com then said it was #3 in sales, behind UMFF and f&p 431; this was in march.

i already had series 2, which was pressing hard against my cheekbones, cuz it needed to be tight to get a good fit over the bottom of my mouth/mid- chin area. i was still getting leaks, i think from that bottom area. i am a small woman with what must be a pretty short face because the bottom part of both series 2 and umff are too wide for me, and the only forehead piece setting that works is pretty far forward, which shortens the mask. i am telling you this because i don't know if you are man/woman, have small/large face. so i sort of struggle a bit still with umff, which is now my favored choice. the problems with umff i have had are the pretty-constant possible/probable leaks that come from the fact that when my mouth is open, my lower lip can slip out of the mask, and it once left a permanent scar on the bridge of my nose. i think that if you have a large face you are less likely to have problems with umff.

i also have f&p 431, which seems to fit but is not a good match psychologically/physically as follows: it seems to fit but then i wake up in the middle of the night hot and sweaty even in winter from all that silicone around my chin, and then i am panicked because i am hot and sweaty and i try to get the thing off me but the clasp mechanism requires a good, hard yank, so inevitably i have to yank it a few times to get it to come undone because i must be afraid of breaking it. i find it a very clumsy way to attach a mask, although i know some others here do not.

so i soon may be asking my dme for that new mask you mentioned once it becomes better known. personally, i don't think the full-face mask options are great. if you can, try on all three and pick the best.

caroline

bhoffman57 · Post by **bhoffman57** » Fri May 26, 2006 6:14 am

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice. I went to my DME and wound up getting the UMFF. I have the resmed nose pillows and the activa nasal mask and this looks just like the activa, only slightly longer. It was 'familiar' which helps. I am lucky in that my insurance paid for all 3 masks.

I tried the Ultra Mirage last night and things went pretty well. It takes a bit of getting used to. I'm a male, with a fair sized face, so the fit was fine. I have a goatee and expected some leaks. There were a few, but only when I exhaled which should not matter.

For me, it beats the nasal mask + denture tape and I will continue with the UMFF. I may purchase a Han Rudolf myself as an alternative.

Thanks again to all for the info.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, mirage, activa, DME

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, mirage, activa, DME

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Fri May 26, 2006 6:47 am

hi again--

don't want to shatter your illusions, but unfortunately UMFF is not like activa. it is a longer version of, the ultra mirage nasal mask. two different animals. activa has the bubble and is made of a much softer silicone than the other two. yes, it is the same shape as the ultra mirage nasal mask, but that's where the similarity ends.

i am still hoping that ResMed will come to its sense and do an activa full-face mask, although someone here said that a ResMed rep had told him that ResMed had abandoned the idea because folks there thought the mask would have to be too large to be practical, since the bubble is wider than the main mask part.

Enjoy your masks!

caroline

bhoffman57 · Post by **bhoffman57** » Fri May 26, 2006 7:16 am

I realize that the UMFF is not the activa. I simply meant that the overall 'look' was familiar, and as such, there is some comfort to that similarity. My kids were initially afraid of the mask, and it took some time for me to get them to accept the activa. When they saw this one, they thought it was the same mask - instant comfort. That's worth the world to me.

I too hope they will come out with a FF activa. The nasal activa is my favorite mask, but I was having mouth breathing problems and had to use polygrip strips to keep my mouth shut. It worked most of the time, but was a pain to do.

Still not sure if I'll stay with the FF, but wanted to give it a try.

Thanks

bhoffman57 · Post by **bhoffman57** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:00 am

I have to say that I am not very pleased with the UMFF mask. It leaks all the time. Every move seems to cause a different leak - with a different sound! It's waking me up constantly, thereby defeating it's purpose.

I have to blame a small part of this on my DME, and a large part to my ignorance with DME's. He 'fitted' me without actually hooking the mask up to a CPAP to test for leaks. He simply put it over my head, pulled the straps, and said 'there you go'. Even more annoying was that he made me come in (2 hrs from work - 1/2 hr past my house) to get it fitted. After my first mask, when I ordered the nasal pillows, they just FedEx'd it to me. I asked if they could do that with this, but they said they couldn't.

If he had hooked me up to a machine at his office, I would have asked to try a different mask.

I tried going back to a nasal mask with denture grip strips for the mouth (I have facial hair) but it won't hold.

Not sure what's left.

cpaptech · Post by **cpaptech** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 7:55 pm

Although still in promiseland, I think I saw what could be the best mask especially for full face mask users.

http://www.rtmagazine.com/article.php?s=RT/2006/06&p=12

Boylston · Post by **Boylston** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:24 pm

There probably needs to be a new CPAP-internet acronym:

YFSMV

Your Face Shape May Vary...

I have had almost no problems adjusting to the F&P 431 full face mask. I love the fact that it's comfortable on my nose and goes under my chin. I also seem to have no issues side-sleeping with it; in fact, it leaks less when I rest half of it on my pillow.

I know I'm on my back when it starts to leak and/or make weird noises. So far, it's working out well for me (I really don't want to be on my back).

roztom · Post by **roztom** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:29 am

I just got an UMFFM and it leaks like a sieve. My large leak is almost a solid line on my report. The worst ever.

I want to try another mask. I have a large UM nasal which only leaked a little. The Activa nasal is the best but I mouth breathe occasionally so I'd like to go with a FFM.

I see no winner here asa far a FFM go. I'd like to try another but can't decide betw the COmfort2 or the Hans Rudolph.

How you decide? Just go by the Stat's?

Thanks,

Tom

Best Full Face Mask??

Best Full Face Mask??

Thanks

Thanks to ALL

Understood

Leaks all around

Mask

Additional Comments: Large mask collection

Mask

Additional Comments: Large mask collection