Buy refurb?

Greetings,

I'm a new CPAP user. I have good insurance and so I have a nice bedside unit.

Unfortunately, I travel 12+ days per month and dragging this thing around is a nightmare. Insurance will not purchase a travel size unit (or, at least they want to give me a couple months of pure red tape over it so it may be middle of the year or later before I can get it worked around to that).

Are refurb units a good buy? I'm thinking about buying my own travel unit and just chalking it up to "must have".

was thinking about buying the slightly older Z1 Auto system here:
http://cpapliquidators.com/factory-refu ... ap-system/

thoughts?

I've never used a travel unit, but I have heard they are noisy, and no humidifier. Read some of the 187 user reviews here.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/z1-aut ... chine.html

thechortling wrote: I'm a new CPAP user. I have good insurance and so I have a nice bedside unit.
Are refurb units a good buy? I'm thinking about buying my own travel unit and just chalking it up to "must have".

...thoughts?

If you share with us what that "nice bedside unit" is, we will at least have a frame of reference to use. Many who travel a lot and who have certain current units that provide outstanding performance and reasonable size characteristics, simply take their primary machine or a duplicate (that they may also use as a backup). If you shop carefully, you may find a duplicate of your primary unit at a very reasonable price - often much cheaper than the Z1.
While I don't travel nearly as much as I used to, I still have two identical units - one of which I use when traveling and as a back up - thus all my accessories and supplies are exactly the same and provide me with a more stable therapy environment. I find that much more comfortable than trying to keep two different systems up-to-date. One should keep in mind that details matter - xPAP is not a commodity - it is far better to keep it cohesive. An additional benefit lies in the possibility that your current unit is fully data capable and is completely able to be read with SleepyHead. If so, you maintain a fully cohesive data environment without which you are seriously hampered in understanding your total sleep and breathing pattern, not just the period when you are home.

JimW159 wrote:If you share with us what that "nice bedside unit" is, we will at least have a frame of reference to use. Many who travel a lot and who have certain current units that provide outstanding performance and reasonable size characteristics, simply take their primary machine or a duplicate (that they may also use as a backup). If you shop carefully, you may find a duplicate of your primary unit at a very reasonable price - often much cheaper than the Z1.
While I don't travel nearly as much as I used to, I still have two identical units - one of which I use when traveling and as a back up - thus all my accessories and supplies are exactly the same and provide me with a more stable therapy environment. I find that much more comfortable than trying to keep two different systems up-to-date. One should keep in mind that details matter - xPAP is not a commodity - it is far better to keep it cohesive. An additional benefit lies in the possibility that your current unit is fully data capable and is completely able to be read with SleepyHead. If so, you maintain a fully cohesive data environment without which you are seriously hampered in understanding your total sleep and breathing pattern, not just the period when you are home.

Thanks for the response.

I have a DreamStation CPAP with Humidifier .

All good points about data cohesion and a single sleep monitoring solution. I'm not averse to switching out if there's another solution which has a better bedside/travel option. I wondered too if the Z1 Auto is a decent unit by itself or if this Dreamstation is quite superior (maybe I just don't know what I have?). I'm not fixated on Z1's , only that they look to be the most compact (albeit the Dremstation One Travel is quite compact but there are no cheaper units available ... refurb etc.

One of my key concerns is that I try to never check baggage when traveling and the Dreamstation takes a significant portion of an overhead rollerboard. I'm also concerned about breaking the unit in travel. Many of my flights are on commuter aircraft and I know that the bags get totally abused there. With a smaller unit, I was thinking I could make a habit of wrapping it in clothes. As it is the unit just fits in one "corner" of the bag in its own zippered bag with no spare room.

The Dream Mapper software does support a primary and secondary device.

further thoughts?

thechortling wrote:

I have a DreamStation CPAP with Humidifier .

All good points about data cohesion and a single sleep monitoring solution. I'm not averse to switching out if there's another solution which has a better bedside/travel option. I wondered too if the Z1 Auto is a decent unit by itself or if this Dreamstation is quite superior (maybe I just don't know what I have?). I'm not fixated on Z1's , only that they look to be the most compact (albeit the Dremstation One Travel is quite compact but there are no cheaper units available ... refurb etc.

One of my key concerns is that I try to never check baggage when traveling and the Dreamstation takes a significant portion of an overhead rollerboard. I'm also concerned about breaking the unit in travel. Many of my flights are on commuter aircraft and I know that the bags get totally abused there. With a smaller unit, I was thinking I could make a habit of wrapping it in clothes. As it is the unit just fits in one "corner" of the bag in its own zippered bag with no spare room.

The Dream Mapper software does support a primary and secondary device.

further thoughts?[/quote]
When flying in the US, for the most part CPAP machines are not counted as a carry-on. Additionally, the DreamStation travel bag is designed to be attached to the handle of carry-on roller making it much less cumbersome to negotiate TSA, gates, and jetways. If demonstration of compliance is an issue, ask yourself if the data from the Z1 be fully integrated into the stream of data from your DreamStation to demonstrate compliance if you have to? I am certain DreamMapper does not support the Z1; I believe the same is true for the Z1 with SleepyHead, too.

Travel machines do not have humidifiers. Can you get by without that? Have you used your Dreamstaion without humidifier for a few nights in a row to see how you would do with no humidity?
I bought the Dreamstation GO with battery for a travel machine, mainly because I needed a battery for overnight flies. I can tell you I didn't save much in the way of space. You still have all the "accessories:- mask, long hose,that take up just as much room as they always did. Have you considered just leaving the humidifier at home on your current machine?

thechortling wrote:Greetings,

I'm a new CPAP user. I have good insurance and so I have a nice bedside unit.

Unfortunately, I travel 12+ days per month and dragging this thing around is a nightmare. Insurance will not purchase a travel size unit (or, at least they want to give me a couple months of pure red tape over it so it may be middle of the year or later before I can get it worked around to that).

Are refurb units a good buy? I'm thinking about buying my own travel unit and just chalking it up to "must have".

was thinking about buying the slightly older Z1 Auto system here:
http://cpapliquidators.com/factory-refu ... ap-system/

thoughts?

If it were me, I'd be looking for something that's more compatible with my existing equipment. (which I have)

For the money, I'd also be inclined to purchase something from these folks:

http://www.secondwindcpap.com/Used_CPAP.html

And, I have purchased from this place in the past.

http://www.dfssleep.com/home/sales


Den

.

Remember medical equipment does not come out of your handheld allowance so have your cpap machine in addition to your normal bags in its own bag. I slip mine over the handle of my roller bag and keep it by my feet rather than placing in the overhead bins.



Jason

Which model DreamStation?
Is all that you see on the model name "CPAP" or are there other words?
What is the model number...on a sticker on the bottom and starts with DSX then 3 digits and followed by some letters.
It's the 3 digits that is the model number.

DreamStation CPAP DSX200xx
DreamStation Pro DSX400xx
DreamStation Auto CPAP DSX500xx

which do you have?
This is important in terms of data available from your DreamStation. Not all have full data. The DSX200xx isn't a full data machine.

DreamMapper will only work with Respironics DreamMapper machines. Won't work with any other brand. If you have any compliance hours of use requirements that will need to be met so that insurance will pay for your machine using another brand 12 nights a months might cause a problem with compliance requirements. So check with your insurance as to status of compliance proof needs.

Most of us just carry the machine in its own little bag and shove it under the seat. In the US it's considered a medical device and not counted in your "one carry on bag" rule.
If you do find out that you have some compliance hours of use requirements from your insurance you might want to use that machine and carry it on with you for the time being until the compliance time frame as passed. Check with your insurance as not all will require it and some have different requirements when they do.

Lack of optimal/adequate humidity would be a deal breaker for me and most of those tiny travel machines don't have much (if any) humidity offered.
They typically are also considerably noisier than what you are using now. To get smaller they had to give up some stuff and humidity was one and sound insulation material inside the container was another.