Mask Quest - over!

Well, I've tried so many masks, as many of us have, and have finally found one right for me. I still have a few on my list, but *hope* I have found my mask and can move on.

I bought a mirage vista on cpap auction and it works wonderfully with me. I have been a mirage activa fan for two years and always go back to it. In fact, I just got one from my dme which I have not even opened because this one came in the mail 1st! But having my "old faithful", which I know will work well, is comforting.

I still have a bit of tweaking to do with it, but my AHI was 0.1 and my leak line was flat with a couple of small leaks. 1st time this has EVER happned!

Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!

But then......that mask that snoredog talks about......hmmmmmm. Maybe just one more mask?

Someone stop me!

But is it really over? Time will tell!

Yes, I've been using the Headrest/Aura lately and it is working very well for me. Like RG and others have said, this does seem to be the best one for side sleepers in that you don't have to hang your face off the edge of the pillow and I'm finding that I am sleeping longer than before and my jaw/neck problems are not being aggravated by it. I also think I'm sleeping more soundly despite the fact that this is a louder mask than any other one I've tried.

I'm going to go back to the NA II after getting this one just right as a comparison. That's my second favorite mask. Swift and Bravo tie for third. I feel lucky that I can use any of these and they work reasonably well. Except for neck problems I wouldn't have tried anything after them.

But who knows what else is out there?

[quote="RosemaryB"]Yes, I've been using the Headrest/Aura lately and it is working very well for me. Like RG and others have said, this does seem to be the best one for side sleepers in that you don't have to hang your face off the edge of the pillow and I'm finding that I am sleeping longer than before and my jaw/neck problems are not being aggravated by it. I also think I'm sleeping more soundly despite the fact that this is a louder mask than any other one I've tried.

I'm going to go back to the NA II after getting this one just right as a comparison. That's my second favorite mask. Swift and Bravo tie for third. I feel lucky that I can use any of these and they work reasonably well. Except for neck problems I wouldn't have tried anything after them.

But who knows what else is out there?

Yeah!! It feels so good to find a mask that works!

I just posted this on the Mirage Vista Poll thread. But I'll post it here too since it's the mask you found worked so well for you.

I love the Mirage Vista for many reasons.

LOW NUMBERS
Best feature is that my numbers are now consistently under 1.0 versus 2 on post (see link below). This is much lower than just under 5 with other nasal masks I've tried or 6.9 to 11 with FF masks. I am rested when using this mask. I once slept 10 hours on this mask - unprecendented. See my post on this forum: http://www.smalllinks.com/2CP

STAYS PUT
I'm a side sleeper and it keeps a good seal and stays in place all on it's own without me having to wake up and reposition it. Nice!

SMALL
I love that it is so small! It fits into the palm of my hand. I can read a book and then put it down and go right to sleep.

GOOD EXHAUST PORT POSITION - HOSE TRAVELS WITH MASK (w/velcro)
The exhaust air is audible and forceful, but pointed up so doesn't bother my husband. The exhaust is outside even when the hose is pointed up so the hose doesn't interfere with the exhaust when positioned over the head (I use a velcro strap to fix the hose to the headgear on the top center of my head. I can't even tell the hose is there! Nice!

INCOMING AIR GOOD
I feel a good amount of air coming into mask. I'm uncertain what Snoredog may have meant by diffuse when saying "it doesn't diffuse incoming air." I don't feel too much air or too little. It's just right for me.

ARCHITECTURE
Less pressure points than other masks. One at bridge of nose and one under. Hardly noticeable. I have a small nose and I can see if someone had a larger nose, either wider or distance from face, that this mask may not work for them. It fits my measurements really well. I can also see where the head gear may not be long enough from the top of the head to under the ear for some. However, the straps could easily be extended from the top to make it longer and thereby providing more space under the ear.

CPAP.com sizing page: https://www.cpap.com/cpap-mask-sizing.php
My measurements:
#1: 1 3/4, #2 1 3/4, #3 1 1/2, #4 1/2
#5 3 1/2, #6 Female. #7 Slotted, #8 Yes

LEAKAGE
Very little - but it fits my nose/face. Once I got all the adjustments done (top of head, each side of mask, tilt feature on mask) it stays put and I don't have to touch it again. The straps fit into small strap stays, that resemble the piece on a wrist watch that keeps the band from flopping. Rather than put the straps through them, I choose to keep them in place with small stick-on velcro pieces.

Sleepdeprived wrote:The aura sounds enticing except for that big lockbox on the top of the head.

I think you'd be surprised at how lightweight and unobtrusive the lockbox on top of the Headrest mask (Aura) actually is. The lockbox is hollow, not solid.

Does look like an unwieldy weighty contraption, I know. But looks can be deceiving.