ResMed or Philips Respironics? Chevy or Ford?

If the kind folks who run this website would be so inclined, it would be interesting to see an aggregate of all of the sleep apnea equipment information provided by the users of this site and have that data available for all to see. I'd be curious to see how ResMed and Respironics stack up against each other. From what I've gathered, it's all personal preference and possibly (probably) the influence of the doctor or DME provider. Both manufacturers appear to be competitive in their product offerings, with only slight differences. -Chuck-

On cpap.com's website, you can compare them, FOR EXAMPLE:
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-compare-chart ... ing-CPAP#d
Please note: the respironics machines may show 'list price' in this chart.
Discounted prices are seen on individual product pages.
As you can see, the costs are quite different.

If you look up individual hardware on CPAP.com, example: https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/resme ... chine.html you'll find a statement just below the product description to the effect that "___% of AutoCPAP product buyers chose this product." I haven't checked to see whether or not all the percentages total 100%.

Good point, Slarty.
I think that cost may influence the popularity numbers somewhat,
as forum member equipment may show a slightly different trend.
With insurance, my first machine was an Elite, my second, from cpap.com, was an autoset.
Not everyone can afford that for a second machine.

Yeah, those cpap.com figures aren't much help due to the prices listed. Resmed's restrictive pricing favors Philips Respironics sales.

In actual use, in efficacy, comfort, quietness, etc. there really is little difference between the two manufacturer's devices. I've used a couple of models of both manufacturers and got as good and comfortable therapy w/one as the other.

There are those very few individual who do respond to the algorhythm of one brand over the other but very few.

In my experience the Resmeds are superior only because they excel in the ease of access to and amount of data available via the LCD screen. That advantage becomes less important once you gain access to a copy of the respective brand's data software. I found Resmed's software easier to install and use but the Respironics software wasn't "impossible" to use by any stretch of the imagination.

I'd say Resmed was the Ford and Respironics the Chevy. Personally I would go for "the Ford".

Not everyone has a choice in machines. Many people come to us after they have already been "issued" equipment by their DME, and often it's too late to change. Doctors rarely care what brand a patient gets unless they actually monitor their patient's EFFICACY and have a certain software system in place to do so (this is rare). DME's want to give everyone what's financially expedient for the DME, regardless of whether or not a machine is necessarily best fof the patient.

Resprionics and ResMed are very close in terms of quality and function. I'm stuck with a Respironics because of my HMO insurance (Kaiser), but if I'd had a choice I would have selected the Resmed S9 Auto because it has some better "bells and whistles". But both deliver great therapy and work well. The differences that make me envious of S9's are minor annoyances at best.

If you have a choice, there are lots of threads here that compare the two already--from people with experience with both machines.

I have had a chance to use both brands of machines. Both do the job that they are designed for.
A couple of pros and cons for each brand but on a whole...either one would suit my needs just fine.
Most people aren't lucky enough to sample either brand. They get what their DME supplies and what they supply depends on which brand they get the best deal on. When I first started therapy my DME supplied all ResMed machines but would order a Respironics if that is what someone wanted. I was told that quite frankly they got a better deal on the ResMed machines.
Then last summer they switched over to Respironics machines...again they got a better deal from Respironics this time.

I have always purchased my various machines privately..I get what I want when I want it and every deal has been less than what my copay with my insurance would cost me out of pocket. Right now I have one of each brand bilevel auto machines.
Either one does a great job. I happen to like one little feature in the ResMed Auto mode that Resprionics doesn't offer to make my preference be ResMed if I am using auto mode. Straight pressure mode they are pretty much equal.