ComfortGel Mask - "custom fit"??

I have been using the Comfort Gel mask for several months now (I just recently got the Comfort Curve). I did do the heat it thing trying to get a better fit. I had all sorts of trouble with the Comfort Gel mask at first. Mine is a size small and the best thing I did for myself was to loosen the forehead straps until they were just barely holding the mask in place, then tighten the lower straps until they were snug but not overly tight. You don't wan't the lower straps to leave marks on your face.

I have not yet found a way to get around having mask-marks on the bridge of my nose all morning long but I no longer have deep lines dug into my face by the mask and it DOES NOT LEAK, even when I lay on my side. Somewhere in the instruction book it says that the mask should ride gently on your face on a pocket of air and seal that way Well, it is sorta true, if you tighten it too much, it leaks so be careful of that.

HTH

[quote="WillCunningham"]I have used the comfortgel for over a year now. I just switched to the activa with good success.

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My first problem with the mask was that the stiff part of the forehead pad was very fragile and easy to break if you overtightened the straps.

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The main problem I had with the comfortgel was the seal degrading over time. I would feel much more rested after I got a new mask, even if I only had my old mask for a month to a month and a half. I attribute that to the gel not making as good a seal. It felt like the gel cushin got less 'cushiny' over time, it is hard to describe. I also felt like I had to really strap the mask on TIGHT to get a good seal, hence the breakage.

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I very much prefer my activa mask now. I stuck with the comfotgel because they did work for me and I was nervous to give up something that did work for something that might not on the off chance that it would end up being better. I wish I had experimented sooner. I finally made the jump after collecting enough mask parts to keep a spare going in case the activa didn't work out.

I am curious to see how the mask works out for you. I have been wondering if I the problems I ran into were common or just me. In any event good luck with the new mask! I hope it works wonders for you.

I have used the comfort gel mask for over a year also, and have been satisfied with it. It did wear over time, but I think it was a reasonable amount of time before it did (about 5 months). I'm curious about this activa WillCunningham mentioned; I've seen it before and didn't know what to think about it. Does it adjust to your face for a custom fit, like the comfortgel did after dipping in hot water (that worked for me)?

The activa is definately different than the comfortgel, it does form to your face but not in the same way. It has more of a suction thing going for it, it uses an airpad shock abosorber type technology to adjust to mask movement. It is a bit hard to describe but there is a great video that shows it on this site. It is nice and small too, very informative. cpaptalk-cpap-video-movie.php?videos=video&VGID=38

Even after watching the video and having a decent idea of how it worked, it didn't really click for me till I tried it on under pressure and felt the suction to the face and how it makes it seal. If your DME allows you to try masks, I highly recomend giving it a shot.

I am really happy with mine so far, it is great when you finally find a mask that works for you. I am itching to try a bunch of other masks to see if any of them work even better for me, but I am going to try and avoid going overboard till there is a need. So far the Activa is the one that has made the best seal for me with the least strap tension. I have a beard and moustache too so that complicates gettng a good seal with some masks.

My main problem is I couldn't get 4-5 months out of a comfortgel mask. I noticed a downgrade in my seal after 1-2 months and even if the seal was still decent, I had a tendancy to break the components of the mask. It did work well enough for me that I was anxious about trying something new and risking going a spell with a mask that might not work for me. In the end the fragility of the mask convinced me to find an alternate.