How long does a mask last?

I'm going in to the DME tomorrow (or today technically ) to try on new masks, because they told me it's time to reorder. I am using an airfit p10 that I got 3 months ago. I got a simplus ffm without insurance for backup when my nose is plugged, but it doesn't work very well for me. So I was thinking about getting another ffm for backup, with insurance... But would the p10 I have last for another 3 months? Or should I get another nasal pillow mask since that's what I'll be using most of the time?

I always get a spare mask... ready to go, before I start a mask hunt. That way if you go back, you'll have a reliable mask on standby. Some folks can use one mask for a year or so. My mask will start leaking uncontrollably just before I replace it. It'll go 3 or 4 months. Same with cushions.

Sheriff

It lasts as long as it lasts... many of us have masks that are months and even years old. Just because the company wants to charge your insce. for shipping you more and more stuff does not mean you have to take it beyond a set of back-up equipment for emergencies. The landfills are full of all this plastic and it's killing the planet. Use what you need, but that's all.

I replace my cushion about every 6 months, but the frame has lasted me several years.

There is no set answer but I will just tell you my experience, which is largely with the F&P Simplus FFM. The plastic frame has never needed replacement. I order two new cushions every 6 months from Amazon. I have 2 complete mask sets; one just sits in my travel bag with my travel/backup machine. I order new headgear as needed, probably once or twice a year. I never wash the headgear. I know it's time to replace the headgear when it loses it's stiffness and I start seeing a higher leak rate when I review data.

I use CPAP cleaning wipes to wipe down the cushion, and wash them with hot soapy water maybe twice a month. I don't believe in washing your accessories daily as this causes wear and tear and is IMO unnecessary unless you are sick. However, I do use the CPAP wipes, just a quick wipe down, almost every day because I breathe through my mouth sometimes at night and this sometime causes "gunk" to build up in the corner of the mask cushion and also the inside of the cushion starts to smell funky after a few days.

I don't get anything through insurance,

So in conclusion for me:

Frame: never replace
Cushion: ~6 months
Headgear: ~6 months to a year

You can safely use your insurance to get another full face mask if you wish...the P10 stuff will easily last another replacement cycle or several cycles.
The frame....will last months and months and months with common sense care.
The headgear....depends on how stretched out it gets but I am running on over 12 months on my current P10 headgear and not stretched out horribly yet.

The nasal pillows...their life depends on your own facial oils and your own cleaning routine or just your own luck.
I get well over 6 months out of 1 nasal pillow. Others aren't so lucky.

Worst case...you might end up buying the stretchy headgear out of pocket on EBay for $22 to 24.
And if you need a nasal pillow...again there are sources where it doesn't cost too much. I got 2 the other day for $11 each with free shipping...so $22 for 2 pillows.
Either one costs a lot less than buying another full face mask out of pocket.
The short hose frame is the most expensive replacement item and it is also the one that will last the longest with common sense care.
But again there are ways of cutting expenses. I just got one the other day on EBay for $40 and it included a nasal pillow and free shipping.
I had a big shopping day on EBay Buying for someone who lives outside the USA so getting him stocked up.

It all depends on many things, some people could destroy a Stainless Steel Bowling Ball. I change mine when my AHI can't be controlled to my standards, I change the insert when leaks are too bad, the headgear when it looses its ability to work.

The main thing, stockpile replacement needs, but don't go crazy, one room full is enough! Jim

I make it a game to see how long I can make my masks last. I once actually used the same set of nasal pillows (not just the mask, the pillows themselves) for two years, just to prove I could. (I'm odd that way.) I used the o-ring method: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76193&p=696113&hili ... gs#p696113 https://imgur.com/a/oq4Le

Probably not what the average person would, or should, do. But it can be done.

MoodyMolly wrote:How long does a mask last?

The short answer: Until you replace it.

I like to have two masks to rotate and a third in the drawer unopened. As soon as one of the two in rotation looks like it is getting close to the end of its useful life, I order another mask to put in the drawer. When it arrives, I take the mask that has been in the drawer out to put in the rotation and discard the mask that has aged out.

Backups are a good thing to protect from Murphy's law.

It depends on which mask, your face, how you use it, how often and thoroughly you clean it, and several other thing. I always keep a spare mask on hand in case one breaks. I even pack a spare mask when traveling.

Some insurances will replace more often than others, but it's generally four to six months.

A mask should be replaced if it leaks more, is noisier than previously, or starts to be more uncomfortable than before. Also replace if the soft parts become hard, the hard parts become soft, or the mask gets discolored or misshapen. Also, some masks can be partially replaced (the face piece, the headgear, the forehead piece, etc.)

The main thing, stockpile replacement needs, but don't go crazy, one room full is enough! Jim

Ye gods, I remember moving my father out of his house in MD, back when Medicaid paid for auto shipment of new supplies every month. He'd never called and cancelled any delivery, and never replaced his mask/cushion/hose unless they were severely damaged. His bedroom was literally knee-deep in shipping cartons with unopened supplies....

To the OP, get the ffm if you wish to try it, your trusty P10 will last much longer than the 3 months you'll wait for your next one

Thanks for your replies and words of wisdom! I went with the Amara view, and got some nasal pillow replacements for my P10. I think I'll do it the way you fine people suggested, and get another P10 in 3 months for backup, and then just wait until my first one doesn't work anymore, then get a replacement as needed. I definitely don't need to get new supplies every 3 months and end up with a room full of the stuff, but I do need to get something for when I can't breathe through my nose, and a backup for my first one just in case.

MoodyMolly wrote:Thanks for your replies and words of wisdom! I went with the Amara view, and got some nasal pillow replacements for my P10. I think I'll do it the way you fine people suggested, and get another P10 in 3 months for backup, and then just wait until my first one doesn't work anymore, then get a replacement as needed. I definitely don't need to get new supplies every 3 months and end up with a room full of the stuff, but I do need to get something for when I can't breathe through my nose, and a backup for my first one just in case.

I used a p10 pillow for about two and a half years... just to see how long it lasted... Get a couple of spare pillows, and use it until it doesn't work any longer.

It seems that the more vigorous people are with cleaning, the faster their stuff wears out.

Also, there's a trick to the p10 pillows, they are a double cone, one inside the other, and if you poke the inside one backwards, then the thing won't stay on your nose very well... just squeeze the pillow on the long side (they're oval) and the inner cone should pop back out. There's a resmed p10 video on youtube if that doesn't make sense.

Don't let the DME con you into buying new stuff on their 'schedule'... they just want to make more money off of you.

Most masks have replaceable silicone cushions or pillows.
A few do not--(the sheriff uses one of these.)
Headgear are almost always replaceable.
That just leaves the hard plastic frame, which can last as long as you can make it.