Hose Buddy vs. the other blue one

Trying to make a decision...

I'm wondering if anyone has tried both this:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/HoseBu ... ystem.html

and this:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/arden- ... ystem.html

I know people love their hose buddy's but how many folks are using the blue one and love it too? Portability is a factor for me and the blue one breaks down easily and fits in a travel bag. As far as I can tell the standard Hose Buddy does not break down to be compact and the travel HB does not have the best reviews on Amazon. The blue one has a coiled loop at the end which allows for a bit more movement than the HB. The blue one is cheaper. So far I'm leaning heavily toward the blue one. Anyone have experience with both?

The "blue one," as you call it, is **amazingly** compact. I just bought one a few weeks ago and I'm waiting to see how long until it breaks. It's more compact than it needs to be, with segments that are around 7 inches long, giving it more sections than if it had longer segments. It does not give very much over hang, it only gets about 6 inches from the wall. The photos that make the angle arm seem longer are either deceptive or of an older model.

The weak parts of the takedown model are the joints of the base- there is a lot of leverage on those joints, and the joints are made of plastic. I'm trying to figure in advance if I'll be able to fix them with epoxy putty or not when they break.

Right now, I'm happy with the travel model for travel purposes but I wouldn't suggest it for permanent use with the hose buddy available. There is no question that the hose buddy is stronger and has more free swing range. Don't give too much credence to the "coiled loop". It's just some of that plastic coil you get in the cheap stretchy key rings (the kind that you can put around your wrist) wrapped around the excess shock cord that goes through the aluminum stand segments. You can attach a coil and elastic to the hose buddy. You don't have to use the velcro the way hose buddy photos show.

I don't have a hose buddy. But there are some dumb things about it. One is the ridiculously deep hook at the end that gives up height for no reason. The hose buddy is not only 4 inches shorter than the "blue one", the hook effectively takes a couple of inches off of it's max 37 inch height. Extra height is nice if you sleep on a wedge like I do to reduce nasal congestion and acid reflux. And the height is good for hose management because the longer free hanging hose gives you more room to move without awkward extra slack. So the hose buddy has room for improvement.

There are many home brew alternatives to either of the stands, including using a plant hanger, shelf bracket or sturdy swing arm lamp screwed to your wall, or, if you are willing to give up the overhang, just using a hook on the wall, even a removable stick on 3M "Command" hook.

Here's another vote for the second one. It's probably the best thing I've bought regarding therapy. The hose just goes up and stays out of my way now, no fuss, no muss.

Sure, it probably feels "cheaper" than the hose buddy, because it is - but it does the job remarkably well. I picked mine up for like $12 on Amazon. If I get six months out of it, I'll be happy, but I think it'll last awhile. $24 / year isn't a stiff price to pay to not have a hose dragging my mask off my face all night long.

Edit: Forgot about the portability aspect. I can break mine down and fit it into my XPAP bag when I go on trips, so it takes up no more room that the bag itself does. It breaks down into something along the lines of maybe 8" long by several inches wide. Amazingly portable, and that's a good thing.

The Hose Buddy is built like a tank. The other is very different. I have and use both. The Hose Buddy is on my bed. The portable one I have used for travel and it worked for me. I don't see the portable one holding up for very long as it is somewhat delicate. The Hose Buddy will be around long after I am gone.

I purchased an all metal blue hose holder from Amazon, but not the one you have in your post. This one has no plastic except the loop that holds the hose. It breaks down into small sections and goes into a small pouch which was included. Amazingly compact and very durable. I have not had experience with the hose buddy, but this product:

https://www.amazon.com/North-American-H ... ose+holder

is very cheap, very compact when stored and feels very durable. I use it daily and when I travel. I can't recommend it enough. That non hose buddy holder you have posted does not look very sturdy compared to this one.

About Hose Buddy from our sponsor's website:
"The steel arm of the HoseBuddy swivels in a 360 degree motion to allow for optimum movement throughout the night. This feature is designed to prevent hose interference during sleep."

It is made of steel with a durable powder coating. The other is thin aluminum with a thin bungy cord running through it. They all work best when placed between the mattress and box spring at the headboard side, NOT the side of the bed.

I have the amazon one and it’s great. It’s easy to fold up and in its bag it fits inside my CPAP bag too.

But now I’m thinking of buying a second one so then I never have to take the first one off my bed, etc.


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Slightly off topic, but if you buy a second CPAP machine do you need a new prescription from your doctor?


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Scluvsrain wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 22, 2018 7:26 pm

Slightly off topic, but if you buy a second CPAP machine do you need a new prescription from your doctor?

I'll sell you mine, but I must see your script first

I would guess no, as that would be redundant.

I, too, use the less-than-10-dollars Amazon one when I travel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034CHMRU

jnk... wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:21 am

I, too, use the less-than-10-dollars Amazon one when I travel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034CHMRU

And at home?

I bought both the Travel Buddy ($30) and the "cheap blue one" ($16*) for a trip with my wife and I took last week. We both have CPAP , first time traveling together.

The travel buddy ^%$&%$@$^ sucks. It is WAAAAY too short; at it's highest height it was inches from my head. Further, the pieces, although nicely powder coated, are not attached to one another. So when the pieces come apart the center rod falls down behind the mattress to the floor.

The cheap blue one is painted instead of powder coated and holds the hose much higher, about 8 or 9 inches if I recall. The pieces are kept together by an internal elastic that prevents the above catastrophe from happening. Also it is MUCH lighter and more compact for traveling, the Travel Buddy has a piece that is 3D and it requires a large space, such as on top of everything in the suitcase.

jnk... wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:21 am

I, too, use the less-than-10-dollars Amazon one when I travel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034CHMRU

*Well, that price ticks me off!

Sluggish wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:44 am

And at home?

I drape the hose over the top of my bed's headboard, from behind it.

I keep the Amazon hose management device in the case of my travel machine, an older S8, which I keep at the ready in my closet to grab and go, so that I never have to think about transferring anything or packing anything in connection with my PAP therapy any time I choose to accept a mission from the Impossible Missions Force.

RonS wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 23, 2018 8:58 am

*Well, that price ticks me off!

Then my work being the world's most subtle passive-aggressive troll in this thread is done here!

Does it help if I told you that I paid $5.99 for it back in 2013?

Thanks everyone!
I just ordered the blue one from Amazon. It was less than $10.