Are There Any Decent Travel CPAPs?

I currently use a Resmed Airsense 10...and I'm fairly happy with it; except when it comes to traveling! I found myself becoming seduced with the idea of a travel CPAP when I saw a Resmed Airmini in my local CVS. I was shocked at how small it was! I immediately started doing research on it (and others) in the hopes of finding one that would replace my current unit strictly for travel. Earlier this evening I stumbled upon this forum...and I'm really glad I did!

It appears that there are A LOT of people who are very displeased with their Airmini due to it being very noisy. Now, having never actually heard one I cannot personally vouch for how they really sound but I don't want to invest $1K in a machine that's going to keep me awake!

So...please help me out. Is the Airmini really as bad as I am reading here in this forum? Is there a better unit that would be at least as quiet as my current Airsense 10? I don't really care about battery operation...for me that's just throwing a lot more money down the drain since I would never use one where power was not available.

Opinions?

So....how much do you need added moisture from your humidifier?
2 main drawbacks to the tiny travel machines.
1...lack of humidity
2...machine noise

While I use the humidifier with the Airsense 10, I have it turned down REALLY low so I think I can get by without humidity for the duration of any trips we take.

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:26 pm

While I use the humidifier with the Airsense 10, I have it turned down REALLY low so I think I can get by without humidity for the duration of any trips we take.

On your current cpap, you can shut the heat off, and leave the water out--just to test.
You don't want to be surprised on the road.
(And be stuck with a $1,000 doorstop.)

We traveled a fair bit pre-pandemic and are now traveling again. I have an AirMini to travel with, hubby just takes along his home machine. I really like having the (much) smaller machine to travel with. While I do use humidification at home, I find the smaller size a worthwhile trade-off while traveling. Also, while the AirMini IS noisier, I had to hack the hose to be able to use my Bleep mask with it and that had the unexpected benefit of actually reducing the noise level quite a bit. Still louder than my AirSense 10 AutoSet, which is absolutely silent, but bearable for 3ish weeks at a time!

I purchased and AirMini for both my wife and me and within the last two months, have used it on three trips totaling almost three weeks. Here is my experience..

I first found that the 'AirMini' versions of the masks that they sell are noisy and most of the noise seems to be concentrated in the HumidX chamber that is close to the mask. At first, I found it was noisy, but after sleeping a few nights with it, I found that I was able to sleep uninterrupted and get used to it. Still noisy, but I seemed to adapt. I did like the added humidity and heat provided by the HumidX cartridge.

I also purchased a Q-Life muffler, Zephair adapter, and used tried a number of standard nasal pillow masks (P10, Bleep, and Brevida). I found the P10 and Bleep to be somewhat noisy (but less than the AirMini P10) and found that, for whatever reason, the Brevida seemed quieter than most AND also seemed to offer some level of slight humidity. (Maybe because it has a slightly bigger 'chamber' just below your nose) I used this setup on a number of nights and also slept well.

All-in-all, I greatly appreciated the compact size of the AirMini and was able to keep it and the hoses in my travel backpack and did not have to drag the AirSense 11 in the stock bag.

If you buy the unit direct from ResMed (and pay full price), you will get a 30 day window in which you can return the unit (or at least that is what they say on their site). As far as I know, they are one of the few vendors that will actually take it back and refund your $$'s. I did buy the first machine from them to try it out (and kept it). The second machine, I purchased used via Apria (yes, I know), but I got a great deal during one of their sales and the unit was in like new condition. So, if you're interested, and want to take a chance, you could try it from ResMed. There is also an online vendor which will rent you an AirMini.

Hope this helps!

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:12 pm

It appears that there are A LOT of people who are very displeased with their Airmini due to it being very noisy. Now, having never actually heard one I cannot personally vouch for how they really sound but I don't want to invest $1K in a machine that's going to keep me awake!

Firstly ANY travel xPAP is going to be nosier than your A10. To get the size down the sound isolation material is the first thing that goes in terms of reducing size.

Secondly, you get used to the sound after a night or two so its not a big thing.

Thirdly, you can significantly reduce the noise from an Airmini with a readily available and inexpensive external in-line noise baffle, (lots of post here on how to do that that)

A BIG advantage of an Airmini for an A10 user is that the treatment algorithm is the same.

I've been using an Airmini when travelling for several years now with great success.

billbolton wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 16, 2022 6:08 pm

A BIG advantage of an Airmini for an A10 user is that the treatment algorithm is the same.

Very true! This was one reason I got my AirMini, which is set up EXACTLY like my home machine.

Well, now I REALLY don't know what to do. Based on another thread on this forum I had pretty well decided to forget about an Airmini. Now I'm hearing posters pop up with fairly good things to say. I think maybe my main concern was the fact that the other thread pretty well trashed the Airmini because "it's so loud". Now I'm hearing that it's not that bad...you get used to it. I don't know what to think!

Can anybody give a real, measurable comparison of the sound levels between the two? Between the Airmini and either an Airsense 10 (what I have) or maybe the Airsense 11? I know this is A LOT to ask...but does anybody have a sound level meter that would be willing to post some real-world numbers?

Here's a secondary concern that I have... Is it possible to use my existing Mirage FX mask with an Airmini. I'm hearing of adapters that are available as well as "mufflers" and in-line accessories. What could I reasonably expect to do to make an Airmini as quiet as possible? I'm a fairly adept guy when it comes to making things...I feel I could probably make some type of hose adapter unless there's something in which I'm not aware.

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:23 pm

Here's a secondary concern that I have... Is it possible to use my existing Mirage FX mask with an Airmini. I'm hearing of adapters that are available as well as "mufflers" and in-line accessories. What could I reasonably expect to do to make an Airmini as quiet as possible? I'm a fairly adept guy when it comes to making things...I feel I could probably make some type of hose adapter unless there's something in which I'm not aware.

you might try searching the forum for terms like camping. There were a few guy’s talking about tricks. I think one specifically mentioned a travel hose that cuts down on the sound.

hth

[/quote]

you might try searching the forum for terms like camping. There were a few guy’s talking about tricks. I think one specifically mentioned a travel hose that cuts down on the sound.

hth
[/quote]

Thanks...I will do a bit more poking around!

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:37 pm

you might try searching the forum for terms like camping. There were a few guy’s talking about tricks. I think one specifically mentioned a travel hose that cuts down on the sound.

hth
[/quote]

Thanks...I will do a bit more poking around!
[/quote]

Might’ve been Rob K or big sky or something like that. Wilderness camping I think. That should narrow it down.

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:18 pm

. . .
Can anybody give a real, measurable comparison of the sound levels between the two?
. . .

I believe cpap.com has decibel levels in its product specifications.
Bear in mind that some people are more sensitive to noise than others.
I slept through lightning striking a tree in our own yard,
but my husband was awakened by the strike a mile away.

RCurtis wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:23 pm

Here's a secondary concern that I have... Is it possible to use my existing Mirage FX mask with an Airmini. I'm hearing of adapters that are available as well as "mufflers" and in-line accessories. What could I reasonably expect to do to make an Airmini as quiet as possible? I'm a fairly adept guy when it comes to making things...I feel I could probably make some type of hose adapter unless there's something in which I'm not aware.

I am just a (mumble under my breath 60+ ) grandma who has been crafting all her life. I hacked the AirMini hose to be able to use my Bleep mask with the AirMini, quite successfully! And my hack had the unexpected side benefit of reducing the noise level, quite significantly I thought. It is still noticeably louder than the AirSense 10, but since that one is completely silent...any noise would be louder!

I am attaching pictures of my hack (first time using imagur so hopefuly I did it right!) . I did have to buy a couple of adapters and the "oxygen" version of teflon thread tape but easy and worth giving up the HME to be able to use my mask of choice!

https://imgur.com/a/mcCRz6o