Time to try a new mask again. Should it be the SNAPP?

Sorry, that's http://www.cpaptubewrap.com

Most recently, I have been using Tiara Snapp and I am liking it. It is not the first mask that I would suggest (Breeze is a better choice) but, Snapp is OK.

Found your response confusing: If the Breeze is a better mask, why are you using a Snapp?

gracie, I'd never presume to speak for WillSucceed, even when he is "guested" accidentally. LOL. He speaks great for himself.

I often suggest a mask (Swift) that I tried many times and don't even like or use personally...simply because it does seem to suit so many other people very well right out of the box. It's also a pretty safe recommendation because all three sizes of nasal pillows come with the Swift - less chance of disappointment that comes from guessing wrong about what size of pillows or prongs to order.

When I post a list of masks I'd suggest people try, I rarely include my #1 favorite "for me"...the Aura. Can be too tricky a fit for some women's heads. I made a lot of changes to mine to get it to work the way I want it...drastic changes that not many people would want to do.

Even my close second favorite, the Breeze, gets listed below the Swift when I suggest a mask to try. Again, because the Swift works so well for so many, and the Breeze might take a bit more adjustments and is a lot more dependent on hanging the hose up, using the optional side straps, not sleeping on one's back, etc.

You are a lady of wisdom rested gal - I agree with what you say about masks. Except of course that my aura hasn't arrived yet (expecting it this week - it's being shipped to the UK for me as we can't get it over here and have to buy from the US).

I used the swift for a long time and to be honest I liked it less and less over time. I tend to switch now between the swift and the breeze - although I even use the breeze when I sleep on my back as my head seems to be ok with it.

But having said all that, the swift certainly seems to be very popular and lots of people seem to be raving about it even though I could list a few problems I have encountered.

And as for the aura - I don't have any hair to worry about - so I'm really looking forward to getting it ! LOL

sir_cumference (follically challenged)

gracie97 wrote:

Found your response confusing: If the Breeze is a better mask, why are you using a Snapp?

I'm using Snapp because the only way I'll know which mask I like the best is by trying as many as I can. I think that one night with a mask is not enough of a trial so, I try to give the different masks that I try several nights. Overall, the Snapp is OK -I could use it long term but don't find it to be the most comfortable of the lot.

When I first tried on a Breeze in the Supplier's office, I hated it and purchased a Comfort-Lite instead. I wore the Comfort-Lite out and purchased another one. I've also purchased a Breeze, just to give it another shot, and found, once I had it adjusted correctly, that I like it alot.

I've been fortunate enough to get all of my equipment (2 CPAP machines and 2 heated humidifiers) and some of the masks, paid for by the insurance company. Masks that have not worked for me I've either sold (one) or given away (two) on this forum. I think it is a crime to have masks sitting unused when there are others out there that could benefit from them.

Anyway, given that I have not had to cough up bags and bags of farthings to pay for equipment, I have been willing to part with my own coin to try out masks. After all, I'm the guy that loves to rant about 'trialing all the machines before buying.'

So:

Snapp is a good mask -sealed much better than NasalAireII and Infinity, also has significantly better headgear that is both comfortable and stable. I don't know if I would rush out to buy Snapp again, but I don't regret having purchased it. I'm going away in the fall and I'm likely to take Snapp travelling as it does not take up much space in the carry-bag and seems as though it would be pretty forgiving of being bumped around in a bag (unlike Breeze!)

Swift seals very well, comes with the 3 different sizes of pillow so that you can get best fit right out of the nifty little case that it comes in, and allows you to sleep on your back or sides without problem. However, it leaves 'Nike swoosh' marks on cheeks, does NOT have the softest silicone pillows which tend to irritate my nares some and can be a bit unstable/lose seal, when rolling around. Lots complain that Swift is noisy -I'd have to agree but I don't find it so noisy that I can't sleep comfortably with it.

Aura drove me nuts all round. I think it is a great idea on the drawing board that has some serious flaws upon production. I found the silicone to be very soft and comfortable, but the design is, in my opinion, profoundly unstable regarding seal if you rock and roll during the night and, seems prone to lots of rain buildup due to the CO2 exhaust port being so far from your nose. In all fairness, some love this mask (chat with Rested Gal) but I have not read any reviews from users on this forum that said that they loved it right out of the package; most seem to have to tweak the design (drastically) to get it to work.

Breeze can be fussy, but once you get it adjusted to suit you, and put some sticky tape on it so that it does not come out of adjustment, it is both comfortable and stable. The silicone used in the pillows is very soft but seems to maintain seal well as it's bellows work well. It can be a bit wonky if you are a back sleeper but, I roll around alot and it seems to maintain stability and seal very well.

Comfort-Lite looks like it is torture but, I find it both comfortable and lite. It allows for lots of adjustment and remains very stable. This is the only mask that I have purchased twice. I think that Respironics needs to improve the quality of the materials used in this mask so that it lives longer; the design, however, is good.

Activa is a great mask; I found nothing about it's design that I did not like. If I could stand anything touching the bridge of my nose, I'd still be using this mask instead of having given it away. It looks a bit like 'alien' stuck to your face and, acts a bit like that as well however, it seals beautifully, is very forgiving of rolling around and was fairly quiet.

After having said all of this, I have to say that I like Breeze the best and, now that I have tried out pretty much everything except Comfort Curve (I've been told to stop buying 'toys' so unless one appears magically, I'm not likely to ever be reviewing Comfort Curve) I think my fate is sealed.

Hope this helps!

have to say that I like Breeze the best

Thank you for being so detailed about why various interfaces work or don’t work for you.

Any chance you’ve noticed sound variations with the Snapp?

Variations in noise level/type during the night are turning out to be a significant factor for me. Am so sensitive to sound that even with earplugs little variations in noise level/type wake me.

The Breeze, for example, produced noisy tube vibration when the port dipped into the pillow. When the nasal pillows slipped even slightly – frequently for me -- the resulting hissing sound would also wake me. The Swift’s multiple ports seem reasonably quiet (at fixed 7 mm) until anything -- even just a ripple in the pillowcase -- gets within a inch of one or two of them which starts them whistling.

Am thinking the Snapp’s single downward pointing CO2 port might be less likely to encounter things that could cause noise inconsistency (especially as I don’t use any bed coverings such as sheets or blankets).

Grace

Any chance you’ve noticed sound variations with the Snapp?

And taking another look at the SNAPP, it seems like when one rolls onto one's side, air might be forced out of the bellow on that side resulting in...a sudden increase of sound?...whistling?...wheezing?

All of the masks make some noise. I find Breeze to be absolutely silent on exhalation, but noisy on inhalation. Swift makes a whooshing sound pretty much all the time. Comfort-lite is very, very quiet which is, I think, a dynamic of it's multiple CO2 washout ports. Snapp makes some noise as well.

Have you considered having a fan on in your room all the time so that you get used to some background sound (white noise) that helps cover the sound of the mask?

I vote for Breeze cause it works for moi.
I tried others and there was lots of leakage and I could never get a seal.

Some try it for a few days and hate it and say all manner of bad things about it.
From this we can conclude that is is a bad mask or people do not have the patience or technical ability to properly adjust it.
If a person says it touches their upper lip, then I say they cannot adjust it properly.
Sometimes it is necessary to bend the metal part if the other adjustments points cannot relieve the pressure.
Believe me, it CAN BE DONE. there should be no contact with the upper lip, much less a pressure exerted.
These people should not bash a product if they lack the patience or ability to figure it out.
If a person takes hir finger above the nose and gently lifts the plenum, they will see that a very slight pressure is necessary to maintain a seal.
If they find a better one, then why do they switch between several.
It may take SEVERAL weeks to get it right.
If a person cannot, then they should be happy with whatever works for them.
No one mask will work for everyone.
But if I lost several pounds, then I would not have this problem.
I could be wrong.......

Well, I tried the Breeze for 5 weeks, every single night and at every single nap. I tried every size of pillow, I moved the plenum out as far as it would go, I shortened that adjustable part above as much as I comfortably could, I taped down the tube that kept popping out of the guide and flopping about. I pulled down the back head rest and it still shifted up. I adjusted the side straps as tight as I could and the whole thing still shifted from side to side. I even tried rested gals' suggestion of placing the straps down on the plenum and the headgear still shifted around plus put even more pressure on my lip. I rotated the nasal pillows til I was sick and finger sore. My husband hated the exhaust vent blowing on him right in his face.
So, you see, I did give it a chance.

I find the Swift no noisier than the Breeze and only on inhalation, not all the time.

Have you considered having a fan on in your room all the time so that you get used to some background sound (white noise) that helps cover the sound of the mask?

ARRGH! Masking noise with more noise!

Have sweated through many a sweltering night rather than endure the noise of the quietest fans.

But thanks for the suggestion: It may come down to that level of desperation.

(My next efforts to quell sound: Wrapping the interface tube with sound deadening foam. Crocheting some little ear muffs that could be lined with acoustic foam to wear over the earplugs.)

WillSucceed wrote: I'm using Snapp because the only way I'll know which mask I like the best is by trying as many as I can. I think that one night with a mask is not enough of a trial so, I try to give the different masks that I try several nights. Overall, the Snapp is OK -I could use it long term but don't find it to be the most comfortable of the lot.

...now that I have tried out pretty much everything except Comfort Curve (I've been told to stop buying 'toys' so unless one appears magically, I'm not likely to ever be reviewing Comfort Curve) I think my fate is sealed.

The problems I have with the ComfortCurve may be idiosyncratic; I get the best results using the Small cushion (it comes with S, M, & L) and yet that cushion still seems, in some ways, to be too big. Someone with a larger nose than mine might do okay with it, but I find that I have problems adjusting it so that it does not try to slip over the tip of my nose. I also find that it is too easy to break the seal; the under-the-nose design of the interface means that the seal can be broken by the slightest shift of the mask. This may be exacerbated by my wide face.

On the plus side, other than the pressure on the cheeks, the interface is very comfortable. There is no pressure on the nose and no interference with the nares. If your insurance company will pay for it, you might find it is worth trying. Just remember to seal all the swivel joints (elbows and hose) with teflon plumber's tape.

You are lucky that your insurance pays for your mask. If I can find a good DME that is In Network and that lets me select any mask I want, I might be able to get my insurance to pay for a new mask for me. Otherwise, since I have not met my deductible for the year, I would have to pay 100% of a mask I buy at an out of network DME.

gracie97 wrote:I started with the Breeze, fought with it for a month, and then gave up and started using a Swift two nights ago. Planning to try to Snapp next, despite the negative comments.

If you do try the SNAPP, please let me know how it works for you and how it compares to the Swift.

yawn (Amy) wrote:Would you DME allow you to try a Swift?

My DME carries nothing but basic, one piece masks like the Profile Lite Gel Mask, and they do not tell you about its boil and fit capability. I found that mask painful to wear because of the pressure it put on the area just below my nose and above my lip. I wonder if that problem could have been relieved if I had boiled and custom fitted it?

I need to find myself a new DME in my area that is In Network for my insurance (Oxford Freedom plan).

HI MIKE, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU GET THE SNAPP AND HOW YOU LIKED IT, OK. MARY