Swift II vs. Swift LT

Anyone tried both? Pros, cons, likes dislikes??

I currently use Optilife, but thinking about trying one of the Swifts.

I've only used the LT it took a little getting used to ,but it's light and comfortable

LinkC wrote:Anyone tried both? Pros, cons, likes dislikes??

I currently use Optilife, but thinking about trying one of the Swifts.

I use them both. To me, the LT is the next-generation-technology version of the Swift II. (Now that I think about it, I guess that's exactly what it is.) I find they both work well. The Swift II has the option of running the hose up one side of your head or the other, if you want. I never liked that, since, depending on how I slept (as a side-sleeper) I sometimes woke up looking as if I had been run over by a mountain bike judging for the track up the side of my head. So I use the Swift II without attaching the little hose to anything when I use it now.

The LT solved that problem by having the little hose come out of the front of the mask, instead of out one side like the Swift II. That way, you can route the hose over your head in a way that you don't sleep on it when you sleep on your side. The LT is lighter, but the nose pillows feel flimsy. Personally, I feel like I get a better seal with the Swift II, but my leak graph shows that I am really getting a better seal with the LT. (Not the first time the software has shown my perception to be off about something with my therapy.) The pillows come in at slightly different angles, it seems. I went through a few weeks where the LT pillows seemed to leak for no reason, but that suddenly stopped happening. Maybe my nostrils are reshaped now.

The LT is designed in a way that makes it super easy to detatch the pillow portion of the mask for a quick rinse in the morning. More user-friendly that way.

I tend to use the LT at home and the Swift II on the road. I don't know why. But that tells you how much I like them both.

If it were me, I'd go with the LT, though.

ditto to jnk. I like the easier side sleeping with the Lt but I had the same prob as jnk with the week or so seal prob...just appeared then vanished. weird but it's the lt I prefer.

Hi - I have used both. I did not like the Swift II--I never could get a good seal on it and it leaked like crazy. Not only that -it was very noisy!! When I got the SWIFT LT and tried it out it was like a miracle mask!! I LOVE IT!! I am a side sleeper and it seals up and stay with me all night and is a QUIET mask. Even when I roll side to side. It is a very light weight mask and the staps are to be kept very loose so you hardly know that it is on. I'd go for the SWIFT LT. I donated my Swift II to someone without insurance --hope they are getting good use out of it.

Good Luck,
Carrie

I used the Swift II for a week or so when starting out. After that I switched to the LT. The important difference to me, is that the II puts pressure on my top teeth, causing some discomfort. The LT does not have the same size or weight, and doesn't cause that problem.

I also find the hose coming from the center of the front is more comfortable for me than the side based hose. However, this wasn't as much of a problem as I thought it would be.

The II does have more solid pillows, but so far I haven't had problems with leaks with the LT, or any trouble with it coming apart, but I have only used it two months so far.

I've used both masks, and I much prefer the LT. My first nasal pillows mask was the II, and it was decent enough. I used it for about a year. But the LT offers a few improvements that were important to me.

The LT is smaller, lighter and quieter than the II. I find it much easier to sleep on my side with the LT; the "barrel" on the II (the part that sits under the nose) was wide enough that it got mashed by my pillow when sleeping on my side, causing leaks. I had to train myself to sleep with half my face hanging off the edge of the pillow. The LT is small enough that it doesn't encounter my pillow, and I think I'm sleeping better as a result. (I don't have a data-capable machine to confirm that, so it's just my perception.) Also, the clips on the LT's headgear are much thinner, softer and more flexible than the hard plastic ones to be found on the II, but they seem to be just as durable.

The LT is definitely my mask of choice these days, at least until someone builds a better mousetrap.

I've used both and the difference in the narrower LT makes side sleeping Soooo much easier.
I heartily recommend you skip the II and go straight to the LT.

TerryB

Wow! I think it's unanimous! I DO like to sleep on my side. (Both sides, actually, but since starting CPAP I try not to face my wife due to the exhaust.

And, looking at cpapauction, it appears the LT usually goes for a little less than the II!

Thanks for all the advice!

Well, I'm new to all of this CPAP business, and I've never tried the Swift II, but I just received my Swift LT in the mail yesterday. Just a little more info., for what it's worth... I strapped it on last night, had a very brief issue with keeping my mouth closed at first (kept wanting to puff breath out my mouth), that lasted maybe 1 1/2 hours at most (I was reading in bed at the time, so it didn't bother me too much). When I finished reading, I fell asleep (with my mouth closed!) immediately. I Loved it! I, too am a side sleeper. This was very comfortable, no tubes on the side of your face. I don't strap the tube over my nose,(I find that annoying for some reason) i just let it drop down. It was fine. This is much quieter than the Nasal Aire II mask I was previously using, and way more comfortable, too. I also like that the nasal pillow direction can be adjusted up or down, for comfort. I'm happy with my LT!

LC, this is kinda like the ford - chevy ? have used both, pros & cons for both. ask 10 folks & get 10 different answers. the II vents straight ahead(very annoying to bed partner)...used the II until Rested Gal & others put me on to the headrest & never looked back. use the II for a back up only now. good Luck ZZzzzzz. tim

I've used both, 2 months each. The LT is good but I didn't like the concentrated exhaust and bought the new Swift II because it was supposed to vent down, not directly at your bedmate. But it vents out, not down as advertised, although it's less of a hurricaine force than the LT. The Swift II nose pillow setup is also more comfortable, but because of the barrel piece (the plastic part just below the pillows) it leaks when the bed pillow (even a cpap pillow) puts pressure on it while I sleep on my side. The pressure makes the nasal pillows get out of line. The upshot is I get about 4 to 5 hours cpap sleep when I'm really sleeping for 7 or 8 hours because of the pressure leaks (as shown by the timer on my M Series Respronics cpap machine. So I'm going back to the LT mask with replacement pillows and a new short hose. For me, the comfort of the Swift II isn't worth trading 3 hours a night of REM sleep for. Too bad. I really liked II better than the LT when I got it, but once I realized the thing was leaking (at the nasal pillows) while I slept, it wasn't worth it.

Have used both, couldn't use the Swift, barrel too big, the light is great, if you have a supply of nasal cushions, they wear out in about 4 weeks at best!

LinkC wrote:Anyone tried both? Pros, cons, likes dislikes??

I currently use Optilife, but thinking about trying one of the Swifts.

I have only used the LT and can honestly say its a mask you want to like because of it size and feel. However i've had mine for 6 weeks and still cannot stop my leaks. I think that back strap slides up and down my head at night as i turn and has fights with the chinstrap. So i was thinking of trying a Optilife mask as the strap system looks better and it has a built in chin strap. Looking at the Opti design though it looks like if you drop your jaw the pillows get pulled out of your nose? So i'm curious what do you not like about the Optilife?

I'm at the 2 week point with my LT and I love it - I use a bit of the lanolin cream and get a great seal all night. I've never tried it without the lanolin, but I suspect I would still get a pretty good seal. My leak rate has averaged around .18 over the 2 weeks and I am fine with that. My AI is averaging .29 and AHI at 3.75. I always sleep on my sides and move from left to right throughout the night without losing much of the seal. I'm saving up for the software to get more detalied results and am looking forward to seeing the doc on May 7th when he does the first download