CPAPtalk.com

I've just emailed the link for this thread to Resmed's Product Mgr Jennifer so that they will have more detail to consider beyond my own experience. I really appreciate that those of you who have used this mask for more than 6 months are chiming in here. I'm sure there are more than 18 of us (the number of current votes), so am hoping that all the rest of you will continue to add your input if you have an older pillow to compare. It will be interesting to see what Resmed does with our evaluations. It is certainly my hope that their engineers will investigate the quality control and get a grip on this apparent degrading of their product.

plr66 wrote:I've just emailed the link for this thread to Resmed's Product Mgr Jennifer so that they will have more detail to consider beyond my own experience. I really appreciate that those of you who have used this mask for more than 6 months are chiming in here. I'm sure there are more than 18 of us (the number of current votes), so am hoping that all the rest of you will continue to add your input if you have an older pillow to compare. It will be interesting to see what Resmed does with our evaluations. It is certainly my hope that their engineers will investigate the quality control and get a grip on this apparent degrading of their product.

Thankyou for doing that,i was going to ask if anyone has contacted resmed regarding this issue.

Uncle_Bob wrote:Thankyou for doing that,i was going to ask if anyone has contacted resmed regarding this issue.

Yes. See my first post.

I also sent an email regarding the quality and durability difference in the replacement pillows as opposed to the first ones.

I stressed that they have a quality product in the SwiftLT and a very popular interface and that they are in danger of losing a significant customer base who use and really like this mask unless the situation is rectified as soon as possible. I mentioned that the situation was under discussion on this forum and there was significant disatifaction.

Sending this whole thread should add more credibility to complaints they should be receiving.

I have recently become a CPAP user and used a medium Swift II at the sleep center without any problems and minimal leaking. I requested & received the Swift LT from my DME and have been tinkering with the small and medium pillows and it seems that leaking is more difficult to control. perhaps the fact that the Swift II pillows are a bit more rigid may explain why they seem to stay in place better.
I prefer the design of the Swift LT and it is very quiet but the bottom line is performance. I will give this LT a couple more chances and may just switch back to the Swift II.

DreamStalker wrote:I have not replaced mine since I got them about 10 months ago ... they still work as good as new ... so I didn't vote.

So uhhhh, what are y'all doing to your pillows that you have to replace them? ... chewing on them?

While I am an avid biter (poor hubby!), I do not chew on my nasal pillows. I am with DreamStalker. I've been using the same pillows for almost 10 months, and they are still fairly decent. However, I know they have broken down some because of my need to put cortisone ointment on my outer nares for psoriasis. It seems these nasal pillows rub my nares causing small breakouts of psoriasis.....sigh. I'm sure the petroleum in the ointmen has broken them down some. That is my reasoning why I'm experiencing increased leaks compred to zero leaks in the past.

However, I am doing a nasal pillow trade with another fellow here. I will let you know what my new pillows are like once I get to try them.

Hi Peggy,

I haven't voted yet because the pillows I am currently using are six to nine months old.
Not that I have used the pillows for six months, but because of trading last year I ended up with a small
supply of pillows that I am still using. Also my DME sends me a new mask every three months.
So I have two complete mask kits in sealed unopened packages. I will see if I can figure out which is the newest
and open it to check and compare the pillows. I'd hate to open both packages because I may use one as a trade or
something with someone at some point.

-Dennis

I've only had my LT for a week. It seals good, and works good. But my nose burns from them. I put a little Vasaline around my nose & that seems to help. They are not as good as the old Swift 2.
Larry....

lebowski8 wrote:I use the Swift LT, but i'm new to it.

I'm wondering about objective ways to measure the changes in the pillow quality.

I'd be interested in comparing last year's model vs. this year's. Would it be possible to measure thickness of silicone with a caliper or micrometer?
Also, would it be possible to measure the mass in grams?

...just a thought.

lebowski8, Excellent idea! I was thinking of writing about this in the last couple of days. Yes we need an objective way to measure any differences! I was going to suggest measuring the weight in grams, especially if you have a good repeatable electronic (jewelry measuring type) balance. This would give one an idea if a given mask changes in weight with use.

I will post the weights of the 2 batches of 3 masks I have here soon.

feeling_better wrote:

lebowski8 wrote:I use the Swift LT, but i'm new to it.

I'm wondering about objective ways to measure the changes in the pillow quality.

I'd be interested in comparing last year's model vs. this year's. Would it be possible to measure thickness of silicone with a caliper or micrometer?
Also, would it be possible to measure the mass in grams?

...just a thought.

lebowski8, Excellent idea! I was thinking of writing about this in the last couple of days. Yes we need an objective way to measure any differences! I was going to suggest measuring the weight in grams, especially if you have a good repeatable electronic (jewelry measuring type) balance. This would give one an idea if a given mask changes in weight with use.

I will post the weights of the 2 batches of 3 masks I have here soon.

I second that "lebowski8, Excellent idea!"

I own a set of both a caliper and micrometer. When I check mine I will include measurements.
-Dennis

Just curious, but how did you contact resmed to get replacement pillows? Did they send them for free? Thanx

I measured the weights of two sets of pillows, on a scale with 0.1 gram resolution.
Each number is the average of 4 mesurements:

Pillows bought ~August 2008: S=8.15g, M=8.90g, L=8.45g Yes! The L was lighter than M!
The all 3 above were used approx 2-5 months for 9 months total.


Pillows bought ~April 2009: S=8.15g, M=8.90g, L=8.45g The L was lighter than M!
All unused.

As far as I can determine, both sets are identical now, one after long use.

feeling_better wrote:I measured the weights of two sets of pillows, on a scale with 0.1 gram resolution.
Each number is the average of 4 mesurements:

Pillows bought ~August 2008: S=8.15g, M=8.90g, L=8.45g Yes! The L was lighter than M!
The all 3 above were used approx 2-5 months for 9 months total.


Pillows bought ~April 2009: S=8.15g, M=8.90g, L=8.45g The L was lighter than M!
All unused.

As far as I can determine, both sets are identical now, one after long use.

I admit that at times I can be a little slow with certain things, but I'm not sure I understand what value there is to comparing just weights. I do appreciate your efforts with this! I just don't think it necessarily follows that weight alone explains sturdiness of the material or lack thereof.

plr66 wrote:I admit that at times I can be a little slow with certain things, but I'm not sure I understand what value there is to comparing just weights. I do appreciate your efforts with this! I just don't think it necessarily follows that weight alone explains sturdiness of the material or lack thereof.

Excellent questions! I really like someone who do not believe everything that is written here or anywhere else

If the manufacturere had made it thinner, as many claimed here, it would have been less heavy. You see it would be extremely unlikely they would have gone to a different plastic material -- which still has what appears to be identical look, feel and texture. Of course, if I put my engineering hat on, I can think of ways where the manufacturer went to the length of recreating the mold used for it, where it redistributed the material to make it thinner at some places --- some people's suspicion here -- but added that material to other places to make the weight the same I doubt they would go to all that trouble and SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY just to fool a few of our forum members here

Even though I think our modern businesses are far from immune in trying to do all they can to squeeze the maximum out of us, it does not make any economic sense for them to redesign a new product so soon after the introduction just to make it fail so quickly --- remember the vast majority of the money they get is from scheduled insurance reimbursements, and the insurance companies would not pay any more often than their policy of every 3 or 6 moths for a mask replacement -- whether it fails soon or last for ever. BTW, I am one of those minority of contrarions here steadfastly holding onto the belief that this mask may last for a very long time --- YEARS -- in normal use

One natural possible way, the differences in the product could happen (a different product), if the manufacturing had shifted between two factories, say from Australia to China. I think the masks were always made in China.

feeling_better wrote:..... If the manufacturere had made it thinner, as many claimed here, it would have been less heavy. You see it would be extremely unlikely they would have gone to a different plastic material -- which still has what appears to be identical look, feel and texture.

I think "flimsier" does not necessarily equate to "thinner." And I am not an engineer, but what comes immediately to my mind is that perhaps the silicone used has a different density rather than weight...such as if more oxygen is in it or something. Or that it just wasn't "cooked" (or whatever) enough to be as stiff or sturdy as the older batch. Engineers can chime in here about whether this might be a ridiculous notion. But it is clear that there is a difference in the product, whether the weight is the same or not. And I am editing here to include the fact that I definitely can see a difference in the appearance of the older pillow--It is not "identical" to that of the newer ones. (See my first post).

feeling_better wrote:..... BTW, I am one of those minority of contrarions here steadfastly holding onto the belief that this mask may last for a very long time --- YEARS -- in normal use

I don't doubt that. And that is the very reason I started this thread. (See my first post )

feeling_better wrote:..... One natural possible way, the differences in the product could happen (a different product), if the manufacturing had shifted between two factories, say from Australia to China. I think the masks were always made in China.

So, Now Then! Can you perform some more tests on these things??