PR System One Travel Case = Disappointment

I just received my new PR System One Auto from cpap.com. I haven't yet tried out the xpap (will post impressions on that, later). However, I am majorly disappointed in the carry case that comes with it. This post contains my comments on the PR System One carry case, only.

I travel a lot, mostly by car but sometimes by air. A decent carry case for my xpap is essential. The Phillips Respironics case clearly was designed by someone who doesn't travel and was constructed to a bottom dollar price. Too bad that no-one publishes decent pictures of this sorry excuse for a travel case. Online reviews of it also have been scarce.

The case is a simple "bag", with limited padding and a large, U-shaped zipper top. Inside is a single large compartment, with sleeve in the top (open both ends) to hold a hose, a side pocket for documents, and a small divider to secure the power supply.

The case is generous in size, easily large enough to hold an over length hose, a full face mask and other xpap accessories.

In my mind, it is essential that an xpap carry case provide protection for it's contents. The PR System One case fails in this count because padding is minimal, and certainly not up to the potential rigours of airline travel (and by that I don't mean for use as checked baggage; I'm referring to TSA's rough handling during inspections, storage in overhead bins on the plane and that sort of thing!) As well the bottom of the case has what I will assume are drainage holes, presumably to allow water to drain out should any find it's way in there. These holes also are suitable to allow insects into the case, as well as dust and dirt should the machine be carried in a dirty environment. (camping anyone?)

A second important aspect of a quality carry case is that the flow generator needs to be easily removable from the case without removal (or risk of spill) of other contents of the bag. This is to make it easier to get through airport security where the flow generator has to be removed from the case and swabbed by TSA. The System One carry case will dump your hose out of it's sleeve (sleeve has a stupid, double open-ended design). Other contents of the case (e.g. your mask) also will have to be removed because the flow generator will be on the bottom of the case. Proper design would have placed both mask and hose in separate, secured inner compartments in the case. I can only assume that PR bean counters objected to the additional $1.50 it would have cost to provide this added functionality.

Similarly, the inside pocket to hold documents, filters, etc, is open and subject to spilling of contents. Why could they not provide a flap or zipper to keep its contents secure?

A third aspect of a quality carry case is that it needs to provide room (i.e. separate compartment) to hold xpap travel accessories. This would include things like a travel power adapter, extension cord, small surge suppressor, cleaning supplies (mask wipes), and maybe a travel sized hose management system. The PR System One travel case is large enough to hold these things but you'd be crazy to do it through airline security unless you wanted to have to empty them from the case at the inspection station!

Finally, a quality carry case needs to be easy to carry and handle during transit. This is a highly subjective area as different form factors will appeal to different people. For me, the case needs to be easily attached to the top of my roll-on luggage. The form factor of this case is less than optimal (the old M-series case is much better in this regard).

Overall, I give the PR System One case a failing grade. I'm looking for an after-market case that is better suited to my needs. Are there any enterprising individuals out there who can make one?

Do you have the ability to take a photo of the case that you could show everyone?

Thanks
Dave

I agree with your points. I have the same case and it is pretty bogus! The padding in the sides is pretty thin and no separators are inside to restrain any thing.

It is the minimum design that maximizes profits!

What can you expect from a company that wants $200.00 for software that enables you to look at YOUR data? Oh yeah! and NO SUPPORT AT ALL

I used to have a lot of respect for Respironics, but, of late, I'm no longer feeling that way

I'll be following this thread to see what comes up as I have no alternative bag yet.

Cheers,

Dave

Hose_Head
I traveled with my system One this past week for the first time and agree with your points. As of yet, I have not flown with it. I am seriously considering using a really small rolling suit case. It will be easy to manuever and doesn't count as carry on luggage. It has a zipper pocket for the extras, etc.

I agree the case is a problem, cheap and flimsy. Another thing I don't like is whereas the case for the Resmed Auto S8II is designed in such a way that the case will easily fit in hardshell carry-on luggage (which is useful if travelling out of the country with an airline that does not give special carry-on baggage allowance consideration for CPAPs), the way the Respironics System One bag is constructed essentially rules this out (because it is too fat for this). Thus if you have other things to carry on--e.g., a laptop computer, photography equipment, etc.--you end up with two bags, which in certain circumstances can be problemmatic.

Thanks for this review. I'd love to see some images of the carry bag too.

I've flown twice and traveled a few times with this bag and don't have any major complaints. I like it better than the one that came with my old REMstar tank machine.

I can fit my machine, its humidifier, my hose, mask, headgear, power supply brick/cord, and a bottle of water in there without much trouble. I keep the strap adjusted down to its shortest length so its more like a handle instead of a shoulder strap. When I have luggage, I feed the strap around the telescoping luggage handle and it holds it on my luggage just fine.

I can understand the complaints from the people above, but I think from an average Joe perspective of someone that only occasionally travels, it works fine.

I think its a common thing for people that frequently travel to invest in more serious travel gear for their valuable electronics (laptops, cameras, video recorders, etc) because they either don't come with cases, or the stock ones simply aren't built to handle heavy duty/frequent travel use.

I travel by air several times a month with this case. While I agree with some of the points, I have not had any problems with the case. yes, the padding could be more substantial, but I carry it on and have never seen TSA treat it roughly. My hose has never fallen out of the sleeve, although having only one open end would make more sense.

although the TSA requirements state that they are supposed to remove the flow generator from the case before testing, I have only had this happen once, yesterday as a matter of fact in Milwaukee. Usually they just swab it in the case. I put the open case in a bin with anything I have packed on top of the flow generator removed and in the bin also. I leave the power pack and the hose in their respective compartments. I tell the TSA Xray screener that I am sending a CPAP through and request that the swabbing agent use clean gloves. They always comply.

If I were planning to check the case, then it would need to be more substantial, but since I would never do that, i think it is fine.

It looks like a toaster cozy. (Not that I have a toaster, or a toaster cozy.)

DreamDiver wrote:It looks like a toaster cozy. (Not that I have a toaster, or a toaster cozy.)
(image removed for space sake)

ha ha ha.. I should mention that the website that created the image I posted does not have the size ratio correct in comparison to the actual machine. They are pretty close to the same size. The picture makes the bag look a lot bigger.

Also, I just want to say. (off-topic) why in the world did anyone ever use a toaster cozy? were they just supposed to hide your toaster because your toaster is ugly or something? Seems like I remember a lot of people accidentally setting the things on fire when the toaster accidentally gets activated while the cover is still on.

I remember when they made "cozy" items for many kitchen items including toasters, blenders, etc. Supposedly it was to "pretty up the kitchen" if I remember correctly.

Now I know why I am glad I don't travel -- don't have to worry about the case to put the cpap in.

I like the travel bag that came with my machine. I have a ResMed S8 Escape II, but I got the bag when they gave me a machine that they monitored my compliance with. That machine was a Vpap Auto 25 I think it was and the travel bag has a separate conmpartment for every thing. The motor fits in one compartment with a strap to secure it and the humidifyer fits in another ccompartment with a strap to secure it and it had a large zipper section on the outside of the bag for the hose. The mask has a drawstring bad that it fits into. I don't fly, but I do go to my sister's on accasion and it travels nice in the car so no problems there. I love my bag. Hope you can get some thing that will work for you. HAve a great day, Huggies, Fay....P.S. Maybe a large camera bag with lots of compartments will work out for you. They have them in all sizes and shapes and for diffrent types cameras. They are also well padded for travel. Good luck.

Personally, I was just impressed that they included a case and didn't charge "extra" for it (yes, I understand that it is paid for in the cost of the machine).

I'm not much of a traveler these days, and if the case wasn't included, I think I'd be more tempted to leaving the machine home if I went somewhere for just a night or two. Having the case encourages me to take it along, so I guess that's a good thing.

If you are a heavy duty traveler, that's a different matter, but I think it works OK for the average user's needs.

Along with prettying up the kitchen and giving the appliances a uniform appearance, another of the reasons for the toaster and other kitchen cozies was to keep appliances clean. People have weird issues with dust getting onto and into things. These issues with dust resurfaced in the 1980's with computer keyboard and printer cozies.

dwsupt wrote: I am seriously considering using a really small rolling suit case. It will be easy to manuever and doesn't count as carry on luggage.

Keep in mind - it is exempt UNTIL you put things in it like clothes, toothpaste, etc. which are NOT exempt. Then they will count it or charge for it.

Just an fyi