Swift FX

I haven't been around for awhile. I was shopping for a chin strap since air likes to purse through my lips at night...grrr!

Anyhoo, I see there's a new mask, the Swift FX. It looks like a little better design than the Swift LT. I tried to search to see if anyone had comments on it. I couldn't find any.

Anyone care to comment on their experiences with this mask? I think it looks pretty comfortable. I really like the Swift LT's light weight design, and the Swift FX look as light weight with a little less invasiveness of the portion which holds the nasal pillows.

I appreciate any comments with your experiences with this mask.

Hello As a Newbie i really dont have much experience with masks i own two and i have also been on Cpap for 2 weeks but my experince with the Swift Fx has been Great! compared to my FF mask it is very comfortable to me,it also has very high reviews, would i buy it again ? You bet!

There are at least 2 long threads on experiences with the Swift FX. It is too much to repeat here. A search SHOULD find those threads for you!

Use the advanced search option above put the following in or check the following boxes ... It will bring up lots of threads regarding the FX.

Search for Keywords : Swift FX
Search within : Topic Titles Only
Display Results as : Topics

You need to do all 3 options to get the results you seek.

The other thing you could do is go to cpap.com and look for the Swift FX. Then, click on the "Customer Reviews" tab and read all about what people think of it!

Treesap:

Nice to see you again! Yes, as Hawthorne said there are many happy users of this mask, and a few posts where it did not work for one reason or another. I have been using the Swift mask since it came out around 2005, from the Swift to the Swift 11, than the LT, and now the FX. I also started mouth breathing along the way off and on mostly with the LT, so when I got the FX about 2 months ago, and got it so I could use it, I found my leak rate from mouth breathing diminished to next to nothing! The FX for me has turned into the BEST Swift mask yet and here is what I did to make it that way:
Being NON-ADJUSTABLE at the pillows like the LT is, means the design kind of needs the new smaller flexable hose to route down to keep the pillows in the right position in your nares. Because I move around some during the night, for me the hose has to be routed over my head, but the FX is not conducive to doing that. Routing the hose directly over the head and securing it at the top of the mask did not work for me, as it always dislodged the pillows and was not secure! Here is what works for me, and my help others with the FX:
1--First I made the mask secure with my velcro tip which I have used on every Swift mask I have had since 2005 and will also work for any type pillows interface, and I believe many of my friends here on the forum have used this tip and found it effective! This fix can be found In Laura's (rested gal) list of Fixes under "tips for swift users". I route the grey hose to the right side (either side will work) along the clear headgear peice and secure it where the back blue strap meets the clear-there is a slot there (for instance I use the blue velcro peice that was used on the early swift masks) and I used another about two inchs from the pillows and also secure the hose to the clear headgear there leaving about 5 inchs of the grey hose as slack from the pillows. This results in the mask looking like the grey hose comming out of the pillows almost in a straight line but with about a 5 inch loop, then gray hose secured to clear headgear strap then about 4 inches to the next slotted spot where the grey hose is secured then about 6 inches of grey hose going to the connection with the large cpap hose. The 5 inch loop out of the pillows allows the weight there to keep the pillows anchored in the nares and my velcro fix to the back strap keeps this mask VERY stable resulting in THE most COMFORTABLE and LEAK free mask I have ever used. I also have the large cpap hose from the machine hanging above my head where it attaches to the mask hose! Hope this helps!

All the best!
Steve,
ufo13

I have one and like above I have been with the swift, swift II, I tried the LT but I don't like where the sides come across the temples.

The FX is great and the lightest one yet.... but again the temples have me... So I have ordered padacheek for the fx and hope that will allow me to use it....

Until I receive the padacheek I will be back with my Swift II....

I have sensitive skin and the sides rubbing on my temples over night give me red bumps so padacheek is a live saver for me.

The fx comes with a light piece of cloth with Velcro closures but it wasn't enough cushion to stop the rubbing for me.

For some reason I had to kick my humidifier up a notch with the FX as compared to the setting with my swift II.

Hope some of this helps you.

Steve ufo13 wrote:1--First I made the mask secure with my velcro tip which I have used on every Swift mask I have had since 2005 and will also work for any type pillows interface, and I believe many of my friends here on the forum have used this tip and found it effective! This fix can be found In Laura's (rested gal) list of Fixes under "tips for swift users". I route the grey hose to the right side (either side will work) along the clear headgear peice and secure it where the back blue strap meets the clear-there is a slot there (for instance I use the blue velcro peice that was used on the early swift masks) and I used another about two inchs from the pillows and also secure the hose to the clear headgear there leaving about 5 inchs of the grey hose as slack from the pillows. This results in the mask looking like the grey hose comming out of the pillows almost in a straight line but with about a 5 inch loop, then gray hose secured to clear headgear strap then about 4 inches to the next slotted spot where the grey hose is secured then about 6 inches of grey hose going to the connection with the large cpap hose. The 5 inch loop out of the pillows allows the weight there to keep the pillows anchored in the nares and my velcro fix to the back strap keeps this mask VERY stable resulting in THE most COMFORTABLE and LEAK free mask I have ever used. I also have the large cpap hose from the machine hanging above my head where it attaches to the mask hose! Hope this helps!

Do you have a picture of this with the LT or the FX? I am fighting occasional leak issues with the FX. I used a chinstrap over the FX, and it helped the leak issue somewhat, but the chipstrap pressed my lower jaw too much back, causing higher flow limitations.

I have 2 FX issues:
a) at times, it hits my septum when I am side sleeping. The LT would do this, but could be adjusted to change the angle at which the pillows hit your nostrils, so I could fix that. I haven't figured out how to change the FX angles.
b) one night the FX leaked so bad I couldn't open my eyes all morning, and had to wear sunglasses all day, even indoors, because light hurt.

Hence I need to try the tights solution with the FX, and haven't seen any FX pictures in Laura's lab-rat awards.

Manas

manas:

I am on the road and am unable to scan a picture, but if you follow the description of how to route the hose and secure it and actually visulize it as you do it on your FX it will be easy! If you are seeking my velcro tip for the back strap which keeps the mask from riding up and also makes the interface very secure during the night, you can find it in Laura's (rested gal) post, who by the way has helped everyone here-she's such a DOLL! Go to: https://www.cpap.com/viewtopic.php?t=15104 and look fror my "tips for swift users" by ufo13, as well as many other fixes and help by many other forum members!

Hope this helps!

Steve,
ufo13

Note: When I tried the above viewtopic listing to Laura"s post it did not work? If anyone can post the correct way to find that viewtopic for manas and others it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

OK, loading up viewtopic.php?t=15104

I found:

velcro fix for Swift's backstrap
Dec 03, 2005 subject: Tips for SWIFT users!! to ufo13 for modification using velcro strap to keep Swift's back strap from slipping upward.
viewtopic.php?t=5965

Reading now .....

ufo13: I read both threads a few times and think I get the picture. You have 2 fixes:

1) Stick the "loopy" velcro to the inside of the back blue band so that the loopy velcro's friction against my hair (and I do have plenty of hair left on my head) makes the back blue strap stable all night.

2) A loop on the gray hose (using the same principle as the Swift LT) ... anchoring it twice: once at the place where the pillow meets the clear plastic strap, and then again at the place where the back blue meets the plastic. Effectively, this stabilizes the gray hose against the mask so that movements like tugs on the hose won't move the pillows from the nostrils.

Did I get that right?

Regards,
Manas

manas wrote:O
velcro fix for Swift's backstrap
Dec 03, 2005 subject: Tips for SWIFT users!! to ufo13 for modification using velcro strap to keep Swift's back strap from slipping upward...

Reading now .....

I should point out that the Swift FX wasn't out back then neither was the Swift LT, so don't expect miracles as the headgear as well as the actual pillow mounting has changed drastically since 2005.

Personally I just let the hose swivel down along my body and run the hose back up along the side of my pillow (I use a memory foam pillow) to the machine which is on my nightstand. I do sleep mostly on my left side and don't toss & turn in my sleep.

Best thing to do to ensure the pillows seat properly is to go to the resmed website and view the video for the mask, It will show you the proper positioning for everything including the headgear straps (This is where I went wrong in transitioning from the Swift II to the Swift FX). The swift FX really needs the headgear to be in proper position to seal well as the pillows do not adjust.

I tried this fix this afternoon for a nap. I haven't liked the FX flexy hose from the first night. I pull on it when I turn over.
Here is a fast picture of what I did.

Just like what I think Steve said. I used velcro straps that people use to bundle wires on your computer. I am still working on the stabilizer for the back strap.
My leak was down for my nap. I will use it again tonight and see if it is better.

Thanks Steve.

m

manas: yes, you have it down perfectly! Hope it works for you as well as it has for me! Don't forget to staple the velcro to the back strap also-the glue itself will not hold it in place!

hose head: Thank you for posting that picture of the hose fix (picture is worth a thousand words)! Also thank you for finding an alternative to the blue velcro straps I used as they are no longer available with the masks. I will be getting some of those computer velcro straps! When you get the velcro strips on the back strap I believe you will find this simple fix will stablize the mask greatly!

All the best!

Steve,
ufo13

Note: manas and hose head----Please post back with info as to how well these fixes worked for you or if you found any other things or adjustments to these fixes that may work better-All this info helps ALL of us hoseheads!

ufo: My DME gave me a chipstrap which is holding the mask in place. It also stops me from mouth breathing, but has a negative effect because it reduces my flow (I have a small jaw, and the chipstrap pushes the lower jaw in ... wish there was a chipstrap that pushed the lower jaw *out*). I shall update when I try your experiments.