Soft Covers for Bella Loops? (Swift FX)

Recently, I spoke tentatively to Pad-a-Cheek about making a soft, thin, flat continuous cloth tube to completely enclose each of the rubbery silicone Bella Loops (the ear straps for the Swift FX) to replace the two tiny pink tubes.

My idea is to soften/cushion the straps where they go over your cheeks and around your ears.

If Pad-a-Cheek were to make a pair of very soft, thin, flat cloth tubes to enclose your Bella Loops, would you be interested in purchasing them?

They would have to be very tiny around the ear strap thingy. I tried a homemade cover over the part that goes behind the ears and it allowed too much slippage and loss of grip. Strap wouldn't stay in place and kept slipping out from behind the ear.

Now something to cover the 2 pink covered straps. That would be easy to do. Large and flat to slide over the silicone or velcro closure. I have a homemade version of this and it helps with the faint cheek strap impressions I get. Quite comfortable too.

I would love some, just like the pink ones, just a little more cushey. I keep the pink ones going behind my ears and they are fine, it's the flat straps and sometimes the fatter pad where the straps attach that leave marks for me....I would need very lightweight material that stays cool as heat is a problem for me with masks.

portiemom wrote:I would love some, just like the pink ones, just a little more cushey. I keep the pink ones going behind my ears and they are fine, it's the flat straps and sometimes the fatter pad where the straps attach that leave marks for me....I would need very lightweight material that stays cool as heat is a problem for me with masks.

I hadn't thought about sliding the pink ones to go over the ear but that would be the size we would need. I have some more fleece...I think I will try sliding the pink to go behind the ear and make the wider fleece to cover the side cheek straps that the pink now covers.
It's funny, only my left ear is giving me a problem. Right ear...I never know the loops are there.
I have some minor slippage on the left ear no matter what adjustments I make.

Well Pugsy, we need to switch ears, my right ear gives me a fit with adjustments, I think because mostly my left ear is in the pillow, so I usually have to tighten the right lower ear strap a bit more than the left one. I love the Bella and my AHI is consistanly below 1. I do notice that on the rare occasion that I have NO centrals, I feel soooooo much better, and I could not have done this without you my friend!!! Greateful Forever, hope your mom is doing better, Ellen

I'll have to try sliding the pink covers over the ears. It does seem like it would be tough to get something that's the right size there. I would be interested in something better than my homemade fleece to go over the part on the cheeks. The issue is going to be that one needs access to the straps underneath in the middle of the night, in order to make adjustments. So if the cover is sewn the whole way, it would be too cumbersome to get to the straps underneath, I think. Right now I have it sewn part way so that I can open it up and get to the straps. Hope this makes sense.

Well....had an accident during the experiment. I accidentally cut one of the ear loops.
So far impossible to get it back together securely. Guess I will need to buy another loop.

The pink things sliding over the ear loop is annoying one doesn't cover all of the loop and when I used the 2..they don't stay together. May need sticthing if I like them well enough but my experiments are on hold. I did fix a suitable cover for the check straps which allows for easy adjusting.

Pugsy wrote:Well....had an accident during the experiment. I accidentally cut one of the ear loops.
So far impossible to get it back together securely. Guess I will need to buy another loop.

My goodness... I thought I was the only one who did things like that!

If Pad a Cheek attempts to make something, it would have to be very soft and verrrry thin.

I slightly nicked my ZZZ mask while trimming my home-grown "mask panty"
I didn't even notice until I tried wearing it naked.

Pugsy wrote:They would have to be very tiny around the ear strap thingy.

ems wrote:
If Pad a Cheek attempts to make something, it would have to be very soft and verrrry thin.

My understanding of my conversation with Karen at Pad-a-Cheek is she would use her "Thin Micro Fleece fabric" and that they would be very thin, very soft, and very flat.

Nate

Nate, are you talking about to go around the ears, or for the face? I'm wondering if it would still leave marks on the face if it's thin and flat like the hot pink/grey covers that come with the traditional Swift FX headgear.

SleepingUgly wrote: are you talking about to go around the ears,

Covers for the skinny silicone that goes behind the ears.
Karen is thinking...tiny, skinny covers made out of some of her micro fleece fabric.

For over the cheek straps...needs to be larger than it is now with the pink covers.
You are right...skinnier covers where the existing pink covers are would create more marks on the cheeks.

It would be easier to get the covers over the cheek straps if they had velcro rather than sewn, but I don't know if the added velcro would increase facial marks, or discomfort... Hmmm, tricky.

SleepingUgly wrote:It would be easier to get the covers over the cheek straps if they had velcro rather than sewn, but I don't know if the added velcro would increase facial marks, or discomfort... Hmmm, tricky.

My guess is that the velcro would increase facial marks - discomfort not sure. Since my skin is thinning anyway, I wouldn't want additional facial marks. I pretty much have the loops where I don't see additional marks... except every once in awhile.

SleepingUgly wrote:It would be easier to get the covers over the cheek straps if they had velcro rather than sewn, but I don't know if the added velcro would increase facial marks, or discomfort... Hmmm, tricky.

Would have to be tiny amount of velcro or the stitching and the velcro itself could leave a mark.
I was trying iron on hemming tape as a securing device and just making a large "sleeve" to encompass both cheek straps by sliding over them. I was trying a lighter weight fleece from my original cobbled covers with a more bulky fleece...that was what I was trimming when I cut the ear loop by mistake.
Experiments are on hold for final fit till I get the new Loops that I just ordered from cpap.com.
BTW was cpap.com offered free shipping on them...saved a few bucks.

I have decided that it is impossible for me to adequately cover the ear loops part with what I have available but the large "sleeve" for the 2 pink covered straps is easy and works well. I can't get the ear loop thing skinny enough..
I didn't care for trying to slide the pink cover over to the ear loop. One isn't enough and the 2 are annoying because they don't stay together.