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The fuzzy side must be against the grey filter, the kind of slick side will act as barrier so the crud doesn't get sucked into the machine.

archangle wrote:

RandyJ wrote:One issue could be that cpap.com and other suppliers sell a non-Respironics version of this filter, and they do not look exactly the same as the white filter that comes with a new machine.

I had a hard time myself figuring out which side was the "mesh" side on the filters I bought from cpap.com, while it was clear to me when looking at the filter that came with the machine.

Good point. Respironics recently changed from a white filter with a tab to a rectangular filter. Has someone gotten 100% authentic labeled respironics non-tabbed filters? Can they tell whether they have the plastic mesh on one side?

I got the impression new filters don't have a visible mesh, but my filters may not have been real respironics despite the claim of the seller.

I think I have exactly those new ones. They came with my machine, which is two months old. On the pacakge it is clearly labeled Respironics.

They are rectangular with no tab. There is no plastic visible.
After reading this thread, I think I have been using it the right way, after all.

One side is soft , somehwat fiberous and if you push on it, it gives . If you look closely, you can see some white dots pattern.

The other side has much larger fibers,looks like isolation material, but there is some kind of coating, or glue that keeps it together. If you put your finger over it, it is smooth , indeed like plastic.

Were i probaly came to the wrong conlusion is that I've seen the large fiberous structure and thought it would come loose. I didn't think about the coating, since it is not so visible.
The other side doesn't looks so fiberous, but when you look really close, you can see. It is also soft and pushable. If it wasn't for the other side having a hard structure, you would be able to bent it easily.

I think it would be more clear, if they would have simply talked about a hard an a soft side in the manual.
To me, both sides have a 'mesh' look.

I have the OEM filters. Always put the dirty side out, works everytime

IF you have the filters with a Tab just trim an 1/8" off the side opposite the tab to fit the PRS1. It's an engineering change made in the field

Let's see if pictures help


If you need the part number there it is


Click any image for larger view

Comes in pkg of 2

Interesting that my filters look identical to the pictures posted by GumbyCT but the code number on my packet is 1029331 (RP - M Series/ Sleep easy Ultra Fine Filters)

snoozysue wrote:Interesting that my filters look identical to the pictures posted by GumbyCT but the code number on my packet is 1029331 (RP - M Series/ Sleep easy Ultra Fine Filters)

Mine is a pkg of 2 - yours?

Mine is a pack of 6 - maybe that's the difference

snoozysue wrote:Mine is a pack of 6 - maybe that's the difference

There ya go.

I wish they'd color or mark one side of the filter. It would remove a lot of guesswork.

My ultra fine filters are white on both sides. And, I didn't know what they meant by mesh side. So, I talked to one of my HVAC engineer friends. He said the mesh side is the side that supports the filter material (air flow from soft side to mesh side). On my filter the mesh side looks slightly glossy on one side and more soft and flat white looking on the other. I believe the glossy looking side has a coating to support the filter and should be toward the machine. My machines black filter gets dirty on the outside which means the air is drawn into the machine.

dhsindy wrote:My ultra fine filters are white on both sides. And, I didn't know what they meant by mesh side. So, I talked to one of my HVAC engineer friends. He said the mesh side is the side that supports the filter material (air flow from soft side to mesh side). On my filter the mesh side looks slightly glossy on one side and more soft and flat white looking on the other. I believe the glossy looking side has a coating to support the filter and should be toward the machine. My machines black filter gets dirty on the outside which means the air is drawn into the machine.

I believe the "sticky" side goes in. I think the idea is that one side has some sort of plastic or plastic like goo that keeps any fibers from the filter from being sucked into the machine. The older ones had a visible plastic mesh molded onto the outflow side.

Did your filter come in an official, sealed, Philips Respironics bag? Is it a rectangle, or a rectangle with a tab? I think the newer real PR filters are meshless, sticky, and untabbed.

I AM GOING TO CALL THE PLASTIC STRINGY SIDE THE MESH SIDE AND PUT IT IN FRONT OF THE GRY FILTER..tHIS WILL SERVE AS THE NET CATCHING WHAT SLIPS THROUGH IT...THEN WHATEVER SLIPS THROUGH THE NET, WILL GET CAUGHT IN THE FUZZY....or I MAY JUST TURN IT AROUND, THAT WHITE FILTER AND LET THE FUZZY SIDE CATCH FIRST WHAT THE GREY FILTER DOESN'T. tHEN THE SLIPPERY SIDE, OR THE STRINGY FINE LOOKING PLASTIC STUFF SPREAD OVER THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FILTER, WILL BE THE LAST TRAP THE LINT, ETC. WILL GO "TO" and get caught right there.