Feedback from men with beards Re: best facemask

I am trying to revive an old thread (from last year) about the Simplus (facemask) by Fisher Paykel. I am very interested in getting feedback from men (with beards) who have used this particular model. As many of us know, having a beard can create a lot of problems with leakage. However, this particular model reportedly does a great job in greatly reducing or eliminating leakage all together. I plan on ordering it next week; but (again) I would really appreciate getting feedback from other guys (with beards) who have used the Simplus by FP. I live in the US and the model has only recently been introduced here.

According to the feature listing for the Simplus (on cpap.com)
that mask is not recommended for facial hair.
The following is a listing of masks that are recommended for facial hair:
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks/facial- ... ::115:::20:

Thanks for the quick feedback. Perhaps you may have saved me from making the wrong decision. Maybe a better title for my thread would have been 'Best facemask for men with beards'.

From the link you shared, it looks like there are 9 models that are recommended. Interestingly enough, it looks like price cannot be your guide when it comes to the user ratings on the site. And (it appears) one of the better facemasks (according to the overall reviews) is the FlexiFit HC432 Full Face CPAP Mask. It looks like Fisher Paykel manufactures this one as well....although I am not certain if it is available through my current supplier (Sleep Med Therapy). Perhaps, the key for guys with a neatly trimmed goatee (such as myself) is finding a good facemask that goes under the chin....(like the FlexiFit HC432 Full Face CPAP Mask)? I have been on a cpap for just over a year now but only recently grew my small beard back in November. I like having my new beard; but realize I must either find a facemask that resolves the leakage problem with facial hair.....or shave it off entirely.

I, also, use sleepmed therapy. When I got my machine as a birthday present on the 20th of last month, they have me the resmed s9 with the Quattro air mask. I have a term and tight goatee which the Quattro air seems not to mind too much. My leak problem sends to come from the fact that my jaw drops and makes the fit slack off, but have gotten better with it by tweaking it minimally almost nightly. I like sleepmed they seen to work with me and give me hints.

Thanks for the reply Neallo. Glad to hear your goatee is not creating a problem. My facial hair was not initially creating leakage. But as it has filled in (since November), it is now an issue that I must resolve by either shaving it off or finding an alternative mask. My goatee is roughly 3/8 inches long.

Like you, I also have the S9 Resmed CPAP but with a Mirage Quattro FF mask (pressure setting on my CPAP is 13). I recently tried the Quattro air facemask, but it seemed to cause even more leakage than the Mirage Quattro. Plus, I don't like the fact that the Quattro Air has posts (versus clips) to secure the mask. I hope to work this out with Sleep Med Therapy (sometime this coming week). But in the meantime, I am up for as much feedback as I can gather about this leakage problem.

Could you let me know through pm or this post what you and sleep med come up with maybe this will help me in my experiences.

Some men have discovered that longer facial hair is less of an issue, as it lies down and can become softer.

neallo wrote:Could you let me know through pm or this post what you and sleep med come up with maybe this will help me in my experiences.

Yes, I certainly will. I need to decide quickly because the leakage problem is affecting my sleep.

It looks like there are eight or nine full face masks (on this site) that are designed for men (with facial hair in mind). Several got my attention including the SleepWeaver Anew FFM, Amara FFM, and the Flexifit HC432 FFM. Clearly, the Simplus by Fisher Paykel is not recommended for guys with beards.

But the Flexifit HC432 FFM appears to have lots of good reviews. Can anyone else out there with facial hair weigh in on this particular facemask or other facemasks designed for guys with facial hair? I realize facemasks are a highly individual thing and what works for one person may not work for another. However, more than anything, I am just trying to determine if there is any sort of consensus (in general) on FFM that are less prone to leak for guys with beards.

I've been getting excellent results with the Quattro Air, and have had no problems with my beard.
Among the ffm's that I've used are the Ultra Mirage, Mirage Quattro, Quattro FX, and Quattro Air.
Although they all work for me, I think the Quattro Air is definitely the best. YMMV

I've got a full beard trimmed to 1/4-1/2" and I use the Quattro. It works ok, but I have to use the pad-a-cheek liner and a homemade anti-leak strap to really tuck that bugger onto my face. It's not so bad, though

I've now tried the Quattro FX and Quattro Air (in addition to my Mirage Quattro). Out of these three, the Mirage Quattro seems to be the most tolerant of my beard in terms of reducing the level of leakage. But even the Mirage Quattro is not really working for me. And I cannot keep continually adding an excessive amount of water in my humidifier. My suspicion is that the leakage is also causing my CPAP to use too much water.

We all know there is not a single solution (full facemask) that will work for any bearded men. However, this past weekend, I did some research in an attempt to at least determine brands/models that might be 'trending' as more effective than others in terms of preventing leaks with facial hair.

Two of the models that I thought 'might' hold promise are the Flexifit HC432 and/or the Forma (both made by Fisher & Paykel). However, upon discussing these with my supply provider today, I was told that neither one of them are necessarily effective for guys with facial hair who also have pressure settings above 11 or 12. This is reportedly due to the foam inserts (so I was told) and how they break down. And my pressure setting is 13.....so perhaps they are not good options for me.

Tomorrow, I am going in person to try the Simplus by Fisher & Paykel. And even though it is not officially designed for facial hair, it was reported to me (by my supplier) that it has been known to have good results in terms of preventing leaks on guys with facial hair. Looking at the picture of it, I am not sure how; but it's worth trying it out in the office.

If this doesn't work, I might have to resort to shaving my goatee back to no more than stubble or just going cleanly shaven. I've only had my new beard since November; and I didn't want to get rid of it. Funny, I never would have imagined (in today's technology driven world) that an issue like this would be so complicated. But I appreciate the replies from others on this topic.

PS Maybe those pad-a-cheek liners that Benny mentioned might be helpful. Seems to work for him.

Just keep trying different masks until you get one that works. Everyone and every fit is different.
My beard is presently about 3-4 inches long with no problems using Quattro Air.
I wouldn't be ready to shave my beard if I were you. I'm sure you will find a solution.

Vader wrote:Just keep trying different masks until you get one that works. Everyone and every fit is different.
My beard is presently about 3-4 inches long with no problems using Quattro Air.
I wouldn't be ready to shave my beard if I were you. I'm sure you will find a solution.

That's impressive that your beard is 3-4 inches long and no problems with leakage using the Quattro Air (especially since its lighter weight). And thanks for the encouragement. I am not quite ready to shave my goatee off just yet.

I just wanted to update this thread that I started last week. After having a lot of problems with leakage (with my facemask), I tried several facemasks....to include the FlexiFit431 (similar to the 432). I was not impressed. For me, it's too wide. I don't care for the headgear either as the clip is awkward to work with.

In my efforts to find a facemask that would stop leakage (while keeping my goatee), I reached some conclusions:

There's no perfect facemask, and many (if not all of them) may have the potential to leak (especially if the beard hair is thick....like mine). For example, the FlexiFit431 (similar to the 432) is reportedly (specifically) designed for men with facial hair. And yet I had no better luck with that one versus the Mirage Quattro or Quattro FX (both of those which are not specifically designed for men with facial hair). As we all know, it can be problematic having facial hair with a full facemask unless certain measures are taken.

Since the bottom side of these facemasks typically come into direct contact (just below the lip), there's a couple of things I considered. One option I thought about was to continue trimming the entire goatee down to a level the facemask could handle without much (if any) leakage). A second option I thought about (which I chose) was to remove most of the facial hair (just under both sides of my lip) while maintaining the rest of the beard/goatee and a very small centerpiece (just below my mouth).

This solved my problem; and now I don't have to worry about selecting a facemask merely on the basis of whether it will leak or not. Some guys (with beards or goatees) may not have as much problem with facemask leakage if their beards/goatees have a natural break area below the lip. But in my case, my beard hair grows everywhere so it is necessary to keep it cleaned out down there to eliminate leakage with the mask.

Now my CPAP machine gives me the green 'happy face'.....meaning no more leaks! And this makes me happier at night when I wear the mask!