Airsense 10 filters

[hegel]

I use the Hypoallergenic filters too, like Brent. I have allergies. I change them about every two weeks. Apria gives me a discount through Kaiser, so they're not too expensive. I also use a room filter and have allergy screens on the two always open windows in my small apartment. (yeah, sounds like overkill I know. I have real reasons!)

[RayBee]

Search Amazon for "Medihealer CPAP Filters for Resmed". I like these filters. They have a fuzzy side (coarse primary filter - faces the outside world) and a smooth side (fine secondary filter - faces the machine). They work well and I change them on the first of the month. After a month, they are very slightly discolored. At the time of this post, they are $7 for 24.

[hegel]

Oooh, nice catch RayBee!

[SonofBiPAPuser]

Mr. Magloo: can you name a retailer you buy these at (if that is allowed?) or the specific name of the product so I can search for it more easily?  Thank you.

[mrmagloo]

Hi Raybee,

As an FYI, the company you referenced is a front for a Chinese distributor.  I searched the website, followed the IP's and found the servers out of China.  I also searched for any HEPA certification, or spec's, and there are none listed that I can see on the box photos or website.  The website is actually a shell with virtually no content, other than an inquiry generator.

In order to market as a HEPA certified product, they must furnish the testing specs that I believe confirms it can filter 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns.  As a matter of fact, from the photos it doesn't appear the box even mentions HEPA.  They only use the word HEPA in the description as HEPA Style or Type, which is totally meaningless and a total stretch of the truth. To be HEPA certified, the packaging would clearly state True HEPA or Absolute HEPA, with the testing results, and links to the certification.

For reference, the Resmed Hypo filters have a spec of: Efficiency: >98% for ~7-8 micron dust. >80% for ~0.5 micron dust, so what they are claiming is ridiculously better if it was true, but clearly it is not. As a matter of fact, a True HEPA filter would likely not fit in the AS10 cage without modifications, and may even affect the performance of the machine with that small of a filter.

As such, I would have a big problem trusting any vendor that is purposely and overtly misleading consumers on the specifications of their products.  If they are lying about the HEPA capability, what else could they be lying about.  What about the actual materials?

Again, that's only a question that individual consumers need to answer for themselves.  Imho, my personal health is worth much more.

@SonofBiPAPuser

Try Supplier #29.   12 for $29.99. They came in a sealed Resmed bag

[SonofBiPAPuser]

Mr. Magloo:  I will look there.  Thank you!

[Homerec130]

I get my filters from my DME. They send me 6 in individually sealed packages every time I order supplies. I change them when I remember to and get very little discoloration. As a result, like BigGuy, I do have quite the collection of filters as well as mask cushions. It is too much of a hassle on the cushions to not order them than to order them every three months. I have good luck with using masks for more than 30 days. The thing that I think helps with the filters is we have a whole house unit plus electrostatic and UV.

[WakeUpTime]

The nice thing with the official Resmed filters are, they are a known commodity and you can trust the spec.
...some cheap Chinese knockoff's a lot cheaper, even if they give the spec, can you trust them?  I don't.

That's my current thinking too.  I used cheap off-brands for a few years.  They looked mostly identical but a few things eventually changed me back to originals...

- the off-brand ones didn't get as dirty as quickly, lasting 2-3X as long and rarely got really dirty, eventually leading me to realize that they're not capturing as many fine particles (yes - many different versions of off-brands, so YMMV)

- the fibers seemed a tiny bit different, just a bit shinier compared to regular brand filters, implying they obviously used a slightly different material (the weave seemed very slightly different too)

- if I were the off-brand one-time manufacturer, I'd make the product look mostly identical, but I'd use the cheapest materials possible; I'd have no concern for the long-term health of my customer (often, their "customer" is the reseller/distributor, not the end-user)

- there's almost no way to trace back issues to the original manufacturer (were the components or overall product sterilized beforehand?  what's the quality controls?  are there trace elements of asbestos in the fibers?) -- it's a little like buying an expensive water purifier but later buying a cheap off-brand filter cartridge

- someone once posted (warned) that these filters are the last source of defense against bad particles hitting your lungs, so they're a little important
(unless you're a Philips system user, then you now need a post-system in-line filter too   )

[Big Guy]

My supplies are accumulating faster than I can use them. I'm going to have to purchase another storage tub later this week, as my other two are completely full. 

I'm still using the original hose that came with my machine. It'll be three years old next month. It functions fine and is in great shape. I've had a hose cover on it for quite a while now. I'm still using the original water reservoir as well. It still looks like new. 

I have gone thru a couple of mask cushions. Both the F20 and F30 AirFit models. I wash my headgear in hot soapy water, and that brings back it's elasticity. My hose elbow is original. 

I'm NOT trying to be a cheap-skate! I just can't bring myself to toss out stuff that is still very serviceable. I recently replaced my F30 mask cushion with a new one. The old one was about 9 months or so old, and the new one didn't feel any better than the old one did. But....I stuck to my principle and tossed the old one for peace-of-mind. 

There's probably a psychological term that would apply to how I'm behaving. My AHI #'s are good, and I'm still in the process of returning to a more compliant attitude. It's a work in progress. 

Anyways, I suppose there's a lot worse things that I could be doing, other than being conservative in regards to replacing my CPAP equipment. 

[RayBee]

Some of us are out of pocket folks.

I look at the ResMed filters at $2.50 per filter in quantity packs and just roll my eyes knowing the industry is gouging the consumer. I can buy 3M N95 masks for $1 each and I know they are a quality product at a reasonable price. Sure the CPAP HEPA filters, filter out smaller particle sizes, but I could probably cut out 4 tiny rectangles out of each 3M mask. Is there some happy medium between the cheap Chinese filters and the overpriced ResMed ones? There's almost a ten-fold difference in price. I could probably iron flat some cotton balls and they'd work just fine in a pinch.

If I had a DME supplying my consumables, I'd be happy to go with name-brand over-priced products too.