Airsense 10 filters

[SonofBiPAPuser]

RayBee: I hear you. I sometimes just find it hard to pay ‘way-too-much’ even if the dollar figures are modest. It’s the principle of the thing; I find it very annoying.

Dumb, but true, story: my friend and his brother were in S.E. Asia in the late 80’s, tried to get a local taxi ride from one place to another at 7 pm or so, maybe a 5 mile drive. The driver would not accept local rates, insisted on charging 10X. So they said, “screw it, we are not getting ripped off, we’ll walk.”. And they did. Somewhere along the way they realized they saved less than $10 combined, but had to walk 5 miles with backpacks to do it. But, somehow, we are all like that to some extent.

Oddly since I am buying for my father instead of myself, I become less price sensitive. I have no idea how that makes any sense. But it is true.

[RayBee]

You hit the nail on the head SonofBiPAPuser.

We are taking care of my father-in-law (now 91 Y.O.) who is in a high-priced memory care facility. We don't really care what things cost for him. He has the money, it's his money, and we see to it that he gets whatever he needs for the best possible quality of life. But I digress and strayed off topic. Please pardon me.

[mrmagloo]

Raybee, I hope you didn't take my post above as being critical to you nor your need to seek ways to reduce your therapy costs.  I am in total agreement that the cost of these filters are ridiculous.  They literally cost less than a penny each to make.  However, having the right materials, equipment, and technique are very important to result in a product that is safe, performs properly, and is within spec.

The issue with these generic filters is, there is just no way to independently confirm spec, materials, and performance.  I mean, it's literally the wild, wild west here.  I am very cautious of Chinese products that are not fully documented for medical related items.  

A number of years ago, I was very close to a situation where a national kids group bought a truckload of colored beads and other materials for craft kits for children to make.  Turned out that the agreed pigments were not used, the MSDS were false and the group ended up with $100K of beads made with dyes that were known carcinogens.  The second we opened the boxes, we were overwhelmed with the fumes, and immediately sent samples off for testing. There was no way we were going to risk these hanging around kids necks without being sure they were safe.  Turned out they were not safe by a long shot. The chemicals involved were very dangerous, and were banned around the world.

After $50K in legal fees, they found it was impossible to hold that company accountable for restitution.  They just closed shop, and reopened the next day with a new name. Not a single thing could be done.  But the point is, if you think ALL Chinese company's care about the long term welfare and safety of Americans as their top priority, you need to think again. I know that's a pretty broad brush, and no doubt there are a lot of very reputable companies, but the second you see them misrepresenting ANYTHING, you owe yourself to be wary and dig deeper.  It took me literally 5 minutes to see all sorts of red flags with this product and supplier, enough to prevent me from ever trying them. And do not fall into the trap of assuming that Amazon does anything at all to ensure your safety.

I too have been looking from time to time for a generic filter that I feel confident will work as well or better than the Resmed's, and there is a way to validate some of the specs and materials, and the mfr seems legit.  I have not found anything yet that would let me sleep as well.  For $2.99 every month or two, 1/2 the cost of a Starbuck, Imho that's money in the bank to me.

Just sharing my thought process. I don't mean to alarm everyone, but more, just exercise some caution and to dig in a little. Don't accept stuff like HEPA as anything but a warning sign.

[RayBee]

mrmagloo - no harm, no foul.

I am known to have a thick skin. And your points are well taken. And I agree with your posts. I'll probably get some name brand filters and see if I notice any difference in anything.

On a side note, I know there are numerous complaints from Amazon customers complaining about Chinese knockoffs being sold on Amazon as being the real McCoy. Also, and I don't know all the particulars, but the first filters created for cigarettes were made from asbestos. Hey, now that's a great idea...

[mrmagloo]

mrmagloo - no harm, no foul.

I am known to have a thick skin. And your points are well taken. And I agree with your posts. I'll probably get some name brand filters and see if I notice any difference in anything.

On a side note, I know there are numerous complaints from Amazon customers complaining about Chinese knockoffs being sold on Amazon as being the real McCoy. Also, and I don't know all the particulars, but the first filters created for cigarettes were made from asbestos. Hey, now that's a great idea...

Sure wish this board had a LIKE Button.  

[Big Guy]

The air filters I receive for my Resmed AirSense 10 AutoSet are Made In USA, and are branded SUNSET Healthcare Solutions. 

They are located in Chicago, ILL. 

They come one to a package. Item # is CF2107-1 

MY DME supplier sends me six at a time. No idea as to the individual cost. They are identical to the filters that came with my machine.

[mrmagloo]

Thanks for sharing BG.  I just did a 2 second search for these filters, and the pricing is all over the place. Most prices from actual legit medical vendors seem to be around the same or in some cases more than the Resmed's. I did however see some on Ebay, with some less and some more.  But they did seems to have a greater availability than the Resmed's, which is a plus.  I'll dig in deeper later however for free, you can't beat that for good filters.

[Big Guy]

Yes, I went on EBAY and saw where the pricing is all over the place. Obviously, the more you buy, the lower the individual cost per filter is. 

$1.00 a pop (average) seems to be pricey, for what it is. 

I did find these, $0.32 each:

https://www.amazon.com/Supplies-Disposab...Y2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[mrmagloo]

Yes, I went on EBAY and saw where the pricing is all over the place. Obviously, the more you buy, the lower the individual cost per filter is. 

$1.00 a pop (average) seems to be pricey, for what it is. 

I did find these, $0.32 each:

https://www.amazon.com/Supplies-Disposab...Y2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I wouldn't be so fast with those Bonnii filters.  They claim they are from Puerto Rico, but a number of folks are saying the packaging says made in China.  There are literally hundreds of vendors and resellers of all sorts of uncertified back alley generic products that are coming from China.  What is more scary is, when I questioned some of the Big Name suppliers listed here about their validation process on these generic filters, they just stammered, and took a deep breath, and said they work fine. Frankly, I'm finding that nobody gives a [blank], and no doubt, they have a much higher margin on the generics, which is why few do carry the Resmeds.

It's not my intent to turn this into a thread to offer up candidates to review, investigate, and refute.  I'm just saying that Imho, this is a bigger decision than most people might think, and everyone should take at least a little time to review any product that will be impacting your medical device and ultimately your health. I think it's a big deal, and others might not.  Everyone needs to do what they think is best for themselves. For me, if something compelling comes around that seems to check out, and offers a worthwhile savings, I might change my mind and give it a try. But until then, I'll happily buy the real McCoy's and sleep good. I've got 11 more genuine filters, so I have plenty of time to look around.

[Big Guy]

I don't have to purchase my filters online. My DME supplier sends them to me. But.....I do understand and agree with what you are saying. 

I was just pointing out the fact that they could be had for cheap. As far as Chinese goods go, I'm NOT a big fan. Really not a fan at all. 

Sticking with original filters is the best bet. But, if one had to pinch pennies here & there, a cotton filter would probably be the best way to do so. Even if they were made in China. Just some food for thought..........