Best soft collar?

[MrZennie]

My shirt collar is between 15.5 and 16. To be clear, it's too small due to the size of the cushion/pillow, not the strap.

[ShaunBlake]

My shirt collar is between 15.5 and 16. To be clear, it's too small due to the size of the cushion/pillow, not the strap.

Too late to help you, but it's a little short for me, and I was "diagnosed" by a nurse trying to move my head around to take x-rays of my neck for whiplash damage as: "You've got NO NECK!"

I struggled to find a collar that would work, and this one almost does with no tall sides that would interfere with the fit.  However, the taller collars don't have the extra support between chin and chest – I'm skeptical that they would be effective.

[MrZennie]

Yeah, I just tried the large Dr. Dakota one last night. It fits better for my tall neck than the Eliminator for sure but unfortunately when I sleep on my side with it I STILL swallow air. The only think left to try for side sleeping for me is a chinstrap but I'm 99% sure that won't work either. It looks like I have to sleep exclusively on my back now while using the cpap.

[DaveL]

I bought the soft foam one from a local drug store. Initially bought the 2-1/2" then after a month switched to the 3-1/2" once AHI started creeping back up.  That lasted a few weeks then I notices that it had compressed to about the same size as the 2-1/2". So I bought the Caldera Releaf Neck Rest off of Amazon and boy what a difference. First night was rough as it felt stiff and restrictive(I had it to tight). After that, beautiful. Just took a day or two to break in and now movement is much better but with greater support for chin. Keeps my chin at least an inch higher than the 2 foam ones ever did. My neck seems much more straight and now sleep with more of my head on the pillow. I love the way the Caldera uses your collar bone area for support and is roughly the same size all the way around. Individual foam pockets so it should not squish like the last 2. It is a beast but comfortable and it works. Just make sure to get the proper size. I am a small man, 160 Lbs and a 15" neck roughly and I needed the large.

Thanks so much!  Great response. helps me a lot.

[DaveL]

Great post Gregger.  We strive to make CPAP therapy comfortable, and I have seen people present on this forum with in excess of 30 AHI, with incredible clusters of obstructive apnea, end up with less than 2-AHI by simply adding a collar to their therapy. Better therapy at lower pressures for less than $20.  Hard to beat, and it happens time and time again.

Great response!  Thank you.
I want to try a cervical collar.  However, I was lost searching on Amazon

I used a simple rectangular pad secured by an old camera bag strap for years

I finally found a chin strap that works; however, they stretch and eventually slip off...

[DaveL]

Great post Gregger.  We strive to make CPAP therapy comfortable, and I have seen people present on this forum with in excess of 30 AHI, with incredible clusters of obstructive apnea, end up with less than 2-AHI by simply adding a collar to their therapy. Better therapy at lower pressures for less than $20.  Hard to beat, and it happens time and time again.

Great response!  Thank you.
I want to try a cervical collar.  However, I was lost searching on Amazon

I used a simple rectangular pad secured by an old camera bag strap for years

I finally found a chin strap that works; however, they stretch and eventually slip off...

[DaveL]

Great post Gregger.  We strive to make CPAP therapy comfortable, and I have seen people present on this forum with in excess of 30 AHI, with incredible clusters of obstructive apnea, end up with less than 2-AHI by simply adding a collar to their therapy. Better therapy at lower pressures for less than $20.  Hard to beat, and it happens time and time again.

Great response!  Thank you.
I want to try a cervical collar.  However, I was lost searching on Amazon

I used a simple rectangular pad secured by an old camera bag strap for years

I finally found a chin strap that works; however, they stretch and eventually slip off...

[Crimson Nape]

I want to try a cervical collar.  However, I was lost searching on Amazon

Try searching for, "Caldera Releaf Neck Rest",.  A regular cervical collar can get very warn during the summer months.  This one is considerably cooler. So much for their spelling.

[gregger]

Yeah, I just tried the large Dr. Dakota one last night.  It fits better for my tall neck than the Eliminator for sure ...

I looked into ordering that one on Amazon...but really, $30 for some foam, fabric and velcro!

I am still tucking my little rolled up facecloth under the standard size Eliminator for travel. (To the earlier question, I am not attaching it in any way; a loose rubber band is just used around the "roll" to keep it rolled up. It stays in place just because it's a snug fit.)

Meanwhile at home I'm doing that or using the taller Walgreens cervical collar. I would like to see The Eliminator offered in a larger (taller) size.

[gregger]

My shirt collar is between 15.5 and 16. To be clear, it's too small due to the size of the cushion/pillow, not the strap.

It's a little frustrating that most of the product info for these products is about the circumference around the neck (okay, fine, but for most the large range of adjustment on the Velcro strap would accommodate anyone outside of professional wrestlers...

The REAL sizing topic for CPAP users, as you've pinpointed, is the HEIGHT of the collar or wedge, and therefore its ability to keep one's mouth closed during sleep. That's achieved by obtaining a snug fit from the bottom of your chin to the place on your breastbone or chest where the collar rests. Dr. Dakota is offered in two sizes; the large is supposedly 6" tall, while the regular size and The Eliminator would appear to be about 3 to 3.5" tall.