I wanted to share my experience with the new Air Touch F20 memory foam mask. I have been trying out several new masks recently in hopes of finding one that would not leave the pressure marks I am currently getting with using the Quattro FX. For starters the Air Touch F20 is a beautiful mask. Very light weight, love that the cushion pops in and out so easily and the magnetic clips are wonderful. Also very easy to disconnect the hose from the mask. The outer part of the cushion is still silicone with only the inner part that comes in contact with your face being memory foam.
I put it on for the first time last night in front of the bathroom mirror so I could clearly see what I was doing. The thing I noticed immediately was that the mask put pressure on the bridge of nose. It was almost like the cushion instantly gravitated towards the bride of the nose and away from the middle of the chin. Being that I had the same issue when I tried the Air Fit F20 recently, I removed the mask and placed a band aid over the bridge of my nose. Once I put the mask back on I tightened the lower straps so the mask would sit better on the lower part of my face. Unfortunately the upper straps are very short on this mask. I only had them folded over about an inch and there was no way to really loosen it any more. I found that if I pushed the back of the headgear up a bit it did help a little with the pressure on the bridge of the nose.
When I got in bed and turned the machine on, the memory foam felt very comfortable against my face. While on my back the mask sealed beautifully with no further adjustments. When I turned on my side it was a different story. The mask instantly leaked in the lower part of the cushion. I was able to adjust it to seal back up. I have often read and seen video's where they say to pull the mask away from your face so it can reseal. It is really impossible to do with this mask. Being that the upper straps are so short there is almost no give when trying to pull the mask away from your face. The diffuser is noisier than on the Quattro FX. I had to pull the sheet up as it actually blew cool air on me which was a little annoying but something I could get used to.
For the most part I would say I slept quite well. I am predominantly a side sleeper. I found that the straps on the Air Touch are much more comfortable than the Quattro FX when sleeping on my side. I did awaken a couple times due to leaks in the lower part of the cushion but was able to adjust it quickly. I woke up this morning feeling quite rested. My machine does not have any data so it is impossible for me to know how well I really slept. The bridge of my nose was sore this morning and even though I put a band aid over my nose, there was a distinct red mark running across the bridge of my nose. I also had those dreaded pressure marks on my face from the cushion and no real visible marks from the straps.
I used the wipe to clean the cushion and mask as is advised. I am not really crazy about using just a wipe to clean the mask. To me it seems like washing something in warm soapy water would be much more sanitary then just wiping it down. I also wonder how well the memory foam will hold up over time. The area of memory foam is pretty thin on the cushion so I could see how it would start to wear out quickly. But I guess time will tell.
For those of you using the Air Touch, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the pressure off the bridge of the nose? It seems to me if I get the cushion to lie more evenly on my face it would be much better. But given that those upper straps are so short I don't see how that is really possible. I can easily run two fingers underneath the upper and lower straps so I definitely don't have the mask too tight. I ordered the Air Touch for her mask in a size medium as that is the size I measured at from the template. Maybe a different size cushion? I would appreciate any comments or suggestions anyone might have. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to be as detailed as possible regarding my experience with this mask as I know others might be interested in trying it. Thank you.