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[Product Review] AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
#31
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I've been using the N20 for about 10 nights now and it's my favorite by far. I went back on my cpap about a year ago and used a Pico for a couple of weeks but was convinced by folks here to use the P10. Although I had surgery for a deviated septum almost 20 years ago, it still isn't very strait and it was always getting irritated and sometimes very sore on the left side. I think it was about after a month or two that I decided to try the DreamWear which my sister swears by. That just was not stable enough for me, I guess I move around too much and it shifted out of place too easily and was too noisy. So I went back to the P10 which is what I used for 95% of the time over the past year. Many mornings my nose was too sore to sleep any further so I would either get up after 5-6 hours of sleep or take off the P10 and lay on my stomach (I don't think my apnea is as bad when on my side or my stomach) and try to sleep some more. Sometimes I'd go back to the Pico for a couple of days and let the soreness of my nose go away and then back the P10. I saw the N20 advertised as a sponsored ad on Yahoo one day and was curious by its looks and am very happy I gave it a try. On the first night I did not have the straps tight enough. I thought it was just a noisy mask but I found out the next morning that my leak rate was high so I tightened up the mask. Then I tightened it up a bit more but that was too tight so I loosened it some and that was the end of any trouble with it. It is only slightly louder than the P10, IMO, but it seems like I could almost wrestle with someone and my mask would still stay in place. I like to sleep on my back but have pains in my upper back so I toss around a lot and go from side to side and it has never had a leak. With the P10, it was fairly secure but I would sometimes be awakened by a massive leak because the pillows go shifted out of place or because air flow was cut off. With the N20, it seems that I can make it quite tight and the mask is still comfortable, never anything painful. Since it is so secure, the magnetic connections are very handy since it would be tough to take off the mask without detaching at those spots (sometimes I remove just one connection and it's still a bit hard to take off or put on). This morning I had the chance to get more sleep than normal and decided to try laying on my stomach and that worked out pretty good with the mask staying in place fine. The only drawback was increased noise from venting air.

With any of the masks I've tried my therapy is very effective with my fixed pressure of 7. AHI is essentially always below 1, often below .5 (28 without therapy).

The only disadvantages I have it is that the vent shoots out air straight out and my wife is not keen on me turning onto my left side and blasting her with some air! Smile If I am sore everywhere else and really want to sleep on my left side, I put the blanket in front of it to deflect the air. Secondly, it's a bit difficult to put the mask on in the dark so I usually put it on before laying down and turning off the light and then attach the short hose to my supply hose after I lay down.

I know the P10 is a favorite of many but, after giving it a lengthy try, I have decided it's not a good choice for folks with a sensitive nose or those who move around a lot.

FYI - I'm using the standard size headgear and Medium size cushion and these are a great fit for me.
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#32
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I'll chime in here: I just got myself an N20 and I *really* like it. So far the best mask I've had as far as sealing despite my beard and moustache has been the Mirage Activa LT. I've tried the previous version, the N10, as well, and as much as I really want it to work, I just can't get a consistent seal. There are a few factors - it seals just fine over my facial hair, but I tend to side sleep and move around. When I can stay on my back, it works fine. What I found was that as soon as I get onto my side, and relax in sleep, I put just enough pressure on one of the cheek "straps" that it causes a leak at the top of my nose on the opposite side.

The N20 headgear sits further back on my face and jawline and is actually more pliant. In concert with the much, much nicer cushion, that doesn't happen now. I do find that I have to adjust the top straps a bit tighter than I would have expected and that the bottom straps should be just snug enough to keep the mask from shifting.

Some people have said that the vent port seems loud - one of the things that are mentioned in the manual is that if the vent port is at all dirty, it will be louder. They actually suggest cleaning it with a toothbrush. Also, as has been mentioned, make sure that the short hose is connected correctly.

I made the mistake of setting my S10 to Nasal - I've checked and the N20 booklet for the mask I got this week does in fact still say to set it at Pillows, so I'm going to do that this evening and see if it makes any difference to how the headgear is adjusted.

So far, I really like it. It's *way* quieter than the N10 was - my wife tells me she didn't hear the same sound with the N10 that I did, suggesting that the sound is directed back towards the wearer.
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#33
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
My Air Touch mask also.left deep furrows in my cheeks that would take 4 hours to disappear.  So I looked into some product to add more padding but the price was crazy.  I went to my local work clothes supplier and bought a sweat pad that is sold for hard hats.  Cut it in half and slid them over the straps.  Voila!  No more cheek creases and I spent all of $3.00!
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#34
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Thanks for the tip, bfmccarthy. I may be getting this N20 sometime, so this will be useful.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#35
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I agree that the N20 cushion is excellent - it's the most comfortable, well sealing cushion I've found so far.  It's even more comfortable after a full night's use than the minimalistic dreamwear under-nose cushion.  Re: the loud vent - the vent isn't loud at all.  But those who think so aren't imagining the noise......it's possible to have the short hose plugged into the mask only part way and this causes the trouble.  The short hose clip-in design isn't great - doesn't click in easily like the Wisp does.  If the mask is noisy it's more likely you don't have the hose completely in than that the vent is dirty.
I've made a super comfortable mask by taking a Wisp fabric frame and headgear, gluing an N20 cushion to an N20 short hose with 'Goop' glue (holds great and is removable if, say, you want to change the position of the hose to route it to the top of your head) and just place the cushion/hose assembly through the front hole of the Wisp frame.  It will stay right there on your face when the Wisp mask is on, and is easily removed for cleaning.
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#36
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I've attached the short hose to the N20 cushion in the 'up' position, with the other end tied to the top portion of the loop on the top of the Wisp headgear.  (The normal way of putting the hose through the loop tightens the headgear and feels like a lump on your head, and also allows the hose to tug through the loop and move the cushion, which isn't so good).  With the machine's hose tied in place on a hose hanger above, all hose issues disappear.
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#37
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I like the N20 cushion also.  I'm not impressed with the headgear though, so as I explained on another post, I cobbled together a setup with the N20 cushion and hose mounted in a Wisp frame and headgear, with the hose up and over the head like a Dreamwear setup.
Also, I don't like the excessive amount of air venting the N20 puts out, so I covered half of the diffuser with duct tape and it now works better.
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#38
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I used an N20 for almost a year.
Bought the identical mask again. Same size headgear; same insert size.

Observations
New mask seems quieter; the exhalation ports seem better designed.
Old mask headgear stretched a lot. Points where I tightened when I needed to were about 1-1/4 longer. That's a lot to stretch.
Insert...somehow the new insert looks less slippery than the old one did...was it changed somehow? I washed it almost every night. I don't know why the new insert looks different.

I'll be watching my masks more carefully.

This is a good mask. It's easy to use with the magnet closers. I didn't have to tighten it often. I felt that it didn't slip much when I put it on.

I like the disconnect on the hose. It's easy to make a quick bathroom dash. It's easy to put the hose back on; much easier than putting the headgear back on when I'm going back to bed and very tired.
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!

I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea. Sleep-well

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._The_Guide

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#39
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Mogulman, I think your problems with adjusting the tightness are due to the design of the N20 headgear, which, in spite of the N20's good cushion, I didn't like.  See my other post on this thread about an N20 cushion with a Wisp frame/headgear.
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#40
RE: AirFit™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
I've ordered this mask on CPAP just waiting for my order to go through. I like the AirFit Nasal Pillows but they sort of irritate my nose. The full face mask is pretty comfortable but bulky. I feel as if the N20 is a good compromise between the two. I'll report back once I get it!
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