My F30i full face has finally arrived. Have you owned a F30i before?

[SevereApnea]

Following on from your post #21 I have tried the Head Frame Small instead of the Standard.
(currently still using the F30i SW)

Looking at the ResMed fitting guide, the Standard Head Frame placed the vector of force where the blue arrow is. Hose connector on top of skull, tendency of the weight of the hose to pull this backward even more. The guide clearly says use a smaller size. Duh?! How could I and the sleep advisors miss this? 

I am now using the Small Head Frame and the vector of force holding the nose piece of the F30i is directed more in line with my nostrils, and as per ResMed recommendations. The frame feels more secure and less likely to move.

[attachment=34482]

Of course this may vary for you depending on the shape of your head and nostrils.


Early days yet, but for the last 4 nights I have far fewer leaks.


check this out:

[attachment=34481]

Same settings 7 - 14.0  PS = 2.4 
I hope this is a trend, thanks for what turns out to be a very valuable tip! 

[S. Manz]

Look at you go....Awesome

[plakky]

Good to hear the smaller frame stopped your leak issues!  Your explanation of the "vector of force" (wih illustrations!) makes so much sense -- thanks for that!  As a person prone to headaches with a largish head and lots of hair, I have deliberately gone larger on mask frames than I should have out of an expectation of "looser = more comfortable".  Lesson learned!

[NelsonM]

ResMed has a hard-to-find fitting guide for the frames that involves a tape measure wrapped from under your nose to the top back of your head. (This is different than the nose cutout guide for cushion sizing). For folks finding better luck with smaller frames; are you now inside their guidelines? Or are you using a smaller frame than this measured guide would suggest?

[plakky]

I just measured my head as shown on the chart you included, and my 25-1/2" head falls into the "Standard" category which is what I am now using and am happy with the fit.  

My original (too big) frame was a Large.  I used that same chart for ordering, but didn't trust that I could get an accurate head measurement in 1/16th inch increments, so veered on the side of too large rather than too small.  Lesson learned!

[SevereApnea]

Hmm Ok just got out the old tape measure, I am 63 cm = 25" which places me in the recommended Standard Frame category.
Hardly a reproducible measurement, and does not account for individual head shape, but there you go. I don't think these are more than guides to help you decide where to start.

Like buying shoes, don't care about the different shoe sizes, AU vs EU vs US, it's just a guide to help you decide where to start your shoe fitting exercise. 

I still find the Small frame works better for me: 5th night in a row of Zero 95 percentile leaks!

I am not wondering is this means I can start lowering my pressures again... separate topic, different story for another day.

[NelsonM]

I'm intrigued by S. Manz' observation that the DreamWear mask is somewhat compatible with the ResMed F30i parts. I don't know the history here; is the F30i basically a clone of the DreamWear?

Has anyone compared the elbow between the two? The part that connects the hose to the frame. I'm asking because I tried to order a new one from someone dodgy online and they shipped me a similar part that is missing the clip. I'm wondering if this is actually a DreamWear elbow and the two are not compatible.

Resmed part:    

What they sent me:    

[plakky]

You are correct, unfortunately.  The Airfit F30i and Dreamwear Full Face elbows are incompatible.  What you bought (second picture) is the Dreamwear elbow and won't work on the F30i frame.  (The Dreamwear elbow pictured fits down into the mask and the "quick release" is the white part - nowhere as "quick" and easy to release as the better designed Airfit F30i; the Airfit F30i picture doesn't show the second part that stays inside the frame.)

S. Manz' post earlier in the thread was about the headgear being compatible: 
"The F30i HeadGear fits the DrW frame and full face mask perfectly, but the DrW HeadGear will not fit the F30i frame and mask."

AirFit prices are sky high compared to Dreamwear.    

[rhyman]

New to CPAP (about 45 days) and have tried about 10 masks.  My favorite for comfort is the F30i, but my leaks are a bit over the 24 l/m threshold.  I have using the F30 for about 1 week, and my leak is less than 10 l/m every night.  I prefer the hose setup on the F30i, but it looks like I have a long term relationship ahead of me with the F30.  I attribute the difference to the 5 points of adjustment on the F30.

[Crimson Nape]

I like the idea of the hose placement on masks that use over the head connections, but find them to be too loud from air turbulence.  For this reason I have been using hose hangers of different type designs over the years.  Thanks to Utah Desert Rat's review of the Wahah Foldable CPAP Hose Holder[Review link here] I now have the best one so far, at least for me.  This hanger allows for the hose to be positioned over the top of your head, and also mimics a derrick's rotation capability, allowing it to swing out of the way when not needed.   You may consider something like this to help strike a midpoint.

I forgot to mention that I bounce between the F30 and the F&P Vitera.   If you didn't try any of the F&P masks, you may wish to look at them in the future.  Their design of the roll fit air seal mkes them is very comfortable and effective.