Choosing the best CPAP Mask can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a few quick questions that you can ask yourself to simplify things. The right CPAP mask can be the most important decision that you make regarding your CPAP therapy. That is because many of the “issues” that people have with CPAP therapy boil down to mask issues. Let’s dive in a little deeper.
Best CPAP Mask for Mouth Breathers
One of the first things that you should ask yourself when looking for the best CPAP mask is whether or not you are a mouth-breather. But how would you know if you breathe through your mouth. For many that is an easy question to answer. If the answer to that is “yes”, then you should narrow down your focus to a Full-Face CPAP Mask. There are quite a few
Full-Face versions that we will detail below. For others that question may not be so simple. So, let’s look over some tell-tale signs of mouth breathing.
Signs of Mouth Breathing:
- Dry mouth upon waking up in the morning.
- Bed partner tells you that you breathe through your mouth while sleeping.
- If you cannot breathe effortlessly for 1 minute through you nose while awake.
- If you start CPAP on a nasal mask but wake with severe dry mouth.
Best CPAP Mask for people who feel claustrophobic
If you know right off the jump that you cannot stand things on your face, then you still have some great CPAP Mask options. The best mask option for people in this boat are minimal contact masks. Minimal contact masks are available in
Nasal Pillow styles,
Nasal style, as well as
Full Face styles. Here are some options with links below:
- Best Nasal Pillow style for claustrophobia– Keeping as much out of your face and keeping it light are very important to CPAP users feeling closed in. Two masks come to mind right away. The AirFit P10 Nasal Pillow mask is extremely lightweight and very quiet. Only downside is that the tubing is still on the front of your face. The DreamWear Nasal Pillow moves the tubing above your head and also keep everything out of your line of sight.
- Best Nasal Style for claustrophobia– The AirFit N30 and the DreamWisp are great nasal style CPAP masks. The N30 is similar to the P10 with a comfortable cradle cushion. It is lightweight and simple to use and provides a completely open line of sight. The DreamWisp is a much more classic style Nasal CPAP Mask. It also has a very open line of sight and additionally moves the tubing to the top of your head to keep as much out of your face as possible.
- Best Full-Face option for claustrophobia– When you think “full-face” you certainly don’t think of open line of sight at all. However, there have been some great new options in this category lately. The DreamWear Full and F30i Full are both really nice options. Both incorporate an over-the-head tubing attachment and seal under the nose. This allows you to breathe through mouth and nose without anything over the bridge of your nose. Another great option is the Amara View. This mask is best for people who want minimal contact, but do not like the top of the head tubing attachment.
What is the best CPAP Mask for people who can’t exhale on CPAP?
For many CPAP users exhaling can seem difficult on CPAP. That feeling usually goes away with time and with adjustments to comfort settings in your CPAP. However, for many that feeling does not go away. In those cases, the best CPAP mask option is usually to go bigger. That may seem contradictory, but it is true. Exhaling through small nasal pillow holes or into a small mask can feel restrictive. That is because smaller style masks have a much smaller void to exhale into. Moving from a nasal pillow mask to a standard nasal or from a standard nasal to a full face can make a huge difference.
Best Full-Face CPAP Mask
If you are a mouth-breather or just want to use a CPAP mask that “gets the job done”, then a
full-face style may be your best CPAP mask option. A full-face CPAP mask allows you to breathe through your mouth, nose or both. For many this is the best mask option because it gives them a more “normal” breathing feeling. There are two distinctly different style of full-face mask: traditional full face, and minimal contact full-face. We will detail those style below so you can determine the best mask option for you.
- Traditional style full-face– Some top picks in this category are the AirFit F20 and the Vitera. This style of full-face CPAP mask covers both the mouth and nose. It seals below the mouth, against the inside of the cheeks, and over the bridge of the nose. For many CPAP users this style provides a “set-it and forget-it” CPAP experience. It seals very well in most cases and allows you to breathe through your mouth or nose easily. On the contrary, many CPAP users do not like that much mask on their face or around their eyes. In those cases, a minimal contact style may be the way to go.
- Minimal Contact style full-face- Some of the most popular version of this are the Amara View, AirFit F30 and the DreamWear Full. This style allows you experience the benefits of the traditional full without the restrictive feeling it can give you. This is because the minimal contact style seals under the nose in a cradle fashion. You can still breathe easily through the mouth or nose. There are options that allow you to attach your tubing above the head or on the front of your mask. This gives you options so that you can determine what the best mask is for you.
Best Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask
For a very long-time
nasal pillow masks have seemed to be the best option for a bunch of CPAP users. This is because this is the simplest and least invasive style. Nasal pillow CPAP masks feature small little buds that seal against nostrils on the outside of your nose. They are usually very lightweight and simple to use. They are especially good for CPAP users that have lower pressures or for people that just want the most minimal amount on their face. Pillow masks are available in front tube attachment and attachment over the head. For some however, nasal pillow masks can make exhalation difficult. In that case a standard nasal mask may be a better option
Our Top Nasal Pillow picks
- Brevida Nasal Pillow– This nasal pillow mask is a bit of a hybrid design. Not only does it seal on the nostril, but it also provides a secondary seal under the nose. This means that you can get a great seal without over-tightening the headgear. It is also very lightweight and very quiet.
- P10 Nasal Pillow mask– This mask has a very similar design to the brevida, but seals right on the nostrils. So, there is very little on the face. It is also very lightweight and quiet. The P10 also now has adjustable stretch headgear which makes the headgear ultra-simple.
- DreamWear Nasal Pillow– This nasal pillow gives you an extremely low-profile fit, because the tube connection is on top of the head. It is great for side and even stomach sleepers.
Best Nasal CPAP Mask
The
nasal CPAP mask is probably the most widely used. While they aren’t the best CPAP Mask for everyone, they are for many. That is probably because they are simple and effective. Most nasal masks are traditional and surround the nose completely. However, there is also a style now that is more minimal. Similar to the minimal contact full face, the minimal contact nasal masks cradle under the nose. Truthfully, those two sub-styles of nasal mask are almost completely different styles all-together. So, let’s break them down a bit.
- Traditional Nasal Masks– This style includes masks like the Eson 2, DreamWisp, and AirFit N20. The three listed here are dramatically different, but all seal around the nose and over the bridge of the nose. This style provides a great seal in most cases and allows for very easy nasal breathing. They usually have a secure fit because most of them feature 4-point headgear. This keeps the mask in place even if you toss and turn quite a bit.
- Minimal Contact Nasal Masks– This version seals under the nose and avoids the contact at the bridge of the nose. It features masks like the Evora, the DreamWear cradle, and the N30. This style is best for CPAP users that want the simplicity of a nasal mask, but do not want anything in front of their eyes or over the bride of the nose. The only downside on this style is that they can move around on the face a bit if you toss and turn. That is because of how minimal the headgear is on this style.
