Airtouch f20 tearing after a few days

[SideSleeper]

This thread has me watching my F20 Airtouch carefully! I've used the current cushion since 6 January--the day I switched to it from the Wisp. I have to wear this cushion high--the small is within a hair of being too large and I find it sensitive to being in just the right place or it will leak slightly so I wear it pretty tight. Love it--very comfortable.

[Mal777]

As the F20 airtouch is the only mask I can tolerate , and for past few months have been getting tearing, I have tried various methods to stop this 

My most successful to date has been putting a tiny cut on top of cushion (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch)  where my rather large nose makes contact, and smearing a small amount of Kwikgrip not only on cut, but also the inside top edge, (very thin). It does help, and extends life from 3-4 days to up to 3 weeks. 

I wish Resmed would come up with a more durable foam!! Or alternativley an extra large size cushion
It is very expensive for me

[elliotg]

I wish Resmed would come up with a more durable foam!! Or alternativley an extra large size cushion
It is very expensive for me

I agree completely. One would have thought that as it all worked pretty well for me over the first 6 months they would be capable of doing it right. Though I think the tearing might not necessarily be totally down to the  foam itself.  I realised with the last run that the top of my nose was red each morning. This never used to happen. Maybe they have changed the shape of foam based cushion so that it fits more tightly on the nose bridge.  Maybe a good move for people with thinner noses, but not to some of us with ticker ones.

[Jamizer]

The failure of the F20 cushion has nothing to do with how you wear it or how you take care of it. Some of them are just faulty. I don't know if there was a bad lot or what.

I have used the F20 for 4+ years. Occasionally you get one that "blows out" at the nose bridge after using a week or two. Conversely I have had one last 6+ months (same fit, same cleaning procedures). It is weird. When I take one out of the package you can almost tell if it is going to fail or not, depending on how the seal feels up around there.

There definitely has been manufacturing issues with them. While Resmed won't come out and admit it, they have replaced failed F20's for me, no questions asked. That tells me they know there is a problem with some of them too.

Best of luck. I do recommend it as the best full face mask I have found using CPAP for almost a decade now.

[elliotg]

The failure of the F20 cushion has nothing to do with how you wear it or how you take care of it.  Some of them are just faulty.  I don't know if there was a bad lot or what.  

I have used the F20 for 4+ years.  Occasionally you get one that "blows out" at the nose bridge after using a week or two.   Conversely I have had one last 6+ months (same fit, same cleaning procedures).  It is weird.  When I take one out of the package you can almost tell if it is going to fail or not, depending on how the seal feels up around there.

There definitely has been manufacturing issues with them.  While Resmed won't come out and admit it, they have replaced failed F20's for me, no questions asked.  That tells me they know there is a problem with some of them too.

Best of luck.  I do recommend it as the best full face mask I have found using CPAP for almost a decade now.

Four of my last 5 have failed - the longest on the the 11th night, the shortest on the 4th.  They came from 3 different 3 packs, and at least the last 3 from 2 different lots. (I do not have the lot number for the first one that failed.) I agree that when then they work they are by far the best masks for me. I think I will give them a break for now and use the F&P Simplex mask!

Elliot

[Jamizer]

Here you can actually see the issue.  These are both F20 full face cushions.  But are they?  You can clearly see a difference between the two.  This one failed in less than 2 weeks....

   


But if you look at this one, you can see like a rectangle at the top, which somehow strengthens the top and helps prevent the tearing...

   


So if you have a mask that looks like the first picture, expect a quick failure.  If it is like the second picture, it will last a lot longer (I have had one last 6+ months).  Why Resmed can't acknowledge the issue and remove bad product from the field?  Who knows!

[elliotg]

Hi Jamizer,

Are these photos for the silicone version of the pillow, or for the foam (AirTouch) one?  My mask cushions are the foam type, and the pictures don't like like mine.

Elliot

[Jamizer]

Silicon. 

But I have the foam and have used them too.  I have never had any issue with the foam, but they are harder to keep clean and I don't think have as long as durability.  But when I traveled (pre-COVID) I always packed both a silicon and foam cushion.  One of these faulty F20s blew out on me when I was on the road.  I had a backup mask with me (different model), so I got by, but easier to just pack two cushions now.

[HiTechHiTouch]

It's the race to the bottom.  

MDE is a VERY high margin business, so there is plenty of room to maintain quality.  But that still requires the vendor to set hard on the suppliers, especially off-shore.

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts China slipped in a change, and ResMed didn't police them.  

We've learned that to do business in China, you have to have YOUR people at the receiving dock to verify raw materials, on the test floor to verify manufacturing, and (unfortunately) often at the shipping dock to verify what gets sent out and how it's labeled.  

And once you get a vendor that does what you want, you stick with them no matter how attractive an alternate vendor's offer may be.  China can do the job as long as you stay in control, and don't go job shopping your product.

[Big Guy]

The AirFit F20 lasts me at least a year or so. As the silicon warms up after several hours of use, it does become more flimsy and pliable. That's when I experience leaks. 

I shoot for 4-6 hrs. of use anymore. Rarely do I aim for 8 hrs. or more.