My issue was, as designed, the straps are supposed to be separated to achieve the degree of sizing for each head size. Well, we all know the straps are rather flimsy, and they stretch over time, and when you have short hair, the separation between the two straps are constantly changing through the night. While I love the mask, I'm just kind of shocked that Resmed has never worked to develop a new, more robustly designed headgear.
So, in an effort to maintain the distance between the two straps, and crate kind of a cradle of sorts for stability, early on I used some velcro strips. That worked pretty well but, some times the velcro let loose, or they can get caught to some of the sheet materials, etc, which would wake me.
My next stab was to develop some prototypes in Fusion360 for some 3D printed supports. I'm now on Version 3, and they are working great. So, as stated earlier, I wanted to share this. I have designed 13 different sizes from 40mm to 100mm in 5 mm increments to separate the two straps, so you can use the size that fits you the best. Here's a photo so you can see what I'm talking about.
The material is only 1.5mm thick, so it bends easily, and contours nicely to the scalp, bit still, is firm and will not slide along the strap. You cannot feel them at all and they are very comfortable as well.
Also, for stretching, we've all seen those Resmed clips, that in their videos show you to use on those two straps, which is uncomfortable as hell. I have found that when my HG starts to stretch, these clips work much better, and are more comfortable installing them on the wider section near the sides. There is a 3D designed alternative out there that might be a bit larger that I've been using for years. Once the strap starts getting a little loose, I tighten them a bit, and I'm good for a few more week. I'll try to track that down. With both, I'm getting around a year out of the straps, and my leakage has dropped significantly. I'm happy.
I will get the mesh versions completed and provide links so folks can print these yourselves for free. If you don't know anyone with 3D printer, I will also upload to Thingiverse that does have a print and mail option as well. Cheers
PS - Mods on edit, if this post violates any rules, please let me know, and feel free to delete. Thx!