12-03-2020, 10:50 PM
Cozy "Hose Boss"
Nice concept, sort of works, could be much better....When I started, I found that the standard hose was WAY longer than it needed to be to get from the CPAP to my face... The extra length seemed determined to either end up under me or over on the GF's side of the bed and under her. It was a constant struggle to keep it sort of out of the way....
One of my first thoughts was to get a retractible 'key-leash' like used by security guards, janitors and others who have to haul around a big ring of keys on the job, and mount it to pull the extra hose up off the bed and out of the way.... Before heading off to Harbor Fright or the hardware store I thought I'd check for existing products since I didn't think I was the first person with this problem.
I discovered the Cozy Hose Boss and purchased one. After using it for a while, I'm OK but not thrilled by it. It sort of does what I want, but could be better in many ways.
It basically consists of two spring loaded reels similar to a key leash, with Velcro straps on the string ends to wrap around the hose. The tops of the reel units are fastened together with a metal ring. The unit came with a package of 3M instant picture hanging adhesive strips, and the Hose Boss instructions say to stick a strip to the wall and hang the metal ring on the hook it comes with.
However the 3M strip instructions have a big warning in them AGAINST using them for hanging things over one's head
Granted the unit isn't very heavy and isn't likely to cause any injury if everything comes crashing down in the middle of the night, but I don't think it would help you 
.... IMNSHO the hanging strips might be OK for a hotel room or other temporary mounting, but I would not trust them for long term use.There was no suggestion of alternative mounting methods, but I threaded a length of ribbon from a recycled badge lanyard through the ring and tied it around one of the uprights of the set of shelves at the head of my bed. Ugly but it works...
The straps are probably long enough to go around a hose with an insulation sleeve, but are longer than needed to go around my bare Resmed heated hose. They seem don't have a nice way of wrapping the excess strap. I also found that even when pulled as tight as I can get them, they are still fairly easy to slide around on the hose.
However the biggest flaw is that the reels start out weak, and get weaker.... I put the first reel's strap to pull the hose from the CPAP up snug, and the second to pull the mask end up so that the mask is laying on the bed but the hose is off the bed when the reels are fully retracted. (The Hose Boss instructions caution you that it might not be able to lift a full face mask like I use) This results in a loop of hose sticking up in the air between the two straps.
When I'm sleeping, with both reels fully retracted there are a few inches of slack in the hose between the strap and my head. When I sit up to roll over I almost, but not totally extend the mask side reel, and partly extend the CPAP side, which is about right. However I am finding that the reels have trouble pulling the hose up to their fully retracted position unless I 'help' them by lifting the hose with my hand and pushing it up. This was a minor issue when the unit was new, and has gotten worse over time....
As far as I can tell, there is no way to adjust the spring tension to make it stronger.
As a concept, it works nicely. It does keep the excess hose up off the bed and out of the way, while allowing me the slack I need when turning over. However the weak reels make it less than ideal. It isn't QUITE bad enough that I've headed for the hardware store yet, but it is on my list. When I do, the end result will look a lot like the Hose Boss, but have reels that are a bit stronger.
Bottom line - Great idea, but you can do better by making your own....
ex-Gooserider
Wheelchair using Paraplegic - T5, Very hairy face, breath via both nose and mouth, so need full face mask.
