[Product Review] Fisher & Paykel's Simplus FF Mask

[PaulaO2]

I ought to smack you. I should.

I am going to try the FlexiFit next, just out of spite. Then the Simplus. I wanted to prolong my agony.

Hey, do us a favor? Could you edit your review to include the star rating thingybobs? One for each of your points at the top of the post?
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...orum--5546

[Ghost1958]

Star thingys I will do my utmost to figure that out and do it post hate ma-lady LOL. Sorry I forgot

[PaulaO2]

Overall
- Leaks
Comfort
Noise

Pros:
- very quiet (one of the quietest masks I've ever had)
- comfortable, lightweight
- vent is large and diffuses the air so well, we can cuddle!
- one heckuva swivel (but see hose con)
- leaks aren't too bad (except for PGP nights)


Cons:
- hose-to-mask connector comes off too easy (without my approval)
- slip on loops vs clips come off too easy (also without my approval)
- everything comes off too easy (no one asks me, just falls apart)

I've been using the F&P Simplus for a while now. I'm very happy with it. I don't open my mouth in my sleep but, for some reason, start lip leaking. After trying a plethora of stuff to try and stop that nasty thing, I gave up and tried several FFMs. I tried the Air, the Quattro, and then the Simplus. The other two were disasters between leaks and facial pain.

I initially started with the small but switched to the medium. I thought the medium would be wider and help with leaking at my mouth (the air stretches my mouth wider, causing it to break the seal). But it is longer instead. It still helps because it kinda acts as a chin strap and my mouth doesn't get blown open at all, a big problem with the other masks. Switching sizes is just a matter of switching the cushion, not the entire mask. Cool.

The Simplus can go several nights and not make a sound. Seriously, it is one of the quietest masks I've ever had. It's been cool to be able to cuddle again. BUT then it will have Paula Got Punked (PGP) nights and I swear it was switched for the Quattro. Nothing but farting at the bottom and leaks at the top and noise all over the place! Then the next night, quiet again. SWMBO gets very, very angry on the noisy nights and I suffer muchly from multiple elbow alarms and full body pushes.

The connector that goes from the main hose to the mask is this typical adapter thing. And lately it stays on the hose but falls off the mask. In the middle of the night. Since it falls to the floor, I sleep right through it until I start snoring. Breathing in a FFM is easy. Snoring? Not so much. The rest of the mask stays intact while in use. But the cushion frame part will come off or the headgear comes off if I am moving it around during the day or just hanging it up on its hook. The frame doesn't firmly click into place. It is just this gentle, wimpy nudge of a click. Like the filter holder on the S9.

I love this mask. I still have my Nuance pillow mask and will switch between the two, depending on mood. Maybe someday I will stop lip leaking and can go back to the Nuance full time! Until then, I'm glad the Simplus is working for me.

[woozie38]

I love this mask. I still have my Nuance pillow mask and will switch between the two, depending on mood. Maybe someday I will stop lip leaking and can go back to the Nuance full time! Until then, I'm glad the Simplus is working for me.

The "Simplus" mask is the best I've ever had too. It does have a tendency to ride upwards during the night which brings the seal at the nose higher on the bridge, which is of course narrower there. Result is leaks into the eyes and air leaks at the bottom below the bottom lip. This can be countered by use of this device. Easy to make from "Velcro" cable ties as Tom explains & works well.

[PaulaO2]

Interesting concept! I commented about it in that thread.

[DeepBreathing]

On the basis of just a couple of nights' use I think the Simplus is the best mask I've used to date.

It's a good-looking beast with very clear plastic parts instead of the somewhat frosted looking Resmed frame. The cushion is quite large, with a lot more volume than (say) a Quattro Air. It looks like it will feel bulky on the face but in fact is very comfortable.

The headgear is substantial, with a strap that goes over the crown (and a dinky little buckle that sits right on top of your head). The headgear of my Quattro Air always seems to find a fibromyalgia trigger point in my neck, but the Simplus has (so far) avoided doing that.

When I first tried this mask on, I got a shot of air straight into the eyes, accompanied by a strange squeaking noise. Damnation! However a few moments' fiddling with the straps largely overcame this. The first morning my eyes were sore, so there must have been some residual leak (more on leaks in a moment). Subsequently I have used a scrap of flannel to line the section over the nose and the eye problem has gone away.

Even though there was a slight leak into my eyes it wasn't enough for the machine to register and in fact I've recorded several zero leaks, for the first time ever. SWMBO is pleased - the constant face farts from my other masks used to keep her awake.

I have noticed that my AHI is just a tad higher than normal - I'll see how that goes over time.

So far I really like this mask. It's very comfortable, quiet and has very low leakage now that the leaks into my eyes are under control.

[PaulaO2]

Thanks for the review!

[DeepBreathing]

UPDATE...

Further thoughts after one week of use

1. The mask remains very comfortable

2. The air-in-the-eyes issue is a problem. I've tried using a strip of cloth as a mini-liner which works well initially. However over the course of a night the cloth can slip out of position and the eye problem comes back. (Alternatively the cloth can slip up and touch my eye-lids). I need to think of a solution to retain a mini-liner without going to a full liner like a Remzz or Pad-a-cheek. Maybe a Resmed Gecko might do the trick?

3. The hose attachment is not secure and I've had the hose come off several times in the middle of the night.

4. The lower strap clips are fiddly and difficult to get on and off with arthritic fingers in the middle of the night. I prefer the slip-on style as used for the top straps (and all straps on the Quattro Air).

5. AHI has definitely gone up, but this is October so sinuses and nose are stuffed up something awful.

6. Notwithstanding the eye problem, leaks have been at or close to zero all week. SWMBO has commented on how quiet this mask is compared with previous.

This sounds like a long list of negatives, but they're all pretty minor except the eyes problem. Despite that, this remains the best mask I have used.

[PaulaO2]

As I have found out, the inside of that adapter that goes from the hose to the mask has a groove on the INSIDE. That groove is the end that snaps over the mask's end. The hose goes on the other end. Once I figured that part out, my hose has stayed on all night, every night.

Pull the mask down fairly far. Unlike other FFMs, the Simplus is a low rider. Or try a smaller pillow. On all the others, I was comfortable with a medium but the Simplus was best with a small. And I get the least leaks with it fairly far down my itty bitty nose. I knew getting into it that leaks at the top of the nose was where my leaks would be.

[DeepBreathing]

The connector is on the right way round - it seems to be too narrow and/or too smooth to grip the socket on the end of the hose. Or maybe my hose is worn out?

I'll try pushing the mask down lower to see if that helps - it is the small size.

Thanks for the suggestions.