Best CPAP Machines

Tips For A Wise CPAP Machine Buyer

•  Follow your doctor’s prescription for using your CPAP machine
•  Find a mask to best match your preferences and medical requirements
•  Discuss your lifestyle with your doctor to get the optimal CPAP machine for your needs

What is a CPAP Machine?

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, better known as CPAP, machines are the front-line treatment for sleep apnea, coronary artery disease, and respiratory distress syndrome.

“A CPAP machine is the golden standard treatment for OSA, using continuous positive pressure to keep the airways open,” says our sleep apnea expert, Dr. Carleara Weiss, Clinician Scientist and behavioral sleep medicine and circadian rhythms & sleep science advisor at Aeroflow Sleep.

CPAP therapy saves lives and enhances the quality of life by providing restorative sleep and blood oxygenation for over 22 million people with sleep apnea.

Do You Need a CPAP Machine?

You need a prescription for a CPAP machine at home.

The only way you and your doctor will know for sure you need CPAP therapy is to have a sleep study performed.

According to Weiss, this is an overnight sleep study that is done at a lab or at home. “Polysomnography (PSG) monitors brain waves, blood oxygen levels, breathing patterns and heart rate, and eye and leg movements during sleep. With these parameters, we can evaluate how often a person stops breathing per hour during sleep, the drop in oxygen levels, and changes in heart and breathing rates during these episodes. This information characterizes OSA as mild, moderate, or severe,” she says.

“We can also determine the airflow pressure needed to maintain the airway open during sleep. The airflow pressure must be titrated and adjusted after the initial prescription to maintain the patient’s comfort and CPAP compliance.”

Types of CPAP Machines

There are three classifications for CPAP machines.

CPAP machines blow air into your lungs to ensure you get enough oxygen throughout the night. CPAP is the catch-all phrase for these devices, but your doctor may use the term PAP (positive airway pressure).

There are three types of PAP machines: CPAP, BiPAP, and APAP. We’ve explained each below, but use the term CPAP throughout this guide since it is most common.

• Auto CPAP machine: “A CPAP is a continuous positive airflow pressure that uses the same airflow settings all night. The clinician adjusts these settings based on the sleep study or the CPAP report,” says Weiss.
• APAP machine: By contrast, “An APAP is an auto-adjusted positive airway pressure that automatically adjusts the airflow overnight based on the patient’s needs,” says Weiss.
• BiPAP machine: Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure machines can deliver two pressure airflow levels with a low and high-pressure setting customized for your needs. The settings are auto-adjusting, in response to your breathing, to a higher pressure when inhaling and a lower pressure when exhaling. The BiPAP is designed to assist lung function better during use with advanced options to adjust how the bilevel pressures work. A BiPAP offers benefits like gradually increasing air pressure and automatic adjustments. Keep in mind a BiPAP isn’t for everyone.

CPAP Machine Comfort Features

Compliance is a medical term that means following a doctor’s orders or using your CPAP as prescribed, an essential part of CPAP therapy. CPAP machine manufacturers build a variety of features and technology into these machines for patient comfort, so it’s more likely the CPAP machine will be used as intended.

• Humidification: To avoid experiencing a dry throat and for efficient oxygen exchange, many CPAP machines have humidification options. With a humidification feature, the CPAP machine pulls in air through a small reservoir of distilled water and then delivers the oxygen through the mask. Some CPAP machines use heated humidification to provide warm air to the patient. If you’ve heard humidification causes upper airway illnesses, rest assured this isn’t true. A U.S. National Library of Medicine CPAP study found no correlation between the types of machines or features and increased illness, even when test subjects did not follow hygiene guidelines.
• Heated Tubing: Some CPAP manufacturers use small heating coils in the tubing to deliver air from the CPAP machine to the mask. Maintaining a more consistent air temperature reduces condensation and is often more comfortable for the patient.
• Reduced Noise Levels: Many CPAP users prefer sleeping with a bit of white noise in the bedroom, but a loud machine beside the bed does nothing to enhance your quality of sleep. Manufacturers are continually making quieter machines, with the latest CPAP machine noise level averaging 25 to 30 decibels, roughly equivalent to the sound of rustling leaves or ambient noise in a library for a better night’s sleep.
• Portable CPAP Machines: Portability is a consideration when you travel. Discuss with your doctor and salesperson the unit size, battery life, and DC power options as well as international power cords on your auto travel CPAP machine.
• Hose Secure Point: Where and how the CPAP machine air hose secures to the mask can be a source of discomfort. Front-connect hoses may pull on the mask or become tangled for sleepers who move a lot while sleeping. Multiple types of CPAP masks are available for testing so you can find the most comfortable option.

CPAP Machine Costs

There are many sources to help you pay for a CPAP device

CPAP machines vary widely in cost, which is determined by the type of device and device features. An APAP costs more than a CPAP machine, for example. Nationwide costs average about $850, ranging from less than $500 to over $3,000.

While many CPAP machines are available online or through local authorized retailers, these retailers may not accept insurance, and patients pay the full amount out of pocket.

However, private insurance often covers prescribed CPAP equipment purchased from durable medical equipment (DME) dealers, so ask CPAP machine sellers if they are a DME to see what Medicare covers.

You can also do a CPAP machine rental program with an allowance after 13 months to convert the rental to purchase if continued treatment is necessary.

Medicare also covers a part of the sleep study cost required to obtain a CPAP machine prescription.

We checked the prices of the three types of CPAP machines for our three best CPAP machine companies. The price range varies quite a bit because we factored in sub-models and optional features like humidification.

Company	CPAP	APAP	BiPAP
ResMed	AirStart 10 $299-$750	AirSense 11 $749-$1,115	AirCurve $1,199-$2,999
Philips Respironics	Dreamstation CPAP $449-$999	Dreamstation Auto $449-$1,512	Dreamstation Auto BiPAP $1,999-$2,892
Drive DeVilbiss	IntelliPAP $325-$500	IntelliPAP AutoAdjust $545-$1,145	IntelliPAP BiLevel $1,299-$1,920

Travel CPAP machines are available from each company as well. Prices for these compact devices range from around $350 to $900.

How CPAP Machines Gather Health Information

Many CPAP machines gather data to make pressure adjustments to oxygen delivery and to give your doctor information to know how your body responds to the treatment.

Some CPAPs record data to a memory card that the doctor reads using special software, and others record the information and store it securely online so the doctor can see how well the CPAP is working without an office visit.

The data recorded includes breaths per minute, blood oxygen levels, and the number of times you stop breathing.

Some CPAP machines using online data recording allow you or your medical team to adjust the machine settings remotely, so you don’t have to take the CPAP machine to a clinic for adjustments.

CPAP Machine Masks

Masks tailor the CPAP machine to patient health and comfort.

You may be concerned about comfort when wearing a CPAP mask at night, but not all machines have a full face mask. There are many CPAP mask styles available, so you will likely find one you prefer.

Some patients need the full face mask (actually covers the lower half of the face), while others use a nasal mask over the nose or a nasal pillow under the nose. Your doctor will help you select the appropriate mask.

Our Search for the Best CPAP Machines

1. We searched an extensive group of CPAP machine companies, including the most well-known CPAP machine manufacturers.
2. We evaluated the types of companies based on our expert-guided buying criteria: types of CPAP therapy, comfort features available, and therapy data.
3. We provided you with the best CPAP companies for consideration.

CPAP Machine Company Reviews

There are many CPAP manufacturers and hundreds of retailers and dealers. We cut through the barrage of advertisements and information overload to find the best CPAP machine companies.

After our evaluation, our top picks include ResMed, Philips Respironics, Sleeplay, and Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare. Each of these companies stood out above the competition to deliver the best in oxygen therapy delivery for consumers.

We consulted various sources to find the most important criteria for choosing a CPAP machine. Then, we narrowed down our company selections based on those criteria and evaluated company strengths and the depth of product offerings.

The result is our list of the four best CPAP machine companies.

ResMed consistently pioneers new and improved CPAP technology to provide better machine performance and customization for patient comfort. The company also provides software in homes and doctor’s offices to monitor CPAP therapy pressure levels and effectiveness.

ResMed’s product offerings include CPAP, APAP, and BiPAP machines, ventilation products, and a line of masks. ResMed’s Connectivity Module provides easy data review, troubleshooting assistance, and remote access to machine settings. The company addresses the apprehension many feel when choosing the right mask with dozens of humorous videos highlighting the innovative features of their masks.

ResMed’s most notable comfort options include a CPAP line for women, pressure reduction on exhale, SmartStart, which starts the CPAP on the first breath, integrated humidification, and AutoRamp technology to allow patients to fall asleep before starting full pressure.

Popular ResMed CPAP machines include the AirSense 10 AutoSet (including a women’s model), ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet, ResMed AirMini, and AirCurve 10 S.

Sleeplay is a marketplace for all things CPAP, including machines, masks, cleaning equipment, and accessories. Regarding CPAP machines, Sleeplay focuses on improving the well-being of CPAP users by connecting them with trusted brands like ResMed, Fisher & Paykel, and Philips Respironics. Catering to both new and experienced CPAP users, those working with Sleeplay get expert guidance from respiratory therapists and a wide selection of CPAP machines, including popular models like the ResMed AirSense 10 and 11.

With features like digital prescription uploads, financing options, and at-home sleep testing, Sleeplay ensures a seamless experience for users. The company also provides premium support through its smartphone app, user-friendly website, and attentive customer service.

Dreamstation and System One are Philips Respironics PAP machines.

The Dreamstation line offers CPAP, BiPAP, and APAP devices, some with advanced function combinations not available from other manufacturers outside of a hospital setting.

These advanced CPAP features allow doctors to fine-tune machines even for patients with complex respiration needs. One example is the Philips Respironics BiPAP machine with Average Volume Assured Pressure Support (AVAPS), which can adjust settings over time if your condition worsens.

Philips Respironics offers battery-operated CPAP machines for travel.

Philips Respironics Dreamstation Dreamwear mask is a unique modular mask system allowing for gel nasal cushion, full face, and nasal masks without the need for an entirely new mask system.

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare’s CPAP line includes CPAP, APAP, and BiPAP, with advanced models for each type of device, such as AutoBilevel.

The SleepCube and IntelliPap CPAP lines from Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare are designed to be small and unobtrusive in size while handling just about any therapy your doctor prescribes.

The SmartFlex comfort exhalation design makes breathing easier without fighting heavy airflow pressure and heated humidifier options.

Drive Devilbiss SmartLink software protects your data with memory card storage, later used for your healthcare provider’s review.

The data ensures your therapy needs are met while monitoring safety compliance, and data transfer from the card is easy and independent of an internet connection.

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Frequently Asked Questions about CPAP Machines

Concluding Thoughts on CPAP Machines

Talk to your doctor about your expectations for using a CPAP. Ask if alternative companies are available to choose from, and take your time considering options to find your best CPAP solution.

A CPAP machine can be a vital part of maintaining and improving your health while protecting yourself from the deadly health risks of sleep apnea and other health conditions.

However, studies have shown many CPAP owners don’t use the machines often, illustrating the need to ensure your device and mask are designed for your comfort.

The Best CPAP Machine Companies

• Great Marketplace – Sleep Direct CPAP Machines
• Great Comfort Options – ResMed CPAP Machines
• Great Marketplace for Top Brands – Sleeplay
• Great Treatment Options – Philips Respironics CPAP Machines
• Safe Data Transfer – Drive DeVilbiss CPAP Machines

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