The idea of a portable, lightweight CPAP machine may appeal to many individuals who are just starting out with CPAP or are upgrading from an older model. However, although travel CPAP machine is convenient, they may not be enough if you need your CPAP machine at home as well. Hence, when pondering this option, it’s important to remember a few key points.
When shopping for a “travel” version of just about anything, you probably have lower durability standards in mind. There’s no guarantee of such with travel CPAPs. Many CPAP customers have tried to switch to using their travel CPAP as their main machine throughout the years. Some of them have had fantastic results with this, but others have been back within six to twelve months with failures and repairs. In general, it was found that higher-end travel CPAPs are more durable than their cheaper counterparts when subjected to heavy use.
Advantages of Travel CPAP Machine
Despite their shortcomings, they have a lot going for them. There are valid reasons why manufacturers produce Travel CPAPs, and they might be important factors to take into account when you evaluate this alternative.
Portable
The travel CPAP version you are thinking about will typically be 3–4 times smaller than the home version. Smaller motors, less insulation, and often no heated humidifier are all disadvantages. They may thus be much smaller, which makes travelling with luggage much simpler.
Lightweight
When compared to a home device, a mobile CPAP might weigh as little as 3–4 pounds less. In addition, there are a lot of campers and trekkers who must weigh every pound they bring. A travel CPAP is a fantastic choice in situations like that.
Plane-Friendly
When you squish yourself into that aircraft seat, there is definitely no spare space everywhere. You won’t snore in front of 200 passengers when you use a Travel CPAP and one of our travel batteries. Plus, when you get to your location, you’ll just need to carry a considerably smaller item.
Disadvantages of Travel CPAP Machine
When using a travel CPAP, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Even though most Travel CPAPs would give the same or similar CPAP Therapy as a Home CPAP, there are some things that a Home CPAP has that a Travel CPAP might not.
Compliance Report
Compliance and therapy reports are not only useful, but many people who use CPAP need to have them. This could be a requirement at work or a rule set by your insurance company. With travel CPAPs, there aren’t always good ways to deal with that.
Mask Choices
Most of the popular CPAP masks can be used with almost all of travel CPAP solutions. You can use a CPAP mask as long as it has a 22mm connector, which is the standard. To use the AirMini Travel CPAP, you must use a ResMed AirMini mask. Some masks won’t fit together.
Long-term Costs
There are a few components of the Travel CPAPs that must be maintained. Many of them are comparable to the alternatives for homes. You’ll need to maintain your intake filter, tubing, and maybe your HME. Each of these components costs a little bit to a lot more than the ones used with home CPAPs. Therefore, the cost of maintenance for a trip version will probably increase with time.
Loudness
There are two things that make travel CPAPs much noisier than CPAPs at home. First of all, the CPAP has much less insulation on the inside. Since they are trying to make the size as small as possible, they have cut down on the sound insulation. Most of the time, the HME comes second. When you breathe in and out, the HME will make more noise as the air moves through it. Most of the time, the rise in the count is not very big. CPAP users who are very “sound-sensitive” might not find a travel CPAP to be the best choice.
Other Things to Remember
Taking distilled water with you on your trip is unnecessary since many portable CPAP machines include an HME or Heat Moisture Exchanger. Also, when you exhale, instead of having it blown away, it will be reused as humidity in the air. Home medical equipment (HME) is small enough to fit within the Travel CPAP’s hose. Consequently, you won’t have to stress about whether or not you remembered to carry water or where to get any when you arrive.
Most portable CPAP machines, for better or worse, are not loaded down with features. Large touchscreens with a wide variety of options are absent. There are certain folks that require a simple on/off toggle. Despite the fact that travel CPAPs don’t have as many features as full-sized models, they’re still quite easy to use.
Conclusion
Travel CPAP machines both have its advantage and disadvantages that may work for you. Consult your doctor and weigh your pros and cons to learn and understand travel CPAP. The more expensive travel CPAP machine is practical for regular usage, while the cheaper ones tend to have problems.
