For a while I was using a ResMed Mirage Quattro Full-Face mask with my CPAP machine. It worked well for me. It certainly worked better than my first one, the ResMed Ultra Mirage.

Several months ago my wife got her first CPAP machine and mask. She’s been using a ResMed Quattro FX Full-Face mask and over a few months I noticed her sleep stats were very good. In fact, they were consistently very good. However, during the same time I was struggling with my ResMed Mirage Quattro. It was not consistent. Sometimes I managed to have very good sleep a few nights in a row and then another night I might experience high leaks and sleep so bad I didn’t have the energy to do anything more than watch TV.

I decided to go ahead and get a Quattro FX and it turned out to be a very good decision for me. When I bought the mask I was sized for a medium, instead of a large as I have for previous masks. The first few nights were a bit of a hit and miss but now my sleep is fairly consistent. I’m even getting a combined AHI below three and four on a regular basis.

Overall, the mask is more comfortable than the Mirage Quattro, though this is entirely dependent on one’s facial characteristics and ears. Yes, ears. If the base of my ears were a quarter of an inch higher I probably couldn’t use the mask. It fits fine when I put it on at night but sometimes in the morning I’ll realize that it slid down slightly and rubbed against my ears.

I’m still using Lansinoh with the new mask, which still helps with the mask seal.

This mask is a vast improvement. I’ve slept so well that I’m no longer reviewing every stat and trying to find various tweaks to help me sleep better. I still check my stats each morning but I don’t bother to log them in a spreadsheet every day.

Updated 06/20/2012: From the beginning I’ve been replacing the mask seal and headgear very frequently. Sometimes I had to change them almost once a month (which adds up to about $85 for both replacements). No more. I’m going to wear out the mask seals as long as I possibly can. The headgear may be a bigger problem but I’m going to stretch it to the max.

Updated 07/18/2013: I stopped using a full-face mask and switched to an Aloha Nasal Pillow. It required some adjustment but it is much more effective, leaks have become rare problems, and the replacement parts are considerably less expensive.