DeVilbiss D100F full face mask review

DeVilbiss D100 Full Face Mask review

I have spent a week using the new DeVilbiss D100 full face mask. I am mostly a nasal mask user however I keep a full mask on hand for those times where congestion or irritation requires it.

The mask is a basic, simple clear hard plastic mask with a silicone seal that is easy to detach and reattach for cleaning. It has a short highly flexible hose attached and a swivel elbow. Venting is through four relatively large holes in the elbow, and the entrainment valve (to enable breathing if the air supply fails) is below this and blocks the air inlet, breathing is then through the elbow (that sounds odd when I read it back). There is a forehead stabiliser which is adjusted by changing the silicone pad for a choice of three sizes. Headgear is basic but has quick release clips and a fixed crown strap.

Fitting was easy, it seems to need a tighter fit than say a Resmed Quattro FX, but not as tight as the Fisher and Paykel Forma. Once in place and with the air flow on it seemed remarkably well sealed and easy to breathe out through. First night was fine, it is well designed as far as my face is concerned. Seal stayed in place all night. The short extra flexible hose certainly helps. Venting is very quiet, however it is a very direct jet.

However, this is not a mask for side or front sleepers. It is quite wide and deep and dislodges easily in contact with a pillow or mattress. Noisy and irritating leakage is then the result (whistles and farts!). Sleeping on your back though means the vent is not directed at your partner.

Cleaning is simple, pull off the silicone, hand wash it, wipe the mask around with a mask wipe or wash it and dry it. Easy and quick. No marks from the headgear or the mask on my face either which is good.

I found myself feeling quite dry upon waking so I increased the humidity on my machine (Fisher and Paykel Icon Auto). This is where a problem became evident, the hard shell of the mask is very thermally conductive, so the warm humid air from the machine meets the cold shell and condensation (rain out) occurs, this is in addition to the condensate from exhalation. This is a mask that you can watch fogging as you breathe into it looking in a mirror. The condensation runs down to the seal and the mask then slips and leaks. I turned it down night by night, my machine has a scale of 1 to 7 and anything above 4 causes rain-out.

In conclusion this is a good fitting mask that is lightweight and easy to use but limiting for side sleepers, and flawed in many ways. If you want an easy, well fitting lightweight mask that is very clear (good for watching TV in bed) then this may be worth a try. If you like the humidity up high then this is not for you.

I have stuck this in my travel bag, it is smaller and lighter than the Forma and seals better than the Quattro FX.