Buying Guides
The CPAP Buying Guide
Not sure whether you need a CPAP, APAP, or BiPAP — or a nasal, full-face, or pillow mask? This is the layer before our comparison charts: what category actually fits your situation.
Buying for the First Time vs. Upgrading
The right approach here depends entirely on which situation you're in — these aren't the same decision.
You Just Got a Diagnosis
Start simple. A standard CPAP (fixed pressure) or APAP (auto-adjusting pressure) covers the vast majority of new OSA diagnoses. Don't over-buy features you don't understand yet — get comfortable with the basics first, and reassess after a few months of data.
Your Old Machine Is Aging Out
Most machines are rated for 3–5 years of nightly use. If yours is older, noisier, or missing modern data tracking, an upgrade is usually worth it — newer machines run quieter and give you (and us) far better usage data to fine-tune your therapy.
CPAP Isn't Working for You
If you've been compliant but still feel exhausted, or your sleep study shows a central/complex component, this is when a conversation about BiPAP or ASV (adaptive servo-ventilation) makes sense — not a decision to make alone from a product page.
How Your Diagnosis Should Shape Your Machine Choice
Your sleep study result comes with an AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) — the number of breathing pauses per hour. This number, more than any marketing feature, should drive what you buy.
<5
5–15
15–30
30+
ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet — A Common Starting Point
An APAP-capable machine like this adjusts pressure automatically throughout the night rather than delivering one fixed setting — a sensible default across mild through severe OSA, since it responds to your actual airway rather than a single number set once and left alone.
Standard CPAP or APAP
Covers the large majority of diagnosed OSA cases. APAP's auto-adjusting pressure is generally the more comfortable and more forgiving choice if you're unsure which fixed pressure you'll ultimately need.
BiPAP
Delivers a different pressure on inhale vs. exhale, which can be easier to tolerate at higher prescribed pressures, and is often the first option explored if central/complex events show up on your sleep study.
Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV)
A specialized option for central sleep apnea tied to heart failure — this is a conversation for your treating physician and us together, not a self-selected purchase.
BiPAP — For Higher Pressures or Complex Cases
Delivers two separate pressures — a higher one for inhaling, a lower one for exhaling — which many people find easier to tolerate than a single fixed CPAP pressure, especially at the higher settings often needed for severe or complex sleep apnea.
Choosing a Mask
This is where most people either get CPAP therapy right, or quietly give up on it within a few months. A study of over 2,300 OSA patients found real, measurable differences in how each mask type affects long-term adherence1 — it's not just about comfort on night one.
Nasal / Nasal Cradle Masks
Covers just the nose. The best starting point for most people, and the option most sleep clinics try first.
Best for: nose breathers, anyone unsure where to start
Full-Face Masks
Covers nose and mouth. Necessary for mouth breathers, chronic nasal congestion, or higher prescribed pressures.
Best for: mouth breathers, chronic congestion, high pressure needs
Nasal Pillow Masks
Minimal contact, seals right at the nostrils. Lightest and least visually intrusive option, at the cost of higher-pressure comfort.
Best for: side sleepers, glasses wearers, facial hair, claustrophobiaBudgeting Realistically
More expensive doesn't automatically mean "better for you" — it usually means more automation and more data tracking. Here's roughly what each tier buys you.
Standard CPAP / Basic APAP
- Reliable, fixed or auto-adjusting pressure
- Basic usage tracking
- Manual humidifier control
Advanced APAP
- Detailed nightly data (AHI, leak rate, usage hours)
- Climate-control humidification
- App-based tracking for you and our team
BiPAP / ASV Systems
- Dual or variable pressure support
- Built for complex, central, or heart-related cases
- Usually paired with closer clinical follow-up
Our honest advice: buy for the diagnosis you have today, not the one you're worried you might have in five years. If your therapy needs change, upgrading later is straightforward — and cheaper than over-buying features you don't need yet.
Not sure which machine or mask fits your results?
Send us your sleep study, or just talk it through — we'll walk you through the right category before you spend on the wrong one.
Sources
- Type of Mask May Impact on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence in Apneic Patients — clinical study of 2,311 OSA patients, PMC.
