CPAP Tubing
Finding the Right Tubing for Your CPAP
Feb
Finding the right tubing for your CPAP and mask can be challenging. In this post we cover the main characteristics of different tubing options, including a guide to finding tubing options for the most popular CPAP machines.
There are three main dimensions to consider: length, hose diameter, diameter of the connecting ends.
Tubing Length
This is the length from where the tubing attaches to your CPAP to the attachment at your mask.
Standard CPAP tubing is usually 6 feet long.
10-foot tubing is available from some manufacturers. It’s even possible to find 4-foot and 8-foot tubing, though it’s much less common.
Factors to consider:
Where is your CPAP? Is it close to your bed on a side table? Could you move it closer? While most people are happy with standard length tubing, you may not be able to keep your CPAP machine close to your bed and require longer tubing.
The longer your tubing, the longer distance the air must travel from your heated humidifier to your mask. As the air travels through the tubing, its temperature drops and it loses moisture, which can also lead to rainout. If you are affected by cold or dry air, you may want to consider sticking with standard length tubing and see if heated tubing may work for you.
Tubing diameter
Tubing diameter is the inner width of the tubing. The inside of CPAP tubing is smooth, whereas the outside may be ribbed, depending on the type of tubing.
Standard tubing has an inside diameter of 19mm.
Tubing diameter affects your CPAP settings
When you are first setting up your CPAP machine, you (or your equipment provider) is asked to select the type of tubing being used. If you switch to different tubing, be sure to update your CPAP settings or contact your equipment provider for assistance.
Much less common is 22mm diameter tubing. Older, less sophisticated CPAP machines benefited from tubing with a larger inner diameter to estimate and control the air pressure at the mask, especially for devices that change pressure (such as a bilevel PAP which has different pressure setting when you breathe in vs out). Today’s machines are much “smarter” and can sense the pressure at the mask with much narrower tubing.
Connectors to the mask and CPAP machine
All CPAP hoses have a 22mm connection cuff and fit onto all CPAP masks.
|
Name or Type |
Manufacturer |
Length |
Inner Diameter |
Connector Diameter |
Machine Compatibility |
|
Standard |
Many |
6-foot (most common) also available in 10, 8 & 4-foot lengths |
19mm |
22mm |
Most CPAP machines by most manufacturers. It’s sometimes referred to as “universal” tubing |
|
SlimLine™ |
ResMed |
6-foot |
15mm |
22mm |
Compatible with machines that can use a 15mm hose. It is not compatible with a machine that can use only a heated hose. |
|
ClimateLineAir™ |
ResMed |
6-foot |
15mm |
22mm |
ResMed AirSense™ 10 and AirCurve™ 10 |
|
ClimateLine™ |
ResMed |
6-foot |
15mm |
22mm |
ResMed S9™ with H5i™ Climate Control System |
|
ClimateLine Max™ |
ResMed |
6-foot |
19mm |
22mm |
Only works with ResMed S9™ with H5i™ Climate Control System |
|
Heated Tubing for DreamStation |
Respironics |
6-foot |
15mm |
22mm |
Connects to the DreamStation Heated Humidifier, compatible with all DreamStation Machines. |
|
PR System One Heated Tube for 60 Series Machines |
Respironics |
6-foot |
15mm |
22mm |
PR System One REMStar 60 Series Machines with Heated Humidifier |
|
Pure White Performance |
Respironics |
6-foot |
19mm |
22mm |
Most CPAP machines by most manufacturers, including the AirSense™ 10 and AirCurve™ 10 (exception is machine that requires a thin/slim tube or 22mm tube) |
|
ThermoSmart Heated Hose for ICON Series |
Fisher & Paykel |
6-foot |
19mm |
22mm |
Only works with the Fisher & Paykel ICON Series machines. |
|
SleepStyle Series Thermosmart™ Heated Hose |
Fisher & Paykel |
6-foot |
19mm |
22mm |
Only works with the Fisher & Paykel 600 Series machines. |
The connection ports on most CPAP will fit standard 19mm tubing. Many newer machines will also fit 15mm slim or thin tubing. See the guide to tubing and machines below to see which tubing will work with your CPAP machine.
To use slim tubing with 15mm inner diameter, you must have a CPAP machine that allows you to change the settings.
Heated hoses are usually specific to one type of CPAP machine. For example, the ResMed ClimateLineAir™ Heated Tube for AirSense 10 and AirCurve10 machines can only be used with those machines.
Tubing options by CPAP device:
|
Machine |
Compatible Tubing |
|
ResMed AirSense™ 10 and AirCurve™ 10 |
Standard, SlimLine™, ClimateLineAir™, Pure White Thin, Pure White Performance |
|
ResMed S9™ with H5i™ Climate Control System |
Standard, SlimLine™, ClimateLine™, ClimateLine Max™, Pure White Thin, Pure White Performance, |
|
Respironics DreamStation |
Standard, Heated Tubing for DreamStation, Pure White Thin, Pure White Performance, SlimLine™ |
|
Respironics PR System One |
PR System One Heated Tube for 60 Series Machines, Pure White Performance, SlimLine™, |
|
Fisher & Paykel Icon |
Standard, ThermoSmart Heated Hose for ICON Series |
|
Fisher & Paykel 600 |
Standard , SleepStyle Series Thermosmart™ Heated Hose |
Is it time to order replacement CPAP tubing?
Your CPAP Store is Canada’s number one store for all your CPAP needs! For assistance placing an order, please call us at 1-844-355-2727.
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