Minimal Contact Full Face CPAP masks are a great new category in the CPAP mask world. They give you the abilities of a traditional full face CPAP mask with much less on your face. They accomplish this by sealing at the bottom of the nose versus over the bridge of the nose. This gives you a clear line of sight even while the mask is on. You can wear glasses to read or watch TV even while wearing your CPAP mask.

Check out our Updated Minimal Contact Full Face Review! Click Here

How well do Minimal Contact Full Face CPAP masks work?

The Amara View was the first modern style mask in the minimal contact category. When this one was launched, I was ultra-skeptical. I had never seen a mask seal in this way and could not see it happening effectively. I was surprised to find that not only did it seal, but it sealed well. In fact, the minimal contact style seals better than the traditional style in a lot of cases. This is because for many CPAP users the bridge of the nose area is a very difficult place to seal. The design allows for the mask to seal under and around the tip of the nose. Which completely eliminates the need to seal at the bridge of the nose what-so-ever.

Which Minimal Contact CPAP mask is best?

There are quite a few options on the market these days. All of the major manufacturers now have a minimal contact option. Philips Respironics offers the DreamWear Full and the Amara View. ResMed offers the AirFit F30 and the AirFit F30i. And now Fisher and Paykel offer the Evora Full Face. All of these masks have major pros and cons, so which one is best. Let’s take a deep dive on those 5 models.

Amara View from Respironics

The Amara View is the original minimal contact full face. It has been around for quite a while and has been a very popular and effective option for a ton of CPAP users. It seals under the nose and over the mouth. It features a tacky silicone seal that generally does a good job of sealing against the skin. The seal is available in Small, Medium and Large, and all sizes wil fit the same frame. It is even available as a fitpack offering all sizes in one bag. This tacker silicone can also be a bit abrasive if over-tightened. The magnetic headgear clips make taking the mask on and off very easy.

Amara View Pros:

• Tackier silicone– The silicone has a nice sticky factor to it. This allows the mask to seal well against the skin. You must keep the seal clean to keep this working well.
• Stretch tube– The Amara View connects to your CPAP tube with a small connector tube. It stretches and rotates extremely well. Giving the CPAP user ability to move in bed with much less tube drag.
• Great magnetic clips– The headgear clips are magnetic and hold the mask firmly in place. This allows you to connect the mask and disconnect with ease. This is important because of the way that this type of mask fits.

Amara View Cons:

• Side of nose leak– The Amara view generally works, or it does not. There is not much middle ground. The majority of time where the Amara View fails it is due to leaks up the side of the nose. You can try to size down on the cushion to compensate for this leak, but if that doesn’t work, move on.
• Can hurt the tip of the nose- The way that this mask seals puts a bit of pressure on the tip of the nose in some cases. This usually goes away after a few days, much like the pain from a new pair of glasses on nose or ears.
• Not great for short noses– If you have a small button-nose you may be a great model, but you will also have trouble with the Amara View. The way it seals makes sealing on small noses pretty difficult.
• Exhalation draft– The exhalation ports on this mask are very projected and can be felt by the bed partner. This is genuine firsthand experience sleeping next to my wife.

AirFit F30 by ResMed

The F30 was ResMed’s first minimal contact full face mask. They do have the Liberty hybrid mask that features nasal pillows, so they had some experience with an oral cushion design. As always ResMed makes a quality product and the F30 is no exception. It has a much more pronounced seal to the side of the nose. Referred to as “wings” in many cases. This attempts to create a better side of nose seal, however it does make for a larger seal. It comes in small and medium sizes. Both size cushions will fit the same frame so you can try different size cushions without buying an entirely new mask.

F30 Pros:

• Great side of nose seal– The wings on the sides of the seal help to reduce the potential for leak at the side of the nose. There are times where that can pinch the nose if sized too small.
• Quiet exhalation– The exhalation ports on the AirFit F30 make the exhalation very quiet and do not disturb the bed partner.
• Nice Magnet headgear clips– The F30 also has great and secure magnetic clips. This makes it easy to fit nightly.

F30 Cons:

• Can leak at tip on nose– While the side wings on the F30 help to reduce leaks at the side of the nose it does sacrifice some security at the tip of the nose. This can cause issues with leaks there.
• No Large size– The Small and Medium do fit “most” CPAP users. However, we have seen many cases where a Large would have been a great option for larger noses.
• Not very low profile– The connector elbow and cushions design make the F30 stick out from the face quite a bit. This can be tougher for side and belly sleepers, because of the way the mask hits against the pillow.

Evora by Fisher and Paykel

The Evora is the latest addition to this CPAP mask category. As with everything Fisher and Paykel do, the Evora was done over a long period of time and evaluation. This means it is well thought out and designed. It has a lot of the positives of other masks from their competitors with some great additional features. It comes in Extra Small, Small/Medium, and Large sizing. As with the previous models all size cushions fit the same frame, and the Evora can be purchased as a fitpack including all sizes.

Evora Pros:

• High end headgear– The headgear on the Evora is top notch. It has high-end Velcro and specially designed breathable headgear. This makes it secure, long lasting, and really comfortable.
• Low Profile– The connection on the front of the Evora comes from the bottom of the mask. This allows for a more “low-profile” front which is good for side-sleepers.
• Directed exhalation– The exhalation ports on the front are divided to both sides of the mask and diffused downward. This helps to reduce noise and exhalation draft for the bed partner.

Evora Cons:

• Not the best tube connection– The front tube does not rotate all that well. Not that it needs to swivel much, but if you move a lot in bed this can be a sticking point.
• No magnets for headgear– The magnets on the competitors make them easier to take on and off. I have heard that F&P avoids magnets because of potential interference with pacemakers in users. Even if that is the case the clips are harder to work than magnets in competitors.
• Cushion can be tough to remove– It takes a good bit of effort to get the cushion in and out when it is time to replace. Especially when it is brand new.

AirFit F30i by ResMed

The name may be similar to the F30 but the F30 and F30i are very different. For starters the F30i has an over-the-head tube connection as opposed to connecting on the front. It is available in Small, Medium, Wide and Small/Wide cushions. It has Small, Standard and Large frames. This gives it a broad fit percentage for CPAP users. The stretch design of the F30i frame allows for good movement for side and belly sleepers.

F30i Pros:

• Top of the head tube connections– The connection of the tube at the top of the head allows for a lot more freedom of movement.
• Diffused exhalation– The F3oi has a well diffused exhalation that keeps the mask very quiet and saves the bed partner from exhalation draft.
• Stretchy frame– The frame allows for a good bit of stretch towatds the top of the head. This gives you a little more give and reduces the chance of cushion shifting on the nose.

F30i Cons:

• Stretchy frame can pull hair– We have had a handful of customers reporting that the frame on the F30i can pull your hair a bit causing discomfort.
• Can shift under nose– Because the frame is flexible and stretchy there are times where the cushion under the nose can shift, causing leaks.
• Membrane in nasal seal can be a little weird– In the center of the nasal portion of the cushion there is a little bridge. This keeps the cushion more stable, but when it is a little off it makes exhalation a little strange.

DreamWear Full by Philips Respironics

The DreamWear has been a very popular mask, because it was the first to use the frame as the tubing to deliver the air down the sides of the face. Allowing the tube to connect at the top of the head with nothing in line-of-sight. This made the DreamWear extremely popular right off the bat. It is available in Small, Medium, Large and Wide, and has the fitpack option available. The frame of the DreamWear also allows you to connect the DreamWear Nasal, and DreamWear Nasal Pillow version of the mask. Making it a very versatile mask option.

DreamWear Full Pros:

• Versatility- The DreamWear Full frame can also attach to the DreamWear Nasal Cushion of the DreamWear Silicone pillow cushion. This means that one frame can become 3 different masks. Great for CPAP users that switch between nasal and full frequently.
• Good sizing options– The sizes on the DreamWar full do a great job of covering the bases. Most of which is determined by the size of your nose.
• Dual exhalation ports– This is one of the only masks where you can sleep completely face down. If you cover the front exhalation the top exhalation port works perfectly.

DreamWear Full Cons:

• Silky silicone– The silicone on the DreamWear is very soft and flexible which is great for comfort, but really affects the sealing. As opposed to the Amara view that has the tackier silicone.
• Tubing quick connect can cause issues– The quick connect on the DreamWear is notorious for being left in the end of your CPAP tubing. It sits flush so it is hard to see. Customers throw it away with their tubing on accident frequently.
• Exhalation can be a little much– The exhalation on the DreamWear is not diffused as well as some of the others. Giving slightly more sound and exhalation draft.