Philips DreamWear Nasal Pillow Mask

The DreamWear Nasal Pillow Mask from Philips Respironics seals at the nostrils with a pair of soft silicone pillows, and touches almost nothing else on your face. The frame is hollow, so pressurized air reaches the cushion through the mask itself rather than a hose in front of you.

A swivel elbow sits at the crown of your head, and a soft silicone tube runs down each cheek to carry the air to the cushion. Nothing blocks your line of sight, and the hose stays behind you when you roll onto your side.

Key Features:

• Silicone Pillows Cushion: Rests at the opening of each nostril with no stalk pushing up inside, and pulls off in one piece.
• Hollow Soft Frame: Carries pressurized air down both cheeks, so the tube you lie on flattens instead of closing.
• Crown Swivel Elbow: Puts the hose connection above your head, where it turns freely and stays off the bedsheets.
• Four Cushion Sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Medium Wide, matched to the width of your nostrils rather than your head.
• Three Frame Sizes: Small, Medium and Large, chosen by head size and where the headgear crosses your skull.
• Headgear With Arms: Two arms reach forward from a padded back panel and hold the frame steady without heavy strap tension.
• Diffused Venting: Exhaled air leaves through a spread of small holes instead of a stream aimed at your bed partner.

The DreamWear Nasal Pillow Mask suits nose breathers who want the least hardware on the face, and anyone who wears glasses in bed. It is a strong choice for side and stomach sleepers, because the tube runs away from the pillow.

Where a pillows seal actually sits

A nasal pillows cushion does not cover the nose. It presses two shallow silicone cups against the rim of each nostril, and therapy pressure inside the cups is what holds the seal rather than strap tension pulling down from above.

That is why the mask can be this small. There is no surface spanning the nose to hold in place, so almost nothing sits between your eyes and the room, and there is no silicone edge resting on the nasal bridge to leave a mark.

Sizing is about nostrils, not noses

Four sizes are made and they differ in the diameter and spacing of the two cups. What sets your size is the opening of your nostrils, which is why someone with a broad nose can still need a Small, and why the Medium Wide exists as a separate option rather than a step up from Medium.

A pillow that is too large stretches the nostril and stings within an hour. One that is too small slips inside and leaks around the edge, so it is worth changing size rather than tightening straps when either happens.

Lying on a hollow frame

The two tubes along your cheeks look like a weak point and are not. Press one into the mattress and it flattens while its twin stays round, so the full prescribed flow reaches the cushion down whichever side is clear.

Because the air path is inside the frame, there is no rigid elbow in front of your face for the pillow to shove against. That is what lets the mask hold a seal face down, which very few masks manage.

Keeping the silicone alive

Skin oil is what finishes a pillows cushion. Wash it every morning in warm water with a mild soap, rinse it, and dry it somewhere out of direct sunlight, because heat and ultraviolet light stiffen silicone faster than use does.

Run water through the frame tubes weekly as well, since your breath travels inside them. Replace the cushion when the silicone turns tacky or glazed, or when you find yourself pulling the headgear tighter than you once did.

Here's everything that comes in the box.

• Silicone nasal pillows cushion in your chosen size
• DreamWear frame in your chosen size
• DreamWear headgear with arms
• Swivel elbow connector