About 30% of CPAP users mouth-breathe to some degree during sleep. For most of them, a chinstrap or mouth tape solves it (see our guide to mouth breathing on CPAP). For the rest — chronic mouth-breathers, users with significant nasal congestion, users at high prescription pressures — a full-face mask is the right answer. This is the honest comparison of the four options worth considering, with notes on which one fits which face.
The short answer
ResMed AirFit F30i for most side sleepers and most users who want the lowest-profile full-face option. ResMed AirFit F20 for users who need the most reliable seal at higher pressures. ResMed AirTouch F20 for sensitive skin. Philips DreamWear Full Face for users who want the top-of-head tube routing.
ResMed AirFit F30i — the do-everything full-face
The F30i is the most-prescribed full-face mask for new patients in 2026, and for good reason. It does three things differently from older full-face designs:
- The cushion sits under the nose, not over it. The seal area covers the mouth and the underside of the nose (around the nostrils). The bridge of your nose is completely free of cushion — which eliminates the common pressure-on-nose-bridge issue that drives users off full-face masks.
- The tube exits at the top of your head. Like the DreamWear, this means the hose isn't being pulled by gravity when you turn during sleep. Side sleepers have a much easier time.
- The frame is minimalist. Less mass against your face than the F20 generation.
Drawbacks: the under-nose seal area is small, so users at very high pressures (16+ cmH₂O) sometimes find it leaks. The top-of-head tube routing takes a few nights to adjust to if you're coming from chin-routed tubing.
We don't carry F30i-specific cushions yet (the cushion is a unique shape we're still sourcing). For now, OEM replacements via ResMed are the right choice.
ResMed AirFit F20 — the workhorse
The F20 is the predecessor to the F30i and remains a fixture in CPAP setup because it's reliable, well-understood, and seals at higher pressures than the F30i. The cushion is a traditional full-face shape (covers nose and mouth, seals at the bridge of the nose).
Good for:
- Users at prescription pressures 12+ cmH₂O.
- Users with chronic nasal congestion who can't reliably breathe through their nose.
- Users transitioning from older masks who want a familiar shape.
- Back-sleepers who don't have the side-sleeping tube-routing issue.
Drawbacks: bigger and more present than the F30i. Some users find the bridge-of-nose contact uncomfortable long-term. Standard chin-routed tubing means side sleeping is more challenging.
We sell F20-compatible cushions in S/M/L — these are the consumable that wears out every 3 months. Our 30-day fit guarantee covers a size swap if the first cushion you pick is wrong.
ResMed AirTouch F20 — for sensitive skin
Same frame as the AirFit F20, but the cushion is made of memory foam rather than silicone. Two implications:
- Pros: Much gentler on facial skin. Eliminates the cushion-line marks and irritation that some users develop with silicone. Useful for users with rosacea, eczema, or general skin sensitivity at the seal area.
- Cons: Memory foam cushions don't last as long as silicone — they should be replaced monthly rather than every 3 months. Higher running cost over time.
If you've tried the AirFit F20 and the silicone cushion irritates your skin, the AirTouch version is the targeted fix. The frame is interchangeable.
Philips DreamWear Full Face
Philips's full-face take on the DreamWear platform. Like the F30i, the tube routes over the top of the head, and the cushion sits under the nose rather than over it.
Where it differs from the F30i: the DreamWear's strap system uses a single soft framework that distributes pressure more broadly across the back of the head. Some users find this more comfortable; others find the strap mass a slight impediment to side-sleeping.
Good for users who tried the F30i and didn't like it specifically — same design philosophy, slightly different execution.
What about full-face masks we don't recommend?
A couple of common masks worth flagging:
- Older Quattro / Mirage Quattro masks. Still sold, still prescribed by some DMEs. These are reliable but heavy and dated. If a newer option fits, choose it.
- Total-face masks (Hans Rudolph V2, Fitlife). Cover the entire face including the eyes. Useful for niche cases (post-surgical patients, users with extreme anatomy) but oversized for general mouth-breathing.
- Hybrid masks (Mirage Liberty, Amara View). Combine nasal pillows with a mouth seal. Theoretically clever, in practice the dual-seal design is hard to get right and tends to leak unpredictably.
How to choose between the F30i and the F20
For most new full-face users, this is the actual decision. The shortcut:
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Side sleep heavily | F30i |
| Have prescription pressure > 14 cmH₂O | F20 |
| Get pressure marks on bridge of nose | F30i |
| Wear glasses while falling asleep | F30i |
| Have a mustache or beard | F30i (smaller cushion area to interfere with hair) |
| Have used and liked older full-face masks | F20 |
| Tend to find masks claustrophobic | F30i (lower profile, smaller frame) |
| Have very curly hair | F20 (top-of-head straps can frizz curly hair) |
The cushion replacement cycle
Full-face cushions wear out at the same 3-month cadence as nasal cushions — actually slightly faster, because the larger seal area accumulates skin oils more widely. Plan on quarterly cushion replacement; budget about $30 per cushion. Our F20-compatible cushions ship from Canada within 2-4 days.
Headgear lasts about 6 months. Replace when the straps lose elasticity or the magnetic clips weaken (on newer ResMed designs).
The first-night experience
Switching from a nasal mask to a full-face mask is a small adjustment. Most users adapt within 3-5 nights. The first night feels much more "covered" — and you may feel slightly more pressure against your face than you did with a smaller mask. Both sensations fade. The benefit — actually closing the mouth-breath escape route — is usually obvious by night 3 or 4.
If you're not sure which fits your machine, run the Mask Finder quiz — tell us your CPAP and we'll show you the compatible parts. Our 30-day fit guarantee covers a free swap if you guess wrong on size.
Bottom line
Most CPAP mouth-breathers don't need a full-face mask — chinstrap or mouth tape solves it. The ones who do need a full-face have four good options, with the AirFit F30i as the default for most new patients in 2026. The F20 remains the right choice for high pressures and traditional fit preferences. Skin-sensitive users have the AirTouch F20. Users who want the DreamWear's distinctive feel can get the full-face variant.
Whichever you pick, the consumable cycle is the same: cushion every 3 months, headgear every 6, filters every 2 weeks. That's where the consistent therapy actually comes from — the right mask matters, but the maintenance matters more.