Adult Bi-Flow Oxygen Mask, 5 PACK (Westmed #0101)

I am new to oxygen therapy (dx with emphysema and prescribed oxygen a month ago or so) so not very knowledgeable about all the options that are available but do know that I hate the cannula, the one with the prongs. The minute it goes on/in my nose, I start a runny nose and am constantly blowing. grrrrr. It is like I am allergic to it. My nose is dry and prone to bleeding. My hat is off to those who have lived with oxygen therapy for years. I don't know how you have done it. So, I have tried three of the masks and now the bi-flow. The masks aren't bad but they are heavy and you can't yak on the phone, drink or eat comfortably wearing them. I haven't had any problem fitting these on my nose and my oxygen levels stay around 98. I am on 4 flow number. I fit the bi-flow just as I would if I were fitting one of the pronged cannulas, that is... over the ears and the nose piece in front of the nasal openings. There are two little diamond shaped, flat pieces on the bottom of the bi-flow that are supposed to fit flat against the mid-lip, between the top of the lip and the base of the nose. These keep the nose piece from flipping down. You don't cover the nose at all. I think of the nose piece as if it were a tray sorta, resting under the nose. The oxygen comes out just fine, no problem with wearing my glasses or them fogging up, nor with the nose piece moving when I breath. I can visualize a possible problem when attempting to eat corn on the cob or dive into a bunch of bbq ribs. lol.. I think I can remove my bi-flow long enough so I can indulge in those southern comforts. :)

I am unable to wear a cannula for more than a few hours at a time, nothing close to my need for oxygen at all times. Cannulas rub my skin raw to bleeding! This little open cup solved that problem; I can tolerate it all day. It’s not as secure as a cannula, and has to be adjusted frequently but it doesn’t rub my skin raw. I doubt I’m getting quite as much oxygen as with a cannula, but it’s enough to still be helping me. Update: I‘be ordered these two times and in both lots, the tube pulled out of the nose cup in at least one. Very frustrating because these are not cheap is you follow health guidelines to replace weekly. Second update, September 2025 - This last order had two defective units! So I had only three that were usable. Add this to the tubes frequently detaching from the mask, and it’s obvious the company’s quality control isn’t working. These are not cheap and to pay for five but only have three usable is disgraceful. I’m lowering my rating because of this crappy quality.

I was hesitant to buy this because of the not-so-good reviews but for me, it is just what I needed. I originally ordered one to see if I liked it and after using it for some time, I ordered 5 more. The only drawback is the “slide” that makes the tubing tighter around the chin keeps loosening and I’m forever sliding it back up. Still, I really like it.

My husband complained of the inside of his nose becoming sore from cannula use. I did a search and found these. This is my second order for them. They hold up well and he prefers them to his cannula. I must say though I have to smile because it looks like he has a pig nose with it on. My husbands O2 is only 2 liters, he cannot tolerate a CPAP so his would be considered light use. Great for his situation. If the individual required constant use I would suggest you get approval from their doctor. The O2 is completely in correct position for inhalation, but if higher concentration is required it wouldn’t hurt to touch base with your doctor first.

Two issues. 1. The grommet (or whatever you call it) does not tighten very well. To keep it in place I use a plastic paper clip to thread the tubes through and that works. 2. However, even when it is tight, the mask comes off a lot in the middle of the night because I roll over quite a bit. Nevertheless it beats a cannula, which irritates and causes pressure sores inside of my nose.

I really liked the idea of this cannula so I put in an order to give it a try. This cannula will do what it says it will do (kind of) but it's solution is worse than the problem it's trying to solve. First off, it doesn't fit very well and very hard to keep in place. Second, is the worst. With each breath, air blows out of the top and onto the eyes. If you're trying to sleep, you can forget about it. If it's cool and you are wearing glasses, the warmer air will fog them up. In my opinion, these cannulas are not a solution to the real problem of nose bleeding and severe nasal irritation due to the nasal prongs and oxygen streams blowing deep into your nasal cavity. So what to do? My solution to this problem was simply to cut off the the nasal prongs (I'm sure that no doctor would recommend this). The cannula will still stay in place and I get the full dose of oxygen all through the night. Just a very gentle breeze to my nose. Please Note: This does NOT work for pulse dose oxygen delivery as your regulator must have the prongs to be able to detect a breath and deliver a pulse of O2. Also, another problem that I had was the Air Flow noise in my ear through the tubing at night, while laying on my side. The solution to this problem was the Salter 1600Q (quiet cannula). These cannulas virtually eliminate all air flow noise... Really. Anyway, I am not a doctor and the above recommendations are strictly my opinion and what has worked for me. What the heck! If it helps make your day with lung disease a little more bearable, give it a try... or don't.

Almost as poorly constructed as it is poorly designed. The plastic slider on the twin feed tubes is oversized, so you can't put any tension on the nose piece to hold it in place. Even if you do manage to get it to hold in place, because of the design, when you exhale through your nose, it vents upwards, so if you wear glasses, they fog up each time you exhale. Also the two supply lines seemed undersized and are so thin the slightest pressure on them will block them.

This is NOT meant to work with Pulse regulators! Many people are not wearing this BiFlow cannula the way it was designed to be worn. It does not go over the nose, so adding tape or a nose bridge is wrong. Position it as a " tray " below your nose, small tubes over the ears, and then under the chin in front of your neck. Slide the sliding-tube-retainer toward your neck to secure the position of the BiFlow. You will probably need to tape the sliding-tube-retainer in place so it will not loosen. See enclosed picture.