The Best Travel CPAP Machines

This post was written by Dr. Timothy J., a Board Cerified Pulmonologist, and sleep apnea specialist. Tim is considered an expert in the field, and we appreciate him taking the time to provide his reccomendation. 

When it comes to traveling, I hate seeing people being inhibited by the complexity behind carrying medical devices. As an Advanced Life Support provider, one of the most common medical issues I encounter is COPD, something particularly frequent in older adults. The main treatment for COPD is using a CPAP machine, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. The problem with CPAP is that the machines are often bulky and cumbersome, and not conducive to traveling. People with COPD can easily travel the world – they just need the right travel CPAP machine to take with them, so in this blog post I’m going to look at some of the best travel CPAP machines out there.

First Off – Why Do You Need a Travel Sized CPAP Machine?

The CPAP machines meant for your home are truly meant to be a “desktop” sized device – mostly to stay on your bed stand at night, and not leave there. They’re large, usually have full sized attachments, and don’t have adapters top convert into international outlets. They also don’t pack well in any suitcase. Just like most people have several laptop power cables – one for their home, one for their office, one for their briefcase, etc., you need a travel CPAP machine to put in your luggage for portable use.

The Best Travel CPAP Machine

By far the best travel sized CPAP machine I’ve seen is the Apex Medical XT Auto Machine, which is available on Amazon with free shipping (the best price I’ve seen is on Amazon, too).

Here’s the quick product description: One of the smallest travel APAP on the market with great pricing. The power supply for the APAP is build-in so only a cord is external. Super compact and quiet. Dimension for the APAP machine only is (W x D x H) 5.8″ x 5″ x 3.9″. Weight is 1.76 lb.

The benefits and why I recommend this particular machine:

• The machine will easily fit within a carry on suitcase. Note: While it’s perfectly acceptable to take this on board as a carry on, TSA may ask you remove it prior to placing into the x-ray machine. But, you should not have to check this device in any checked luggage, if you don’t want to.
• It’s quiet – perfect for hotel rooms.
• It weighs less than 2 pounds – so it won’t overweigh your luggage and add to the difficulty of lifting your suitcase.
• The price is right – remember, this is a medical device, but for the portability of this device, I think the price is definitely right, and certainly much cheaper than purchasing through any other outlet.

This is by far the best portable/travel CPAP machine I’ve found, after consulting with colleagues and extensive research.

Other Travel CPAP Machines