CPAP Mask Finder: Which Type Fits How You Sleep?

Answer a few questions about how you breathe and sleep, and see which of the mask TYPES the published guidance points you to — with the reasons, what each type can cost you, and what to ask your supplier. It never names a product, and it cannot promise a fit.

The mask type to ask for

A nasal mask or nasal pillows — start thereYou breathe through your nose, so a nasal mask or nasal pillows is where the evidence says to start. Nothing you told us favours one over the other — try both if your supplier lets you.

Anything else? Tap any that apply

“High pressure” only if your sleep team has told you so.

This page points to a mask TYPE from published guidance. It is not a fitting and it does not change your treatment — your sleep team and supplier fit the mask, set the pressure, and can swap it if it does not work for you.

Guidance checked 2026-09-26.

Quick answer: there are three main CPAP mask types — nasal pillows (at the nostrils), a nasal mask (over the nose) and a full-face mask (over nose and mouth). The American Thoracic Society’s workshop on mask selection says a nasal type should be the first choice in most cases. A full-face mask is for a nose that is often blocked, or for mouth breathing that carries on after about a month of trying a nasal mask with a chin strap or humidifier. Nasal pillows suit beards, glasses and people who feel closed in; a nasal mask suits a high pressure.

How to use it

Tell it how you breathe at night and how you sleep, then tap anything else that applies — a beard, glasses in bed, feeling closed in by masks, or a high pressure your sleep team has mentioned. You get the mask type the published guidance points to, every reason quoted from the list it came from, what that type can cost you, and what to ask your supplier. It names no product: the right cushion and size depend on your face and on the exact mask, which is what a fitting is for.

Why a nasal mask comes first

In 2020 the American Thoracic Society gathered the evidence on nasal against full-face (oronasal) masks. Its conclusion: full-face masks can work, but nasal masks may do better and should be the first choice for most people. A large national registry it cites found lower use and higher pressures with full-face masks. The same report is honest about the limit of every mask finder, including this one: there is no validated way to predict which type will suit a particular person.

It also makes a practical point worth knowing before you swap: if your pressure was set with a nasal mask, it may need adjusting when you move to a full-face one. That is a question for your sleep team, not something to change yourself.

Mouth breathers: a month first

Breathing through your mouth does not automatically mean a full-face mask. Mayo Clinic’s advice is to try a nasal mask or nasal pillows combined with the machine’s heated humidifier, a chin strap or both — and to move to a full-face mask if you still breathe through your mouth after a month of trying. A nose that is blocked most nights is different: that is the first reason Mayo Clinic gives for going straight to full-face.

Where the published lists disagree

On one point they do. For people who move around a lot in their sleep, Mayo Clinic suggests a nasal mask, while the American Association of Sleep Technologists suggests nasal pillows for people who toss and turn. This page shows you both rather than picking one. What they agree on is that a full-face mask is the hardest to keep sealed if you sleep on your side or front.

What each type can cost you

Nasal pillows touch the least of your face but aim the air straight into the nostrils, which can be uncomfortable at higher pressures and dry the nose. A nasal mask can mark the bridge of the nose, and needs a chin strap if you breathe through your mouth. A full-face mask has more edge to seal, so more chance of a leak — and a leak at the top blows into your eyes; it is bulky on a pillow and hard to wear glasses with.

Worked examples

Nose breather, side sleeper, nothing else. A nasal mask or nasal pillows — nothing favours one over the other.

Nose breather with a beard who reads in bed. Nasal pillows, for both reasons, with a nasal mask as the fallback.

Mouth breather. A nasal mask or pillows with a chin strap or humidifier for a month first; full-face if the mouth breathing carries on.

Nose blocked most nights, sleeps on the front. A full-face mask — and a warning that it is the hardest type to keep sealed face-down.

FAQ

What are the types of CPAP mask?

Three main ones: nasal pillows, which sit at the entrance to the nostrils; a nasal mask, which covers the nose; and a full-face (oronasal) mask, which covers nose and mouth. Mayo Clinic also lists a hybrid or oral mask, which delivers the air through the mouth.

Which CPAP mask is best for side sleepers?

Usually nasal pillows or a nasal mask. Full-face masks are bulky on a pillow and harder to keep sealed when you lie on your side, according to the American Association of Sleep Technologists.

Do mouth breathers need a full-face mask?

Not necessarily. Mayo Clinic suggests trying a nasal mask or pillows with a heated humidifier, a chin strap or both first, and a full-face mask if you still breathe through your mouth after a month.

Which CPAP mask is best if I have a beard?

Nasal pillows — Mayo Clinic lists them for facial hair that interferes with other masks, because they seal at the nostrils rather than on the skin a beard covers.

Which mask is best for high pressure?

A nasal mask (or a full-face one if you need it for other reasons). Nasal pillows direct the air straight into the nostrils, which can be uncomfortable at high settings.

Is a full-face mask better than a nasal mask?

Not for most people. The American Thoracic Society’s workshop report says nasal masks may be more advantageous and should be the first choice in most cases, and that a pressure set with a nasal mask may need adjusting on a full-face one.

Can this page tell me my mask size?

No. Sizes are per mask, not per type, and each maker publishes its own sizing guide for each mask. Ask your supplier for that guide — and whether you can swap the mask if it leaks.

CPAP Mask Finder