Tips for Traveling With Your CPAP Device—Even by Air

Traveling? Don't stop your crucial CPAP therapy—a little planning and smart packing will help keep you breathing easier while on the go. Photo: Pixabay

Traveling with your CPAP device might seem complicated at first. But with the right strategies, it doesn’t have to ground your plans. Whether you’re heading to a hotel, a rustic cabin, or a cruise ship, these tips will help you keep up your sleep apnea therapy and enjoy the journey.

Karen Moore—a longtime CPAP user and founder of Pad A Cheek, whose products include fleece cheek padding for CPAP masks—knows firsthand how important it is to balance CPAP therapy with the rest of life. “As soon as they told me that this machine and this mask were going to be part of my future, I actually asked them, ‘How long do I have to have this therapy?’” she said of her 2004 sleep apnea diagnosis. “They said, ‘Oh, no. This is for the rest of your life.’” That realization, she says, can feel overwhelming at first. But she also discovered it’s possible, and empowering, to live fully with CPAP. It just takes some planning ahead.

“I thought, ‘If I have to use this every night, let’s embrace this new way of living,” Moore said, adding that once she got used to the CPAP, “I found out how wonderful it is to actually use it.”

But she did wonder how it might affect her traveling and camping. “I thought, ‘I have to make provisions in some way,’” she said. In the years since, she’s found techniques (and tech) that have made maintaining her CPAP therapy on the road or the high seas relatively seamless, even without a specialized travel CPAP device. And that better breathing has meant she could enjoy her travels more.

Before getting ready for a trip, check with your CPAP device’s manufacturer for any travel resources or advice they might have—their advice for a particular product might differ from Moore’s tips.

Pack Like a Pro: CPAP Travel Essentials

Smart packing is the first step to a stress-free trip with your CPAP.

• Use your suitcase space strategically. “I prefer to have my CPAP machine, mask, and hose in my carry-on suitcase,” said Moore. “I can take my mask and snuggle it in my clothes and give it padding all around it.” If you decide to bring your CPAP in your carry-on bag, it’s helpful to know that airlines recognize CPAP machines as medical devices. That means that carrying it in a separate package will not count against your carry-on bag count.

“The manufacturers have squarish bags they provide with the machines when they are purchased,” Moore said. “I put my machine, hose, mask, power cord and any other CPAP-related items in my suitcase. Some people may prefer to keep it all together in the original bag so they do not miss a piece and arrive without everything they need for the CPAP.”

If you’re packing your device in a suitcase, Moore suggests packing the hose along the inside the edge of the suitcase, between your clothes and the external zipper. That makes the hose less bulky in your case.

• Go without the humidifier if you can. Leaving the humidifier at home saves space and power, Moore noted. “Without the humidifier, it’s just about the same size as a travel machine,” she said.

• Pack an extension cord. Wall sockets in hotels and on cruise ships might not be ideally located for CPAP Users, so Moore recommends packing an extension cord. “I recommend strongly that somebody take an extension cord on a cruise, because oftentimes the outlets are not right near the bed,” she said.

• Bring a good pillow. “I use a buckwheat hull pillow at home, because I can shape it to conform to my mask shape, and it doesn’t push my mask out of place,” Moore said. If that’s not an option, she suggests a down or feather pillow that allows you to fold or fluff it to form a sort of cliff on one side. “Then you can hang your mask off the edge of that cliff, which helps keep the mask from being pushed out of shape,” she explained.

Have a Power Plan

The right power setup can keep your CPAP therapy humming, even in off-the-grid places.

• Keep a backup power supply on hand. Moore recommends a rechargeable power supply; she uses a Jackery pack that she can recharge from a wall plug before traveling. “It’s not terribly heavy, and you can get different sizes,” she said. “I have a pretty small one, and it'll get me through two nights with no problem without the humidifier.”

• Plan ahead for power outages. “Even if I’m at home, if they're calling for storms, I'll power up the Jackery and put it in my bedroom or someplace in the house that I can easily find it,” Moore said.

• Pack extra power for humidifiers. Moore noted that CPAPs with humidifiers need more power to warm the water, so consider that when packing supplementary power sources. “It’s possible to take your humidifier and not plug it in,” she said. “You can put water in the chamber as you normally would, but even though you’re not heating the water, the air will pass over the water and pick up some humidification that way.” Employing this “passover” humidification technique will use less electricity.

• Research whether you need an adapter. If you’re traveling abroad, it’s essential to check what kind of plug or adapter you’ll need, Moore advises. Even if you’re staying in the U.S., if you’re traveling in a camper or van you’ll likely need a 12-volt adapter for your machine.

• Consider solar options for off-the-grid destinations. A number of portable, rechargeable power sources have solar panel fittings, which can be priceless on a camping trip.

TSA and Hotels: What to Expect

Getting through airport security with your CPAP device can be easier than you think.

In Moore’s experience, TSA agents take CPAP carry-ons in stride. “They don’t even look at it twice,” she said. “Since CPAP has become so popular, they know what it is. Sometimes you have to open the bag and show it to them or take it out of the bag.”

Crucially, don’t put your CPAP in checked baggage. Always carry it onboard—even if you don’t pack it in the original case. Putting your CPAP device in a checked bag risks loss or damage and means you can’t access it during the flight if you need to.

Attitude Is Everything

For new CPAP users anxious about using the device, let alone traveling with it, Moore says it’s helpful to stay positive and understand how CPAP contributes to health and quality of life.

“Your attitude is over 50% of success,” she said. “If you go in thinking, ‘This is horrible, I can’t do this,’ you’re going to lose the battle. You have to go into it thinking, ‘This is different. It’s a new challenge. I’ve got to do this for me, for my health, for my happiness.’”

And yes—you can still go camping, hiking, cruising, and globe-trotting with your CPAP. “You don’t have to stop traveling,” Moore concluded. “I’m grateful for CPAP, and I’m such an advocate for people to use their CPAP equipment regularly. It’s so important to their health.”

Have a tip to share about living your best life with your CPAP? Drop us a line at info@apneapartners.org or follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, or Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter here.