Philips Respironics DreamStation BiPAP Auto

The Philips DreamStation BiPAP Auto is for people whose prescriber has chosen bilevel therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Rather than one steady pressure, it gives you a gentler one on each out-breath, and it can also run as a standard CPAP if your prescription changes.

Night to night, it works like the other first-generation DreamStations. Turn the dial for the menu, press the Ramp button for a softer start, and check the screen in the morning to see how you did. The display dims by itself when the bedroom goes dark.

Key features:

• Higher pressure range: Its top pressure is higher than the DreamStation Expert's or DreamStation 2's, which gives your provider more range if your prescription changes.
• Mask fit check: Run a fit check from the setup menu, and a green or red bar tells you whether your seal is holding.
• Altitude compensation: It compensates for altitude automatically, whether you sleep at home or at a mountain cabin, with nothing for you to set.
• Oxygen compatible: Supplemental oxygen can join at the mask end without a pressure valve at low flows, as Philips' user manual explains.
• DC power: Philips' DC cords and battery kit, sold separately, let you run therapy at the cottage or in a parked RV.

The DreamStation BiPAP Auto suits people prescribed bilevel therapy who'd like the familiar DreamStation dial and screen, or who already own DreamStation parts. For a newer bilevel with a built-in humidifier and app coaching, look at the ResMed AirCurve 11 VAuto.

Note: Filters and water tanks for this BiPAP are first-generation DreamStation parts, which Philips makes separately from its DreamStation 2 parts. We stock the matching water chamber for the DreamStation.