Magnetic headgear safety
Last updated 14 September 2026
Caution. Magnets can affect pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and other implanted medical devices. If you or anyone who sleeps near you has an implant, talk to your doctor before using a mask with magnetic headgear clips.
This is about your mask, not our accessories
Some CPAP masks use magnets in the headgear clips so the straps snap on instead of threading through. ResMed and Philips Respironics have both sold mask designs that work this way. The magnets sit close to your face and chest all night, which is why implant safety comes up.
No resplabs product contains magnets. Our liners, headgear, strap covers, chin straps, filters, hoses and hose covers are all non-magnetic. This page is here because our accessories are used with those masks, and because our product instructions point you here.
Before you use a mask with magnetic clips
- Keep your distance. Keep magnetic headgear at least 6 inches (15 cm) away from any implanted medical device.
- Ask your doctor. Check with your physician or your sleep clinic before using magnetic headgear if you, or anyone sleeping beside you, has an implanted device.
- Watch for warning signs. Stop using the mask and contact your doctor if you notice anything unusual: dizziness, palpitations, a change in how your device behaves, or any new symptom you can't explain.
- Read your mask's own instructions. The mask manufacturer's safety notice governs. Ours does not replace it.
Who should be careful
Pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulators, insulin pumps, cochlear implants, aneurysm clips, shunts with magnetic valves and metallic implants can all be affected by magnetic fields. This list isn't exhaustive. If you have anything implanted, ask your doctor rather than guessing.
Recalls and safety notices on magnetic masks are issued by the mask manufacturer. If you're using one, check with ResMed, Philips Respironics or whoever made your mask for the current notice covering your model.
Questions
Call 1-888-709-7377 or email info@resplabs.com. We're respiratory therapists, and we'd rather you asked. For anything about your implant or your therapy, your doctor is the right call, not us.