There are two types of traditional chin straps:
They are either linear or they have a Y shape. They all work under the same principle – they are all made of a single elastic material, and they all wrap around the tip of your chin, and you strap them on around the back of your head. The thing to notice is that from the tip of your chin, the band is oriented towards your ear, and your jaw joint is at the front of your ear. This means that all the force, or almost all the force, is directed into your jaw joint. This is problematic because you want a force perpendicular to that to rotate your jaw up.
All the force into your jaw joint is just causing discomfort, and long-term use can damage your joint. So, it is not a good design, but it’s cheap and easy to make, and people buy it. Thus, we designed a chin strap that would lift from under the jaw—this is the dual-band chin strap by Knightsbridge Sleep Solutions S,A.
You do have to measure your head to determine your size; this is not one size fits all. This chin strap actually works.
Photo Courtesy: Edwin Manzano
You measure just above your eyebrow around your head. The cap is made of a three-layer open net mesh: the outer layer of open net, the inner layer of open net, and a layer of open weave 100% cotton in between, so it’s very light and breathable.
You must adjust the back strap the first time you use it. The blue band is non-elastic; what this does is it keeps your jaw from lowering. You put it on snugly, and then the elastic band (the white one) provides a little gentle upward force.
It goes from under your jaw and lifts vertically, working with your jaw’s natural rotation. This is partly why it’s so comfortable.
For those of you who like graphs (you can see them on https://dualbandchinstrap.com homepage), the graph shows how the two bands in combination allow the force to be minimized and yet still effective. The jaw Gap axis is at zero when your jaw is closed, and on the way, when your jaw opens, the force is vertical. The force axis is vertical, and you get this non-linear force curve due to the gentle upward force from the elastic band in combination with the non-elastic band, which only engages when you open your mouth.
This keeps you with your mouth closed where the force is low. Either of those two innovations separately would provide a superior chin strap to anything on the market, but the combination makes this far and away the most effective and comfortable chin strap available.
This chin strap provides unrivaled comfort while still delivering a supportive fit. It can be used alone for snoring or worn over or under a CPAP mask to reduce or prevent mouth leaks.
Published by: Martin De Juan
