SinuPulse Elite Advanced Nasal Irrigation System with 30 SinuAir Saline Packets, Pulsating Nasal Congestion Relief & Sinus Rinse Machine, More Effective Than Neti Pot or Nose Spray

I really like this product. It is so well designed, highly functional and convenient. After a year of use, I have had no problems with it whatsoever. I like that it stays on the countertop and you don’t have to lift a heavy device to your face. Maybe the best thing for me is the tips (the nose pillow fittings, or whatever you call them). They are very broad and conical shaped and provide a great seal, which is important so that the water doesn’t just run back out the same nostril that it goes into. None of the non-powered portable bottles offer this. I even adapted these tips to a little handheld squeeze bottle I can use for travel. The adjustable flow amount is great for lavage. With it, you can get a longer or a shorter lavage session, depending on your preference.I have not yet tried the nasal irrigators, as opposed to the lavage tips, but I understand they can be used for the delivery of certain prescription medications like antibiotics. This seems like a terrific idea for sinusitis or sinus infections due to the ability to deliver antibiotic to the affected area without a systemic effect. Antibiotics are a godsend for many infections, but you don’t really want them bouncing around inside your body if you don’t have to have them!

As a long-time user of the squeeze bottles, and a chronic sinus sufferer, I have to say that I prefer the SinuPulse Elite as my primary irrigation device. I have had numerous sinus surgeries to remove nasal polyps. The presence and capability of my cilia is questionable at best. I have been told by my sinus doctor that I will need to irrigate my sinuses at least twice a day for the rest of my life. After my latest sinus surgery two months ago, I decided to try something other than the squeeze bottles.The squeeze bottles have their place in the care regimen but have several disadvantages as a primary device.First, I have a tendency to squeeze the bottle very hard because I just want to clean out my sinuses the best way possible, and that's as forcefully as I can, right? Well, no, because the force I tend to use pushes water into the Eustachian tubes. This is bad because contaminated mucous (the very thing I am trying to flush out) may get pushed in there as well and could contribute to an inner ear infection (another plight I am well acquainted with). With the SinuPulse Elite, the maximum pressure available is not sufficient to do this.Second, the capacity, at approximately 750cc, is three times the capacity of the standard 8 oz squeeze bottle. I found myself preparing at least two squeeze bottles to get the desired quantity of rinse. With the SinuPulse, I can mix one batch. I actually use one of the squeeze bottles to mix the salt before pouring it in to the reservoir with regular water.Third, the pulsing capability of the SinuPulse Elite is supposed to offer a more effective cleaning than the steady flow of the squeeze bottles. I can't really attest to this objectively, but subjectively it seems to be a better method just based on how I feel afterwards.Fourth, I use medication in my rinse (corticosteroid and sometimes an antibiotic (or two!)). Previously I would reserve my second squeeze bottle for the medication to go in. I often wondered about the efficacy of diluting the medicine in 8 ounces of water and then flushing it quickly in and out of my sinuses. With the SinuPulse Elite, I can prepare 500cc solution, flush with the full flow tip using most of the solution, turn the device off, then mix the medication with the remaining 50cc or so, swapping tips to the misting tip to provide a nebulizer effect. This allows the medication to spray at a higher concentration and then remain on my nasal mucosa for a longer period of time.I did say that the squeeze bottles have their place, and I find myself using them when I'm in a rush in the morning. I'll also take them with me when I travel instead of the SinuPulse Elite, but I still use it as the main device for my twice-daily irrigations. The device seems very sturdy and well-built, and is easy to clean. It has a large range of pressure settings, a simple on/off button, and a temporary "hold" button on the wand so you can cut the flow while switching nostrils.Another bit worth mentioning is my personal experience with the company. I had some difficulty with my insurance claim and contacted Health Solutions for assistance via their online support form. A few hours later I received a phone call from a very knowledgeable employee who was very sympathetic to my plight and offered to contact the insurance company on my behalf. Unfortunately he couldn't get anywhere with them due to HIPAA law, but the fact that the company would do this for me after the sale was very encouraging. He was even nice enough to send me some free SinuAir packets for my troubles.The SinuPulse Elite is truly an advanced irrigation system, and after a month of use seems to be serving me and my sinuses well.

First of all, let me praise the use of nasal irrigation for allergy relief. I've also found that the powered ones (like this) work better than syringes and the like.As far as I can tell there are two main units available, the SinuPulse and the Grossan Hydro Pulse. The Grossan unit is built in Taiwan and the SinuPulse in mainland China. I owned a Grossan unit for a couple years, lightly used during allergy season, before it died. Read the reviews -- it's apparently a fairly common problem. Upon disassembly, the cause was the motor armature binding (not burnt out, just frozen unless disassembled to the point the end cap was loose). The cheap plastic piston pump still moved fairly freely and there was no build up of salt since I had flushed the unit with distilled water after every use.A SinuPulse recently arrived -- it's far too early to tell how well it will hold up. However, I can compare the designs, ease of use, and the effectiveness.Effectiveness? They're about the same. Both also have a range of pressure adjustments and both want to be used more to the upper end.Ease of use? I'd put the Grossan unit ahead. Its fluid chamber is a fairly durable container that can serve for both mixing the salt solution and then dispense it. The SinuPulse unit has a squarish container of a more fragile plastic (and not covered by the warranty) that doesn't work well for mixing (hard to hold, square corners, easily scratched, harder to drain). So you'll need an extra container to mix the saline solution with the SinuPulse. And the SinuPulse container is a bit harder to clean (all those corners).Design? It's a closer call on some of the design features. The SinuPulse makes it slightly easier to change nozzles with a push button to release, if that's important (not to me; but it might be for multiple users). The Grossan has a useful on-off device at the handle while the SinuPulse has an annoying momentary contact (probably just presses against the tube) shut off option. The solution container on the Grossan unit is a more durable plastic and easier to clean, but the shut off valve on the bottom will dribble a bit now and then (not sure yet how the SinuPulse compares). Both units require a thorough flush with (preferably distilled) water to avoid salt or hard water deposits from clogging the pump. Both instruction manuals have unrealistic expectations, such as unplugging the units (they have an on-off switch) after every use.Price? About the same.Reliability? Don't have a real comparison yet. The Grossan seems to last a couple years in average use before dying. The SinuPulse has a longer two year warranty. Both look to be somewhat cheaply made in China. Both warn that you must flush the unit after every use to get rid of any salt that might remain in the pump. If you have hard water, you probably should also use distilled water for this.The bottom line is that someone should be able to make a better unit for the $80 or so these cost. If the SinuPulse actually lasts significantly longer, it might be worth putting up with its annoyances. Otherwise, the Grossan looks to be the better designed unit, at the cost of replacement every couple years or so (which might add up to a heap of broken units over a lifetime of use).On edit (12/2015) -- this is still holding up in light seasonal use after three years. That puts it ahead of the Grossan unit in my mind; and gets an extra star. Update 2/2018 -- still working in light seasonal use. Far ahead of the old Grossan units owned earlier.