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Yes. Put the travel case inside a larger shipping box with cushioning on all sides. Empty and dry the water chamber first: trapped water means mold and a ruined machine. Keep a copy of the prescription with the shipment: it documents medical necessity and supports the declared value if you file a claim. Cushion the machine itself: the case alone will not absorb a drop.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water chamber | Empty it completely, dry it, pack it separately in a bag | Trapped water breeds mold and can leak onto electronics |
| Machine | Wrap in bubble wrap; cushion inside its travel case | The case alone is a carrying case, not a shipping container |
| Mask, hose, filters | Bag the mask and hose; include spare filters | Keeps everything clean and together; the recipient can use it immediately |
| SD or data card | Remove it and carry it with you, or back it up | Your sleep data is personal health information |
| Power supply | Coil the cord loosely, include the brick | A machine without its exact power supply is a paperweight |
| Outer box | Cased machine inside a larger box, cushioned on all sides | Double-boxing absorbs the drops the case cannot |
It is the part most people forget, and it is the part that causes the most damage. A humidifier chamber that still holds water will slosh in transit, and that water goes straight into the machine's blower and electronics. Even a small amount left to sit breeds mold within days, especially in a sealed box. Empty it, rinse it, let it air-dry fully, and bag it separately from the machine. If the machine is being returned for repair or resale, a moldy chamber can also void a warranty claim or tank the resale value. This one step takes five minutes and prevents the most common CPAP shipping disaster.
A copy of the prescription. A CPAP machine is a prescription medical device, and the prescription copy does two jobs: it documents medical necessity if the package is ever questioned, and it supports the declared value on an insurance claim, since it ties the device to a named patient and a prescribing provider. Add a note with your contact details and the recipient's, plus any return-authorization number if this is a warranty or repair shipment. Photograph the machine's serial number before you pack it: if the box goes missing, the serial number is how the device is identified, and manufacturers track service history by it.
Most home CPAP units run on wall power, which keeps this simple. But some travel CPAPs use lithium battery packs, and lithium batteries have their own mailing rules: Canada Post accepts them only under its ABCs of mailing lithium-battery provisions, installed in the device being shipped. If your unit has a removable battery, check whether it is lithium, and if so, ship it installed in the machine rather than loose. When in doubt, leave the battery out and have the recipient use wall power. A CPAP is light and compact, well within a flat-rate Xpresspost label's 5 kg limit, so weight is not the constraint here: proper packing is.
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