Lofta sleep study review: cost, fine print, and what customers report

By SleepApneaSelect. Sources checked October 7, 2026.

Lofta's home sleep study (opens in a new tab) costs $189 (listed price, checked October 7, 2026). You get a short video screening, a one-night WatchPAT One test mailed to you, a sleep physician's reading, and a sleep report. A prescription is included if the physician diagnoses sleep apnea and prescribes treatment.

It's a real medical test, and it's worth a look if you're an adult paying cash. Know three things before you pay:

• This retail test is cash-pay. Lofta won't bill your insurance for the purchase reviewed here. Its Medicare and Medicaid notice specifically excludes equipment and supplies it sells. Insurance terms (opens in a new tab).
• Once you open the test, you can't return it under the ordinary returns policy. Test-return exception (opens in a new tab).
• You don't have to buy a CPAP from Lofta. Its terms (opens in a new tab) leave you free to shop elsewhere.

Reviews are split. Lofta's own listing shows 4.5 stars from 4,146 reviews. Trustpilot (opens in a new tab) shows a 2.5 TrustScore from 34 reviews. The reviews we read cover service, follow-up, tests, and equipment. See the review breakdown.

We haven't taken this test. This review comes from Lofta's published pages and policies, FDA and sleep-medicine sources, and public customer ratings. Each fact links to its source.

Provider links on this page are unpaid. Advertising disclosure.

Before you pay: Lofta at a glance

Here is what Lofta's pages settle, and what you still need to check. Everything was checked October 7, 2026.

Our take

Lofta may fit you if:

• You're paying cash and want a low, simple price. $189 covers the screening, the test, and the reading.
• You're an adult whose screening clinician thinks home testing fits your symptoms and health history. Loud snoring, gasping at night, or being worn out all day are reasons to ask about testing; they don't establish suitability by themselves.
• You want to pick where you buy treatment. The test and the machine are separate purchases.
• You have a compatible smartphone. The test runs through an app. Check the phone requirements.

Start somewhere else if:

• You want insurance or Medicare to pay. Call your plan first. Jump to insurance.
• You have serious heart or lung disease, a past stroke, severe insomnia, or you take opioid pain medicine long term. The AASM guideline (opens in a new tab) recommends a lab study in these situations. See when to start with a clinician.
• You want a doctor you can keep seeing. The standard test purchase gives you a short screening call and a results walkthrough. It is not the same as ongoing follow-up with your own sleep physician. Lofta sells separate therapy coaching (opens in a new tab).
• You already took a home test that came back negative, unclear, or technically inadequate. The AASM recommends a lab study (opens in a new tab) after that result in the diagnostic pathway.

How much does the Lofta sleep study cost?

$189. That is the price shown in the purchasing section of Lofta's test listing (opens in a new tab), checked October 7, 2026. You pay a one-time testing fee. There is no separate fee for the video screening or the physician's reading.

Why you might see $149 on the same page

Lofta's listing does not agree with itself. On the day we checked, it showed:

• $189 as both the regular price and the sale price
• A banner offering $90 off, with the price already marked down
• A second block offering $50 off
• A line near the bottom that names $149 as the price

We use $189 because that is the displayed purchase price. We did not add the test to a cart or verify a coupon. Check the final total before you pay, and use the price actually shown to you.

What the $189 includes

Sources: Lofta test listing (opens in a new tab) and Lofta shipping policy (opens in a new tab).

What you'd pay today, by shipping speed

This is our addition from Lofta's published prices. It is not a quote, and tax is not included.

Expedited shipping is limited to eligible continental U.S. destinations; Alaska, Hawaii, PO boxes, some rural areas, U.S. territories, and military postal addresses are excluded. Saturday delivery requires an order placed and cleared before noon Pacific on Friday. These are delivery estimates after shipment, not a guarantee that screening, approval, or results will be faster. Lofta shipping policy (opens in a new tab).

Ways the price can drop

• Price match. Lofta says it will beat a verified lower price by 10% of the difference, subject to its identical-product, authorized-retailer, availability, and other price-match requirements (opens in a new tab). Ask whether a competing test service qualifies before counting on the discount.
• Military discount. Lofta's military discount (opens in a new tab) applies to CPAP supplies and accessories, not the sleep test.
• Old promo prices. You may see $99 or $149 in social posts. We don't list those as current.

What you might pay after the test

The test is the small number. Treatment is the big one. Here is what Lofta lists, so nothing surprises you.

The listed LoftaCare machines are AirSense 10 Connected, AirCurve 10, AirSense 11, AirCurve 11, and AirMini. Its initiation fee is nonrefundable. It is therapy support, not a promise of unlimited physician visits. LoftaCare details (opens in a new tab); returns terms (opens in a new tab).

Two examples, using our addition, the base machine with SlimLine tubing, and standard shipping:

• Test plus the AirSense 11 AutoSet: $189 + $1,004 = $1,193, before a mask and tax.
• Test, machine, and LoftaCare for one year: $189 + $1,004 + $200 = $1,393, before a mask and tax.

Want to run your own numbers? Use the adder.

Remember, you don't have to buy the machine from Lofta. If you're diagnosed, compare sellers first.

Does Lofta take insurance, Medicare, HSA, or FSA?

The retail Lofta purchase reviewed here is cash-pay. Lofta does not bill insurance for it.

• Private insurance. Lofta's terms of use (opens in a new tab) say it does not bill insurance companies directly. It also makes no promise that your insurer will pay you back.
• Medicare and Medicaid. Lofta's site says it has no Medicare or Medicaid supplier number, and that those programs will not pay for equipment and supplies it sells. You'd pay the full amount yourself (Lofta test listing (opens in a new tab), notice at the bottom of the page).
• HSA and FSA. Lofta accepts HSA and FSA funds (terms of use (opens in a new tab)). That uses money in your health-spending account. It is not insurance coverage.

An exception worth checking: some Lofta Direct employer programs (opens in a new tab) offer an insurance path. If your employer sent you to Lofta, check that program before buying through the retail listing.

The mistake to avoid

Here is how people can get stuck. They pay cash for the test and get diagnosed. Then they ask their insurer to cover a CPAP, and the plan may require different records, an eligible testing provider, or another evaluation.

A valid prescription does not mean your plan will pay. Medicare, for example, has its own rules (opens in a new tab) for the test, the provider, and the records.

Medicare's PAP policy also uses its own AHI and RDI definitions: it excludes respiratory effort-related arousals and requires a 4% oxygen drop when counting a hypopnea. A number labeled RDI or a result scored with a 3% rule is not, by itself, proof that the coverage rules are met. Ask the plan or equipment supplier to review the actual report.

If you want insurance to pay for any part of this, call your plan before you buy. Use these questions.

Is Lofta legit, and is the test accurate?

Yes, Lofta is a real company running a real medical test. A clinician screens you. You wear a device the FDA has cleared. A sleep physician reads the results. Those are the steps sleep-medicine guidance (opens in a new tab) asks for in a home test.

That does not mean home testing is right for everyone, or that one night always gives a final answer.

Who makes the medical call?

Lofta's terms of use (opens in a new tab) say independent, contracted physicians write the test order and read the results. Lofta says it administers the test and sells equipment, but does not diagnose patients or enter the doctor-patient relationship.

This matters because Lofta also sells CPAP machines. Some reviewers worry the diagnosis is a sales tool. We can't see inside Lofta's contracts, so we can't settle that for you. What we can tell you is what the terms say, and that you're free to take your report to another doctor.

A little background: the BBB (opens in a new tab) lists Lofta's start date as September 2016. Lofta's current company information (opens in a new tab) says it is part of ReDream Brands, which also includes CPAP.com and The CPAP Shop.

What the WatchPAT One measures

The WatchPAT One is a single-use home sleep test made by Itamar Medical. You wear it on your wrist, with a probe on one finger and a small sensor on your chest. It pairs with a phone app.

It tracks changes in the pulse signal in your finger, called peripheral arterial tone or PAT. It also tracks blood oxygen, heart rate, movement, snoring, and body position. From those, it estimates how often your breathing is disturbed and how long you slept. The FDA cleared the device (opens in a new tab) as a home test for people suspected of having sleep-related breathing disorders. The manufacturer's manual (opens in a new tab) describes its respiratory indices and sleep stages as estimates.

Lofta's wording vs. what the sources say

The plain version: a home test can diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in appropriately selected adults. A clinician decides whether it fits you. It records less than a lab does and can miss cases or leave other sleep problems unexplained. AASM testing guideline (opens in a new tab).

Who should talk to a clinician first

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's testing guideline (opens in a new tab) says a home test suits adults without complicating health problems whose clinical assessment points to an increased risk of moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea.

It recommends a lab study instead if you have:

• Significant heart or lung disease
• A nerve or muscle condition that could weaken your breathing
• Hypoventilation while awake, or suspected sleep-related hypoventilation—breathing too little to clear carbon dioxide adequately
• Long-term opioid use
• A past stroke
• Severe insomnia

Lofta's screening call is where this gets checked. Tell the clinician about every medicine you take and any heart device, like a pacemaker. The device manual (opens in a new tab) lists medication and pacemaker precautions. Don't stop a medicine to make the test work.

If any of that sounds like you, start with your own doctor or a sleep clinic.

How the Lofta home sleep test works

1. Order online. Pay $189 and fill out a short health form.
2. Do the video call. Lofta says it usually takes under 5 minutes. An independent medical practice reviews your history and approves the test. If the clinician says a home test isn't right for you, Lofta says it refunds the order in full.
3. Wait for the kit. Standard shipping is estimated at 4 to 7 business days once it ships. Double-check your address at checkout. Wrong-address and lost-package problems show up in customer accounts.
4. Set up the app. Download the WatchPAT One app and pair the device with your phone. Do this before bedtime, not at midnight.
5. Sleep one night. Wear the wrist unit, finger probe, and chest sensor. Keep your phone charged and close to the bed.
6. Let the data upload. It sends through your phone. The device is single-use, so there's nothing to mail back.
7. A sleep physician reads your study.
8. Get your report. A Lofta team member walks you through it. If the physician diagnoses sleep apnea and prescribes treatment, you get a prescription. Lofta offers treatment options.

Sources: Lofta test listing (opens in a new tab) and Lofta shipping policy (opens in a new tab).

How long do Lofta results take?

Lofta's How It Works page (opens in a new tab) says 1 to 2 days for results. It also says most people start therapy within two weeks.

Another Lofta page says 3 to 5 days (opens in a new tab). Its pages do not give one consistent turnaround time.

Treat those as estimates, not promises. One reviewer (opens in a new tab) tested on a Saturday and reported results Monday. Another (opens in a new tab) said they were still waiting on day 10. These are individual accounts, not a measured average.

The full path has several waits: the video call, shipping, your test night, the reading, and any follow-up. If you have a deadline for work or travel, ask Lofta how long results are taking right now.

What phone do I need?

A smartphone that can run the WatchPAT One app, with Bluetooth and an internet connection. The manufacturer's September 2025 manual, revision 17 (opens in a new tab), lists Android 10 or later, or iOS 15 or later, plus Bluetooth LE 4.2 and Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.

Look up the app in your phone's app store before you open the kit; meeting the operating-system minimum alone does not confirm every phone will work. If your phone can't run it, call Lofta while the test is still unopened and within the return window.

What if I can't sleep that night?

It happens. If you slept badly, a sensor came off, or the upload failed, tell Lofta's team what happened. Ask if the study was usable. Don't guess from the hours you think you slept. The physician decides whether there's enough good data.

Lofta says a retest is free if its medical team needs one (opens in a new tab).

Your results and prescription

What the report shows

Lofta says your sleep report (opens in a new tab) includes your sleep time, AHI, RDI, oxygen levels, pulse, snoring, body position, and sleep stages.

Two of those need a quick explanation:

• AHI stands for apnea-hypopnea index. It counts qualifying breathing pauses and reductions per hour of sleep.
• RDI stands for respiratory disturbance index. In the clinical sleep-lab definition, it also counts respiratory effort-related arousals—breathing disturbances linked to brief awakenings—so it can be the higher number. AASM definitions (opens in a new tab).

WatchPAT's pAHI and pRDI are device estimates. The AASM guideline (opens in a new tab) describes clinical diagnostic criteria using an obstructive RDI of at least 5 events per hour with typical symptoms, or at least 15 even without symptoms, measured in a lab study. The physician applies the appropriate criteria to your study and history; an isolated number is not the whole diagnosis.

The scoring rule matters too. A hypopnea may be counted with a 3% oxygen drop or an arousal under one clinical rule, while another rule requires a 4% drop. That can change the AHI. Medicare's coverage definition (opens in a new tab) uses the 4% rule and excludes respiratory effort-related arousals from its AHI and RDI counts. Ask which numbers and rules your report uses.

Different indices and scoring rules can make a report confusing. One Trustpilot reviewer (opens in a new tab) says the report read like mild sleep apnea, then an email said the study was normal. We don't know what caused that mismatch. If your messages don't match, ask which number the physician used.

We don't read reports. Bring these questions to Lofta or your own doctor.

Can I buy my CPAP somewhere else?

Yes. Lofta's terms of use (opens in a new tab) say using its physicians does not oblige you to keep dealing with Lofta. Its How It Works page (opens in a new tab) says the prescription is valid nationwide in the U.S.

One limit: another seller, doctor, or insurer may want certain records, or may want to do its own review. Ask them what they need before you count on it.

Get your records before you need them

One reviewer (opens in a new tab) says they asked for the full report and didn't get it. Don't wait to find out. Ask in writing, right after your results come in.

HIPAA gives patients access rights (opens in a new tab) to records held by covered medical practices. A covered provider normally must act on an access request within 30 calendar days; one additional 30-day extension requires a written explanation and completion date within the first 30 days (HHS timing rules (opens in a new tab)).

Lofta's terms (opens in a new tab) say Lofta itself is not a HIPAA-covered entity. Ask for the name and contact details of the medical practice that ordered and interpreted your study, and send the records request there too.

What to do with each result

Sources: Lofta test listing (opens in a new tab), Lofta returns policy (opens in a new tab), and the AASM guideline (opens in a new tab).

A normal home test is not a clean bill of health. If you snore, gasp, and drag through the day, keep pushing for answers.

Returns and help after you order

Four different things get mixed up here. Keep them apart:

Sources: Lofta returns policy (opens in a new tab) and test listing (opens in a new tab).

For an eligible LoftaCare enhanced equipment return, contact your therapy representative or call Lofta; its policy says not to start that return through the general portal. The LoftaCare initiation fee and expedited shipping are nonrefundable. Lofta says ordinary approved returns may take up to 10 business days to process after the package is received.

Watch the badge. The test listing shows a 60-day return badge. The returns policy lists the Home Sleep Test as an exception. So don't open the box until you're sure you'll use it.

How to reach Lofta

• Phone: 800-698-8000
• Email: sleep@lofta.com
• Contact page: lofta.com/pages/contact (opens in a new tab), with current support hours
• Start a return: Lofta's returns portal (opens in a new tab)

Have your order number ready. For medical questions about your result, ask to reach the practice that read your study.

We're a publisher. We can't pull your report, approve a retest, or issue a refund.

Lofta reviews: what customers report

It depends where you look. Lofta's own pages are strongly positive. The independent profiles we checked have far fewer reviews and lower scores. Both can be true at once.

All checked October 7, 2026. We don't blend these into one score.

Why the numbers are so far apart

These sites collect different groups of reviews, covering different parts of the service. We don't know whether any group represents all Lofta customers, when every review was requested, or why each person chose that platform. The scores cannot establish how accurate the medical test is.

Thirty-four reviews next to thousands is a small slice. Read the complaints to learn what can go wrong, not how often it does.

What people like

• Reviewers describe an easy one-night test. That is their experience, not a guarantee that every recording will be usable.
• Results can be fast. One reviewer (opens in a new tab) went from the doctor's appointment to ordering a CPAP in 6 days.
• One reviewer (opens in a new tab) described the results walkthrough as clear and helpful.
• One reviewer on the coaching plan (opens in a new tab) liked being able to try three masks.

What people complain about

These are single reviewers' accounts on Trustpilot and the BBB. We haven't verified them.

• Slow results. One reviewer was told 12 to 24 hours and was still waiting on day 10 (August 2025).
• Mixed messages. One says the report pointed to mild sleep apnea, then an email said the study was normal (April 2026).
• Hard to get the full report. One asked for the complete report and the numbers behind the diagnosis and says it wasn't sent (July 2026).
• Shipping and callbacks. Tests sent to the wrong address, long holds, and no call back (July and September 2026).
• Machine refunds. One says a promised refund became store credit (October 2025). A separate return dispute ended in a refund, according to the BBB correspondence (opens in a new tab) in March 2026; the customer accepted the resolution.
• Doctor access. One reviewer (opens in a new tab) says talking to the doctor directly cost extra (May 2025).

In the reviews we read, recurring complaints concern service around the test: delivery, reporting, callbacks, and refunds. That tells you what to ask about. It does not tell you the failure rate.

Turn the complaints into questions

You can't control Lofta's service. You can ask the right questions before you pay.

Lofta vs. Sleep Doctor and BlueSleep

These are the three home testing services we've researched so far. They're in alphabetical order. This is not a ranking of every option.

BlueSleep's total is our addition from its published fees: $215 test + $115 first visit + $115 results visit + $19.50 shipping = $464.50. This covers that testing pathway, not later treatment or extra visits. All three prices are published cash figures, not insurance quotes. Sources: BlueSleep pricing (opens in a new tab), BlueSleep home sleep testing (opens in a new tab), Sleep Doctor pricing and insurance (opens in a new tab), Sleep Doctor's test page (opens in a new tab), and Lofta company information (opens in a new tab).

How to choose:

• Paying cash and want it simple? Lofta and Sleep Doctor list the same device at the same price. Compare what comes around the test: who explains your results, and how you get your records.
• Need insurance to pay? Start with your plan. Then look at Sleep Doctor or BlueSleep, which both offer an insurance route.
• Want clinician visits before and after testing? BlueSleep costs more and includes two.
• Already diagnosed? You may not need a new test. Ask for your old records first.

More Lofta sleep test questions

Do I need a doctor's referral to order?

No. Lofta's video screening is where a clinician approves and orders the test. Your insurance plan may have its own referral rules, though. If coverage matters, check first.

Will this work for my DOT physical or CDL?

Maybe. Lofta offers a DOT-driver and fleet program (opens in a new tab) with physician reports and compliance support. But the medical examiner decides what they'll accept. Ask your examiner before you buy, then confirm Lofta can supply those specific records.

I only need a prescription copy or a renewal. Do I need a new test?

You may not. First, ask the doctor who diagnosed you for a copy. Lofta's $35 RxExpress renewal (opens in a new tab) is for people diagnosed within the past 10 years who currently use CPAP. A licensed physician decides whether to renew the prescription; Lofta says it refunds the fee if a renewal cannot be issued. A change in your health or treatment needs may still call for a clinical review.

Can this test find every sleep problem?

No. It is built to check for sleep apnea. It won't explain every cause of poor sleep. If your result is normal and you're still exhausted, see a sleep clinician.

Can a teenager take the Lofta test?

No. Lofta lists the test for adults 18 and older. For a child or teen, start with their doctor.

Choose your next step

To keep a copy of the questions and tables, use your browser's print command.

How we checked this review

We read Lofta's test listing, terms of use, returns policy, shipping policy, and How It Works page on October 7, 2026. We read the FDA's record for the WatchPAT One and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's testing guideline. We read Lofta's ratings on its own site, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau the same day.

We did not buy the test, wear the device, or contact Lofta. No clinician has reviewed this page. Customer reviews shaped the questions we asked. We did not use them as proof of a price, a policy, or anyone's diagnosis.

Prices and policies change. Confirm them with Lofta before you pay. See a price or policy that's changed? Send us the source.

Read our comparison method · Editorial standards

Sources

• Lofta: home sleep test listing (opens in a new tab), terms of use (opens in a new tab), returns policy (opens in a new tab), shipping policy (opens in a new tab), How It Works (opens in a new tab), other results-time estimate (opens in a new tab), LoftaCare (opens in a new tab), AirSense 11 listing (opens in a new tab), price-match terms (opens in a new tab), military discount (opens in a new tab), RxExpress (opens in a new tab), company information (opens in a new tab), customer reviews (opens in a new tab), DOT-driver and fleet program (opens in a new tab)
• FDA: 510(k) record K223675, WatchPAT ONE (opens in a new tab), decision dated January 6, 2023
• Itamar Medical: WatchPAT One operation manual, revision 17, September 2025 (opens in a new tab), device estimates, precautions, and phone requirements
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Clinical Practice Guideline for Diagnostic Testing for Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea (opens in a new tab) (2017) and position statement on home sleep apnea tests (opens in a new tab)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Medical Examiner's Handbook, 2024 edition (opens in a new tab), section 4.8.3.6
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: coverage policy L33718 for PAP devices (opens in a new tab)
• HHS: your right to access your health records (opens in a new tab) and covered entities' response deadlines (opens in a new tab)
• Ratings: Trustpilot (opens in a new tab), Trustpilot page 2 (opens in a new tab), BBB profile (opens in a new tab), BBB customer reviews (opens in a new tab), and BBB complaints and responses (opens in a new tab)
• Other services and equipment prices: Sleep Doctor pricing and insurance (opens in a new tab), BlueSleep pricing (opens in a new tab), BlueSleep home sleep testing (opens in a new tab), CPAP.com AirSense 11 (opens in a new tab), and The CPAP Shop AirSense 11 (opens in a new tab)