Portable Oxygen Concentrators or POCs are special breathing devices used by people dealing with sleep apnea or other breathing-related conditions. A POC is extremely helpful at times when your body isn’t inhaling the optimum amount of oxygen on its own. In that case, you will have to use an oxygen concentrator to recoup for the lack of oxygen inhaled by your body.
Back in the day, oxygen concentrators used to be heavy and difficult to use, so people had several issues using them. However, things are changed now, as oxygen concentrators have become smaller and more efficient, thus making it easier for people to use them. If you are interested in buying a Portable Oxygen Concentrator in order to sleep properly during the night, then you will have to go through a slew of options in order to find the perfect POC.
However, you can make your life easier by going through the best portable oxygen concentrator reviews by consumer reports in which I’ve discussed top seven portable oxygen concentrators that are being sold on top online portals.
Reviews Of 7 Best Portable Oxygen Concentrators
1. Portable Oxygen for Home and Travel Use
This highly efficient portable oxygen concentrator provides adjustable oxygen concentration between 1 to 6L per minute. With this POC, you will get a consistent 93 percent pure oxygen flow. This portable oxygen concentrator is lightweight and extremely portable, as it just weighs 14.3 lbs, thus allowing you to use it at home, office, car or any other place of your choosy.
You can use this POC with or without water, which makes things a lot easier. The machine incorporates a LED touch display on the front side from where you can check the water level. I really like the design of this POC, as it is attractive and user-friendly. It takes just a few minutes to set this device up, and once it is ready, you can enjoy fresh oxygen being delivered to your lungs.
The machine is extremely quiet, thus making you forget if it is even there in the room. You can operate the unit from a distance of 20 meters as well, thanks to its infrared remote control. The machine can work for 3 hours continuously, plus it consists of a power-save mode, which further extends to the operation time of the machine. Besides power-saving mode, the machine has a sleep mode and auto-off protection to protect you from any mishap.
This POC allows two people to breathe oxygen at the same time, so if you and your partner have breathing conditions, then you can make use of this amazing portable oxygen concentrator.
2. Home Adjustable Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Say goodbye to breathing problem with oxygen concentrator portable machine, which has been engineered with 6 LPM from which you can set the desired LPM level. Sporting a sleek and elegant design, you can easily set it up in a confined space of your bedroom.
Moreover, it weighs less than 15 lbs, thus making it easier for you to carry the machine. You will get the right amount of oxygen with this machine, thanks to its pre-programmed intuitive settings.
The POC sports an LCD touchscreen display on which you can read and adjust settings quite easily. Moreover, the working of the machine is noise-free, thus letting you enjoy a sound sleep throughout the night. To adjust the timer or the oxygen level, you don’t have to move out of your bed at all, as the machine comes with a remote control using which you can change any setting.
3. DEDAKJ 1-6L/min Adjustable Portable Oxygen Concentrator
This is another excellent POC by DEDAKJ, which offers adjustable oxygen concentration between 1 to 6L per minute, just like the previous model, but the level of pure oxygen flow is slightly lower at 88 percent in comparison to 93 percent in aforementioned model.
This is a portable oxygen concentrator in the true sense because of its sleek design and less weight. These qualities allow users to carry this POC on trips as well. This is a feature-packed POC, which sports an HD LCD screen with touch display for checking and adjusting a number of parameters easily. The POC comes with 0-180 minute timer range and a smart time accumulation function.
This POC makes less than or equal to 45 dB of noise, which is lesser than most POCs that are available on the market. The company offers a 1-year warranty on this product, so if anything happens to the POC, then you can get in touch with the company for repair or replacement.
4. COXTOD 1-5L/min Portable Adjustable Oxygen Concentrator
This is lightweight and portable oxygen concentrator, which you can use at home, offices and at several other places. The unit operates on low power, i.e., 90 watts, thus making it energy efficient. The oxygen therapy taken through this POC is a lot better than many oxygen concentrators, thanks to the inclusion of a small humidifier.
The large HD LCD display makes it easy to record oxygen time and change other settings on the oxygen concentrator. The unit features an ‘Anion’ function, which purifies the air around you, so as to get you pure oxygen for inhaling. The smart and innovative design of the unit results in the lowest noise level, thus making the POC excellent for those who want to sleep in pin-drop silence.
The stability of gas pressure will be maintained throughout the duration when you are inhaling oxygen through it, and this has been made possible due to the special outlet, which only allows a limited air pressure. The outlet filter of the unit has the same quality, as you will find in outlet filters used by military personnel. Elderly people love this oxygen concentrator because they can get pure oxygen to inhale for 24 hours non-stop along with a high flow rate, which helps them fulfil their oxygen related requirements perfectly.
5. Zorvo 3L Portable Oxygen Concentrator Generator
This is another brand that can be used at home as well as outdoor. Zorvo has incorporated a highly advanced technology in this POC for controlling oxygen concentration to 29+/-2% in order to achieve rich oxygen.
The unit comes with a chargeable battery, which allows you to use it in the car and even at places where you have no power source to charge the unit. When it comes to operation, this unit will not disappoint you as it works all night on a full charge, plus the noise level remains below 45dB, which won’t bother you at all.
The product weighs just 4.4 lbs, which makes it one of the lightest POC on the market. Setting up this POC will not take more than 2 minutes and once it is set up, you can enjoy fresh oxygen delivered to your lungs.
6. TTLIFE Portable Oxygen Generator Machine
This is another compact and lightweight portable oxygen generator, which you can consider to replenish the depleting quantity of oxygen in your lungs to help you breathe normally. You just need to quickly set up this machine, connect a CAP with it, then set the level of oxygen, wear the CPAP mask and go to sleep. In the morning, you can clean the CPAP mask by putting it in the CPAP cleaner machine.
The outflow of this machine is 1 to 5L per minute, which is on par with top POCs. The product weighs just slightly above 13 lbs, yet it is considered one of the lightest portable oxygen concentrator. As far as operation is concerned, it will work for an entire night when it is fully charged, plus the operation will be noise-free, as the unit produces just 45dB of noise.
To see and adjust the settings, the company has incorporated a clear HD LCD on the front side of the machine. Moreover, the remote control has also been provided using which the settings can be controlled from a distance up to 20 meters. Overall, an excellent portable oxygen concentrator, which you can use at home as well as outdoors.
7. Inogen One G3
Inogen One G3 is a state-of-the-art portable oxygen concentrator, which gives you the option of inhaling purest oxygen at home or outdoors. This portable and the lightweight unit can be taken along on trips, and its 8-cell battery lets you breathe best quality oxygen for up to 5 hours.
The device has an easy-to-use control panel, which features five large buttons to operate the machine. To check pulse flow setting, battery life and status of an audible breath detection alarm, an LCD display has been added into the unit. You can quickly change the pulse dose settings by pushing two triangular buttons
For safety, the company has added a breath detection light along with an alarm light. The inclusion of backlit display button allows you to read in low light and dark rooms. The unit is FAA approved for travel, so if you were looking for a portable and versatile POC, then Inogen One G3 is a product to opt for.
What To Know About Portable Oxygen Concentrators?
There are two types of Portable Oxygen Concentrators, which are; Intermittent Flow or Continuous Flow. Intermittent flow concentrators are also known as pulse flow because these units can be set to adjust the rise time, so the level of oxygen can be increased or decreased in accordance to the breathing cycle of the user. Oxygen will be provided only when the user inhales, not when he/she exhales, thus saving oxygen in the process.
Then comes the continuous flow concentrators, which will deliver oxygen continuously as per the level set by the user in the beginning. Out of the two, the intermittent oxygen concentrator is far better in terms of operation, plus it is cost effective as well.
How To Choose The Best Portable Oxygen Concentrator
A portable oxygen concentrator can help you with sleep apnea and breathing problems, but in order to do so, it needs to operate efficiently day-in and day-out. To find such a machine, you will have to pay attention to the following factors.
Type
Portable oxygen concentrators can be used at home as well as outdoors. Highly portable oxygen concentrators are very lightweight and come in a wide range of sizes. The POCs operate on batteries, which is also a variable aspect, as some POCs may have larger battery life than others. So, you need to make sure that you are getting the product that you need in the first place.
Price
With every POC having the exact same operation, the factor that will help you decide as to which POC you should take to your home is the price of the unit. You will see portable oxygen concentrator being sold for thousands of dollars and then there are models, which you can get at less than $500, so if you are getting the exact same thing in a $500 POC, then why waste $1000+? Be smart and choose the product that is well within your budget and offers all the necessary features as well.
Noise
This is a very important factor because most people use POCs at night when they are about to go to sleep. After wearing the CPAP mask and turning on the Portable Oxygen Concentrator when they lay down on their adjustable beds, the last thing they want to hear is the whirring sound coming out of the portable oxygen concentrator.
That whirring sound will not please them at all. I hope you too want a POC that doesn’t make any sound while operating, right? So, find a machine that produces 45dB or lesser noise.
Portability
In a portable oxygen concentrator, one thing that we all would like to see is its portability, which can only come if the machine is sleek, lightweight and easy to carry. Look for a machine that doesn’t weight more than 15 lbs or else it will become difficult for you to move with it.
Level Of Oxygen Purity
This factor also varies from model to model, but as long as you are getting at least 90 percent oxygen purity, then that’s great.
Battery Life
You need to check as for how many hours the machine operates on a single full charge. The POC with the longest operation on a single charge is the one you should keep at the top of your list. Also, check as to how many hours does the battery takes to recharge because some batteries take 3-4 hours, which is way too more.
Ease Of Use
Check how easy or difficult it is to use the POC. The machine should be comfortable in using even for a person who is not too well-versed with technology. If it is easy to change the level of oxygen, turn on/off power saving mode and sleep mode, then the portable oxygen concentrator is easy to use.
Summary
Portable oxygen concentrators are special machines designed for people who need supplementary treatment for their breathing conditions. It is possible for people to correct their sleep-related problems, which occur because of shortness of breath. I have discussed seven portable oxygen concentrators, which are packed with many incredible features to make your life easier at home as well as outdoors. You can go through the best portable oxygen concentrator reviews by consumer reports, which offer a similar kind of operation but have different size and weight. Select the POC that you think would suit your body the best and make a purchase.