The 5 Best Portable Oxygen Concentrators of 2023

Portable oxygen concentrators are an excellent way to administer on-the-go oxygen therapy. A portable oxygen concentrator delivers oxygen to people living with low oxygen levels without limiting their mobility. These portable concentrators are life-altering devices, allowing people to travel, spend time with family and friends outside of their home, and lead a productive life while using oxygen therapy.

According to the American Lung Association, some of the conditions that may require supplemental oxygen include COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, and sleep apnea. While oxygen therapy isn’t meant to cure any of these conditions, it can help to reduce shortness of breath, provide better sleep, improve fatigue, and promote a more active lifestyle.

There are many different brands and models of medical oxygen concentrators for people to choose from, so our reviews team rounded up the top portable oxygen concentrators of 2023. We created our list by analyzing important factors for purchasing oxygen concentrators, such as max oxygen output, weight, battery life, and airflow type.

Portable oxygen concentrators help deliver medical oxygen to people needing oxygen therapy without hindering mobility or independence. They’re relatively lightweight oxygen concentrators producing oxygen-rich air for you to breathe in easily through a breathing mask or nasal cannula.

Oxygen concentrators work by pulling in outside air, filtering it to remove nitrogen and any contaminants and compressing it using an electric pump. They typically operate using rechargeable batteries and offer pulse or continuous flow oxygen. At-home, portable concentrators are generally safer and use less electricity than traditional medical oxygen tanks.

Longest Battery Life: CAIRE Freestyle Comfort
Quietest: Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini
Best for Travel: Belluscura X-PLOR
Best Pulse Flow: Inogen One G5
Best Continuous Flow: CAIRE SeQuel Eclipse 5

Longest Battery Life: CAIRE Freestyle Comfort

Pros:
UltraSense technology
Easy-to-use
Convenient accessories

Cons:
Long battery charge time
Larger battery pack costs extra

Delivery/Flow Type: Pulse flow
Weight: 5 lbs
Battery Life: 8 hrs on setting 1
Battery Charge Time: 3.5 hours

The CAIRE Freestyle Comfort portable concentrator features an ergonomic design to make it more comfortable to carry, as well as a long battery life for extended use. Its easy-to-use color control panel offers soft-touch buttons, and the unit can be started with one touch. It has five pulse settings and maximum oxygen output of 1,050 milliliters per minute, plus UltraSense technology that calibrates the oxygen output based on the number of breaths detected. The included eight cell battery offers up to eight hours of use on the lowest pulse dose setting, while the optional 16 cell battery offers up to 16 hours of use on the lowest setting. This makes the CAIRE Freestyle Comfort an excellent choice for travel or outdoor activities.

Quietest: Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini

Pros:
Long battery life
Lightweight, impact-resistant design
LCD touchscreen

Cons:
Extended battery costs extra

Delivery/Flow Type: Pulse flow
Weight: 5 lbs
Battery Life: 4.5 hours
Battery Charge Time: 4 hours

The Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini is much more compact than conventional medical oxygen tanks and easier to move around the home or take with you during travel. It runs at a low 43 decibels on a setting of 2, making it a quiet piece of equipment for portable oxygen therapy. It provides a max of 1,000 milliliters of oxygen per minute in a pulse dose delivery. The SimplyGo Mini is also incredibly durable, featuring an impact-resistant design that can withstand extreme vibrations and temperatures. It even includes a custom carry case and shoulder strap so you can take it with you wherever you go. 

Best for Travel: Belluscura X-PLOR

Pros:
Extremely lightweight
Quiet operation
Includes shoulder strap and carrying bag

Cons:
Shorter battery life
Lower oxygen output

Delivery/Flow Type: Pulse flow
Weight: 3.25 lbs
Battery Life: 2.5 hrs
Battery Charge Time: 5 hrs

The Belluscura X-PLOR is the smallest oxygen concentrator on our list, weighing only 3.25 pounds. Despite its small size, it is still capable of delivering up to 800 milliliters of oxygen per minute for up to two and a half hours with the included four cell battery. The unit comes with a shoulder strap and carrying case so you can take it with you anywhere. If you need more than two and a half hours of use, you can purchase an optional eight cell battery for up to five hours of power. Whether you are in the car or at the airport, the Belluscura X-PLOR concentrator is the best choice for travel.

Best Pulse Flow: Inogen One G5

Pros:
Runs quietly
Lightweight
Long battery life

Cons: 
No continuous flow option
Requires double battery for longer operation

Delivery/Flow Type: Pulse flow
Weight: 4.7 lbs
Battery Life: 6.5 hrs (single battery on setting 1)
Battery Charge Time: 4 hrs per battery

Inogen offers one of the quietest and most portable oxygen concentrators. The Inogen One G5 weighs nearly five pounds when using a single battery and can provide close to six and a half hours of battery life on the lowest setting. While there’s no continuous flow option, it utilizes a proprietary Intelligent Delivery technology for pulse flow oxygen delivery that automatically adjusts to your breathing rate, with six separate settings. The Inogen One G5 provides a max oxygen flow of 1,260 milliliters per minute on its highest pulse dose setting. Best of all, it is extremely quiet, operating at only 39 decibels on a setting of 2. Along with the easy-to-read LCD display, you can use the free Inogen Connect app on your smartphone to monitor the performance of your Inogen One G5. Read our Inogen review for more information.

Best Continuous Flow: CAIRE SeQuel Eclipse 5

Pros:
Both continuous flow and pulse dose settings
Includes cart with wheels and telescoping handle
Can operate while recharging battery on DC power

Cons:
Heavier than some other models
Louder than smaller units

Delivery/Flow Type: Pulse and continuous flow
Weight: 18.4 lbs
Battery Life: 5 hrs
Battery Charge Time: 1.8 to 5 hrs

The SeQuel Eclipse 5 from CAIRE is a top-tier choice if you’re looking for portable oxygen concentrator that offers both pulse flow and continuous flow settings. It is one of the most powerful units on our list, with a maximum oxygen output in continuous flow mode of 3,000 milliliters per minute. It uses AutoSAT technology to help provide a consistent amount of oxygen per minute despite changes in breath rate. While it is larger than some other portable units, weighing 18.4 pounds, it does include a mobile cart with wheels and a telescoping handle for easy transport. Another key feature of the SeQuel Eclipse 5 is that it can function in either pulse dose or continuous flow mode while you recharge the battery, even in the car during travel.

Choosing a portable oxygen concentrator that’s right for you will vary based on your personal needs, oxygen therapy goals, and doctor’s prescription. Here are a few other essential factors that you should consider about when selecting the best portable oxygen concentrator.

Weight: One of the most significant differences between a portable oxygen machine and a traditional medical oxygen tank is the size, including weight. At-home, mobile oxygen devices are intended to be lightweight and compact enough for you to take anywhere. If your prescribed oxygen treatment requires higher oxygen output, you may need a larger and heavier concentrator. But if you’re searching the market for portable oxygen options, pulse flow devices are typically lighter, with many weighing less than 10 pounds. Units with continuous flow settings can weigh nearly 20 pounds or more on average.

Delivery/flow: When it comes to medical oxygen, there are two primary forms of airflow: pulse flow and continuous flow. A continuous flow unit releases a steady oxygen supply, even when you’re not breathing in. Portable oxygen systems with continuous airflow have larger compressors, and because the flow is constant, some oxygen is wasted.

A pulse flow concentrator delivers short air puffs synchronized with your breathing, allowing you to inhale the fresh oxygen only when you breathe. Pulse flow units also use less energy than continuous units since they only provide oxygen when you inhale with no wasted oxygen. Although pulse flow is more common with nighttime use, some portable oxygen concentrators have both airflow modes.

Oxygen output: Knowing how much oxygen the device can pump out is critical. Oxygen output is usually expressed in “milliliters per minute” or “liters per minute,” with 1,000 milliliters per minute being 1 liter per minute. Unlike traditional medical oxygen tanks, portable concentrators give a fixed amount of oxygen based on your airflow settings. A top-rated pulse flow device may deliver up to 1,000-plus milliliters of oxygen per minute, while a continuous unit typically delivers up to 5,000 milliliters of oxygen per minute.

Battery life: Most portable oxygen concentrators have a single rechargeable battery that can last between three and five hours. Some models have a dual battery capability, which can provide additional hours of use, or where one can be used while the other charges. You can get extra battery life by using power adapters and portable charging equipment. Several smaller, lighter concentrators may offer faster battery charging times.

Depending on your specific requirements, other variables to consider include machine durability, extra accessories, customer service, and FAA approval if you plan to fly while utilizing oxygen treatment.

Many people use portable oxygen concentrators for various medical issues. Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), sleep apnea, anemia, and surgery can lower oxygen levels, causing blood oxygen numbers to go below average.

A portable oxygen concentrator boosts your blood oxygen levels quickly and easily. These machines take in air, compress it, filter out nitrogen and other impurities, and then supply 95 percent pure oxygen to you via a mask or nasal cannula.

Sources:

• Oxygen Therapy | American Lung Association
• Pulse Oximeters and Oxygen Concentrators: What to Know About At-Home Oxygen Therapy | FDA
• Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) Versus Standard of Care in Long-COVID | The Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC) & Inogen Inc.
• Home Oxygen Therapy | Eman Shebl; Pranav Modi; Terry D. Cates
• Oxygen Equipment Coverage | Medicare.gov