Small, relatively cheap oxygen concentrators

I only use my stationary at night and turn it off every morning & on just before bed every day. I use a portable Inogen One G5 during the day. It’s worked just fine for me.

I've never been told not to turn off and on. I do mine in efforts to save electricity. Ridiculous amount. Rarely under 325.00 monthly.

No nothing like that .
Is this through your insurance? If it is request a new supplier that has better machines. If our electric goes out it sounds an alarm.

I don’t know how much electricity it uses I always have it on.

@robtlhughes I think both options are noisy. I would recommend putting the machine in a room near your bedroom using 25’ tubing (up to 50’ with a home concentrator and 25’ for the Inogen Rover 6). I have used my portable when I travel for overnight use and put it in the hotel bathroom with 25’ tubing. The home concentrator’s allow for continuous flow oxygen which means you don’t have the puff sound that you do with pulse flow. My husband is very sensitive to noise so this worked for awhile. I find it hard to sleep with the puff sound especially at a higher flow rate, so I now travel with the bigger home concentrator for night time use. Good luck with your choice.

@cameron747 I was never advised not to turn mine off. I try to turn mine off if using my portable for any length of time to save on electricity. There are options that use lower amounts of electricity and also may weigh less if you move yours from room to room. These specifications are usually noted for the product. Hope you find something better,

@otterbein79 Are you in the UK or USA? Thx.

@otterbein79 I would like a Bluetooth option to turn my large concentrator on/off as needed since I keep mine in a separate room from where I am during the day. My machine only has a 110 volt type plug. Can you please provide more info on the exact Bluetooth plug and if this works with the type of plug my machine has. Also, the app name you use. Thx.

Hi Rob. I am sorry you are dealing with this, but unfortunately, your experience is exactly what we see in the safety lab constantly.

You mentioned that your small units "didn't require prescriptions." That is the biggest red flag in the industry. In the United States, any device that actually produces medical-grade oxygen (above 87% purity) is federally required to have a prescription.

If a seller tells you "no prescription needed," they are usually selling a non-medical "oxygen generator" rather than a true "oxygen concentrator." These machines often claim they go up to 4 or 5 liters, but the reality is scary. As you turn the flow up, the oxygen purity drops drastically, sometimes down to 30% or less. That is why you are not getting the saturation you need at night.

The "Amazon Whac-A-Mole" Game We see these cheap units pop up on Amazon all the time. They violate Amazon’s policy because they are medical devices being sold without oversight. Amazon eventually catches them and takes the listing down, but the sellers just create a new account and pop up again a few days later.

Two Rules of Thumb to Stay Safe:

The $1,000 Rule: If a new concentrator is being sold for under $1,000, it is almost certainly substandard or dangerous. Real sieve beds and compressors cost more than that to build safely.

The Review Check: Because these listings get deleted and reposted constantly, they rarely have long histories. If you see a machine with fewer than 200 reviews, you likely cannot trust it.

A Tip for Your VA Machine Since you have a reliable "big OC" from the VA, I highly recommend sticking with that for sleep. It is loud, but it keeps you safe.

To fix the noise, check your user manual. Most standard home concentrators are rated to push oxygen through 50 to 100 feet of tubing without losing pressure. If your specs allow it, you can buy a long tubing extension and move the machine into a spare room or down the hall.

Just make sure you do not put it in a closet. These machines generate heat and need plenty of fresh air circulation to work correctly, so keep it in an open space.

Fran Fox ("Foxygen") Oxygen Industry Founder & Patient Advocate