Portable nebulizer suggestions

Please search threads here for Pari eflow or erapid. Highly recommended portable nebulizer, a lot has been written.

@mtinderscott2626 Take a look at this discussion:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/looking-for-a-decent-portable-nebulizer/
After a lot of research and discussion, we "bit the bullet" and purchased the pricy Pari eFlow Rapid. Shortly after the purchase, my partner was also told to nebulize daily. With 2 power heads this is quick and easy to do. It performed flawlessly on 2 long trips in 2025 - one in our camper for three weeks, another in Europe. We get over 20 uses (with 7% saline) between charges.

Sadly, insurance and Medicare don't cover this device, so it was out of pocket, but we watched for a sale and bought it with HSA dollars.

The good news is that it is easy to sterilize - we boil in distilled water on the stovetop. Others may be able to speak to using either a baby bottle or microwave sterilizer.

I started with the only nebulizer that Medicare provided. It is loud and not very strong.
I found the Traveler from DeVilbiss. It cut my neb time in half and is much quieter.
I have travelled with it and found success.
Good luck to you.
Ann P

The Pari Trek is pretty inexpensive and small. It can be purchased online at multiple places for under $100, more if you buy optional battery.

@sueinmn What company had a sale on the Pari eFlow Rapid? Does this nebulizer cut down on the time of using a nebulizer at each session?

@mtinderscott2626 Sorry not Sue but a fellow user/owner of eFlow for several years now. 7% 4mL saline nebulized in less than 5 minutes, with no noise. Nebology.com is an authorized reseller of this device, which by-the-way, has been used in the CF population for years. Tried and true introduced over a decade ago. I only wish they would reduce the price to make it more accessible to other patients. Nebology.com tends to run sales around holidays. The best discount I've seen is 40% off, which may have been around the December/January holidays. Usually 25%, sometimes 30% off retail price. Still pricey. Worth every penny as it's a giant time saver, especially since I neb 2x day, 365 days a year. However I can reduce time spent on managing BE, is worth it to me. Nuff said!

Thank you!!!

I am confused by all the nebulizer variations. Would those of you in the know please explain them to me? What do you mean by a “portable” nebulizer? Is this meant to indicate one that is lightweight, or one that runs on a rechargeable battery? If the pricey Pari eRapid is a portable nebulizer, do you use it when you are at home or do you use a tabletop model? Are you buying it because it’s portable or fast? Which of these use a mesh mouthpiece and why? A little enlightenment would be much appreciated!

@juliea55 This is a really common question, and can be confusing. People use the same words to mean different things.

When people say “portable” nebulizer, they usually mean battery-powered, not just lightweight. In other words, it doesn’t have to be plugged into the wall while you’re using it. Most portable units are light and quiet too, but the battery is the key distinction.

Tabletop nebulizers are traditional plug-in compressor machines. They’re reliable but big, loud, and meant to stay in one place. The Ombra is an example.

The PARI eRapid/eFlow gets called portable because it’s battery-powered, but can also be plugged in an outlet. A lot of people use it at home as I do, and also take it on travel. People choose it because it’s faster and quieter than a standard compressor nebulizer. Treatments take less time. It's considered a mesh nebulizer, and does not have a compressor. It uses a vibrating mesh to create the mist. That’s why they are small, quiet, and fast. The downside is cost and that the handsets are recommended to be replaced every 6-12 months.

If you are considering the eFlow I'd urge you to search the forum here as there's been a lot of valuable information written about it, which is impossible to recreate here in this post.

A few links to illustrate the differences.
https://www.saveritemedical.com/products/ombra-120v-table-top-nebulizer-compressor-system
https://nebology.com/products/pari-trek-s-portable-nebulizer-system-with-lc-sprint (compressor based, takes similar time as tabletop)
https://nebology.com/products/pari-erapid-nebulizer-system-with-eflow-technology

@mtinderscott2626 Nebology.com often has sales, currently it is priced at $899, but ight now they have a 20% coupon until the end of the month - net price $719.
It comes with 2 power heads (my partner & I each use one and share the base.) For us, the silent operation & speed are great, but the portability really sold us - we travel a lot, and between the small size, light weight and long battery life it makes our lives simple.