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Choosing a Portable O2 concentrator for air travel
Would like some feedback on POCs as to which ones are reliable and individual responses as to their experience using it, including which delivery method works for them, pulse or constant flow. I am turned off by the ads on the internet and magazines. Seems to be a lot of hype and little facts. Tks John M
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39 Replies
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Hi John, I have been using the Inogen One now for about a year. I chose it because of the size, weight and diversity of charging. It weighs a little over 3 lbs, can be worn over the shoulder and can be charged with electricity and/or a car charger. It is a pulse condensor and I had no trouble switching from the constant flow at home to the pulse for travel. It is quiet and on a level 2 I get about 3 hours of constant use out of it. It takes about 4 hours to charge up on electricity. I place it often in a backpack when traveling. Even though it is a condensor you will need to inform the airline in advance that you will be traveling with it. Good luck with your search. Hope I have helped. Miriam
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Tks Miriam, my concern is that the pulse dose will not be enough for me. I have the small tanks now and it has a regulator that has a pulse and constant settings. On 2 constant I can move about fairly well and stay above 90 spox if I take it easy. But on pulse 4 or 5 I drop to 87-89 with same exertion. I have read that the newer pulse units work better on delivering the bolus of O2 and I am wondering if that would help my situation. I am a mouth breather and also a shallow breather so maybe that will help. Anything you can relate to regarding my situation? Tks again John M
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@jhm8145
Hi John,
Great question – there always seems to be a lot to know about portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) and person experiences from others are always invaluable. There is a lot of information on this on the forums already, if you wanted to take a look. Just use the search function (top right hand side of the screen) and type in what you’re looking for: “POCs”, “flying with oxygen”, etc. It should give you a lot of responses to have a great through.
I use a Phillips Respironics SimplyGo machine for travel as it is FAA approved and (from my understanding) has the highest continuous flow. My only complaint is the weight – it is about 10lbs – so heavy to carry around, but both a trolley and backpack can help that.
Goodluck!
Char.-
Tks Charlene, I did try using the search function and got no replies. typed POC and next I put in Portable oxygen concentrators and got nothing. Not sure what I am doing wrong? I will try again with your suggestions.
I was hoping to hear from some who had purchased one and their experience ; i.e. maintenance, customer service, price, etc.
I am looking at the Simply Go as it has both pulse and constant flow for air travel. But as you point out it is very heavy to carry. Is there a pulse setting that you have found that gives you as much of a bolus on pulse as it does on constant 2?
Tks John M
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@jhm8145
Hi John,
Thanks so much for writing and alerting me to the search issues in the bar! I also just tried to search for some posts and nothing came up. How bizarre – I’ll let our tech team know, thanks for flagging this for me. If I can get this fixed, I’ll let you know as there are lots of personal experiences about POCs on this site. Try checking out this link for now and see if you can find anything on POCs.
Talk to you soon,
Char. -
Charlene, When I use the search option at the top I get results as you indicated. But using the search box on the right side I get nothing. Hope this helps. John M
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Thank you John, that does help!
I think I figured it out — when you type in the search bar to the right of the screen, just start typing what you want to search and a list of topics will appear for you to select from. You don’t have to type in the full topic and hit enter, like I thought you might have to do. For example, if you type in “porta” and are looking for portable oxygen, any topic mentioning the search words you typed should come up before having to hit enter. See if that brings up anything helpful for you 🙂
Char. -
That’s what I did but got “ no results” but when I used the search function at the the top, it worked as you describe. Tks John M
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At 30,000 feet on a plane, my interstitial disease lungs go bonkers and the saturation levels drop like a rock. Be sure to take plenty of oxygen on the plane.
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Ben, I had a similar experience last year before getting my O2. Went on a 2 hr flt and as soon as we got to altitude (36000’) which is 8-10,000’ cabin alt I put my finger spox meter on and it read 85-87%. Worst thing was I was setting all the way in the first row of seats and because of COVID they closed the front restroom (head for you Navy folks) and when I had to go, I had to walk the entire length of the plane to use the bathroom. When I got there I was feeling dizzy and checked my stats and it was 72-77%. When I came out I immediately sat down in a vacant row seat that was available and right away an attendant said I had to go back to my assigned seat. I told her fine but first I need to catch my breath. After a few minutes I got back to the mid 80s and slowly returned to to my seat where I stayed in the 85-87% range for the rest of the flight. I still had to get back home in 10 days and I made sure I didn’t need to use the RR on this flt. Also my sats stayed around 88-90% the whole trip. Moral of the story is if you have O2 issues, don’t fly without supplemental O2. I didn’t want to be the one to cause the plane to make an emergency landing because I passed out.
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John,
I have used an Inogen 3. It has 5 settings 1-5. No continuous flow. As my needs continue to grow, I have found the floor model giving continuous flow is the only thing I can use. I do use the smaller tank for portabilty, but only for a limited amount of time. As long as you don’t need continuous flow and depending on how much you travel, I wouldn’t wrap up too much money in the lower producing machines.
Jim Dawson
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Good responses here. Hoping for more.
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I purchased an Inogen One G5, which is actually a bit smaller than my old G3. It goes to a setting of 6, which doesn’t sound like much more than the top setting of 5 on a G3, but it makes a huge difference to me.
Medicare would pay for a G3 but not a G5, so I purchased it myself. You cannot take tanks on a plane so I just bought the newest and most powerful POC they make. I was hesitant to put out the money without first trying it, but was told by my supplier that I could return it within 30 days. After I tried it and liked it, I asked to order an additional battery and charger, but my supplier suggested that I buy it from Amazon–same price and free shipping, whereas Inogen charges shipping.
I’m able to keep my O2 in the 90’s even walking around (slowly) using a setting of 6.
I’ve read that when you get to your destination you can usually rent tanks from a local supplier, so you just need the POC for the plane.
Good luck and happy flying.
Judy
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Judy, thanks for your response. This is exactly what I am trying to figure out before I buy a portable unit. Right now I have a portable tank which has a pulse setting up to 6. While riding a bike gently on level pavement, I drop to 87%. What I am hoping is that the new pulse units will do a better job of delivering the bonus and it will keep me above 90%.
For reference, if don’t mind me asking, what is your normal at rest sats without O2. Mine is 95 most of the time but drops immediately with exertion. Walking around without O2, I quickly drop to the low 80s after
50 ft or so of steady walking. Also, I have Lincare as my supplier and after my flying incident I mentioned above, they told me that with a couple of days notice they could have a home unit installed at the place I would be staying. FYI. John M-
John,
Sitting still w/o oxygen, my O2 level is 93 or 92. Walking just a little ways I quickly drop to the low 80’s. With my G5 on setting 6 I can walk around the house and keep it at 97-98. At that point I usually drop the setting to 4.
As I said, we bought the G5 because we can’t take tanks on airplanes, and we WERE planning to do lots of traveling. Until Delta. 🙁
Judy
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Thanks Judy, that really helps me get a good idea of where I might be with a G5. Like you when I’m sitting around my sats are 95 but when walking more than a few feet my sats drop to the mid to low 80s. It sounds like it will work for you flying on an airplane and with minimal exertion. I would guess that it will work for me as well. The only conundrum for me is should I get the G5 or get the Simply Go which will give me the best of both worlds with 5 Pulse and 2 Continuous. Just for air travel, the extra 5 lbs doesn’t really matter as you can use a cart to get it on the plane, etc. Thanks for your insight and please let me know if you get to use it in the air. Tks John M
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I wasn’t aware of the Simply Go. I just looked it up and it sounds like a very good solution.
At the time of my last plane flight I just used the POC going and coming from the plane, but seated I did not need it and put it in the overhead compartment. My oxygen needs have increased since then and I will probably need to use it during the flight. So far, the G5 has met all my needs, quickly bringing my low 80s up to the high 90s. (The G3 could not do that.)
I hope you’ll keep in touch and let us know what you decide to use and then how it worked for you.
Judy
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Thanks so much for your info Judy. Do have feel for where you were at sats wise when you flew and didn’t need to use O2. By that I mean how were you doing, sats wise, at rest and walking at that time? I’m really surprised you didn’t need O2 while you were in the air. As I mentioned in my earlier post, mine really dropped once we got to altitude (85-87) and when walking to the RR it plummeted to the 70s. I am really encouraged by your reporting that the pulse bolus is working out wonderful for you. What was it about the G3 that wasn’t working for you? Not a high enough bolus or was the sensitivity of the equipment not enough to trigger a burst for your respiration rate? Much appreciate the info. John M
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I haven’t had any problem triggering a pulse with either the G5 or G3. But the G3 just wouldn’t give me enough oxygen to bring my level up to the 90s.
Judy
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Thanks so much Judy. I think I am going to try the G5 if they have extra batteries. Don’t know if you saw the post from John Styles but he says they aren’t selling individual batteries except with the G5 That would be an issue.
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John M,
Please, please, please, do your own research before you buy a POC. If it’s not what you need you just bought a very expensive door stop. A setting of 6 is NOT necessarily higher than a setting of 5 on a different machine. Find the handbooks on line and they should give you the exact size of the bolus at each setting.There oceans of data on the net and on this forum. Some of the advice here is well meant but wrong. Caveat emptor!
Bill
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John, if you have a portable oxygen unit with a pulse rating of 6, there is no higher unit unless it is a bigger unit, floor model. So I am not sure what you are looking for. If your oxygen rate is dropping to the 80’s with minimal exertion, anything other than continuous flow is your only option.
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Jim, I appreciate your observation but I’m not sure if that’s necessarily true in my case, anyway. If you have been following Judy Fraser, the new G5 seems to be working for her. I am hoping that the minimal bolus that is given as a perfectly timed dose will meet my O2 needs at the present time. With constant flow, one has no idea how much oxygen that they are consuming on a setting of 2 continuous. What percentage of that 2L one actually inhales into their lungs on that one breath I don’t know. I’m trying to find out as best I can but maybe the only solution is for me to buy one and try it. I currently have a smll tank setup which has a pulse setting feature from 1-6? and continuous 1-2L. However, the pulse is not automatic or scheduled to your inhalation rate, but rather you have to actuate it by inhaling rather hard for it to function. I end up snorting my breaths instead of a natural inhale. I am also a shallow breather/mouth breather and I find myself not actuating the regulator some of the time. I’m hoping the new technology with improve the pulse function to the point it will work for some of us at least for a while. i have 11 grandchildren in Ohio and I need to have a way of getting back and forth easily and cheaply. Tks John M
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Tks Bill for the warning. I get what you are saying and I too believe there is too much BS and hyperbole surrounding these portable systems. However, we want to be mobile and somehow we need to find out what machine will meet our needs currently. As I mentioned to Judy, her experiences, along with her data will maybe give someone with a similar profile, a good idea of what might work for them, also. Lord knows, the doctors aren’t going to take the time to test us on each machine and setting to see which will work for us in a given situation. Maybe, if we all share our experiences with each other, we can make our lives more enjoyable as we make this difficult journey. Tks again Bill for your concern. John M
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Bill Kelly,
I did not give any advice. I told him of my experience. I believe that’s what he was looking for.
I have never given anyone advice here.
Judy
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Judy,
My advice was not directed at you. To be honest I didn’t even read your post. There are probably 50+ comments on this board about oxygen. I’ll say it again: Do not trust any representations about performance of a POC unless it is in writing. I have had salesmen tell me direct lies and INSIST that it was the truth e.g. that a setting of 6 on a particular POC meant 6 Liters/min. There is no portable that can produce pulses equivalent to 6L/Min.The acid test of a POC is will it do the job for you under flight conditions.
That’s why I believe that the safest route is to rent first.Of course these tiny POCs are great if you can manage with 1 liter continuous but how many batteries would you need for a transatlantic flight? Think Paris to Salt Lake, say at 150% of flight time.
Bill
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John and Ben, John- you said that your O2 read 87 at 36K feet. What is it normally at home? Ben- you said your O2 goes bonkers at altitude. How badly, from at home normal to altitude? My O2 is 99 at rest and 95 after walking 2 miles on level ground at sea level. Should I be concerned with October flights of over 4 hours duration? A United pilot I had the chance to converse with recently said not to worry the plane is equipped to handle “emergencies”. My PA also said I should be good to fly. Everyone’s personal experiences carry weight with me. Thanks, Bill
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Bill S
Aircraft cabins are usually set to the equivalent of 8000′. I once tested myself on Delta. When I walked to the restroom at cruising height my % O2 level dropped from 91 to 87. At ground level, sitting reading, my O2 level is 96 to 98 depending on how exciting the book is.Bill
ps 36k’ is higher than Everest. I’m sure I would expire at that height outside of a pressurized cabin.
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Bill S, thanks for your question. My at rest at home is around 95 +or – 1. As Bill K mentioned, all commercial a/c cabins will maintain a cabin altitude of 6-8000′ regardless of how high above that altitude the plane is flying. If it should increase above 10000′, the oxygen masks in the overhead will deploy for the passengers use. That is what the attendants are telling everyone as you are taxiing out to take off.
As for any recommendations, I recommend that you go with the advise of your DR/PA as they will better know your situation and needs. From what you have said I would “guess” that you would have no problem but that’s just me guessing and that’s why I too am on this forum trying to find some answers. Tks John M
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I have an Inogen 1 G5, on rec. of a friend of a friend. It works great. I’m out on trails, walking with my dog every afternoon and it keeps up with me. Two things to remember, in my understanding. 1. The numbers on the “output” are just numbers to tell an increase or decrease of O2. The don’t mean “liters/whatever.” 2. If you’re flying you have to show that you have 1 1/2 times the length of the flight, including layovers, in battery life ON YOU. So for a 4 hr. flight you need to show you have 6 hrs. of battery time. I’m planning a trip to Europe in January, if Covid doesn’t doesn’t intervene. I have a 2hr. battery and 4 hr. battery and will have to purchase another 4 hr. battery to fly there. Yikes!!
Rand O’Brien-
Rand,
You can rent a battery. If you have a stopover you can recharge your batteries. Don’t count on the 110V on the plane to charge your battery.No-one has ever asked me to see my batteries.
Question for everyone: Has anyone ever asked you to show your batteries or even how many you have?
Bill
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For me, they always just ask: Do you have enough for 1 1/2 times length of flight? I say Yes and they’re happy.
But I’ve found that recharging is very slow. If I put my backup battery on my auxiliary charger and use a full battery on my G5, I’ll use up the battery on the POC before the backup is charged. Pretty much, if I’m sitting down, I’ll keep the POC charger connected most of the time.
Judy
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Judy, I take it from your posts that you haven’t flown with the G5 yet. So, which model did use use to fly and what were your experiences with it as to O2 sats, etc. Did you test it without the O2 on and then after moving about the cabin? What settings did you use? If it worked for you why are you switching to the G5? Apologize for all the questions but just trying to find what might work for me. Tks John M
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John, my oxygen needs increased in the last few months. But I have taken the G5 on a couple of very short flights (~1hr). For those flights I was able to sit down, no walking around, with my POC in the overhead. Didn’t check my sats. I don’t think I could do that now, but thanks to the delta variant, I won’t be trying that any time soon. 🙁
Judy
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@warlock ,
Hi Bill!
I’ve never been asked by any airline employees to see the extra batteries I use for my POC on flights. They typically just ask if I have enough for 150% of the flight duration and if I say yes, that is all they need to know. No one has ever really verified anything on POC, aside from it being FAA approved and then it gets slapped with a sticker and a way-I-go. Hope that’s helpful!
Char.
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Seems there may be a battery shortage, ( what’s next? ) I out grew my g4 and have a g3 but noticed only batteries available for g5 are with purchasing a new unit from innogen. I have been to Europe 3 times with these oxygen generators, seems I needed 2 more pulse units when sitting and 3 walking around like to the bathroom. Not always do you get a outlet that works at your seat so carrying extra batteries can help.
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John S, what is your normal at rest sats? Trying to compare my situation to yours. I too, would like to go to Europe but have to find something that will get me there. John M
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Sitting I am 90, to 91. Walking I am 86 so I use portable oxygen up to 5. Last time in Europe was July 2019 and I was 91 sitting but I was 88 walking. I would not go today. The oxygen concentrators do not filter out covid 19 and other viruses and you can not put a mask on the machine so you get the air from the cabin on the plane unfiltered. There are other raspatory viruses out there. If you must go there is no other choice but to use the oxygen concentrator and they must be pre approved before arriving at the airport. I remember having a custom agent think he had something out of the ordinary in Amsterdam because I had extra batteries and the charge with me but I finally go cleared when a supervisor looked over everything.
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John, when you say 86 walking ,what does the pulse setting of 5 bring it up to? Your info is very helpful to me as is seems that you and I are fairly close in O2 requirements. Are you on Ofev or Esbriet for your lungs? Also, where did you read about the battery issue with the G5? That could be factor in which one I chose.
You make a good point about the concentrator not filtering out any viruses. I wonder if there has been a study done to see if it can be modified to do that. Actually, I think for most of us, any viruses could be problematic for our lung function. Last year, I had a bad chest infection and they thought it might be Covid but after 5 days in isolation, they determined it was just a common Rhinovirus. Of couse to us that can be almost as bad as Covid. John M
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