March 23, 2021 Jason Spivak

4 Benefits To Choosing a Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Oxygen concentrators are used by people with medical conditions resulting in low levels of oxygen in their blood. An oxygen concentrator takes in air, removes nitrogen and pumps out medical grade, pure oxygen to help people with these medical conditions, breath in the quality air that they need. As you can probably tell, these machines are extremely important for the lifestyle of millions of people worldwide. But why would someone choose a portable oxygen concentrator over its stationary big brother or the common alternative, oxygen tanks? Here are 4 benefits to choosing a portable oxygen concentrator!

Size & Weight

The average stationary oxygen concentrator weighs in at a whopping average of about 45 pounds. Although they fluctuate in size, they are usually way too big and/or heavy to make transport an easy process.

On the other hand, portable oxygen concentrators are literally designed with ease of travel in mind. Weighing in at about 8 pounds on average and typically being less than half the size, using your POC anywhere you go is not a problem.

Whether you’re at work, the park, the car, or at home, you know you’ll be able to easily transport your oxygen concentrator with ease. POC’s easily take the cake when it comes to ease of travel.

Simplicity

To many, learning and managing the ins and outs of a standard stationary oxygen concentrator is a lot to handle. On top of that, nobody wants to deal with the hassle of the refill and delivery process that accompanies oxygen tanks, if they don’t have to. POC’s are made with ease of use in mind.

No heavy lifting, no refills, minimal wires, and a simpler cleanup process are only some of the key benefits that prove its true simplicity. Not only are they easier to transport, clean and manage as discussed previously, but many take travel into account and come with several power capabilities. POC’s truly encourage a freer lifestyle where you are not bound by your medical device.

Safety

Oxygen tanks are filled with a certain amount of compressed oxygen and have a similar use as oxygen concentrators. The main difference between a tank and a concentrator is that the concentrator does not have any oxygen stored inside. Rather, it constantly filters the air around it and turns it into medical grade

oxygen. Because of this, the patient never needs to haul their tank back and forth to be filled or carry spare tanks, reducing the risk of accidents.

The biggest reason oxygen concentrators are considered safer than their oxygen tank alternative is due to the large amounts of compressed oxygen rich gas found in oxygen tanks, which is extremely flammable and exceedingly difficult to put out. With a POC, these risks are almost completely extinguished.

Cost

Now, you might be thinking “with all these benefits, it probably costs a fortune!” Well, it really depends on how you look at it. Upfront, a POC will be costlier. Usually hitting the $1500 mark and up. But if you take in to account the lifetime cost of alternatives, the answer is clear. With oxygen tanks for example, it may be a lower upfront cost, but when you add the cost of refills, delivery, etc, the cost of your medical oxygen skyrockets.

Assuming your oxygen therapy is a long term solution to your medical issue, a portable oxygen concentrator ends up saving you money over time, especially if you require large amounts of it. If the initial cost is a big deterring factor, you may consider buying a used/refurbished POC at a discount. Here at My Medical Outlet, we go through a rigorous refurbished certification process to ensure the quality is still there. That way, we can offer you a discounted POC that you can trust to work like new!