Inogen Oxygen Concentrators Review In 2024 (2024)

Summary:

• Use cases and function: An Inogen oxygen concentrator provides a source of supplemental oxygen for use at home and when you’re on the go.
• Technology used in Inogen oxygen concentrators: Inogen portable oxygen concentrators feature Intelligent Delivery Technology, a flexible pulse dose delivery system that delivers oxygen as needed in various environments, according to the company.
• Selection and features: Inogen oxygen concentrators feature multiple oxygen flow settings and lightweight designs, and portable models offer extended battery life for hours of on-the-go use.

What we like:

• Three models of the Inogen One—G3, G4 and G5—are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for airline use, with DC power for use in cars as well.
• Inogen oxygen concentrators are lightweight—3.3 to 5.7 pounds for the portable models and 18 pounds for the stationary Inogen At Home model—so you can move it from room to room easily.
• Inogen’s mobile app, Inogen Connect, allows you to monitor the battery life of G4 and G5 Inogen portable oxygen concentrators from your smartphone.

What we don’t like:

• Although renting an Inogen oxygen concentrator may be covered by Medicare or private health insurance, you may still need to shell out 20% of the cost, which can be expensive, considering prices for Inogen portable oxygen concentrators range from $2,650 to more than $3,500.
• Like all oxygen concentrators, Inogen oxygen concentrators make mechanical hum, clicking and whooshing sounds when in use, which can be distracting.
• Obtaining an Inogen oxygen concentrator is a process that begins with a faxed prescription from a health care provider to Inogen, which is then verified by its medical team. The process might take a few days or longer, which means you may be without supplemental oxygen while you’re waiting for verification and product delivery.

A market leader in portable oxygen concentrators, Inogen was founded in 2001 by Alison Bauerlein, Brenton Taylor and Bryron Myers, three University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) graduates who received first place honors for the company idea at a business plan competition sponsored by the UCSB’s Technology Management Program.

Inspired by Mae, a grandmother with COPD who complained about the restrictiveness of oxygen therapy—which required switching tanks and carrying extra oxygen bottles—the company was founded to help oxygen-dependent patients lead healthier, more active lives.

Unlike traditional compressed gas cylinders (tanks filled with oxygen), oxygen concentrators provide a safe source of oxygen-enriched air using room air, which is a mixture of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. An oxygen concentrator draws room air into a cylinder that filters dust, bacteria and other air particles and absorbs nitrogen, which results in concentrated oxygen (90% or higher).

There are two types of oxygen concentrators: portable and stationary. Portable models typically use pulse mode delivery in which oxygen is delivered when the user begins to take a breath. Meanwhile, stationary models feature a continuous flow of oxygen.

Inogen currently offers three portable oxygen concentrator products—the Inogen One G3, G4 and G5—and one stationary model called Inogen at Home. Below is a summary of their key features.

Customization Options and Special Features

Splurge on the double battery for the Inogen One models if you want more flexibility with your time away from home. A double battery can keep an Inogen portable oxygen concentrator running throughout the duration of a baseball game, according to the company.

Apps and Accessories

The Inogen One G3, G4 and G5 portable oxygen concentrator models include a battery, AC/DC power cables, a carry (shoulder) strap and a protective bag for the device. The devices require a nasal cannula to deliver oxygen. Your health insurance benefits may include a free supply of nasal cannulas, so check your policy to make sure.

A carry backpack and cart are also available for the portable models.

An external battery charger is available as well, which allows you to charge multiple single and double batteries at once.

Inogen offers both a 3-year and lifetime warranty on its oxygen concentrators. Warranties vary from 30 days to one year on parts and accessories. Discounts are available at various times throughout the year, such as during the holiday season.

The G4 and G5 systems also come with a 30-day risk-free trial. Free shipping offers apply to purchases only.

“With an oxygen concentrator, reliability is key, and the Inogen machines are some of the best available,” says Conor O’Flynn, the operations manager at medical supply company O’Flynn Medical. “This sentiment is shared across the different models—the At Home, the G3, the G4 and the G5. Their portable options are the best a person can get today,” he says.

“The G3 is probably the most popular portable option due to its lightweight structure, multiple flow settings, impressive 10-hour battery life and, perhaps most importantly, its FAA approval. It’s miles ahead of the competitors,” says O’Flynn. “However, the newer G5 model gives you all the bells and whistles of the G3 and improves upon them, including more flow settings and longer battery life, and it weighs less than the previous model.”

Several customers mentioned problems with delivery and/or customer service in their review on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. One person wrote, “On January 26, 2022, I contacted the salesperson with Inogen, Inc. to get the price of their POC and its availability. The price seemed reasonable, and the salesperson provided assurance that the equipment would arrive by Friday, January 28, 2022… but unfortunately, when we received the email for the delivery, the date planned was February 1, 2022.”

Another reviewer wrote, “Worst customer service ever. [I] placed an order on behalf [of] a loved one and have not received any contact on behalf [of] the company. I called multiple times and was not able to reach any resolution on the status of the order.”

Keep in mind that when purchasing or renting an Inogen oxygen concentrator, you can purchase directly from Inogen or through an authorized Inogen internet reseller, which are listed on the company’s website.

Many customers are happy with Inogen products. On Portable Oxygen Solutions, a supplier of various brands of oxygen concentrators including Inogen, one customer wrote, “I am impressed with how small my new G4 really is. I guess it only weighs about 3 to 4 pounds. I am able to carry the G4 anywhere I go, and that’s very nice and a big difference from the tanks I had.”