How Long Does a Portable Oxygen Concentrator Last?

It is important to have a portable oxygen concentrator when you need to access oxygen outside your home. Fortunately, most portable oxygen concentrators for sale come equipped with long-lasting batteries capable of providing oxygen for several hours with a total lifespan of up to seven years. 

Portable Oxygen Concentrator Lifespan

Oxygen concentrators have a lifespan of four to seven years, and in some cases even longer, depending on how they are used and maintained. A standard portable oxygen concentrator requires little maintenance, with only the filter needing to be cleaned once a month.

5L Portable Oxygen Concentrator

A 5L oxygen cylinder can provide 5 liters of oxygen in a minute, enough for patients with mild symptoms and basic requirements. Due to their lighter weight, mobility, and minimal consumption, they are suitable for travel.

10L Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Its larger capacity makes it more efficient as a continuous flow option for portable oxygen concentrators. Concentrators with higher outputs of 10 LPM or more may be more desirable for hospitalized patients diagnosed with acute or respiratory illness or COVID19 due to their fluctuating needs. 

4 Factors That Affect The Lifespan of Portable O2 Concentrators

Portable oxygen concentrators work by drawing air from the surrounding environment and delivering continuous, clean, and concentrated oxygen. Concentrators are designed for continuous operation and can produce oxygen 24 hours, seven days per week. They can run for up to five years or more with minimal repair and maintenance. 

You must consider these four factors that affect the lifespan of portable oxygen concentrators. 

Relative Humidity

You and your portable oxygen concentrator will benefit from weather conditions with relative humidity ranging from 35 to 50% and temperatures ranging from 40 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. Dehumidifiers and humidifiers should be used as needed.

Also, water and humidity have the potential to damage your oxygen concentrator. Keep your portable oxygen concentrators dry because they are not waterproof. If you are going to the pool or the beach, protect your unit against splashes, sand, and submersion. 

Temperature

Since summer's higher temperatures might be challenging for your oxygen concentrator, it's vital to have a solid understanding of its operating conditions. Spend some time reading your owner's manual to determine the lowest and highest temperatures your equipment can tolerate.

Cleanliness 

When you use your oxygen concentrator in a dusty environment, the nasal cannula and filters will become clogged more rapidly, reducing the purity of the oxygen produced by the machine and causing it to malfunction. You should carry out cleaning and disinfection procedures following manufacturer instructions and acceptable clinical practice.

If this clogs the non-removable internal filters of your concentrator, it may be very difficult and expensive to replace them. If you have replaceable external filters, excess dust makes it necessary to clean and replace the filters much more frequently than you would otherwise.

Overall, a dusty environment is bad for your oxygen concentrator machine's health, shortening its lifespan and impairing its capacity to perform efficiently.

Also, water and humidity can support the growth of germs, mold, and fungus. You should increase the frequency with which your machine is cleaned to help avoid such problems.

Usage Frequency

If you want to use your portable oxygen concentrator mostly for travel and not for everyday use, keep in mind that they perform best when used regularly. Prolonged storage is a common source of difficulties that require maintenance service. 

Allowing a portable oxygen concentrator to stay idle, much like a car, can harm its overall performance and lifespan. Like most rechargeable and battery-powered oxygen machines, it'll last longer if you use it regularly and don't let it stay unused.

5 Portable Oxygen Concentrators With The Longest Battery Life

Most portable oxygen concentrators are powered by a single rechargeable battery with a three to five-hour battery life. Some models have double batteries capability, which can provide an additional few hours of use or allow one to be used while the other is charged. You may get additional battery life from your batteries by using power adapters and portable charging devices.

Inogen One G5

The Inogen One G5 can run for up to 13 hours on a single charge because of its double battery (16-cell configuration). It is the longest external battery life of any portable oxygen concentrator ever created.  That should be more than enough to give you oxygen therapy for a whole day without the need to stop and plug it in.

A removable external battery is included with this device, and it is conveniently positioned on the bottom of the device. To access this, lift a tab on the side of the device. An oxygen concentrator with an internal battery is probably the only POC that can outperform the G5 for overall battery life. However, these types of units have a lot of issues.

Precision Medical Live Active Five Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Precision Medical is the only company that offers vacuum pressure swing adsorption technology (VPSA), which ensures that each sieve bed is perfectly refreshed after each cycle. As a result, the sieve beds are clean, allowing them to provide high oxygen purity for an extended time.

Chosen by Forbes as one of the best portable concentrators in 2022, each lithium-ion battery of Live Active Five® packs more than six hours of runtime! Thanks to its straightforward top-loading design, you can rapidly charge the battery while the device is still in the carry case. To conveniently prolong your battery life as needed without carrying about the additional weight of a second battery.

Oxlife Independence

The Oxlife Independence® elevates the performance quality of portable oxygen concentrators to an entirely new level. With its unique EnergySmart® technology, it has one of the longest battery life of 5.75 hours, delivering oxygen more than three times the flow of the leading POC. Having Oxlife Independence by your side will allow you to take advantage of an unlimited oxygen supply.

This device has an impressive 12 settings, and it's simple to swap out the battery even while the device is in use, which is a plus. This portable concentrator is designed to accommodate continuous flow and big pulse dosages without a bulky fixed concentrator. Since it does need to be disassembled, feel free to travel and enjoy your trip to the fullest. 

CAIRE SeQual Eclipse 5

With SeQual Eclipse 5, you can't go wrong if you want to save energy. It's hands down one of the most energy-efficient models with batteries lasting for five hours that you can buy right now.

It has a pulse dose that delivers one to six liters of oxygen per minute (LPM) for a precise and predictable 90 percent amount of oxygen with each inhale. SeQual's AutoSAT technology makes it stand out from the rest of the field. It helps keep the same amount of oxygen in your body even if your breath rate changes.

CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort

The CAIRE Freestyle Comfort Small 8 Cell Rechargeable Battery provides 4 hours of battery life when completely charged. At setting 2, the 16-Cell Battery Pack version can run your portable oxygen concentrator for 8 hours.

It boasts an ergonomic design that makes it easier to carry with extended battery life. It has an easy-to-use color control panel with soft-touch controls and can be started with a single touch. It contains five pulse oxygen settings and a maximum oxygen output of 1,050 mL/min and UltraSense technology, which calibrates the oxygen output based on the number of breaths detected.

How to Read Hours on Portable Oxygen Concentrators

After turning on the device and when the power light turns green, the electricity is plugged in. The oxygen concentrator is operational. There is an hour counter on the LED monitor display outside of your oxygen concentrator. It will show you how many hours your oxygen concentrator has been running.

A portable oxygen concentrator can assist many people with their sleep-related breathing problems. However, you and your family members or caregiver must be aware of and knowledgeable about the signs that you get insufficient or low oxygen levels while sleeping. Here are some of them:

• Waking up gasping for air 
• Feeling dizzy, sleepy, and tired during the day
• Shortness of breath
• Periods of confusion and disorientation
• Anxiety and depression

5 Benefits of Longer-Lasting Portable O2 Concentrators

Recently, portable oxygen concentrators (POC) have grown in popularity. Modern POCs have been found in certain tests to be as effective as other oxygen delivery devices, and some users report a preference for using their POCs throughout the day. Here are some of the benefits of longer-lasting POCs:

Independence

With the long-lasting batteries of POCs, you are freer to go where you want to go. Unlike an oxygen tank, there is no delivery person or oxygen supply store that you can depend on to bring you oxygen tanks every week just to breathe. 

Freedom

Oxygen-dependent individuals can now enjoy greater flexibility in their daily lives due to recent advances in battery technology.

Instead of stopping every few hours or days to recharge or change their battery because they've run out of battery power, they can spend days or weeks outside without worrying about running out of power.

Mobility

It is beneficial the longer you can go without worrying about the lifespan of your POCSs to receive your oxygen. Along with the latest lightweight and ergonomic design of modern POCs,  you can now enjoy that walk in the park or a long trip across the world.

Find out what is the lightest portable oxygen concentrator here.

Peace of Mind 

A longer-lasting POC can ease your anxiety about not having an adequate amount of oxygen that can satisfy both daytime and nighttime oxygen demand, especially during sleep.

Cost-efficiency 

With proper care and maintenance, a highly durable portable oxygen concentrator can last for more than five years. It is a reasonable investment to purchase a long-lasting POC to accomplish and enjoy everyday activities worry-free.  

4 Tips to Make Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator Last Longer?

Portable oxygen concentrators are battery-operated oxygen machines praised for their reliability and long lifespan. Battery management has an impact on the performance of these devices. Here are some battery management tips to keep in mind: 

Run the battery to the end of its life cycle and fully recharge it before the next use.

It will prevent battery memory issues and guarantee that the battery has a long service life cycle. If you have many primary batteries, the simple rotation of the primary battery will assist in ensuring that they are all thoroughly cycled.

Always keep fully charged batteries stored in a cold, dry, and dark location after being fully charged.

Proper battery storage minimizes capacity loss and ensures that they are ready to use when needed. Most batteries should be stored around room temperature or, preferably, 15°C/59°F, with a severe temperature range between –40°C/-40°F to 50°C /122°F being acceptable.

For batteries used in seasonal applications and stored long term, fully recharge the battery before storage.

You should use the concentrator to empty the battery fully and then fully recharge it. It will ensure that the machine is utilized each month adequately and that the battery has been recycled, even if you do not regularly use your portable concentrator. If you are going on a vacation, you should put it through its cycles two months before your trip to ensure that you will not encounter any issues. 

Avoid allowing the battery to fully run out of power.

While this may happen occasionally, if you can connect the batteries before they run out, you will lessen the battery's stress. When the batteries have 50% of their capacity, recharge them using an external battery charger. Don't fully charge the battery to 100% every time. Once it reaches its maximum lifespan, it is recommended to replace them with your extra batteries. 

FAQs About Portable O2 Concentrator Lifespan

Can portable oxygen concentrators be used 24/7?

Yes. Depending on the brand and unit, you may expect portable oxygen concentrators to operate for up to four or five hours on a single battery charge, with a maximum of 13 hours for double battery units. However, POC with a continuous flow setting can provide oxygen 24 hours a day once charged.

Do portable oxygen concentrators run out of oxygen

No. Portable oxygen concentrators are not only small and lightweight, but they also do not run out of oxygen when in use. Using this device, patients can go about their everyday activities while still receiving the oxygen therapy they require.

How long does an Inogen battery last?

Inogen One G5, the latest released Inogen model, offers 6.5 hours of battery duration for a single battery and up to 13 hours for double battery units. 

On the other hand, Inogen One G3 with a single battery offers up to 4.7 hours, while a double battery offers up to 10 hours. 

Get The Best Long-Lasting Portable Oxygen Concentrators At SpryLyfe

There are numerous options for selecting portable oxygen concentrators, and one of the most critical considerations is battery life. It is smart and beneficial to select one of the longest-lasting POCs on the market.

At SpryLyfe, we are here to assist you in acquiring the most reliable oxygen equipment from the most respected brands and manufacturers. Our goal is to ensure that you satisfy your oxygen requirements and achieve your goals.

Browse our selection of high-quality portable oxygen concentrators for sale on our online shop. If you need help in choosing what to buy, feel free to contact us today at (800) 314-8225.