For many Americans, about 30 million to be more specific, a portion of them rely on supplemental oxygen to breath. Supplemental oxygen is essential for individuals who are not getting enough oxygen, in which case all of their organs in their body can be impacted, especially the brain, heart and kidneys. Wearing supplemental oxygen keeps people's organs healthy.

Supplemental oxygen can also help relieve your symptoms. You may feel relief from shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and depression. After long term oxygen use you may become more alert, sleep better and have an overall better mood. You may be able to do more activities such as traveling, more intense exercises, and social gatherings.

If you are one of the many people that uses supplemental oxygen, it's important that you know you are not alone. And you should also educate yourself on the most effective form of oxygen therapy available so that you can reap these benefits of supplemental oxygen.

The Benefits of your Oxygen Device Being Powered by Batteries Rather than Refillable Oxygen Tanks

A POC offers users a variety of comforts including, financial savings, the lightweight and sleek design, and an infinite amount of oxygen.

You’ll find the many comforts that come with a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) do not come with an oxygen tank. A POC runs on batteries and takes in surrounding air and concentrates the air into medical-grade oxygen, whereas oxygen tanks have a finite amount of oxygen, will run out, and need to be refilled multiple times per week.

Think about the batteries of your cell phone, you can charge the batteries of your phone while you are not using the device, or you can be using the device near an outlet, and be charging your phone while you are using it. The same goes for your POC.

Because your POC runs on batteries, you are able to be more independent. There is no delivery person or oxygen refill company that you rely on to deliver you oxygen tanks weekly just so that you can simply breath.

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Instead you rely solely on your POC and its battery life. Now we are going to go over 5 models of POCs and talk about the difference in battery life, and what this means for you.

5 POCs with the longest lasting battery life

One of the most important features you should look for in a portable oxygen concentrator is the battery life because more battery life equals more freedom and independence. The longer you can spend worry-free receiving your oxygen the better, whether it is strapped to your back in a backpack or settled in the curve of your hip strapped around your shoulder.

The Caire Freestyle Comfort and battery life

The CAIRE Freestyle Comfort is the latest pulse dose portable oxygen concentrator by CAIRE Inc. This new oxygen device offers a lightweight and ergonomic design, it only weighs 5 pounds. It is comfortable and easy to carry whether you’re just going for a walk in the park, or taking a long trip across the world.

On the lowest flow setting with the 16-cell battery, you’ll experience an astounding 16 hours of battery life. That’s 3 more hours than top-of-its-class portable oxygen concentrators like the Inogen One G5. What this means is that you’ll be able to stay out and about for longer without having to come back home to recharge your unit.

Like with Inogen oxygen concentrators, you’ll be able to charge your Freestyle Comfort through either an AC or a DC outlet, meaning you’re at home or in your car.

You have two options for which battery you want to come with the Caire Freestyle Comfort, the best option for you is based on how long you intend to be without power along with the flow setting your doctor recommends you breathing on.

Here is a table that will show you how long at each flow setting the 8-cell and the 16-cell batteries last when using the Caire Freestyle Comfort POC:

The 8-cell battery and the 16-cell battery are both great options, one thing to notice is that the 8-cell battery has a recharge time of about 3.5 hours, and the 16-cell battery has a recharge time of about 6 hours. So even though the 16-cell battery will last you well over half of the day, it does take slightly longer to charge to full capacity.

The Inogen One G5 and battery life

When it comes to portable oxygen concentrators, many people’s oxygen demands cannot be satisfied due to the lack of pulse flow settings and so they are left basically stationary, using their cumbersome oxygen tanks or home oxygen concentrators.

The Inogen One G5 Is the perfect oxygen device for you if you need something that is lightweight yet powerful. The One G5 only weighs 4.7 pounds, but it also offers pulse dose setting 1-6.

The One G5 is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, And similarly to the Caire Freestyle comfort, you have two options to choose form for your batteries while using the Inogen One G5: A single battery or a double battery.

Each option, single or double battery, offers benefits for the One G5 user, and whichever you pick will be based of your lifestyle preferences and oxygen needs.

Here is a table displaying the flow setting along with the associated battery life of the single and double battery while using the Inogen One G5:

If you spend a lot of time on the go, or you are required to use a high pulse dose setting for much of the day, and don't want to worry about your G5 Oxygen Concentrator device running out of life, the G5 Double Battery can offer you that assurance.

Just like your G5 Single Battery unit, you'll be able to charge the G5 Double Battery while it's attached to the G5 device or with the external battery charger. And if you like to keep your G5 in the G5 Backpack, the extra battery life does not add a lot of bulk or weight.

Inogen One G3 Portable Oxygen Concentrator and battery life

Inogen is one of the most recognizable brands in the oxygen industry and this is why have included two of their most notable POCs in the same article. The Inogen One G3 weighs 4.8 pounds and offers up to 8 hours of battery life, the Inogen One G3 has been one of the most popular portable oxygen concentrators on the market for a very long time.

More battery life equals more freedom and independence and with the Inogen One G3, you have 2 different battery options to choose from, the 8-Cell Battery and the 16-Cell Battery

The 8-Cell battery keeps your Inogen One G3 at 4.8 pounds and supplies you with up to 4 hours of battery life. It’s perfect for quick errands, doing things around your house, gardening, or exercising.

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The 16-Cell battery adds almost a pound of weight to your Inogen One G3, but it still weighs less than 6 pounds, and it supplies you with double the battery life. When you think about it, adding an extra pound of weight to get up to 4.5 additional hours of battery life is a pretty good deal!

The 16-Cell battery is ideal for things like traveling, long trips away from your house, and using as a backup power source in case of a power outage.

Here is a chart showing you the expected battery life for every setting on your Inogen One G3:

Charging your Inogen One G3 is possible virtually anywhere you go! You will get the AC power supply to use at home and the DC power supply to use in your car on the go! The G3 also has an optional external battery charger available, so if you have two batteries you can charge one while you are using the One G3 and switch them out to stay mobile even longer.

Respironics SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator battery life

The Respironics SimplyGo POC is the first continuous flow portable under 15 Pounds weighing in at a mere 10 pounds .The SimplyGo is one of the smallest and lightest continuous flow portables available and you will be able to bring it with you wherever you go with no problem finding a place to store it.

Your SimplyGo will easily fit underneath the seat in front of you on the airplane, you can store it on the floor of your car or in the passenger seat as you drive, and when you don’t need to use it you will be able to put it in your closet without having to clear space for it.

The Respironics SimplyGo is CPAP/BiPAP compatible and it is equipped with both pulse flow and continuous flow oxygen delivery modes to cover you 24/7. It offers pulse flow settings 1-6 and continuous flow settings 0.5-2.0 LPM.

You can operate your Respironics SimplyGo using one or two batteries by using the optional external battery module. One battery will be perfect for things like exercising, running quick errands, and doing things around your home while using two batteries is ideal for traveling, road trips, and extended trips away from your home!

Here is a table showing you the SimplyGo’s expected battery life:

Recharging your Respironics SimplyGo batteries is convenient and easy! You have three options to choose from:

1. AC Power Supply - The AC power supply is ideal for home use or to power your concentrator in your hotel room/cruise ship room. It is equipped with a 110v power cord and you can use your SimplyGo on every oxygen setting while it is plugged in. In fact, the AC power supply essentially turns your SimplyGo into a home oxygen concentrator. As long as your SimplyGo is plugged into the AC power supply it will give you an endless supply of oxygen!
   
2. DC Power Supply - The DC power supply gives you the ability to power your SimplyGo and recharge your batteries in the car or on the go! It is equipped with a 12v power cord allowing you to plug it into the 12v outlet or cigarette lighter in your car, truck, boat, or RV. Unlike some of the other continuous flow portables on the market, your Respironics SimplyGo will be able to operate on every oxygen setting while you are recharging your batteries with the DC power supply. Just remember to turn your vehicle on before you plug your SimplyGo into the DC power supply. This will prevent you from blowing a fuse or draining your vehicle’s battery
   
3. External battery charger - The optional external battery charger gives you the ability to recharge your batteries without plugging your concentrator into the AC or DC power supplies. It’s a single-bay charger and recharges one battery at a time. It’s equipped with a 110v power cord allowing you to plug it into any 110v wall outlet. The external battery charger also has the ability to recalibrate your batteries! If you ever feel like your batteries aren’t holding a charge like they used to, simply recalibrate them on your charger.

SeQual Eclipse 5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator battery life

the SeQual Eclipse 5 is one of the best selling and most reliable continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators on the market. It offers the highest oxygen output and on top of that it gets good battery life. It was also designed for the US Military, so it evidently reliable and durable.

The Eclipse 5 weighs 18.4 pounds with the battery installed, yet it is still very easy to travel with and perfect for everyday use. It comes with a wheeled travel cart that makes pulling your concentrator behind you seem effortless.

The travel cart is equipped with oversized wheels, an elevated platform, and a telescopic handle. The durable wheels and elevated platform make going up curbs and stairs a breeze. They also help protect your concentrator from water when you have to go over puddles or when it’s snowing.

The Eclipse 5 has the highest oxygen output out of any POC available right now. It offers pulse flow settings 1-9 and continuous flow settings 0.5-3.0 LPM. With such a wide range of oxygen settings, the Eclipse 5 can accommodate most oxygen patients and it will be able to adjust to your needs when needed!

Similarly to all of the POCs listed above, the Eclipse 5 has three different charging options available:

1. AC Power Supply - The AC power supply is a necessity for everyday use and traveling. It’s the easiest and most common charging option

2. DC Power Supply - The DC power supply is perfect for charging and powering your concentrator on the go. With continuous flow portables, battery life is precious and the DC power supply can help you preserve your battery life for when it really matters.
The DC power supply is equipped with a 12v power cord allowing you to plug it into the cigarette lighter or 12v outlet in your vehicle. Because it is a continuous flow unit and requires a lot of power there are some charging limitations.

3. External Battery Charger - The external battery charger gives you the ability to recharge your batteries without connecting your Eclipse 5 to a power supply. So if you have multiple batteries or need to get ready for a trip, the external battery charger will make charging your batteries a simple and easy process.

Here is a table of the expected battery life for the SeQual Eclipse 5:

Tips to Improve the Battery Life of your POC

In order to help your portable oxygen concentrator’s battery work as efficiently as possible, you should know how to take good care for your batteries. By doing so you will preserve the longevity of your oxygen concentrator batteries, and spend less money and time getting a new one in the future.

Here are some tips to help you improve your battery life with proper storage and charging habits.

• Avoid charging the battery fully to 100% every single time you plug it in. Every once and a while it is fine to leave it charged to 100% but practice partially changing your POC batteries.
• Re-charge the batteries once they reach 50%
• Try to avoid letting the battery get very low and die. While this may happen every once and awhile, if you can plug the batteries in before they get low, it will relieve stress on the battery
• Always use the charging equipment and cords that come with or are a part of your POC package, and are ensured to charge your POC properly. Some knock of cords and charging packs can drain the battery and ultimately reduce your battery’s life
• Never charge the batteries in hot conditions, for example a car with no air-conditioning in the middle of summer
• Always store your batteries correctly, in the case or a safe place to avoid breaking or battering the battery
• Do not leave the batteries in severe temperatures, hot or cold, for too long
• Avoid storing you batteries for extended amounts of time while they are at a low charge or dead
• Store your batteries with about a 40% - 50% charge
• Always unplug the batteries before you store them

Overview 

Now that you have information regarding some of the most long-lasting POC batteries on the market: The Caire Freestyle Comfort, the Inogen One G5, the Inogen One G3, and the Respironics SimplyGo, you can now address what your priorities are moving forward.

There are so many options when it comes to choosing a POC, so throughout the purchasing processes remember that knowledge is power, and if you do your research, you will find the most reasonable machine for you.

At LPT Medical we are here to help you connect with the most reliable oxygen device from the most reputable brands and manufactures. It is our goal that you meet your oxygen requirements and it is our hope that you reach your goals. Give us a call today and speak with one of our experienced  respiratory specialists at 1-800-946-1201 to find out more about our POCs and the other oxygen accessories that we offer.