You Don't Actually Want a Cheap Portable Oxygen Concentrator. Here's Why.
- Matthew Hellyar
- Jun 16
- 7 min read
The Question We Hear Almost Every Week
One of the most common questions we're asked at Respocare is a simple one:
"Why is portable oxygen so expensive?"
It's a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer. another medical gadget — something small enough to carry over your shoulder, so surely it shouldn't cost much. But the reality is that portable oxygen is far more than a device. For many of the patients we support across Gauteng and Pretoria, it is the difference between being confined to the house and being able to live a full life again.
Once you understand what actually goes into a portable oxygen system — and what it gives back — the cost starts to make a great deal more sense.
First, Understand What It Really Is: Advanced Medical Technology
A portable oxygen concentrator is not consumer electronics. It is life-supporting medical technology engineered to perform reliably, every hour of every day, often for people who depend on it to breathe comfortably.
Inside that compact casing is a remarkable amount of engineering. The device draws in ordinary room air, separates out the nitrogen, and delivers concentrated medical-grade oxygen — precisely dosed to your prescription — all from a unit light enough to carry. Achieving that in something small, quiet, and battery-powered takes years of research, rigorous safety testing, and medical certification.
Two of the finest examples on the market are the devices we recommend most often:
The Inogen One G5 weighs just 2.2 kg with a single battery, yet delivers up to 1,260 ml of oxygen per minute across six pulse-dose settings — making it one of the most powerful concentrators available in such a light, compact form. A single battery runs for up to 6.5 hours, and a double battery for up to 13 hours, so a full day out is entirely realistic. It runs at a discreet 38 decibels and is designed for genuine 24/7 use.
The DeVilbiss iGo2 is similarly light at around 2.2 kg and offers five pulse-dose settings, but its standout feature is SmartDose auto-adjusting technology — it senses your breathing pattern and adjusts oxygen delivery automatically to keep your levels steady, which is especially valuable for shallow breathers. At roughly 37 decibels it's one of the quietest units available, it operates at altitudes of up to 13,000 feet, and it carries international FAA, FDA, and CE approvals.
These are not throwaway products. They are precision medical instruments built to a standard that allows you to trust them with your breathing.
The Cost of Reliability
When a device supports your breathing, failure simply isn't an option. That single requirement explains a large part of the price.
Every reputable portable concentrator goes through extensive testing, must meet strict regulatory and medical-certification standards, and is built with durable components designed to last for years of daily use. You're not only paying for the machine — you're paying for the confidence that it will work the moment you need it.
In South Africa, that reliability carries an extra dimension. Load-shedding is a real clinical concern for anyone who depends on oxygen at home. A quality portable concentrator with charged batteries keeps delivering oxygen straight through a power outage, and a properly planned therapy setup — a stationary unit at home, a portable device for movement, and a backup cylinder for security — means a patient is never left without oxygen when the lights go out. That peace of mind is part of what you're investing in.
What You're Really Buying Is Freedom
Here's something we tell families often: most patients aren't really buying oxygen at all.
They're buying the ability to leave the house. To visit family. To attend church on a Sunday. To be there for a grandchild's school concert or birthday. To do their own shopping, sit down for a meal at a restaurant, or take a holiday they thought was behind them.
A heavy cylinder ties a person to one room. A portable concentrator, light enough to carry and powered by its own battery, hands that freedom back. The most valuable feature of these devices has very little to do with oxygen and everything to do with mobility, independence, and presence in the moments that matter.
Mobility Is Medicine
There's a clinical truth behind the emotional one: staying active is good for you.
Oxygen therapy is prescribed because keeping blood-oxygen levels in a healthy range supports the heart, the brain, and overall wellbeing. But the benefit goes further when a patient can actually move. People with portable oxygen tend to stay more active, tolerate exercise better, and stick to their therapy more consistently. Just as importantly, they stay connected — they keep seeing friends and family rather than withdrawing, which protects mental wellbeing and confidence.
Portable oxygen quietly encourages people to remain engaged with life rather than slowly retreating from it. That, in the long run, is one of the most powerful things a device can do.
The Hidden Costs You Never See
When you look at the price of a portable oxygen solution, much of what you're paying for is invisible — and it happens before, during, and long after the device reaches your hands.
Behind every Respocare placement sits a full support journey: clinical assessment to understand your needs, careful device selection matched to your prescription, coordination with your specialist, setup and hands-on training so you feel confident using it, and ongoing servicing, maintenance, and battery management to keep everything performing. If something isn't right, there's a real team to call.
Portable oxygen is never just a product handed over at a counter. It's a service relationship — and a good one is worth a great deal.
Something a Specialist Once Told Us
A pulmonologist we work closely with once made a comment that has stayed with us. She said that a great many of her oxygen-dependent patients would have dramatically better quality of life if only they had access to portable oxygen — that the limitation usually wasn't their lungs, but their equipment.
We think about that often. So many missed family gatherings, walks not taken, holidays quietly given up — not because a patient couldn't manage them, but because a cylinder kept them at home. The right portable device changes that equation entirely. It's the difference between a life narrowed down to one room and a life still lived out in the world.
That observation sits at the heart of why we do what we do.
So, Is Portable Oxygen Worth the Investment?
We'd gently suggest a better question: what is independence worth?
Spread the cost across the years a quality concentrator will serve you, and the value reframes itself. This is a device used every single day — on every outing, every visit, every walk — supporting not only your physical health but your confidence and your connection to the people you love. Measured that way, against family experiences regained and a life kept active, it stops looking like an expense and starts looking like one of the better investments a person can make in their own quality of life.
How Respocare Helps You Choose the Right Solution
Every patient is different, so we don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.
We offer both rental and purchase options, so you can choose what suits your situation — whether you need oxygen for a defined recovery period or for the long term. We work directly from your specialist's prescription and guide you toward the right device for your actual needs. Both the Inogen One G5 and the DeVilbiss iGo2, for example, are pulse-dose units ideal for active, on-the-go use; if your prescription calls for continuous-flow oxygen, particularly overnight, we'll make sure that's covered through the right combination of equipment instead. And we don't disappear after delivery — education, servicing, and support are part of the package.
Our role isn't to sell you a box. It's to be a trusted partner in your care.
Looking Beyond the Price Tag
Portable oxygen is expensive because it has to be. It combines advanced medical engineering, proven reliability, safety, true portability, and real clinical support into a single solution you can depend on.
But the real value was never in the machine itself.
The real value is in the moments it gives back. A family gathering attended. A walk completed. A holiday enjoyed. A life lived with greater freedom.
And for the patients and families we serve, that is priceless.
To talk through your options, or to arrange a clinical assessment, contact Respocare on
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is portable oxygen so expensive?Portable oxygen concentrators are advanced medical devices, not consumer electronics. The cost reflects precise medical-grade oxygen delivery, rigorous safety testing and certification, durable engineering, battery technology, and the ongoing clinical support, training, and servicing that come with the device.
What is the difference between the Inogen One G5 and the DeVilbiss iGo2?Both are lightweight pulse-dose portable concentrators weighing around 2.2 kg. The Inogen One G5 offers six flow settings, up to 1,260 ml of oxygen per minute, and up to 13 hours of battery life with a double battery. The DeVilbiss iGo2 offers five settings with SmartDose technology that automatically adjusts to your breathing pattern, making it well suited to shallow breathers.
Can a portable oxygen concentrator be used during load-shedding?Yes. A portable concentrator with charged batteries continues to deliver oxygen during a power outage. Respocare recommends a complete setup — a home concentrator, a portable device, and a backup cylinder — so you always have oxygen available, even when the power is off.
Should I rent or buy a portable oxygen concentrator?It depends on your needs. Renting suits patients who need oxygen for a defined recovery period, while buying often makes more sense for long-term therapy. Respocare offers both options and can advise on the best choice for your situation.
Do I need a prescription for portable oxygen? Yes. Oxygen is a prescribed therapy. Respocare works directly from your specialist's prescription to match you with the right device and the correct flow settings for your needs.
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