Using an oxygen concentrator can enhance quality of life for people with certain medical conditions like COPD, emphysema, and asthma by helping maintain healthy blood oxygen levels. Even with all the benefits oxygen concentrators offer, people may dislike the thought of having to use a bulky, loud, energy-consuming oxygen concentrator. However, technology has progressed, and the oxygen concentrators of today are often sleek and unassuming. If you’re looking for an energy-efficient, compact, whisper-quiet home oxygen concentrator, look no further than the Inogen At Home.
The At Home stationary oxygen concentrator is a reliable device from a reliable brand. Founded in 2001, Inogen has been providing best-in-class respiratory therapy devices to patients all over the world. Inogen is a Nationwide Accredited Homecare provider, demonstrating their dedication to excellence, integrity, and service, with products that are designed and assembled in the U.S.
Its low energy consumption, quiet operation, and small footprint are good reasons to consider the Inogen At Home. Here’s everything you need to know about this energy-efficient home oxygen concentrator to determine if it’s the right one for you.
Inogen At Home stationary oxygen concentrator: Pros and cons at a glance
| Pros | Cons |
| Uses only 100 watts on flow setting 2 with a maximum of 275 watts | No wheels |
| Whisper-quiet at just 40 decibels on flow setting 2 | Fairly expensive with a starting price of $1,703 |
| Weighs only 18 pounds | Alarms aren’t intuitive |
| Small footprint at 7″ × 13″ × 16.5″ | Sieve bed columns must be replaced every 12 months |
| Three-year warranty with the option to upgrade to a lifetime warranty | |
| Simple control settings that deliver up to 5 liters per minute |
Key features and specifications
Dimensions: 7″ × 13″ × 16.5″
Weight: 18 pounds
Power draw: 100 watts on flow setting 2 with a max of 275 watts on setting 5
Oxygen delivery mode: Continuous flow
Oxygen flow rate/output range: 1 to 5 liters of oxygen per minute
Sound level: 40 dBA on setting 2
Cost: Pricing starts at $1,703.00
Additional features of the Inogen At Home stationary oxygen concentrator
The Inogen At Home stationary oxygen concentrator is lightweight at 18 pounds and has a small footprint of just 7″ × 13″ × 16.5″. It also features a sleek design. On setting 2, it uses only 100 watts of power, making it the most energy-efficient home oxygen concentrator on the market. It’s also one of the quietest, with a noise level of just 40 dBA on setting 2.
Every Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator comes with:
- AC power cord.
- User manual.
- Nasal cannula and tubing.
Additional parts and accessories you can purchase separately include:
- Particle filters.
- Output filters.
- Inlet filters.
- Replacement columns.
- Humidifier bottle.
- Humidifier connector tube.
- Nasal cannula.
- Power cord.
If you’d like to learn more about the At Home oxygen concentrator as well as other topics, the Inogen website offers educational resources, including information about oxygen concentrators, various respiratory illnesses, and more. You can also find helpful videos from authorized retailers. For example, the Oxygen Concentrator Store has an introduction video for the Inogen At Home, while CPAPXchange has a more in-depth setup guide.
Sound level
One of the best aspects of the Inogen At Home is that it is extremely quiet. With a decibel rating of 40 dBA at setting 2, it is one of the quietest oxygen concentrators available on the market. That’s about as loud as a quiet library, which means you can easily watch TV, read a book, or carry on a conversation and barely notice it’s on.
Oxygen delivery modes
The Inogen At Home is a stationary, continuous-flow oxygen concentrator that can deliver up to 5 liters of oxygen per minute (LPM). There are five settings, with each indicating the amount of oxygen that is delivered. For example, setting 1 delivers 1 LPM, setting 2 delivers 2 LPM, and so on, making it simple and easy to set the oxygen concentrator to your prescribed level. However, it’s worth noting that there are no half settings. The Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator has an average oxygen purity level of 90%, with a range of 87% to 96%.
Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator cost
You can buy the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator brand-new, but you can also purchase a used machine if you want to save some money.
Buy it new
Inogen sells their At Home stationary oxygen concentrator directly. Pricing seems to vary between $1,703 and $2,003 on the Inogen website. The device comes with a standard three-year warranty, or you can upgrade to a lifetime warranty for $455 more. Buying directly from the manufacturer can simplify the process of utilizing your warranty and ensure you receive quality customer service, as the manufacturer has the most up-to-date information and in-depth knowledge of their machine.
You can also purchase the Inogen At Home from third-party sellers. It’s a good idea to purchase your device from an Inogen-authorized reseller to ensure the warranty is valid and you receive knowledgeable support. The cost of a new machine appears to be consistent regardless of where you purchase it. For example, the Oxygen Concentrator Store and Direct Home Medical both list the device for $1,703.
Some retailers offer bundles, which is helpful if you’re looking for both an in-home and a portable oxygen concentrator. For example, Help Medical Supplies sells both the Inogen At Home and Inogen One G5, one of their portable machines, in a bundle for $4,350.
You should also look into the specific benefits offered by each seller. For example, you can get 12 free cannulas when you purchase the At Home from the Oxygen Concentrator Store, while Direct Home Medical offers buy now, pay later financing options. Check our section on how to buy the Inogen At Home below for more information on retailers.
Buy a used machine
Buying a used machine can help you save money. If you’re looking into buying a used machine, search for certified refurbished units that have been repaired and tested to work like new and come with a one-year warranty.
You can purchase a used machine for $899 from these reliable retailers:
Health insurance coverage
Oxygen concentrators are considered durable medical equipment and must be prescribed by a doctor. You might be able to receive some coverage by health insurance like Medicare or Medicaid, depending on your situation. Talk with your health care team and insurance provider to understand the details of their coverage of oxygen concentrators.
Power consumption
One of the best features of the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator is that it uses only 100 watts of power on setting 2, the same amount of power that a standard 100-watt light bulb uses. That can be a huge benefit for keeping utility bills low. It does draw more power at higher settings, with a maximum power consumption of 275 watts at setting 5. However, that’s still less than many other in-home machines on the market.
Design
The Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator was designed to be compact and unassuming. It weighs only 18 pounds and measures 7″ × 13″ × 16.5″, so it can easily be placed next to a chair or even on top of a table. It features smooth white sides with a light blue bottom and handle, making it look less like a piece of medical equipment and more like a modern piece of technology. Its small size and extendable top handle make it highly portable for a stationary home oxygen concentrator, so you can take it with you when you go on vacation.
The only downside to the design is that it doesn’t have wheels, which could make it more difficult for those with reduced strength to move it around the home.
Setup and operation of the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator
The Inogen At Home user manual has setup and operating instructions accompanied by images to help you set up and use your oxygen concentrator. They instruct you to:
- Place the concentrator in a well-ventilated area.
- Ensure that both the particle filter and intake filter are in place.
- Attach the nasal cannula to the nozzle fitting.
- Attach the power cord to the back of the concentrator and plug it into an outlet.
- Press the on/off button.
- Use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the oxygen flow to your prescribed setting.
You can also use a humidifier bottle with the At Home stationary oxygen concentrator. The instructions show you how to set it up and what it looks like when properly attached to the machine.
Note that it’s normal for all indicator lights to illuminate along with a short sound and for the green oxygen setting light to flash at your current setting when you first turn the machine on. It will continue to flash throughout the warm-up cycle, which usually lasts about five minutes. The machine won’t have achieved the ideal oxygen concentration until the warm-up cycle is complete, but you can still use it during this time.
Check out this setup video to learn exactly how to set up your concentrator for the first time.
Operation guide and assistance
The Inogen At Home comes with a thorough, easy-to-understand manual that clearly labels the machine’s parts and explains how to operate it. The manual also includes potential alarms and their meanings, maintenance instructions, and everything else you need to know to operate your oxygen concentrator safely.
Additional materials include:
- An in-depth setup video.
- An informational introduction video.
- A video showing how to use a humidifier bottle with the Inogen At Home concentrator.
Warranty
Every Inogen At Home stationary oxygen concentrator comes with a three-year warranty. If you purchase your device directly from Inogen and some other retailers, like Main Clinic Supply, you have the option to upgrade to a lifetime warranty for an additional fee. The warranty also includes out-of-box protection, which means Inogen will ship a replacement if your machine demonstrates defects within 90 days of the shipment date.
You can utilize the Inogen warranty regardless of where you purchased your machine by contacting them directly in the event of an issue. You can also contact the store where you purchased your device. Many retailers have their own guarantees and responsive customer response teams who can help you troubleshoot problems, schedule repairs, and utilize your warranty.
Maintenance and care instructions
You should remove and clean the particle filter on the side of the machine once a week. Clean it with water and a mild liquid detergent. Make sure the filter is completely dry before replacing it. If you would like to use your oxygen concentrator while you’re waiting for the filter to dry, consider purchasing a backup filter.
The air inlet filter located toward the top and back of the machine should be replaced at least once every five years. There is also an output filter behind the cannula nozzle fitting that should be replaced if a new patient will be using the oxygen concentrator.
The machine has columns containing the sieve beds that filter nitrogen from the ambient air to create medical-grade oxygen. Inogen recommends replacing the columns every 12 months. You can arrange to have the columns replaced by a service provider, but you can also order the columns and replace them yourself by following the directions in the manual. A red indicator light on the top of the machine will tell you when it’s time to change them.
It’s also recommended that you keep the outside of the oxygen concentrator clear of dirt, pet hair, and debris. To do this, you can wipe the outside of the case with a damp cloth and a mild liquid detergent.
Troubleshooting common issues with the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator
If your Inogen At Home is showing alarms or indicator lights, figuring out what’s wrong with your home oxygen concentrator can be a bit of a challenge because the lights and sounds are not intuitive. It’s a good idea to keep your manual handy so you can look up the alarm and see what you need to do to fix the problem.
Each alarm is accompanied by a yellow emergency indicator light. Low-priority alarms have a solid yellow light and sound a double beep. Medium-priority alarms have a flashing yellow light and a triple beep that repeats every 25 seconds. High-priority alarms have a five-beep pattern that repeats every 10 seconds with a flashing yellow light.
These alarms are accompanied by a combination of lights on the flow rate display. For example, if there’s a flow error, there will no longer be a green light to indicate your flow rate. Instead, a yellow light will flash on the numbers 1 and 4. In order to find out what the alarm means, you have to consult the manual. It won’t display your current flow setting again until you’ve addressed the problem. That forces you to fix any problems that arise immediately, but it is also inconvenient to not be able to confirm your flow setting until you’ve looked up how to solve the issue that triggered the alarm.
The manual includes a quick troubleshooting guide for common problems. For example, if the concentrator won’t turn on, it recommends checking the power cord for a proper connection. If it still doesn’t turn on, they recommend contacting your equipment provider.
If you’re not getting oxygen, the manual recommends making sure that the machine is on, checking that the cannula is connected properly and the tubing isn’t kinked, or replacing the tubing or cannula if it’s faulty.
If you’re still having trouble, you can contact Inogen directly at 1-855-694-6643. You can also contact the store where you purchased your machine. Most have customer service departments that are happy to help you troubleshoot problems you may be experiencing with your oxygen concentrator.
Safety considerations
You should never smoke or use the machine around someone who is smoking. Because oxygen can exacerbate a fire, it should never be used near open flames, flammable materials like oil and grease, or products that produce a lot of heat, like radiant heaters.
Sparks and static electricity have the potential to turn into a fire when exposed to oxygen. Never place your nasal cannula on upholstered fabric or bedding when the machine is turned on. Turn off the machine whenever it’s not being used.
It’s important to place the At Home oxygen concentrator in a well-ventilated area to prevent it from overheating. Make sure it is at least six inches away from walls, furniture, and curtains.
Customer service
No matter where you purchased your machine, you can contact Inogen’s customer service at 1-855-694-6643. You can also fill out the contact form on their website, and a member of their customer service team will get back to you. They can help you troubleshoot problems, figure out how to use the warranty, and answer any questions you have.
If you purchased your home oxygen concentrator from another retailer, you can contact them, too. You may want to check with them first if you’re experiencing a problem because they often offer their own money-back guarantees, replacements, and repairs.
User reviews and testimonials
The Oxygen Concentrator Store is a good resource for reviews of the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator with over two dozen reviews and a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5. Most reviewers are happy with the machine. Criticisms mention that using it at night is troublesome. One user mentions having issues with constant alarms, while another claims that it’s too loud to have in the bedroom.
Vitality Medical’s website has quite a few reviews, and you can also find a few at Direct Home Medical.
Checking out the user reviews and testimonials on third-party websites can also help you learn more about online retailers. Some reviews include information about the customer experience and the level of support they received, which can help you decide where you want to buy your machine.
How to buy the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator
You will be required to provide proof of a prescription from a doctor before purchasing the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator. When purchasing a machine from Inogen, you will process your order online, and an Inogen Oxygen Specialist will contact you to obtain your prescription. Other retailers may ask you to email, fax, upload, or mail in your prescription.
Here are a few of the top online retailers that sell the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator:
| Name | Cost | Benefit |
| Inogen | $1,703.00 to $2,003.00 | Ability to upgrade to a lifetime warranty for $455 |
| Vitality Medical | $1,703.00 | Fast, free shipping in one to three days |
| MFI Medical | $1,703.00 | Additional accident protection available for an extra fee |
| Oxygen Concentrator Store | $1,703.00 | Get 12 free cannulas with your order |
| Direct Home Medical | $1,703.00 | Buy now, pay later financing available |
| Help Medical Supplies | $4,350.00 | Inogen At Home and portable One G5 oxygen concentrator bundle |
| Main Clinic Supply | $1,703.00 | Travel case available for an additional fee |
Final thoughts on the Inogen At Home oxygen concentrator
The Inogen At Home stationary oxygen concentrator is a good choice for those looking for a quiet, energy-efficient stationary oxygen delivery device. It uses only 100 watts of power on flow setting 2, which is the same as a traditional 100-watt light bulb. It’s also whisper-quiet on setting 2, with a decibel level of 40. If you’re looking for a reliable oxygen concentrator that will keep your energy bills low, the Inogen At Home might be the right oxygen concentrator for you.
