A home oxygen concentrator is prescription durable medical equipment. In the US, that one fact drives the whole purchase: you need the prescription before any retailer will ship, and if you are on Medicare, the prescription also decides whether you rent through a supplier or buy for cash.
This guide covers stationary 5 LPM continuous-flow units, which match most home prescriptions. It is a starting set: HHZ lists only models it already scores whose US availability and USD price it could confirm with a named retailer.
Step 1: the prescription comes first
US retailers sell medical oxygen concentrators as prescription devices. Rehabmart’s Nuvo Lite listing, for example, states that a prescription is required to ship to a home address. The FDA’s consumer guidance is blunter: do not use an oxygen concentrator at home unless a health care provider has prescribed it, because too much or too little oxygen can both cause harm.
Watch out for low-cost “oxygen concentrators” sold without a prescription on general marketplaces. Patient groups including the COPD Foundation and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation warn against them. HHZ does not list them.
Step 2: Medicare rental or cash purchase
If you have Original Medicare and meet its eligibility criteria, Part B covers home oxygen equipment on a rental model:
- You rent from a Medicare-enrolled supplier for 36 months.
- After the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
- The monthly payment covers the equipment, supplies such as tubing and cannulas, maintenance and repairs.
- After 36 months the supplier must keep providing the equipment and service, up to 5 years in total.
Under Medicare’s rental model, the supplier picks the equipment and owns it. Buying for cash makes sense when you don’t qualify for coverage, want a specific model, need a second unit for another home, or want to own the device. Check with your supplier and plan before paying cash. Some retailers, such as 800 Oxygen on its VisionAire listing, sell certain units self-pay only and do not bill insurance or Medicare.
Step 3: shortlist on the specs that matter
For overnight use, continuous flow is required. That rules out pulse-dose portables as the main device. Among 5 LPM stationary units, three published specs separate the field: altitude rating, sound level, and outlet pressure (which matters with long tubing or a humidifier).
| Model | US price (retailer) | Weight | Sound | Power | Altitude | Outlet pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVilbiss 5 LPM | $749 (Medex Supply) | 16.3 kg | 48 dB | 310 W | 13,123 ft | 8.5 psi |
| Nidek Nuvo Lite 5 LPM | $737.60 (Vitality Medical) | 13.6 kg | 40 dB | 290 W | 7,500 ft | 5.5 psi |
| CAIRE Companion 5 | $995 (DME Supply USA) | 16.3 kg (36 lb) | 50 dB at 2 LPM | Not listed | 9,879 ft | Not listed |
Prices are the listed cash price on 13 October 2026, before tax and shipping. Specs are as published by the manufacturer, or by the retailer where marked, and were not measured by HHZ. “Not listed” means the source we checked did not publish the figure.
Drive DeVilbiss 5 LPM (525DS)
The US retail model is the DeVilbiss 525DS. Its published 13,123 ft altitude rating sits well above the elevation of the highest towns in the Rockies. It also has the higher outlet pressure of the two, at 8.5 psi. The trade-offs are weight and noise: 16.3 kg and 48 dB, per published spec.
Nidek Nuvo Lite 5 LPM
The Nuvo Lite (sold in the US as the Nuvo Lite Mark 5) is the quieter, lighter machine: 40 dB and 13.6 kg, per published spec. Its 7,500 ft altitude ceiling and 5.5 psi outlet pressure are the limits. That is fine for most homes, but check the altitude rating if you live in the Mountain West.
CAIRE Companion 5
On 13 October 2026 the Companion 5 was the most expensive of the three. The retailer lists 0.5–5.0 LPM continuous flow, 90% (+5.5/−3%) purity, 36 lb, 50 dB(A) at 2.0 LPM and an operating altitude up to 9,879 ft (DME Supply USA). Its 0.5 LPM minimum suits low prescriptions, and its altitude rating falls between the other two. The listing does not give outlet pressure or power draw, so ask before you pair it with long tubing or a humidifier.
If your prescription is above 5 LPM, or close to it, read 5 LPM vs 10 LPM first.
What about Philips?
In April 2024, a federal court entered a consent decree against Philips Respironics. With limited exceptions, it restricts the production and sale of new devices from several of its US facilities until FDA requirements are met. HHZ does not list new Philips respiratory devices for US buyers until that position changes.
Verdict
Get the prescription, then decide on Medicare rental versus cash purchase before you shop. For cash buyers, the DeVilbiss 5 LPM is the default pick: it has the widest operating range on paper, at about the same price as the Nuvo Lite. Choose the Nidek Nuvo Lite 5 LPM when the unit lives in a bedroom below 7,500 ft and published quiet matters more than altitude headroom. Consider the CAIRE Companion 5 if your prescription is below 1 LPM, since its range starts at 0.5 LPM. Confirm the flow setting with your prescriber before you buy.
Portable oxygen guides
Battery life by model, pulse vs continuous, and used or refurbished concentrators.
Running costs and safety
See oxygen concentrator electricity cost, home oxygen fire safety and oxygen cylinders vs concentrators.
Model reviews: CAIRE Companion 5, DeVilbiss 1025DS, NewLife Intensity 10.