Inogen

[1980Mooney]

On 6/11/2025 at 12:07 AM, Utah20Gflyer said:

I bought mine off a local classified ad site called KSL.com.  Similar to craiglist.  I’d check whatever you have in your area and see if you can pick up a used one.  I paid 400 for a Inogen G3 and then spent another 100 replacing the cylinders in it a couple months later.    There are lots of people who want to sell them after their parent passes or they upgrade or get over something like Covid.   
Performance is very close to the G5 at a fraction of the cost.  

 

13 hours ago, Will.iam said:

craig's list. Instant if you go pick it up and cheaper price too.  You can always send in the unit to aftermarket places to get it overhauled when the filter's wear out.

 

12 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

All over Facebook and OfferUp are concentrators and compressors. Get a set of those and just fill your own bottle. 
 

Will be way cheaper and you can help your friends out that way. 

Just be careful if you are attempting to buy a used one online rather than local and in-person.  And even local and in person there are pitfalls.  Due to the price and lack of availability, these are favorites for online scammers. 

The Inogen G5 and identical OxyGo Next were introduced in 2019.  I searched OfferUp, Mercari, Craigslist and eBay (they sold them at the time) back in 2021. There were a considerable number of what appeared to be legitimate lightly used units for sale at the time.  I spoke to a couple individual sellers in New Mexico and Colorado (natural markets due to the high altitude) that advertised on Craigslist that seemed honest and legit.  I ultimately found a lightly used (about 120 hours) OxyGo Next locally in Houston on Craigslist for about $400.

I have searched again recently looking for a second one.  I added Facebook Marketplace to the sites.  The market is different now

1. eBay will no longer sell full portable units.  It is because what @Marc_B said above - the FDA classifies this as needing a prescription.  If you post a unit on eBay, it will be taken down by the moderators.  Yes they sell parts and accessories.
2. There are "bait and switch" scammers online.  On OfferUp I called a seller and they said the "portable in the ad has been sold but I have a stationary 120 volt unit I can sell you".
3. The condition could be crap.  Get visual confirmation of Total Hours Used.  I found a local G5 recently with 15,000 hours on it.
4. On Marketplace, I contacted a seller in Texas.  They sent video of the unit and seemed legit.  But then things got weird and ultimately they could not provide evidence of shipping.  PayPal reversed and refunded my payment.
5. If you find one locally being sold by relatives of someone who no longer needs it, be cautious if it has been sitting for a long time (like years).  If the relatives left the battery installed in the unit sitting for months/years, it will likely be fully discharged.  The Inogen/OxyGo batteries are LI-ION.  Fully discharging a lithium-ion battery is harmful and can cause irreversible damage. They may be shot. (There are a lot of shot "used" batteries for sale on these sites).   The batteries used to be ridiculously expensive but prices have come down.  Some places wanted $680 for a 16 cell (double capacity) battery in 2022-23. They are about half that now, but since they are made in China are probably going up.

Buyer beware.....

[Aaviationist]

Oxygen generators and compressors are easy to find on Facebook. For under 1k you can have everything you need to fill your tanks yourself including all the fittings and adaptors. 
 

it’s not hard. I do it and I know about 10 other people that do it. 
 

id take a tank over an in flight generator any day. 

[donkaye, MCFI]

26 minutes ago, Aaviationist said:

id take a tank over an in flight generator any day. 

Why?

[Aaviationist]

A tank will give you all the air you need for multiple people. 
 

the Inogen is only good for 1 person above 14k. These generators aren’t great at altitude and use a ton of power. Same for the Aithre. 
 

they're also only good for a couple of years before needing maintenance. 
 

you don’t have those limitations on a tank. If you can fill your own tank with a concentrator and compressor on the ground, you have unlimited free O2 as long as the tank your filling is big enough. 
 

plus this set up cost about 1/5 of a Aithre or Inogen. 

[donkaye, MCFI]

12 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

A tank will give you all the air you need for multiple people. 
 

the Inogen is only good for 1 person above 14k. These generators aren’t great at altitude and use a ton of power. Same for the Aithre. 
 

they're also only good for a couple of years before needing maintenance. 
 

you don’t have those limitations on a tank. If you can fill your own tank with a concentrator and compressor on the ground, you have unlimited free O2 as long as the tank your filling is big enough. 
 

plus this set up cost about 1/5 of a Aithre or Inogen. 

You can't take a tank on a Commercial airplane. You can take an oxygen concentrator.  In the past, if I was to be offered a job ferrying a plane from the east coast to the west coast or anywhere in between and it didn't have O2, I wouldn't take the job without being provided a tank.  Most Mooneys before the K model don't have built in O2.  If I'm not flying my plane to a Mooney PPP when I can bring along a separate tank, then teaching at a high altitude airport like Cheyenne this month and being assigned a student with a C model was perfectly comfortable with the Inogen Rove 6.  I know my student appreciated it while we were doing the air work at 9,500 feet.  Both of our sats were in the high 90s.

By buying the Inogen I paid for both safety and clarity.

[Aaviationist]

I don’t think taking the solution on a commercial flight is a consideration for most looking for an oxygen solution for their airplane. 
 

also, someone who cant fly an airplane across the country without oxygen wouldn’t be a consideration for me as a ferry pilot. Nice to have sure, but a requirement, no.  Flying an average GA airplane you don’t usually fly, on a route that requires oxygen, just seems like bad ADM
 

none of this considering that the power requirements and needs for a mobile unit aren’t a reliable commodity in all airplanes you may fly. (And the battery is also limiting). 
 

I do get what you’re saying for flying airplanes that aren’t yours, but that hardly seems like a $5k problem. 

Edited Saturday at 04:10 PM by Aaviationist

[Will.iam]

Every 5 years you have to do a hyro test on the tank and in 15 replace the tank so not free of maintenance cost either. Don’t know what inogen you tested but I’m 91% sat at FL230 on canulas. I have a mask connected to my tank next to me as a backup spare incase something goes wrong with the inogen setup but the major advantage is being able to eat and drink easier without the mask on. I also have the inogen connected to 28v via a converter so literally i have unlimited O2 with the battery backup incase of electrical failure. My daughter and i were at 17k on the inogen with 91% and she was 93% but she is 35 years younger than me and it shows in her lung efficiency compared to mine even though i don’t smoke or drink. Old age sucks. 

[201Mooniac]

6 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

I don’t think taking the solution on a commercial flight is a consideration for most looking for an oxygen solution for their airplane. 
 

also, someone who cant fly an airplane across the country without oxygen wouldn’t be a consideration for me as a ferry pilot. Nice to have sure, but a requirement, no.  Flying an average GA airplane you don’t usually fly, on a route that requires oxygen, just seems like bad ADM
 

none of this considering that the power requirements and needs for a mobile unit aren’t a reliable commodity in all airplanes you may fly. (And the battery is also limiting). 
 

I do get what you’re saying for flying airplanes that aren’t yours, but that hardly seems like a $5k problem. 

While I don't typically need to take it with me on a commercial flight, as @donkaye, MCFImentioned I also would not cross the Rockies without O2 as I typically cross at 13K-15K in my M20J and I won't do that without O2 so I don't agree that it is bad ADM.  Also, my New Inogen was about $1200, nowhere near $5K.  I don't find power an issue, a 2nd battery means I can have O2 for as long as I can fly in a day.

[donkaye, MCFI]

54 minutes ago, 201Mooniac said:

While I don't typically need to take it with me on a commercial flight, as @donkaye, MCFImentioned I also would not cross the Rockies without O2 as I typically cross at 13K-15K in my M20J and I won't do that without O2 so I don't agree that it is bad ADM.  Also, my New Inogen was about $1200, nowhere near $5K.  I don't find power an issue, a 2nd battery means I can have O2 for as long as I can fly in a day.

Just to be clear.  I don't use it on a Commercial flight, just transport it for possible use in non O2 equipped airplanes..  However, it can be used on a Commercial flight if you have a need, with a Doctor's letter.

[donkaye, MCFI]

1 hour ago, 201Mooniac said:

While I don't typically need to take it with me on a commercial flight, as @donkaye, MCFImentioned I also would not cross the Rockies without O2 as I typically cross at 13K-15K in my M20J and I won't do that without O2 so I don't agree that it is bad ADM.  Also, my New Inogen was about $1200, nowhere near $5K.  I don't find power an issue, a 2nd battery means I can have O2 for as long as I can fly in a day.

I think flying at 7,500 or above for an extensive period of time, while maybe not physically noticeable enroute can lead to fatigue and poor decision making, which IS bad ADM.  Also, the Rove 6 with the Beechtalk discount was about $1,800 new, arguably not cheap, but for me well worth it for my intended use.

[Aaviationist]

2 hours ago, Will.iam said:

Every 5 years you have to do a hyro test on the tank and in 15 replace the tank so not free of maintenance cost either. Don’t know what inogen you tested but I’m 91% sat at FL230 on canulas. I have a mask connected to my tank next to me as a backup spare incase something goes wrong with the inogen setup but the major advantage is being able to eat and drink easier without the mask on. I also have the inogen connected to 28v via a converter so literally i have unlimited O2 with the battery backup incase of electrical failure. My daughter and i were at 17k on the inogen with 91% and she was 93% but she is 35 years younger than me and it shows in her lung efficiency compared to mine even though i don’t smoke or drink. Old age sucks. 

It says it right on the website and there’s a big warning in the packaging not to use it single pilot above 18k or 14k for dual users.   The cheapest package for a Rove6/G5 is 4500 before tax. 

Edited Sunday at 01:02 AM by Aaviationist

[donkaye, MCFI]

1 hour ago, Aaviationist said:

It says it right on the website and there’s a big warning in the packaging not to use it single pilot above 18k or 14k for dual users.   The cheapest package for a Rove6/G5 is 4500 before tax. 

Even if you are talking about buying both at the same time that price is not anywhere near what they can be bought from a reputable place like Pure Medical.

[Hank]

3 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

The cheapest package for a Rove6/G5 is 4500 before tax. 

I just googled "inogen g5" this week, didn't see any above 2k, and many 1600-1800.

But I'll sell you one of them for 4000!

[NickG]

Go to Majorcpap.com that’s where I got mine. No prescription required.

[Aaviationist]

10 hours ago, Hank said:

I just googled "inogen g5" this week, didn't see any above 2k, and many 1600-1800.

But I'll sell you one of them for 4000!

A lot of times that is the advertised price with Medicare. Especially when it comes to medical devices, you can’t just google something and use the ads that come up as a price. The cheapest I can find that I would trust sending money to Majorcpap - where it is 2k. Even then, 14k limit for 2 people is a non starter. 
 

the Inogen has a service life of 5 years. Compared to the cost of a hydro test (150$ last I did it) it still doesn’t make sense to justify the Inogen. 

(the below image is from the Inogen website, and if you buy one it comes with  warning in the documentation that says the same)

 

Edited Sunday at 02:54 PM by Aaviationist

[toto]

1 hour ago, Aaviationist said:

A lot of times that is the advertised price with Medicare. Especially when it comes to medical devices, you can’t just google something and use the ads that come up as a price. The cheapest I can find that I would trust sending money to Majorcpap - where it is 2k. Even then, 14k limit for 2 people is a non starter. 
 

the Inogen has a service life of 5 years. Compared to the cost of a hydro test (150$ last I did it) it still doesn’t make sense to justify the Inogen. 

(the below image is from the Inogen website, and if you buy one it comes with  warning in the documentation that says the same)

 

OT: Does anyone know what "FAA approved" to 18k or 14k means in this context?  I'm not aware of any FAA approval on any particular aircraft oxygen system - the regs just say "provided with" or "uses" supplemental oxygen.  Has the FAA weighed in on the use by a pilot of a concentrator/generator at any altitude?  Some quick googling turned up a bunch of FAA stuff about passengers bringing concentrators on commercial flights, but nothing about GA pilots.

[Will.iam]

I think the letter of intent is oxygen saturation level. You can have a fully pressurized mask system and still be low in O2 saturation. Key to have an O2 detector monitoring your saturation in real time. One of the reasons i love my O2 ring that vibrates anytime my O2 reaches 89% that way I’m not staring at the O2 meter and it also bluetooth to my ipad where i can see the numbers real time on their app but the vibrating of my finger gets my attention quicker than anything else. Highly recommend it for high flyers. 

[Aaviationist]

Not sure about the federal reg side, but for Inogen, they definitely don’t want you doing what Will is doing. 

[Scooter]

Did the military physiology during my time and covered a lot of the aspects of high altitude flying. Great course if you ever get the chance. Even went up to 45000 with rapid decompression. That was back in the old days. They only take you up to 25000 nowadays. I currently work on an ambulance and have seen the effects of low oxygen saturation. The Inogen works and will bring the O2 levels up to a satisfactory level that will keep you aware and alive.

[MikeOH]

5 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

what Will is doing

Keeping his O2 sats well over 90%.

I definitely want to be doing the same as Will

[Aaviationist]

52 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

Keeping his O2 says well over 90%.

I definitely want to be doing the same as Will

You quoted part of my comment, and did so out of context, so I will post it again.  
 

Inogen and whoever is supporting aviation oxygen for these devices does not want you to be doing what Will is doing. 
 

the FAA guidance is *must ise supplemental oxygen above * 

Since the manufacturer states its useful and supported levels of supplemental oxygen support, use outside of those parameters means the device does NOT make supplemental oxygen above these altitudes.  
 

There is what they SAY it does, then what it practically does.  Nothing in aviation works based on real world use and is completely based on manufacturer and tested guidelines - with this - the Inogen is not legal for 2 people above 14k or 1 person above 18k.

this is a significant limitation of portable oxygen concentrators. Even the Aithre, which is aviation purpose built, has an option for supplemental O2 bottle to get around this limitation. 

[NickG]

6 hours ago, Aaviationist said:

A lot of times that is the advertised price with Medicare. Especially when it comes to medical devices, you can’t just google something and use the ads that come up as a price. The cheapest I can find that I would trust sending money to Majorcpap - where it is 2k. Even then, 14k limit for 2 people is a non starter. 
 

the Inogen has a service life of 5 years. Compared to the cost of a hydro test (150$ last I did it) it still doesn’t make sense to justify the Inogen. 

(the below image is from the Inogen website, and if you buy one it comes with  warning in the documentation that says the same)

 

You can can get a refurbished one for a lot less at majorcpap. I bought a refurbished unit and it has worked perfectly. BTW - I use the Inogen for me. For passengers or right seaters I have a portable Aerox system. That is also my backup in the unlikely event the Inogen fails.

[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, Aaviationist said:

You quoted part of my comment, and did so out of context

I quoted the salient part of what of what your wrote that was necessary to make MY point, which you seem oblivious to: CLEARLY the Inogens is sufficient to keep Will's AND his passenger's O2 levels in a safe range.  THAT FACT is all I'm concerned with; namely, SAFETY.

1 hour ago, Aaviationist said:

the Inogen is not legal for 2 people above 14k or 1 person above 18k

And THAT seems to be far more important to YOU.  And, frankly, I'm skeptical that it's even illegal; Inogen just may not want the liability risk that it can't keep up in some situations.  Hence, why you use an O2 monitor (or, don't you worry about that?). So, you must be the guy on the freeway in the fast lane doing 55 while everyone else is doing 75?  That will get you shot in some parts of LA; i.e. NOT safe, but legal.  Knock yourself out.

[Aaviationist]

2 hours ago, MikeOH said:

I quoted the salient part of what of what your wrote that was necessary to make MY point, which you seem oblivious to: CLEARLY the Inogens is sufficient to keep Will's AND his passenger's O2 levels in a safe range.  THAT FACT is all I'm concerned with; namely, SAFETY.

And THAT seems to be far more important to YOU.  And, frankly, I'm skeptical that it's even illegal; Inogen just may not want the liability risk that it can't keep up in some situations.  Hence, why you use an O2 monitor (or, don't you worry about that?). So, you must be the guy on the freeway in the fast lane doing 55 while everyone else is doing 75?  That will get you shot in some parts of LA; i.e. NOT safe, but legal.  Knock yourself out.

So what you’re saying is you think you know more about the capabilities of the machine than the people that make it?

[MikeOH]

3 minutes ago, Aaviationist said:

So what you’re saying is you think you know more about the capabilities of the machine than the people that make it?

I think the people that make O2 pulse oximeters know the capabilities of their machine very well. I trust their machine’s readings to be accurate.