Oxygen Concentrator vs Oxygen Cylinder: Which Do You Need?
This is the question we are asked most often by families arranging oxygen at home, and the honest answer depends almost entirely on two things: whether the patient needs oxygen continuously or occasionally, and how reliable the power supply is where they live.
The short answer
If oxygen is needed every day, for hours at a time, over weeks or months, buy a concentrator. If it is needed occasionally, at high flow, or as a backup for power cuts, use cylinders. Most patients on long-term oxygen at home in Kenya are best served by a concentrator with one cylinder kept as backup.
What each one costs
| Option | Purchase price | Running cost |
|---|---|---|
| Longfian Oxygen Concentrator 5 Litres | KSh 60,000 | Electricity only, roughly 350-450 W while running |
| Longfian Oxygen Concentrator 10 Litres | KSh 100,000 | Electricity only, higher draw at higher flow |
| Oxygen Concentrator with Nebulizer | KSh 55,000 | Electricity, plus nebulising in the same unit |
| Oxygen Cylinder | KSh 25,000 | Refilling, per cylinder, indefinitely |
| Oxygen Flowmeter | KSh 3,500 | One-off, required with a cylinder |
How they differ in practice
A concentrator makes oxygen; a cylinder stores it
A concentrator draws room air, strips out nitrogen through a molecular sieve and delivers concentrated oxygen for as long as it has power. It never runs out and it never needs refilling. A cylinder holds a fixed quantity of compressed oxygen and, when it is empty, someone has to physically take it somewhere and bring it back full.
The running cost is where the decision is made
A concentrator has a high purchase price and a low, predictable running cost. A cylinder has a low purchase price and a running cost that never stops. For a patient using oxygen daily, the concentrator typically pays for itself within a few months, and the arithmetic gets more favourable the longer therapy continues. This is the single most important point in this guide and it is the one families most often work out too late.
Flow rate and reliability
Concentrators deliver a steady flow, usually up to 5 litres per minute on a standard unit and up to 10 on a larger one. Cylinders can deliver much higher flows, which is why theatres, casualty and ambulances still rely on them. Cylinders also work in a blackout, which a mains concentrator does not.
Practical living considerations
- Noise. A concentrator hums continuously. In a small bedroom this genuinely affects sleep. Plan where it sits and use a longer cannula.
- Heat. Concentrators need clear air around them. Do not box one into a cupboard.
- Filters. The gross particle filter needs washing weekly. Neglecting it is the main cause of reduced output.
- Cylinder handling. Cylinders must be secured upright. A falling cylinder with a damaged valve is dangerous.
- Transport. Cylinders are portable, a mains concentrator is not. For a patient who leaves the house, plan for a small cylinder or a portable unit.
The combination most homes end up with
A 5 litre concentrator as the primary source, one cylinder with a flowmeter as backup for power outages and for transport to appointments, plus spare masks and cannulae. That arrangement costs more at the outset than cylinders alone and less than cylinders within the first year of continuous use, and it removes the anxiety of running out at two in the morning.
Sizing matters. Order the 10 litre unit only if the prescription actually requires flows above 5 litres per minute; oversizing costs KSh 40,000 and buys nothing. The oxygen concentrator price guide goes through sizing, brands and what to check on delivery, and the home care starter pack covers the rest of a home oxygen set-up.
Questions we are asked most often
Which is cheaper overall?
For daily long-term use, the concentrator, usually by a wide margin once refills are counted. For occasional or short-term use, cylinders.
What happens to a concentrator during a power cut?
It stops. Keep a filled backup cylinder for exactly this reason, or run the concentrator from an inverter or generator sized for its draw.
Can a concentrator be used for a ward?
Yes, for individual patients. Facilities needing multiple simultaneous high-flow patients should discuss a piped or manifold solution with us instead.
Do you refill cylinders?
We supply cylinders, regulators, flowmeters, masks and cannulae, and can advise on refilling arrangements in your county.
Ordering
Compare current stock under oxygen concentrators, oxygen regulators and flowmeters and oxygen masks and cannulae.