Sizing: When to go to different sizes
23 inch: If a very small kid is using it they don't need the room of a larger hyperbaric chamber. With a 23 inch chamber, a larger person usually feels claustrophobic if they are normally claustrophobic. Someone that is not normally claustrophobic and doesn't need more head room won't usually have an issue. It's tight but you can bring a laptop or a book in the 23 inch chamber. You cannot turn around and move to the other side. You can't stretch and touch your toes or exercise in the 23 inch chamber. The Shallow Dive by summit to sea is the best option as long as you don't get cramped easily because you won't be able to stretch. Positional in tolerant people usually have a problem. A parent and a small kid can go in it but it will be super tight. Buying a 23 inch chamber should only be bought in extreme situations where someone doesn't have enough money to buy a larger one or cannot afford to rent one. If someone truly cannot afford the standard rental price I will only rent these models on sliding scales. These usually have about 40 square feet of material to produce the chamber.
The cheapest hyperbaric chamber that is sold is the Shallow Dive which is 24 inches which is.The small ones usually just have one window at the end.
27 to 28 The chambers in this range are usually about 7500 to 12,000 dollars. These have enough room to move around in but not enough to really workout in. For someone who is claustrophobic that cannot go in the small size, this hat more than enough room. These usually have 2 to 3 windows. These usually take up about 26 linear feet of welded seams and take about 4 days to manufacturer. These also take about 70 square feet of material to produce the chamber.
28+ The chambers in this category have enough room for someone to move around, workout, basically live out of. Chambers over 28 inches are for two people that can get cramped in the 27 to 28 inch chambers. These usually have more windows and cost the most as there is more labor involved in making them.
Note: If you have a military background in your family you can purchase a 28” chamber for $5,495.
Vertical: This is mainly for people who have a disability that might prevent them from laying down in a flat chamber.
There are two ways to get inside the hyperbaric chamber. Depending on if someone ability to get in and out by themselves the ones that are easier to get in on the top or from the side needs to be decided. It is not just about just getting in, zipping yourself up when the zipper is on the side can really tired out the top shoulder if you have to massage the rubber seals and zippers to get the hyperbaric chamber to close right.
On some of the hyperbaric chambers, you can't turn on the side cuz of the valve locations. If you try to turn it on the side the valves, especially if they are not metal valves can get messed up and you can't run it right when the valves are on the bottom.
For immobile people, it is much easier to get in from the side and for mobile people, it is easier to get in on the top of the chamber.
Straps make the chamber mcuh harder to get, especially if getting in alone, and can be even harder for immobile people who cannot bend and reach the last strap.
Note: The models with the belts, they are are the side entry ones. Most people that cannot afford the high end commercial models usually get the strap type. Most people that are coming out of a wheel chair prefer the side entry or if they can sit in their wheelchair inside. I recommend trying the strap model first so you know if you like it. The distributors I work with will let you have a 2 week money back guarantee so that if you don't want to keep it after buying it you can return it. There is always someone that wants to buy one of these returns at a discount, so they never give you a hard time with returns. There are actually people on a wait list just waiting for someone to return one so they can get a bigger discount.Note: The models with the belts, they are are the side entry ones. Most people that cannot afford the high end commercial models usually get the strap type. Most people that are coming out of a wheel chair prefer the side entry also. I recommend trying the strap model first so you know if you like it. The distributors I work with will let you have a 2 week money back guarantee so that if you don't want to keep it after buying it you can return it. There is always someone that wants to buy one of these returns at a discount, so they never give you a hard time with returns. There are actually people on a wait list just waiting for someone to return one so they can get a bigger discount.
Chamber Position questions to ask:
Can you turn or roll the chamber (will benefit different types of patients getting into the chamber).
Can you operate on the ground or a platform?
Some chambers are not as portable as others. Things to consider are inflating the bolsters if traveling versus getting bolsters that come in 1 foot pieces and putting them together. Some compressors are lighter than others and have carrying cases, others are not as portable. Some are also heavier than others. If going on a plane, some can fit overhead and others have to fit under the plane as they can't go in the overhead compartment. Some have bolsters that do not fold into pieces. Some are white and get dirty easier and you have to be more careful not to stain them, especially if you are renting it and want to get your full deposit back. Kids are alway getting their hands on permanent markers and want to draw pictures on them, yes, this was why I had to sell my last one so cheap. Some belts have to be snapped together while other don't. On some you have to reach out to snap the belt once you are in there and other chambers you just hop right in that doesn't have buckles.
Some models have larger motors that are about 2 feet by 1 foot by 14 inches, very heavy. These have about around 80 psi. If you are running a 4psi chamber
Some compressors are only 12 psi, usually the more portable ones. Typically, they would be noisy for other applications requiring more psi, but for chambers that are only 4psi, a 12 psi motor will be quieter. You don't really sacrifice power since chambers don't really need much psi to operate. 80 psi can inflate a tire or could run high pressure equipment or hydraulic system.
Some chambers are not as portable as others. Things to consider are inflating the bolsters if traveling versus getting bolsters that come in 1 foot pieces and putting them together. Some compressors are lighter than others and have carrying cases, others are not as portable. Some are also heavier than others. If going on a plane, some can fit overhead and others have to fit under the plane as they can't go in the overhead compartment. Some have bolsters that do not fold into pieces. Some are white and get dirty easier and you have to be more careful not to stain them, especially if you are renting it and want to get your full deposit back. Kids are alway getting their hands on permanent markers and want to draw pictures on them, yes, this was why I had to sell my last one so cheap. Some belts have to be snapped together while other don't. On some you have to reach out to snap the belt once you are in there and other chambers you just hop right in that doesn't have buckles.
