Softshell Hyperbaric Chambers

What a softshell chamber actually is

A softshell chamber is a flexible pressure vessel — a welded urethane or reinforced-fabric shell that holds its shape only while it is pressurised. An oil-free compressor pushes filtered ambient air in until the inside sits above the pressure outside. An oxygen concentrator, included with every model we sell, feeds a mask or cannula inside the chamber. The shell holds pressure; the concentrator supplies the oxygen. Those are two separate jobs done by two separate machines, and it is worth understanding that before comparing quotes, because some listings price the shell alone.

Every softshell chamber in our catalogue runs from an ordinary household outlet, unzips for entry, and can be moved by two people without rigging or a freight lift gate. That is the whole appeal of the class. It is also the source of its one hard limit.

The pressure ceiling, stated plainly

Softshell chambers in our catalogue reach 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 or 1.5 ATA depending on model. They do not go higher, and no softshell does. A flexible shell simply cannot be certified for the pressures a rigid vessel handles. Hardshell models run from 1.3 ATA up to 2.5 ATA.

That difference matters, and it matters in a specific way rather than a vague one. Pressure is what drives additional oxygen into solution in the blood plasma; more pressure dissolves more. So if you are working from a protocol, a practitioner's instruction, or a published study that specifies 2.0 ATA, a softshell will not deliver that condition. It will deliver a milder one. We would rather lose the sale than have you find that out after delivery.

Who this class genuinely suits

• Daily home use at mild pressure, where convenience and getting in the chamber consistently matters more than reaching a high ATA.
• A first chamber, where you are not yet certain how much you will use it and do not want to commit to freight, site prep and a five-figure jump in price.
• Renters, or anyone who may move. A softshell goes with you.
• A room that cannot take a rigid vessel — an upstairs floor, a narrow doorway, a space with no route for a crate.
• Wheelchair users who need roll-in entry without a transfer: the Pavilion of Power is a softshell dome built for exactly that.

Honest limits of a softshell

• Pressure. 1.5 ATA is the ceiling. Covered above, and it is the only limit that cannot be worked around.
• Consumable parts. The zipper and the shell are wear items. A rigid vessel does not have a zipper.
• Compressor noise. The compressor runs the entire session. People consistently underestimate this until the first session in a quiet house. Ours are oil-free and reasonably quiet, but they are not silent, and the unit should sit outside the room you are relaxing in if the cable allows.
• Pressurisation time. A flexible shell takes longer to come up to pressure than a rigid one, which is time added to every single session.
• Resale. The used market for softshells is thinner and prices are softer than for hardshell equipment.

What the room has to provide

Less than people expect, but not nothing. You need floor area for the inflated footprint plus roughly two feet of clear space on the entry side so someone can assist. You need enough ceiling height for the model — the upright models need more than the lay-down ones. You need a standard grounded outlet on a circuit that is not already loaded, because the compressor and the concentrator both draw continuously. And you need a room that does not get hot, since neither machine likes still, warm air.

Exact inflated dimensions, door and window positions and shipping weights are published on each model page below. We do not put them on this page because a category page is the wrong place to compare a number you will make a purchase decision on. For a full walk through of electrical, doorway, delivery and ventilation planning before you buy, our pre-install checklist covers it in detail.

Softshell chambers we sell

Three models. Every one includes an oil-free compressor, a 10 LPM oxygen concentrator, our 3-Year No-Fuss Warranty on residential installations, and access to our in-house service team.

Softshell or hardshell — the short version

Next steps

If you want to sit in one before deciding, the showroom in Holiday, Florida has chambers set up and running. If you would rather read first, the buyer's guide is long and has no order form on it.

Questions about a specific room or a specific pressure requirement: (727) 591-4268 or send the details through the contact form. Financing options are listed separately.