Despite over 100 years of successful medical use, researchers are still learning and rediscovering the many therapeutic benefits of ozone therapy.
Instead of paying $100-300 per session in a clinic, you can reap the benefits from the comfort of your home.
Whenever you want, as often as you want.
Ozone is a highly powerful and volatile compound. So equipment quality matters. And there are a ton of different ways to use it.
In this article, let’s dive into how to choose your ideal at-home ozone therapy machine and the necessary equipment for each form.
Are you new to this? Read my detailed guide on the science, benefits, and review of the best ozone therapy machines.
How to Choose The Best Ozone Therapy Machine
I use Simply O3 in our education materials because they were the winner when I researched, tested, compared, and reviewed home ozone therapy systems. I regularly use their machines.
If you choose another company, that’s fine. My goal is to help you implement ozone to optimize your health.
I’ve been studying (and using) ozone therapy for many years. I regularly consult with some of the most prestigious scientists and doctors in the industry, both internationally and domestically.
When I first started, I made some mistakes and have seen countless others do the same.
There’s an International Scientific Committee of Ozone that sets standards for machines, that the reputable brands all follow. I have had in-depth conversations with several manufacturers, including the ones that supply most of the industry.
Although I don’t personally sell any of the systems, I am affiliated with some of them. I chose to partner with them only after conducting my research and getting their systems.
I have a few important pointers for my fellow consumers, that will help you choose the right company and product for your needs.
What to look for in a therapeutic ozone machine
Ozone therapy systems may look similar, but there’s often a huge quality difference.
Some of the main factors to consider include:
- 100% ozone-compatible materials – So that you can get ultra-pure ozone without the adulterants (although some will try to make you believe otherwise)
- The two types of generator – One is suited for home set-ups while the other is more for clinical use. More on these later.
- Cold-corona discharge – The best technology because it doesn’t heat up and causes changes in concentration
What to look for in a therapeutic ozone company
Knowing a few things to check, you can easily separate top ozone therapy brands from the rest.
Some of the criteria to check include:
- Demonstrable results – The company should be able to demonstrate results with the equipment
- Return policy – A 6-month return policy with no questions asked is ideal
- Warranty – A lifetime warranty with NO fine print. Some companies add fine print to make it seem like a lifetime warranty when it’s only backing one piece of the kit that will never break
- Service – The quality of service is important. If you have questions, you need to reach someone knowledgeable and helpful. Not all companies prioritize this after you make a purchase
Simply O3 is one of the top choices because they not only meet those criteria but also give free access to ozone lectures, a free video course and protocol guide, free ozone oils with their kits, and more.
Plus, you can enjoy the convenience of getting everything you need in their bundles/kits.
Along the same vein, there are several reasons why you want to avoid buying from a cheap company. Here are some more thorough criteria for choosing the best ozone machine.
The Different Types of Ozone Therapy Generators
When you first encounter oxygen tanks and ozone gas, you’ll likely think it’s for medical use. Makes sense. They’re often seen only in hospitals and clinics.
But they’re also available over the counter.
There are two variations of ozone generators:
- Flow of gas
- Flow of gas + dial
More on those momentarily.
Medical-grade ozone generators can change the strength (concentration) of the ozone gas. Each therapy requires different ozone gas strength.
When you do ozone therapy, most of the gas is oxygen. Only a small portion is ozone (<5%). 100% ozone gas would be too strong.
The strength of ozone gas is measured in gamma — aka micrograms/milliliter (μg/ml).
A typical therapeutic dose ranges from 10–60 gamma.
You’ll change the concentration within that range, depending on your chosen therapy.
The ozone generator takes pure oxygen and converts it into ozone. Two factors alter the strength of the ozone gas.
The first factor is how fast the oxygen flows into the device.
The slower the flow of the gas, the stronger the ozone gas will be. This is because the oxygen spends a longer period in the reaction chamber (where the oxygen is converted into ozone).
The second factor is how much energy is going into the reactor. An ozone generator with a dial can alter how much energy is being produced.
Only some of the ozone systems have dials. They aren’t necessary but give you extra control.
The amount of energy influences how much oxygen gets converted into ozone.
Flow rate + amount of energy in the reactor = how much ozone is created.
You don’t need to understand all of this as long as you follow the instructions in your kit.
They’ll tell you exactly what to do. It’s quite simple when you see it for yourself.
Flow of gas generators
Most ozone generators can only change the amount of ozone by altering how fast the gas flows through it.
There’s a piece on top of the oxygen tank called an “oxygen regulator”. It has a simple knob on it that changes how fast the oxygen flows into the ozone generator.
“Flow of gas” generators are the best for most people for these reasons:
- Most simple and easy to use
- Simplicity makes it less likely to break down
- They do all the basic therapies for home applications
Flow of gas ozone machines are not good for injections and IVs because they have limited concentrations to choose from.
Here’s the concentration chart on the Simply O3’S Stratus 3.0. It tells you which setting to select for each concentration of ozone.
You change the setting on the oxygen regulator to create ozone.
For example, setting #1 = 6 gamma (ug/ml).
Here’s a picture of the regulator. This is where you change the “setting” that’s shown on the concentration chart.
Some regulators look different. They typically have fractions. The Stratus 3.0 uses whole numbers to avoid confusion.
Flow of gas + dial generators
Some ozone therapy machines have a dial to change the strength of the ozone, in addition to the flow of gas described above.
The dial is technically called a potentiometer or rheostat. It controls how much energy is applied to the oxygen, changing how much ozone is created.
The reason people choose an ozone therapy machine with a dial is because it has more concentrations to choose from. That’s it. This doesn’t matter much for ozone therapy at home.
But it’s helpful if you’re doing injections or IVs. A practitioner administering knee injections may want to increase the concentration each session slowly.
A sample progression may look like this…
10 gammas to 13 gammas to 16 gammas to 20 gammas. Same for IV ozone therapy.
Most injection and IV protocols slowly increase the concentration of ozone because starting too strong can cause discomfort to the patient.
This is how the chart looks on a Cumulus Ozone Generator.
How to choose the best ozone generator for you
Flow of gas generators are typically best for home applications.
Dial generators are for medical practitioners looking for full functionality.
Here’s the difference between Simply O3’s options.
💨 Stratus 3.0 Kit (~$1,799.99) | ☁️ Cumulus Kit (~$3,079.99) | |
Good for home therapies | ✔ | ✔ |
Good for clinics | ✖ | ✔ |
Ultra-pure ozone | ✔ | ✔ |
Comes with free resources | ✔ | ✔ |
Lifetime warranty | ✔ | ✔ |
6-month return policy | ✔ | ✔ |
Medical professionals prefer the clinical models (Ozonette & Cumulus) simply because they have more granular concentration settings.
For example, a doctor will slowly titrate up a patient’s dose. They need more options to do that.
However, for home applications or basic therapies, the drawbacks of this specialty technology likely outweigh the benefits.
Ozone Therapies You Can Do At Home
For a more in-depth look at comparing home therapies, check out this page.
Here’s a simple chart of the potential ozone therapy protocols that you can do with each type of machine.
💨 Stratus 3.0 Kit | ☁️ Cumulus Kit | |
Rectal insufflation | ✔ | ✔ |
Vaginal insufflation | ✔ | ✔ |
Ear insufflation | ✔ | ✔ |
Breathing ozonides | ✔ | ✔ |
Nasal insufflation | ✔ | ✔ |
Limb bagging | ✔ | ✔ |
Ozone cupping | ✔ | ✔ |
Ozone water | ✔ | ✔ |
Ozone sauna | ✔ | ✔ |
Dental applications | ✔ | ✔ |
Injections (not for home) | ✖ | ✔ |
Intravenous ozone therapy (not for home) | ✖ | ✔ |
The 3 vital home ozone protocols
Most ozone users will never use most of those protocols.
The three most impactful and common home ozone treatments include:
Basic kits will often contain the equipment necessary for these three treatments.
You can add other treatments as the need arises. For example, you don’t need ozone limb bagging unless you have a skin infection on the limb.
What Ozone Therapy Equipment Do I Need?
All options for ozone therapy require four things:
- Oxygen Tank
- Oxygen Tank Regulator
- Medical Ozone Generator
- Accessories
Here are other accessories required for each home therapy — assuming you already have the oxygen tank, oxygen tank regulator, and ozone generator. Those are necessary for every therapy.
These will all last indefinitely unless otherwise stated.
Rectal ozone insufflation
You’ll need a basic kit used for ozone administration.
- Rectal Insufflation Kit (lasts 2 – 3 months of everyday use)
Vaginal ozone insufflation
You’ll need a kit typically comprised of an insert, a liquid trap, and an ozone destruct. The insert is placed into the area to allow for an inflow of ozone and an outflow of the gas.
The liquid trap will prevent liquid from going into the ozone destruct. And the ozone destruct will neutralize the excess ozone so it does not go into the air.
Ozone ear insufflation therapy
This requires two things. An ear set and an ozone bubbler system for humidification.
The bubbler system will have a diffuser where the gas will bubble through the liquid and exit through the ear set.
Ozone water
To make ozonated water, you’ll need a bubbler system.
The internal stem will have a diffuser at the bottom, where the gas will bubble through the liquid. Then the gas will exit the container into the desired apparatus.
Ozone limb bagging
Limb bagging requires a self-sealing ozone-resistant bag. One that’s made for exposing limbs to ozone gas.
- Limb Bag (lasts indefinitely but shouldn’t be shared between person)
- Ozone Destruct
Ozone cupping
To perform ozone cupping, you’ll need laboratory-grade glass cups. These allow you to hit isolated and difficult-to-reach areas of the body with ozone.
Breathing ozonides
For this, you’ll need a bubbler system that can be used either for ozonating oil or humidifying ozone gas.
- Oil Bubbler System
- Nasal Cannula (comes with oil bubbler and lasts indefinitely)
Ozone oil
While you can make this at home, I recommend you buy professional-grade ozone oil instead. That’s because it’s significantly stronger.
- Oil Bubbler System
Ozone sauna
Traditionally, you’d have to enter a small room for a normal sauna. For ozone saunas, however, your head must not be covered. These are the ideal equipment for that:
Nasal insufflation
Do not use a normal syringe with ozone. They’ll rapidly break down from exposure to ozone. Instead, use special ozone-resistant syringes.
- Ozone syringe (use a new one every 5 uses or so)
How Do I Get Oxygen For Ozone Therapy?
Medical ozone generators require 99.9% pure oxygen for ozone therapy.
You can’t use room air or oxygen concentrators because it’s not pure oxygen. It’ll produce harmful contaminants when put through the ozone generator.
Oxygen concentrators also do not provide the same level of purity (95% at best) as an oxygen tank (99.9%).
You need to get an oxygen tank locally. You’ll have to go to a local oxygen supplier and pick one up.
You can Google “Airgas”, “Praxair”, or “weld supply shop near me”. Then go to the store and ask for a 40 cubic foot oxygen tank.
It costs about $100–$120, weighs 13 pounds, and is 18 inches in height. The tank lasts for approximately 6 months depending on usage.
Then you can refill it for around $15-$20. Of course, prices range depending on where you live.
Types of oxygen tanks for ozone therapy
There are two different types of oxygen tanks you can get: 540 or 870.
Most people choose the 540 oxygen tank because it’s easier to get but there’s no difference in purity between the tanks.
It’s important to know which tank you should use mainly because of regulator compatibility. As the names suggest, an 870 regulator will fit into an 870 tank and a 540 regulator into a 540 tank.
Outside of this, the only other difference is how long the supply will last. 870 oxygen tanks require a prescription simply because it’s a bigger container and holds more volume.
Getting a 540 tank
Again, most people choose 540 oxygen tanks because are very easy to acquire. It’ll usually last between 6 to 12 months depending on usage.
To get a 540 commercial oxygen tank:
- Search for local Airgas, Praxair, or welding supply – Google “Airgas”, “Praxair”, or “Weld supply shop near me”.
- Go to the location and ask for a 40 cubic-foot oxygen tank
- They won’t serve you if they feel it’s for medical purposes because that makes them liable.
Getting an 870 tank
870 oxygen tanks require a prescription from a doctor. The process is a lot more difficult and you might go through some issues simply because of that. You can go to a local medical oxygen supply shop once you acquire a prescription.
To get an 870 medical oxygen tank:
- Get a prescription from your doctor for medical oxygen. If you have migraines, a prescription for migraines will cut a lot of bureaucracy.
- Search for a local medical oxygen supply – Google “medical oxygen supply near me”
- Go in and give them the prescription. Do note that may only have rental options available.
- Pay with cash, not insurance. Insurance will not cover an oxygen tank for ozone therapy.
Starting Ozone Therapy at Home
Ozone therapy has been one of the most promising practices in recent years.
While there are some downsides like the price of the machines themselves and the lack of some standardization of medical treatment protocols, it’s still a key health innovation of modern medicine.
In the long run, getting a kit (instead of expensive clinical treatments) saves you a lot of time and money. You can get all that you need for most of the protocols mentioned.
To get started, the only equipment most people need include:
- A “flow of gas” generator
- Oxygen tank
- Oxygen regulator
- Attachments for your desired protocol
Remember to check the compatibility of the oxygen regulator before you buy your tank. The 540 tank is cheaper and easier to acquire while the 870 tank lasts longer. There’s no difference in purity.
Doing home ozone therapy already? Let me know how your experience has been so far or share your top tips for those who want to get started!