What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)? A Plain-English Beginner's Guide

Short answer: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing oxygen-enriched air inside a chamber pressurized above normal atmospheric pressure. In hospitals it is used under medical supervision for a specific list of conditions. Mild home chambers operate at a much lower pressure, and their use is a decision to make with a physician.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Educational only, not medical advice. See our disclaimer.

How it works

At normal pressure, your blood carries most of its oxygen bound to hemoglobin. Under increased pressure, more oxygen also dissolves in the blood plasma, and breathing enriched oxygen raises the amount further. That is the basic principle behind HBOT. What that does for any individual is a medical question.

Where HBOT is used medically

The FDA clears hyperbaric chambers for a specific list of conditions. Examples include decompression sickness, air or gas embolism, carbon monoxide poisoning, certain serious infections, crush injuries, delayed radiation injury, some non-healing wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, and other conditions listed by the agency. Treatment is delivered in medical settings at higher pressures with trained staff. Using a chamber for other purposes is outside those clearances, and the FDA has cautioned consumers about unproven claims.

Types of chambers

• Mild (soft-shell) chambers: zippered chambers rated from about 1.3 to 1.5 ATA, designed for home or studio use with an oxygen supply. We carry them from Summit to Sea, Newtowne, OxyRevo, Oxyair, Macy-Pan and Titan.
• Hard-shell chambers: rigid vessels rated up to 2.0 ATA from Macy-Pan, OxyRevo and Oxyair, generally used with a trained operator.
• Multiplace chambers: hard-shell chambers for several people, such as the Macy-Pan HE5000 series.

Per the manufacturer, Summit to Sea chambers are Class II devices and a prescription is required to purchase them. See our Hyperbaric Chamber Guide, mild vs. medical HBOT and every chamber we carry.

What HBOT is not

• It is not a substitute for medical care.
• A mild home chamber is not the same as a hospital chamber.
• Marketing claims that a chamber treats or cures specific diseases should be treated with caution.

Browse the hyperbaric chamber collection or contact us.