Coiled clear nasal cannula tubing on a dark stone counter beside a brushed steel oxygen cylinder with a chrome regulator and pressure dial

Short seated oxygen-bar session positioned as a novelty relaxation add-on.

Oxygen Bar

You sit and breathe through a clean nasal cannula for a short period.

listed studios

cities

$10–$30

per session

sourced claims

Studio and city counts above are taken from the Praxium listings naming oxygen bar, as of 7 Sept 2026.

Find your protocol →Browse the directory

The science

An oxygen bar provides a short period of oxygen-enriched gas through a nasal cannula at normal room pressure. Healthy people usually already have near-maximal blood-oxygen saturation, so any alertness or cognitive effect is likely to be small, temporary, and task-dependent. It is not hyperbaric oxygen and not medical oxygen care.

How oxygen bar works

Extra oxygen can raise inspired oxygen and tissue oxygenation transiently. A meta-analysis of healthy adults found possible cognitive effects, but the evidence quality was low and results were heterogeneous. Oxygen also accelerates combustion, making equipment hygiene, no-smoking rules, and separation from oils, aerosols, and open flame essential.

Research & screening contexts

Topics studied or relevant to safety screening—not diagnoses, medical advice, or promised outcomes.

Brain Fog / Cognitive FatigueLow Cardiorespiratory FitnessCOPD / chronic bronchitisAsthmaVocal fatigue

Wellness goals

Goal-based uses to discuss with studio staff after screening.

Alertness / energized feelingCognitive clarityMood / sense of wellbeingRespiratory / breathing comfortRelax / downshift

The evidence

What the evidence supports — and what it doesn’t

Low-quality, heterogeneous evidence for transient cognitive effects in healthy adults; no basis for disease, detox, hangover, or durable energy claims.

4 sourced claims · 2 moderate · 2 limited

Evidence last reviewed 2026-07-11

Explore both sides of the research. Each finding includes the people studied, limitations and original sources; some involve specialist clinical care rather than studio equipment.

What the research points toward3 research findings · Study details and sources

Oxygen-enriched air near a cannula raises fire risk near open flames or vaping/smoking

Moderate evidence· Points toward a benefit

Because oxygen-enriched air significantly lowers ignition thresholds and accelerates combustion, anesthesia safety literature recommends keeping ignition sources at least 10cm from a nasal-cannula oxygen outlet at flow rates of 4 L/min or higher, a relevant fire-safety consideration for oxygen bars that may operate near candles, scented-oil diffusers, or permit nearby smoking or vaping.

clinical studies

Safety notes

Keep open flames, lit cigarettes/vapes, and other ignition sources well clear of the oxygen outlet and delivery tubing; avoid combining scented/aromatic additives delivered near an open flame with oxygen-enriched air.

Source

Effect of nasal cannula oxygen administration on oxygen concentration at facial and adjacent landmarks — Anaesthesia · 2009

Low-flow nasal-cannula oxygen delivers only a small, localized increase in inspired oxygen

Moderate evidence· Mixed findings

Oxygen concentration measured near a nasal-cannula outlet exceeds room-air levels only within a few centimeters at typical low flow rates and rarely exceeds 26% even at 6 L/min, meaning the brief, low-flow delivery typical of a recreational oxygen bar produces only a small, localized increase in inspired oxygen, quite different from the continuous, higher and more controlled delivery used in laboratory studies that have shown cognitive benefits.

clinical studies

How it may work

Room-air entrainment dilutes nasal-cannula oxygen rapidly with distance from the outlet, so systemic inspired-oxygen fraction rises much less than the purity of the source gas would suggest, especially at the brief exposure and casual cannula positioning typical of an oxygen bar.

Source

Effect of nasal cannula oxygen administration on oxygen concentration at facial and adjacent landmarks — Anaesthesia · 2009

Continuous supplemental oxygen can sharpen short-term cognitive performance under controlled lab delivery

Limited evidence· Points toward a benefit

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled lab study, healthy young adults who breathed continuous supplemental oxygen before cognitive testing showed significantly higher blood oxygen saturation, faster reaction times, and better word recall than those breathing room air, establishing a plausible short-term cognitive mechanism for supplemental oxygen under controlled, continuous delivery.

Studied in Healthy young adults (controlled lab protocol, continuous oxygen delivery)clinical studies

How it may work

Cognitive tasks raise demand for metabolic substrate delivery to active brain regions; supplemental oxygen appears to augment this delivery, correlating oxygen-saturation increases with performance gains.

Source

Cognitive performance, hyperoxia, and heart rate following oxygen administration in healthy young adults — Physiology & Behavior · 1999

Where the research points the other way1 research finding · Study details and sources

RCT: recreational oxygen-bar sessions show no measurable benefit for energy, relaxation, or stress

Limited evidence· Points against

In a randomized controlled trial giving 30 participants either active recreational oxygen or a sham (no-flow) oxygen-bar setup across two 10-minute sessions, there were no significant between- or within-group differences in self-reported energy, relaxation, or stress, the specific benefits oxygen bars are commonly marketed for.

Studied in Healthy adults using a recreational oxygen barclinical studies

How strong the finding is

The only identified randomized trial directly testing recreational oxygen-bar use against the outcomes it is marketed for; single study, modest sample (n=30).

Source

Oxygen bar effectiveness: a randomized quantitative study — Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine · 2011

Is oxygen bar right for you?

Healthy adults who understand the session is a novelty or relaxation add-on with uncertain benefit.

Wellness guidance, not medical advice.

Often a great fit if…

Anyone using prescribed oxygen or living with lung, heart, or oxygen-regulation conditions should follow their clinician’s plan instead.

Worth a quick check first if…

Do not substitute an oxygen bar for prescribed oxygen or urgent evaluation. Require medical guidance for chronic lung disease, carbon-dioxide retention risk, active respiratory distress, or prescribed oxygen. Keep oxygen away from smoking, flames, sparks, oils, grease, and aerosolized fragrances; use clean single-user interfaces.

What a first session feels like

You sit and breathe through a clean nasal cannula for a short period. You may notice little beyond the sensation of airflow. Stop for headache, dizziness, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, unusual drowsiness, or irritation, and never add unverified inhaled oils or substances.

Where to try it

Studios offering oxygen bar

47 listed studios across 41 cities.

River Oaks Drip Spa & Cryotherapy — Houston

Houston, TX

5.0· 536 Google reviews

River Oaks Drip Spa is a Houston wellness spa offering IV hydration and vitamin infusions, cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared sauna, oxygen bar, and NormaTec compression.

IV Hydration / Vitamin (Myers-type) TherapyRed light therapyInfrared saunaCryotherapy+3

Website ↗

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness - Brentwood

Brentwood, TN

5.0· 274 Google reviews

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness in Brentwood specializes in intravenous vitamin infusions designed to enhance hydration, athletic performance, and anti-aging, with additional services including whole-body cryotherapy and medical-grade oxygen therapy.

IV & hydrationCryotherapyOxygen Bar

Website ↗

Zivel - Riverton

Riverton, UT

5.0· 271 Google reviews

Zivel Riverton is a science-backed wellness studio offering cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared sauna, dry float therapy, compression therapy, and oxygen bar services.

Infrared saunaCryotherapyRed light therapyFloat therapy+2

Website ↗

Be Well Studio

Las Vegas, NV

5.0· 267 Google reviews

Be Well Studio is an exclusive, appointment-free wellness center offering 15+ premium therapies including infrared saunas, cold plunges, red light therapy, IV therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen in a limited-membership environment capped at 250 members.

Cold plungeCompression therapyContrast therapyFloat therapy+5

Website ↗

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness - Layton

Layton, UT

5.0· 252 Google reviews

The Layton Prime IV sits on Woodland Park Drive and runs walk-in or booked drips from a row of heated massage chairs, with medical-grade oxygen included on memberships.

IV & hydrationIV Hydration / Vitamin (Myers-type) TherapyIntramuscular Vitamin Injection (B12, B-complex, Vitamin D, Glutathione)Oxygen Bar

Website ↗

Zivel - Hollywood

Hollywood, FL

5.0· 161 Google reviews

Zivel Hollywood specializes in cryotherapy, red light therapy, infrared sauna, compression therapy, and oxygen bar services for recovery, performance, and aesthetic wellness.

CryotherapyRed light therapyInfrared saunaCompression therapy+1

Website ↗

Space planning

Plan the oxygen bar footprint

Use a generic reference envelope to test room fit before choosing a manufacturer model.

Explore this generic equipment footprint, then place it in your studio plan.

Generic reference model
Oxygen bar
6′ × 3′ floor envelope
Generic planning geometry for early space planning. It is not a manufacturer-specific product, installation drawing, or purchasing specification; confirm the selected model's final envelope, service clearances, utilities, and ceiling requirements before ordering.
Place reference in planner

Frequently asked questions

Is an oxygen bar the same as hyperbaric oxygen?

No. An oxygen bar is at normal room pressure. Hyperbaric oxygen uses increased pressure in a medical or specialized chamber and has different dosing, evidence, and risks.

Will it raise oxygen saturation in a healthy person?

A healthy person is usually already near the top of the saturation range, so the visible change may be minimal even though inspired oxygen is higher.

Can oxygen burn?

Oxygen is not itself a fuel, but it makes other materials ignite more easily and burn faster. No smoking, flame, sparks, oils, or grease should be near the system.

References

For studio operators

Run a studio that offers oxygen bar?

List your studio free so people searching for these modalities can find you. When you want your menu turned into plans your team runs every shift, request a studio fit check.

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Keep exploring oxygen bar

Other modalities

DXA Body Composition →Sauna / Cold Exposure Sequencing (Cross-Modality) →Float therapy →Vasper-Style Compression / Cooling Training →Sauna Blanket →Infrared Body Wraps →Traditional sauna →Cold plunge →

Where does oxygen bar fit in your week?

A modality guide can tell you what oxygen bar does. It can't tell you whether it belongs before or after your hardest session, or how often. The quiz takes what you're training for and returns a sequence — this modality included or not.

Find your protocol →Browse studios

How oxygen bar works

Is oxygen bar right for you?

Healthy adults who understand the session is a novelty or relaxation add-on with uncertain benefit.

Wellness guidance, not medical advice.