Varon Oxygen

Read this first: oxygen is a medicine

This review looks at a brand that sells medical-style equipment, so one point comes before everything else. The FDA states that oxygen concentrators are medical devices that must be sold and used only with a prescription, and that it has not approved or cleared any oxygen concentrator for sale or use without one. It warns that using one without medical guidance can mean too much or too little oxygen and can cause serious harm or delay treatment.

Nothing here is medical advice. If you or someone you care for needs extra oxygen, speak to a doctor, and use the device and settings they prescribe.

What Varon sells

Varon Inc sells home concentrators (the VH series, Serene 3, Serene 5 and Serene 10), portable concentrators (VL, VT, VP series), batteries, chargers and accessories, plus pet oxygen products. The public product feed lists 108 items. Home units start at $279 and portable units run from $379 to $1,300, and the store runs frequent promotions.

Portable models from the product feed. Product images: Varon; prices checked 1 Oct 2026.

What the brand says about itself, and what the FDA says

Varon’s own article on prescriptions (February 2025) says its portable concentrators “are classified as healthcare machines, rather than medical devices”, that “they do not produce medical-grade oxygen and are not intended for life-critical use”, and that they are therefore sold without a prescription. Its Serene 5 home unit, on the other hand, is described as “medical grade” and “FDA approved”, and its page lists patients, the elderly and pregnant women among suitable users.

That sits uneasily with the FDA’s position that oxygen concentrators are prescription devices. We searched the FDA’s public 510(k) database for Varon and for the manufacturer named in FDA records, Hongkong Maida Technology, and found no clearance. The database can list clearances under other company names, so we cannot prove none exists, but the brand should be able to give you a 510(k) number for any model it calls FDA approved.

What FDA reports say

The FDA’s MAUDE database holds five voluntary reports naming Varon, received between May 2024 and April 2026: four malfunctions and one injury report. Two reports from May 2024 argue that a portable unit advertised as 1–5 L/min cannot deliver that flow, quoting the manual’s maximum of 50 ml per pulse. A February 2025 report from a buyer says a unit they paid extra to upgrade produced only 1 L/min according to its manual, and a July 2025 injury report describes blood-oxygen readings of 85% with the device against 83% without it.

The most recent report (April 2026) is from a relative of a dialysis patient who says that after about ten minutes at a setting that had previously worked, the patient developed blue lips and near-fainting. These reports are unverified, MAUDE does not establish cause and it does not show how common a problem is, but they repeat the same concern about output.

What customers say

On Trustpilot, Varon has 3.5 out of 5 from 275 reviews on a claimed profile: 57% are five stars and 26% are one star. Happy customers describe units that are quiet and light and say they have bought the brand for years. Critics report that output drops at higher settings, that returns and refunds are hard to obtain, that a return shipping address was overseas, that a battery warranty was only one month and that repair support disappeared after the warranty.

ScamAdviser rates the website “Very likely safe” and shows the domain was registered on 17 May 2021 with the owner’s details hidden and the registrant in Shanghai.

Returns, warranty and shipping

You have 30 days from receipt to request a return, and the item must be in good condition. If you simply change your mind you pay return shipping and a 15% restocking fee is deducted from the refund, which is issued within 3–5 business days after inspection. Defective, damaged or incorrect items are replaced or fully refunded with Varon covering shipping, provided you send photos or video.

The warranty is one year of free repair for manufacturing defects. Accessories are excluded, you pay to send the unit back, and you must inspect the product within 48 hours of delivery. US orders over $49 ship free, are processed in 2–3 business days and arrive in 3–7 business days when stocked locally.

If your doctor agrees: how to check before you order

• Get a prescription. Have a clinician decide whether you need oxygen, the flow type and the setting.
• Verify the model. Ask Varon for the 510(k) number of the exact model and check it on the FDA website.
• Check the numbers. Ask what oxygen concentration the unit delivers at the setting you will use, and keep a pulse oximeter and a backup oxygen supply as your doctor advises.
• Use the return window. Inspect the unit within 48 hours, test it, and keep the packaging and receipt.