The Best Home Nebulizers, Only the FDA Cleared Ones

The right nebulizer for you is the one your prescriber recommends, used only with the medicine they prescribe. That is not us being cautious: it is what the people who write the guidance say. Asthma + Lung UK puts it plainly: “Only buy or use a nebuliser if your doctor or specialist recommends one. They also need to prescribe the medicines to put into it.” The type of nebulizer and the medicine go together, and both are decisions for your prescriber.

So this guide is for people who have already been told to get a nebulizer, or to replace one, and want to know which machines on Amazon have passed an independent check. Every nebulizer below is named in an FDA record you can open: a 510(k) clearance, or the FDA’s own device database entry that links the model to its clearance. Then, and only then, it also had to be well rated by buyers on Amazon.

The short version

1. Best compressor nebulizer

   OMRON C801 CompAir Compressor Nebulizer (NE-C801)

   Named in its FDA clearance, for adults and children, for everyday use at home. Full review

   Amazon UK
   Amazon UK

2. Best portable mesh nebulizer

   OMRON MicroAIR U100 Portable Mesh Nebulizer (NE-U100)

   Battery powered and near silent, and recorded by the FDA under a mesh nebulizer clearance. Full review

   Amazon UK
   Amazon UK

Each pick shows only in the country where it passed both checks. Right now that is the UK for both. If you are reading in the US, we have not found a cleared nebulizer sold on amazon.com. Searches there return adapters, filters and spare parts for cleared machines, alongside “portable” and pet nebulizers with no FDA record we could match. In the US, the cleared machines we looked up are listed in the FDA’s database as prescription devices, so the usual route is through your prescriber or a medical equipment supplier they recommend. We will add US picks if a cleared model with a matching model number appears on Amazon.

First, the prescription

Asthma + Lung UK says you “should only use a nebuliser at home if your healthcare professional has prescribed it for you.” It also points out that most people do not need one: “Most asthma attacks and flare-ups can be treated just as effectively using a blue reliever inhaler with a spacer.” Home nebulizers are more often arranged for conditions such as cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis, or for some people with severe asthma or COPD, by their specialist.

For children with asthma, the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, is firmer still. Its 2022 safety update says that buying a nebulizer independently, “outside of medical advice,” for home rescue treatment of asthma in children and adolescents “is not recommended,” and that home use should be started and managed by specialists. Its advice to parents is to “only use a nebuliser device recommended by a doctor.”

The American Lung Association adds that nebulizers “are often recommended for patients who have a hard time using inhalers,” and that the choice of mask or mouthpiece is one you make with your healthcare provider.

Before buying, Asthma + Lung UK suggests asking your specialist “about which nebuliser to buy, where to get it, and servicing it.” Take this page with you if it helps, but their answer wins.

Compressor or mesh?

Both types turn liquid medicine into a mist you breathe in through a mask or mouthpiece. They do it differently.

• A compressor (jet) nebulizer uses a small electric pump. The American Lung Association describes the parts: a medicine cup, a top piece, a mask or mouthpiece, thin plastic tubing, and the compressor, which can run from a wall outlet, a car adapter or batteries depending on the model. Compressors are the familiar home type. They are louder and need a power supply.
• A mesh nebulizer pushes the medicine through a fine vibrating mesh instead. Mesh models are small, battery powered and close to silent, which makes them easier to use away from home or with a child who is frightened of the noise. The mesh cap has its own cleaning routine, set out in the manual.

Asthma + Lung UK notes that “some are portable, and others are mains connected,” and that you may want one that fits your needs. Which type suits your medicine is a question for your prescriber or pharmacist: not every medicine suits every machine. The FDA clearances for both picks below, for example, say they are not intended for use with pentamidine.

How to check a nebulizer yourself

Search the FDA 510(k) database by product code CAF (nebulizers) or by the company name, and open the entry. Many clearances name the exact models they cover. For models a clearance does not name, the FDA’s AccessGUDID database often lists the model number with the 510(k) it was cleared under. Then compare that model number with the one on the store listing.

As with any medical device, “FDA approved” on a listing usually means FDA cleared. Clearance through a 510(k) is how nebulizers reach the market. And a cleared model’s near-twin with a different model number is not covered by that clearance. Several popular nebulizers below were left out for exactly that reason.

The picks

The C801 is named in its own FDA clearance, which covers adults and children (as defined by the prescribed medicine) at home, in hospital and in sub-acute care. The UK listing describes it as the OMRON Comp A.I.R NE-C801, the model the FDA cleared. It is a plug-in compressor, so it is a home machine rather than a travel one. OMRON’s child version, the C801KD, has a different model number and was unavailable when we checked.

The MicroAIR U100 runs on two AA batteries and is near silent. OMRON says it can be used in any position, even lying down, which helps with a sleepy or unwell child. The FDA’s device database records the NE-U100 under the 510(k) clearance for OMRON’s vibrating mesh nebulizers. Before you buy, ask your prescriber whether your medicine is suitable for a mesh nebulizer.

Cleaning and care

A dirty nebulizer can make you ill. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, an NHS trust, warns that dirty equipment can put you “at risk of developing a chest infection,” and Asthma + Lung UK says “any fluid left in a nebuliser can easily grow bacteria.” The health bodies agree on the basics, though their details differ a little:

• After every use, take it apart and wash the medicine cup and mask or mouthpiece in warm, mild soapy water, then rinse (Asthma + Lung UK, ALA). The ALA says the top shelf of a dishwasher also works for these parts.
• Never put the compressor or the tubing in water (ALA). Asthma + Lung UK says not to wash the tubing at all.
• Let parts air dry on a paper towel or a clean dish towel. Asthma + Lung UK says not to dry them by hand, because that “can create static, which can cause the medicine to stick.”
• Once a week, the ALA suggests soaking the cup, top piece and mask or mouthpiece in a white vinegar and water solution for 30 minutes, “or as your device manufacturer recommends,” and wiping the compressor and the outside of the tubing with a soapy cloth or disinfectant wipe.
• Replace parts regularly. Asthma + Lung UK says mouthpieces, masks, tubing, filters and the chamber need changing “at least every three to four months.” For the compressor’s air filter, the ALA says about every six months and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital says every three months, or sooner if it discolors.
• Have the compressor serviced. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital says your own compressor “needs to be serviced at least once a year.” It also advises keeping it off the floor and away from smoky rooms, which clog the filter.
• Never share a mouthpiece, mask or tubing (Asthma + Lung UK).

Where these differ, follow your machine’s manual and your respiratory team.

Using it, and when to get help

Use the nebulizer exactly as you were shown. Asthma + Lung UK’s steps are to wash your hands, fill the cup with the amount of medicine prescribed, make a tight seal with the mask or mouthpiece, sit up straight and breathe normally. The ALA adds that you hold the nebulizer upright and continue until the medicine is gone from the cup. Asthma + Lung UK says a treatment normally takes 10 to 15 minutes.

If you are using a nebulizer for an asthma attack or flare-up and it is not helping, Asthma + Lung UK says to call 999. The MHRA tells parents to “seek urgent medical assistance if worsening asthma symptoms are not relieved by rescue medicines.” In the US, call 911.

What did not make the list

Several popular nebulizers are missing on purpose:

• OMRON C28P. The FDA cleared the NE-C28, but the UK listings are for the NE-C28P and the NE-C105-E, which are different model numbers.
• OMRON C803. It is recorded in the FDA’s database under an OMRON clearance, but buyers rated the UK listing below our bar.
• Philips InnoSpire Essence. It is in the FDA’s database, but the UK listing was unavailable when we checked.
• PARI BOY Classic and PARI COMPACT2. We found no FDA clearance naming either model.
• Unbranded “portable” mesh nebulizers. Most list no model number we could match to an FDA record, and some are sold for pets or as humidifiers.

A nebulizer is only as good as the prescription behind it and the cleaning routine after it. Get the machine your prescriber recommends, use only the medicine they prescribe, and keep it clean.