Most questions we get about our chambers come down to one thing: how does the oxygen actually reach you during a session? On a hard-shell chamber like the Atlas One, the standard answer is continuous flow. Here is what that means in plain terms, and why it is the default.
The short version
The chamber holds you at pressure, and the oxygen reaches you through a mask. With continuous flow, that mask delivers oxygen at a steady, constant rate the whole session: it simply flows to you while you breathe normally. It lands at around 70% effective oxygen, which suits most daily session rhythms. For the full reference detail, see the Continuous Flow system page. This is the plain-English version.
How it works
Once the chamber is up to pressure (usually 1.5 to 2.0 ATA), the concentrator feeds oxygen through a mask that sits over your nose and mouth and delivers it straight to you. The flow is continuous: oxygen keeps coming at the same steady rate whether you are breathing in or out. You do not have to do anything special, just breathe. When the session ends, the pressure releases gradually and you step out.
What “around 70%” actually means
Because the flow is constant rather than matched to your breathing, some of the oxygen passes by in the moments between breaths instead of being inhaled. That is why continuous flow lands at roughly 70% effective rather than 100%. For most daily sessions that is exactly the level people are after, which is why it is the standard rather than an afterthought.
When to consider the BIBS upgrade
There is one case where you might want more. If your sessions depend on getting the most oxygen from every breath, BIBS changes how the mask delivers: instead of a constant flow, it releases oxygen in time with your breathing and exhausts your out-breath away, so almost none is wasted. That lifts it to close to 100% effective. Plenty of owners run continuous flow day to day and step up to BIBS when purity is the priority. If you are weighing the two, our continuous flow vs BIBS guide lays it out side by side.
Where it fits
On our chambers, continuous flow is the Standard Oxygen system, included as the daily driver. BIBS is the step up. Neither is better in the abstract; the right one depends on what your sessions are for. If you want help working that out for your space and routine, that is exactly what a custom plan and quote is for.
