Boost Oxygen Provides a Breath of Fresh Air to Everyone

boost oxygen
Rob Neuner presenting his brand on Shark Tank.

Small businesses come in all shapes and sizes and have their own unique story to tell. Whether they sell knick knacks, beauty supplies, clothing and accessories, or other items, there’s always an interesting background story as to how the brand came to be. 

Rob Neuner has his own interesting story to tell. 

Founder of Boost Oxygen, Neuner’s active lifestyle of being a former football player, current tennis player and skier, warranted finding a solution to increase his stamina. During his time handling beer distribution in the Czech Republic, the idea of producing oxygen canisters for his use became the germination of what would become a global phenomenon. 

“After getting out of beer distribution, I was looking for something to do,” Neuner reminisces. “A friend of mine said ‘Well, what about selling oxygen?’ We had seen cans of them in Germany, and we were both former football players, so we decided to launch the brand.”

Is It Legal to Sell Oxygen?

Rob Neuner, founder of Boost Oxygen.

Since Neuner wasn’t sure if selling oxygen was legal or not, since it normally requires a prescription, he and his friend began Boost Oxygen as a hobby. “We sold it and had a lot of success with it, and then five years into it the FDA finally contacted me and said oxygen was a prescription drug,” he says. 

“But because we sell aviator’s oxygen, the FDA said we could continue to sell it, as long as we don’t make any medical claims. Once we got that acknowledgement, we decided to invest more into it since we knew we were 100% legal,” he continues. 

Aviation and medical grade oxygen are actually two separate grades, as stated in Underwater Oahu. While both are the same USP (United States Pharmacopoeia), the difference between the two grades is in the handling of the finished gas cylinder and the processing of the gas going into the cylinder. 

Now, Boost Oxygen’s portable supplemental oxygen canisters are available at 18,000+ retailers nationwide and exported worldwide to 50+ countries — all without a prescription. With 12 million canisters sold to date, it comes in a variety of fragrances including Pink Grapefruit, Peppermint, Lavender and Menthol. 

What Does Boost Oxygen Do?

According to Neuner, these portable oxygen canisters work great in helping users to catch their breath. “Whether you’re working out, playing a sport, hiking up a mountain, or even if you just lose your breath often, oxygen can help,” he says. “It’s also a nice product for emergency purposes. I have a can of oxygen in every room in my house. So if there’s ever a fire, I’d rather breathe in oxygen as opposed to smoke.”

Canned oxygen caters to a wide range of needs. It’s used by sports enthusiasts, athletes, older adults, pilots, climbers, truckers, party-goers and many others. The brand was even featured on ESPN’s College Kickoff in 2023 and is currently being used by the Florida Gators.

Boost Oxygen product lineup.

Shark Tank Takes Notice

Boost Oxygen didn’t just garner the attention of consumers across the nation. “Shark Tank contacted us and said that we were on their radar as an interesting new business, so we ultimately decided to go on the show. We had a lot of fun with it,” says Neuner. 

Shark Kevin O’Leary enthusiastically supported the concept with a million-dollar deal. It was one of the largest deals in Shark Tank’s history and helped make Boost Oxygen a huge brand name. 

“We were looking for a shark to help promote the business, which Kevin really helped with, and they treated us very well,” says Neuner. “Walking down that tunnel and having the doors open — that was an experience.”

The accolades for the brand continued. In 2023, Boost Oxygen was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. on the INC 5000 list. They are also an officially licensed product of the American Red Cross, offering 12-liter canisters that feature the American Red Cross emblem.

Boost Oxygen Made in the USA

Based in Milford, CT, Boost Oxygen is a Made in the USA product. “We have a liquid oxygen tank operating at -250° F and 450 pounds per inch,” explains Neuner. “Everything goes through our lines into the cans, and then we mask them. We do about three million cans per year, but we have the capacity to do much more.”

The canned oxygen brand continues to skyrocket in popularity thanks to not only Shark Tank, but also to their marketing efforts. “We do a lot of marketing on social media, Google, Meta and X,” says Neuner. “We also just started with a TV advertising company called Tatari TV. We have a 30 second commercial through them, which has been successful. We also advertise on Amazon and at the Denver airport.”

And what’s great is Boost Oxygen caters to a wide audience, since everyone can benefit from oxygen. While the brand typically targets athletes and older folks who lose their breath easily, Neuner says they make sure to market to everyone. 

“We’re saturated with people who need oxygen,” he says. “Professional sports teams, like the Boston Celtics, all buy from us. We also work with professional athletic trainers, but we cater to everyone.”