Wealthy Mountain Homeowners Invest in Oxygenation Systems

Wealthy mountain homeowners are installing costly oxygenation systems to combat high-altitude effects.

In several Western mountain towns, affluent residents are spending tens of thousands of dollars to install home oxygen-enrichment technologies, seeking relief from altitude-induced discomfort. This trend reflects a growing way luxury mountain homes are adapted to environmental challenges.

My assumption is that the homeowners in question don’t spend enough time in their fancy mountainside chalets to acclimatize. After a few days on the slopes, it’s back to the Bloomberg Terminal in New York City or Dallas. Meanwhile, their multimillion-dollar homes sit there uninhabited, while further down the hillside, local restaurant workers and ski lift operators pack themselves into sardine-can condominiums, or huddle in drafty RVs, due to the dearth of affordable housing.

These systems pump oxygen into airtight rooms, effectively lowering the perceived altitude indoors, but require robust sealing measures such as gaskets and window coverings to maintain efficiency. Altitude Solutions, based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has seen demand surge from one or two installations annually to multiple systems installed daily. Each unit consumes approximately 1,100 watts of electricity and costs between $30,000 and $250,000. The increase in demand escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some buyers motivated by the desire to assist visiting family members. Industry leaders note this technology is at an early adoption stage comparable to motorized shades 15 years ago.

The technology may gain wider acceptance in ski towns as it becomes more normalized.

Rich Mountain Town Dwellers Are Pumping Extra Oxygen into Their Homes
By Frederick Dreier, Outside