Hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Le Chalet Clinic is a wellness session in a self-contained pod at a mild 1.35 ATA — no mask, no bottled oxygen, no operator inside with you. If you are picturing a hospital chamber, put that picture down. This is closer to a very quiet hour in a very quiet room.
Before you arrive
Wear something comfortable and loose; we have dressing gowns if you would rather. Skip perfume or cologne — the pod is a shared, enclosed space and the next person may be sensitive to scent. Eat normally, but do not drink a large amount of fluid just beforehand, because you will be settled in for an hour. Eating and drinking are not done inside the pod.
Decide what you want to do with the time. Phones, tablets, laptops and books all come in with you. A surprising number of clients bring nothing and sleep.
On a first visit we ask a few screening questions. It takes a minute and is there to make sure the session suits you.
Pressurising
You lie down in the AirPod, the door closes, and the pressure rises gently towards 1.35 ATA — about what you would feel 3.5 metres under water. The one sensation to know about is in your ears: a feeling of fullness, exactly like a plane descending. Swallow, yawn, or pinch your nose and breathe out gently and it clears. For almost everyone it settles completely once the pod is at pressure.
You are in control the whole way. If your ears are slow to clear, slow the pressurisation from inside; if you want to stop, stop. The team is outside and can hear you.
The 45 minutes at pressure
Then, honestly, not much happens — and that is the point. You breathe filtered air, the pod stays quiet, and 45 minutes go by faster than you expect. Read. Work. Listen to something. Or close your eyes: the session is designed to be the one slot in the week with the phone face down.
Clients describe the hour less as a treatment and more as a pause. That is the experience to expect.
Coming back up
Depressurisation is as gentle as the way in; your ears may pop once. The door opens at the sixty-minute mark. Most people step out calm and slightly slower than they went in, and after the first few sessions you may feel sleepy later that evening — which is why late-afternoon bookings are popular. Drink plenty of water afterwards.
Five first-timer tips
- Book it late in the day if you can, and let the calm carry into the evening.
- Clear your ears early — start swallowing as the pressure begins, not once it feels full.
- Choose the slower setting for your first pressurisation. There is no prize for speed.
- Pair it. Cryotherapy first and hyperbaric after is the classic order: the jolt, then the calm.
- Give it three. The first session is about learning the pod; by the third, the hour is yours.
Your first session is £39 for new clients. If you are nearby, our Canary Wharf page has directions and opening hours; every price is on the pricing page.
Common questions
What does hyperbaric oxygen therapy feel like?
Mostly like lying down somewhere quiet. As the pod pressurises your ears feel full, the way they do on a plane; swallowing or yawning clears it. Once at pressure there is no sensation beyond calm.
How long is a hyperbaric session?
Sixty minutes in total: 45 minutes at full pressure, with gentle pressurisation and depressurisation either side.
Do I wear a mask?
No. The AirPod is a self-contained chamber at a mild 1.35 ATA with no bottled oxygen — you breathe filtered air inside the pod, with nothing on your face.
What should I wear and bring?
Comfortable, loose clothing (we have dressing gowns), and no perfume or cologne. Bring a book, headphones, a tablet or a laptop if you want them — or nothing.
Can I control the session from inside?
Yes. You can slow the pressurisation, adjust the pressure, or stop the session yourself from inside the pod at any point.
How will I feel afterwards?
Calm, and often sleepy later that evening after the first few sessions. Drink plenty of water afterwards. Many clients book late-afternoon slots for exactly this reason.