At a Glance
| Dimension | Airofit Active | Relaxator | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup & Ease of Use | 4 /5 | 5 /5 | Relaxator |
| App & Guidance | 5 /5 | 1 /5 | Airofit Active |
| Training Approach & Effectiveness | 3 /5 | 2 /5 | Airofit Active |
| Features & Programmes | 3 /5 | 1 /5 | Airofit Active |
| Value for Money | 4 /5 | 5 /5 | Relaxator |
Setup & Ease of Use
Verdict: Relaxator
The Relaxator requires no setup at all — put it in your mouth, set the resistance, and breathe. The Airofit Active needs Bluetooth pairing, an app account, and a baseline assessment before guided sessions begin. Both are simple by the standards of consumer devices generally, but the Relaxator is as close to zero-friction as breathwork tools get.
App & Guidance
Verdict: Airofit Active
The Airofit app is the Active's defining feature — guided sessions, vital capacity tracking, and progress metrics that structure training over time. The Relaxator has no app and no guidance whatsoever; users are left to research their own breathing protocol. For anyone who wants to be told what to do and see progress over weeks, this is not a close contest.
Training Approach & Effectiveness
Verdict: Airofit Active
The Active provides genuine inspiratory muscle training (IMT) through resistance loading — a training modality with an established evidence base. The Relaxator works on exhalation pacing and CO₂ tolerance, a related but different goal with a thinner evidence base for the device itself. Both are scored modestly relative to dedicated IMT devices like the POWERbreathe, but the Active's resistance-loading approach is the more substantive training method of the two.
Features & Programmes
Verdict: Airofit Active
The Active provides access to the core Airofit programme library — guided sessions, vital capacity tracking, and progress trend analysis. The Relaxator has exactly one function: adjustable exhalation resistance. For users who want training structure, the Active offers considerably more; for users who want one simple tool and nothing else, the Relaxator's minimalism is the point, not a flaw.
Value for Money
Verdict: Relaxator
At $30, the Relaxator delivers exactly what it promises — a breath pacer — at the lowest price in the category, with nothing wasted. The Airofit Active's $149 price is reasonable for what it includes, but it asks users to value app guidance and metrics enough to justify a fivefold premium over the Relaxator. On pure cost-to-function ratio, the Relaxator can't be beaten.
Two Tools, Two Different Jobs
The Airofit Active and the Relaxator are sometimes shopped against each other simply because both sit at the affordable end of the breathwork category. In practice, they answer different questions. The Active asks: “how do I build a structured, app-guided respiratory training habit?” The Relaxator asks: “how do I add a simple physical constraint that slows my breathing down?” Neither question is wrong, and the right device depends entirely on which one matters to you.
What $149 Buys You
The Airofit Active’s case rests almost entirely on its app. Guided sessions, a baseline assessment that calibrates training to your starting point, and ongoing vital capacity tracking turn inspiratory muscle training from a vague habit into a measurable programme. The manual resistance dial is a minor inconvenience compared to the Pro 2.0’s electronic adjustment, but the core guided experience is intact at the Active’s price.
What $30 Buys You
The Relaxator does one thing — adds exhalation resistance — and does it with zero setup, zero app, and zero ongoing cost. For users focused on slow breathing, nasal breathing retraining, and CO₂ tolerance work, it’s a genuinely useful tool that doesn’t ask for a subscription, an account, or a learning curve. Its modest scores on features and training performance reflect its narrow scope, not poor execution within that scope.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose the Airofit Active if you want a structured, app-guided introduction to respiratory muscle training with visible progress over time.
Choose the Relaxator if you want the simplest, cheapest possible tool for breath-pacing and CO₂ tolerance practice, with no app or account required.
Overall Verdict
For most beginners who want a structured introduction to breathwork with guidance and visible progress, the Airofit Active is the better overall device — its app turns scattered sessions into a coherent training programme. But the Relaxator isn't really competing on the same axis: at $30, it's a legitimate, evidence-informed tool for breath-pacing and CO₂ tolerance work, and an excellent low-risk way to try structured breathing practice before spending more. Many users would benefit from owning both rather than choosing between them.
Winner
Airofit Active
From $149
Runner-up
Relaxator
From $30
Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you
Who Should Buy Which?
Airofit Active
- You want guided sessions, vital capacity tracking, and visible progress over time
- You're new to respiratory muscle training and want app-based structure
- You may want to upgrade to the Pro 2.0 later and want to start in the Airofit ecosystem
Relaxator
- You want the lowest-cost entry to structured breathing practice
- You're focused on slow breathing, nasal breathing retraining, or CO₂ tolerance
- You don't want an app, account, or ongoing digital dependency