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PNOE’s new face mask wants to make lab-grade breath testing a self-serve affair
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PNOĒ is preparing to launch the PNOĒ 2.0 on October 1, introducing a portable metabolic-testing mask that aims to bring laboratory-style breath analysis to gyms, pharmacies, and other everyday settings. Resembling Batman villain Bane’s imposing headgear, the device covers the wearer’s nose and mouth and fastens around the back of the head. Rather than serving as protective equipment, it measures oxygen consumption and exhaled carbon dioxide before using that information to generate guidance on nutrition, exercise, and broader wellness. Users will be able to put on the mask, press a button, sit down, and breathe for eight minutes without assistance from a trained operator.
The Malden, Massachusetts-based company, which also operates from Athens, Greece, says the new self-testing model is its most important update since its original system. Earlier versions required a specialist to administer the test, restricting metabolic assessments to sports laboratories, hospitals, clinics, and other equipped facilities. PNOĒ 2.0 is designed to remove that staffing barrier, potentially allowing businesses to offer the analysis with little more training than they would need to demonstrate another connected fitness device. CEO and co-founder Apostolos Atsalakis described the process as unusually simple: walk into a location, wear the mask, start the test, and breathe.
Metabolic testing itself is not a new technology, with methods for analyzing respiratory gases dating back more than a century. For decades, the gold standard for measuring VO₂ max—the greatest amount of oxygen a person’s body can use during exercise—has depended on bulky, expensive equipment operated by trained personnel. That limited access largely to elite athletes, hospitals, and executive wellness programs. PNOĒ says its 10-year-old company has reproduced that laboratory-grade accuracy in a smaller and more portable system, combining the mask with software that converts measurements into actionable recommendations.
The company says the device evaluates 23 biomarkers, including VO₂ max, resting metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, which indicates how effectively the body switches between fat and carbohydrate as energy sources. PNOĒ argues that these measurements can help estimate daily calorie requirements and identify appropriate training intensities in ways conventional blood tests cannot. The redesigned hardware contains fewer components than its predecessor, which Atsalakis said should improve reliability, while Milan-based Design Group Italia helped refine the mask through numerous design iterations. Detachable electronics also mean that a gym or pharmacy can share the expensive unit among customers while supplying each person with a personal silicone mask and strap set.
The launch arrives as VO₂ max has become a prominent talking point in longevity and preventive-health circles. Research has associated stronger cardiorespiratory fitness with lower mortality risk, prompting consumers to seek more detailed information about their metabolic health. Atsalakis even describes VO₂ max as the strongest predictor of longevity, positioning PNOĒ’s output as a scorecard for an increasingly data-driven wellness industry. If the company can make reliable testing inexpensive and convenient, the device could bring a service previously associated with specialist laboratories into mainstream fitness clubs and potentially retail pharmacy chains.
Reactions to the unusual design have combined visual amusement with interest in its practical implications, while questions about interpretation and safety remain important. PNOĒ is careful to describe the product as a wellness device rather than a medical diagnostic tool, and it has not received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Atsalakis said the company does not provide medical recommendations and compares the system to a body-composition scale, adding that physicians should not prescribe medication based on its results. The detachable sensor system and individually assigned masks are intended to ease hygiene concerns in shared environments, but consumers will still need guidance on cleaning, setup, and understanding what the software’s recommendations can and cannot establish.
Looking ahead, PNOĒ hopes its expanding database of breath measurements can support future health applications. Researchers have long investigated whether compounds in human breath can reveal conditions such as cancer, and Atsalakis believes repeated metabolic data could eventually help identify patterns associated with disease. Such ambitions would require further clinical validation, regulatory approval, and careful proof that the device can move beyond general wellness guidance. For now, the October 1 launch will test a narrower proposition: whether self-administered, supposedly lab-grade breath testing can become as routine as stepping onto a scale. If adoption follows, PNOĒ 2.0 could broaden access to metabolic testing while setting a template for the next generation of consumer health sensors.
