• The heavy-duty band around the mouthpiece serves a critical structural and safety purpose. It acts as an industrial mechanical clamp to permanently lock the 100% wellness-grade silicone mouthpiece onto the rigid plastic resistance valve. This design ensures an absolute airtight pressure seal during heavy breathing and serves as an important safety feature to prevent the components from separating mid-breath.

• No, do not cut, loosen, or remove the zip tie band. It is a permanent and essential part of the Expand-A-Lung safety and pressure structure. Removing the band will break the airtight seal, compromise the adjustable breathing resistance, and void your warranty.

• The zip tie is made of an industrial, water-resistant polymer that does not rust or trap grime. Simply wash the device as a single unit using warm water and mild antibacterial dish soap. Rinse it thoroughly and let it air-dry completely.

• Yes, introducing resistance to oral airflow naturally stimulates your salivary glands. If excess moisture accumulates, simply remove the device from your mouth, shake out the excess water, rinse it under the tap, and continue your training session. This is completely normal and is why thorough daily cleaning with mild soap is required.

No. The Expand-A-Lung heavy-duty valve features an infinite, smooth variable-turn design. This allows you to make microscopic adjustments to your breathing resistance, rather than forcing you to jump between a few rigid, pre-set factory notches. This gives you absolute control over your training progression.

You can easily verify the valve mechanism with a simple manual airflow test:

Remove the device from your mouth, seal the mouthguard tightly with the palm of your hand so no air can escape, and blow sharply into the open plastic valve end. If the dial is functioning correctly, you will feel distinct backpressure changes as you adjust the dial between settings. If you run this test and feel no change in the airflow resistance whatsoever, please stop using it and contact our support team at support@expand-a-lung.com for assistance.