When I first got into the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) business over 29 years ago, about the only decision a customer had to make was whether to buy an SCBA with or without a carrying case.
Now, with the proliferation of options (facepiece sizes, facepiece colors, nose cup sizes, types of head harnesses, buddy breathers, supplied air attachments, supplied air couplings, chest straps, neck straps, D-rings to carry tools, protective cylinder sleeves, emergency escape canisters, even customized cylinders with the user’s logo on them) — and especially with the advent of electronics in SCBAs — the choices can be overwhelming. It seems there are 20 billion ways one manufacturer can configure SCBAs!