MinecraftRespirationEnchantment
Minecraft Respiration Enchantment | Java Edition (JE) & Bedrock Edition (BE)
Respiration extends underwater breathing time and reduces drowning damage when applied to a helmet, making it essential for ocean exploration and underwater construction projects.
Items You Can Enchant
Select an item to see how Respiration performs on it and explore the best enchantment combinations.
Max Level
123
Respiration can be applied up to level 3.
Incompatible Enchantments
No incompatibilities — Respiration works alongside all other enchantments.
Best Enchantments to Pair with Respiration
• Situational Pairings
Useful combinations with Respiration depending on your playstyle:
Depth StriderBoots
Full underwater mobility and breathing setup.
UnbreakingDurability
Keep your helmet alive through long dives.
How to Get Respiration in Minecraft
• Enchanting Table
You can obtain Respiration by using an enchanting table. Surround it with up to 15 bookshelves to unlock higher enchantment levels. Place your item and lapis lazuli in the table, and Respiration may appear as one of the offered enchantments. The outcome is random, so you may need multiple attempts.
• Loot Chests
Enchanted books containing Respiration can be found inside loot chests throughout the world — in dungeons, mineshafts, desert temples, jungle temples, and strongholds. Some chests may also contain items pre-enchanted with Respiration. Loot chest drops are random, so exploration is key.
• Villager Trading
Librarian villagers can offer enchanted books including Respiration in exchange for emeralds. By resetting a librarian's trades (breaking and replacing their lectern), you can cycle through available enchantments until Respiration appears. This is one of the most reliable ways to target a specific enchantment in survival mode.
How to Apply Respiration
• Enchanting Table
Place your item and lapis lazuli in the enchanting table to apply Respiration directly. The enchantment is randomly selected, so results may vary.
• Anvil
Use an anvil to combine an enchanted book containing Respiration with your item. This gives you precise control over which enchantment is applied.
How to Apply Respiration with a Command in Minecraft
The /enchant command applies Respiration directly to the item held in the player's main hand. Best used in creative mode or with cheats enabled. The item must already be in your inventory. This is the fastest way to add a specific enchantment without needing an enchanting table or anvil.
Syntax
/enchant <player> respiration [level]
Label
/enchant @s respiration 3
@s targets yourself (the command executor)
@p targets the nearest player
Replace the player argument with a player name or target selector
The enchantment ID (shown in the command above)
A number from 1 to the maximum level for this enchantment