Lung volume recruitment, referring to the reopening of closed lung units, forms a cornerstone to some of the recently emphasized ventilatory strategies in early acute respiratory distress syndrome. Although positive end-respiratory pressure is the most commonly used method to achieve lung volume recruitment, considerable controversy exists on how to establish its optimal level. Other recruitment techniques that are either in early clinical usage or on the horizon include: intermittent inflation to total lung capacity, prone positioning, partial liquid ventilation, volume recruitment maneuvers, and high-frequency oscillation. This article presents a discussion of each of these techniques and reviews relevant studies evaluating each modality, highlighting new developoments.