Lab Essentials

What type of liquid are you pipetting?
Aqueous solutions work well with standard pipette tips. For viscous and “foamy” solutions or small volumes, consider low-retention tips for maximum sample delivery. Filter/barrier tips are recommended for solutions containing nucleotides, radioactive compounds, and where contamination control is critical.

What are you pipetting to/from?
Standard tips are great for microplates and microcentrifuge tubes. For taller vessels like tubes, flasks and bottles, extended length tips keep the pipette shaft from touching the inside walls allowing access to the bottom while preventing carryover contamination.

How concerned are you about contamination?
Filter tips help prevent contamination by blocking aerosols and preventing liquid from accidentally splashing the inside of the pipette. Filter or barrier tips are recommended for sensitive assays like PCR, genetic studies, forensics, and radioisotope sampling.

What pipette are you using? 
Tips that are designed and manufactured for your specific pipette provide an optimal fit, but high quality universal tips - such as ART pipette tips, are also a good option.

Is this an extremely sensitive application?
Individually wrapped sterile tips are ideal for sensitive applications requiring aseptic conditions.

View the quick reference chart ›

There are a lot of plastic labware choices, but the quality of your work often depends on using quality plastic labware. Even though they may look alike, not all labware products are created equal. Lower-cost alternatives come with a nice price, but remember that old saying, “You get what you pay for.”

Regulatory Standards:
High-quality plastic labware must meet accepted ASTM and ISO accuracy standards and be made from laboratory-grade plastic materials that won’t leach impurities into your reagents and samples. Containers should provide guaranteed leak-proof performance to keep you safe from exposure and your work safely contained. 

Learn more about Nalgene quality ›