Consumables

A laboratory consumable is a single-use or limited-life material a lab gets through in the course of its work, such as pipette tips, sample vials, filters, tubing and reagent containers. The defining trait is that it is used up and replaced rather than kept and maintained.

A consumable is spent in use and then discarded, while equipment like a syringe pump or dispenser is kept, serviced and reused across many runs. On this catalogue both sit together, since the hardware that feeds consumables through a protocol is listed alongside the tips and vials it handles.

Consumables attach to or pass through the hardware that does the measuring and dispensing: a tip seats on a pipette, a filter sits in a housing, a syringe loads into a pump. Each item is matched to its holder by brand, volume class or barrel size, performs one transfer or run, and is then replaced.

The listings that specify a type run to laboratory consumables, pipette tips, liquid handling equipment, sample preparation equipment, filtered pipette tips and syringe pumps. That mixes true single-use items like plain and filtered tips with the hardware that drives them, such as liquid handling and sample preparation equipment.

Plain pipette tips handle routine volume transfers, while filtered tips carry a barrier against aerosols and are used for PCR setup and molecular biology work where cross-contamination would ruin a result. Syringe pumps drive a fixed flow for infusion, microfluidics and cell culture perfusion, and sample preparation items ready material for analysis.

Start with fit, not price: a tip must match the pipette by brand and volume class, a filter must match the pore size and housing diameter, and a syringe must match the pump's barrel and drive. Once compatibility is settled, check condition, lot date for sterile or filtered items, and per-unit cost.

For true single-use items the distinction barely applies, since their value is in being unopened and in-date, so 'used' here usually means surplus stock or an opened case with the remainder intact. For hardware like a syringe pump or dispenser, refurbished means it has been reconditioned, while used covers general second-hand condition that the normal equipment checks apply to.

Prices range from EUR 1 to EUR 8.000, with an average of EUR 454. A single box of plain tips sits near the bottom, bulk cases and liquid handling hardware higher up, and syringe pumps higher still, so the average says little about where any one item lands.

The named makers are Various, Agilent, Gilson, IKA and Ohaus. Agilent, Gilson, IKA and Ohaus are established liquid handling and dispensing names whose tips and parts map to a known pipette or instrument range, while Various covers generic or mixed-brand stock.

Where warranty is relevant, usually for a pump or a dispenser rather than a single-use item, it is arranged in consultation for the specific listing. Check the condition field and ask the supplier before ordering.

Parts for a pump or a dispenser can be sourced via Questpair. For a specific model, contact the catalogue and specialists respond within the hour.

True single-use consumables such as tips are discarded after one transfer, and sterile or filtered items carry a lot date beyond which they should not be used. Hardware like a syringe pump lasts across many runs and depends on condition and maintenance rather than a single use.

Used and refurbished stock is listed at lower prices than new, which on a per-case basis is where an affordable supply comes from, provided the items are genuinely surplus and in-date. For sterile or filtered tips confirm the packaging is sealed and the lot is within date; for a pump, weigh condition against price and arrange warranty in consultation on the individual listing.

They are listed on the Questpair catalogue, with 327 listings from 16 verified suppliers and distributors across 9 countries. New, used and refurbished items appear together, so you compare condition and price on the same page.

Lead time and shipping depend on the individual listing and the supplier holding the stock, since the catalogue spans 16 suppliers across 9 countries. Contact the catalogue to confirm availability and dispatch for a specific item, and specialists respond within the hour.

Single-use consumables are not calibrated or maintained; they are used once and discarded, and their reliability rests on the packaging being sealed and the lot being in date. The hardware items, such as a syringe pump or liquid handling equipment, do need the usual checks on flow rate and dispensed volume that any such instrument requires.

Plain and filtered pipette tips carry the day-to-day volume and are the standard load on genomics and proteomics benches, with filtered tips specific to PCR and molecular work. Syringe pumps are fewer and serve bioprocessing, formulation and microfluidics labs that need a steady, programmable flow rate.

The listings carry Various, Agilent, Gilson, IKA and Ohaus. Where a tip is branded for a known pipette line, compatibility is a lookup rather than a trial; where a listing reads Various, the saving can be real but you have to confirm the fit against your own pipette or pump before ordering.

The bottom of the band is a single box of plain tips, while the top is bulk cases and liquid handling hardware, with syringe pumps above that. The gap reflects quantity and whether the item is a single-use supply or a piece of hardware, not a quality difference between listings.