Putting together a lab is far from easy and with so many highly specialised piece of equipment that are needed, it can be tricky to find out where you need to go to get exactly what you need. Each lab is different from the next in terms of its set up and it does of course depend upon what the purpose of the lab will actually be. We have got some helpful tips for you on where you should be looking to buy whatever equipment you need for your lab be it pass throughs, lab ovens, clean rooms or glassware.
Online Stores
The first place that I recommend that you look is online as many of the largest suppliers now sell their products through their websites. The best part about this is that you can read reviews and customers speaking about their experiences with these products, before you buy. Another great benefit of shopping online for your lab needs is that you can very often get great prices and bulk buy deals.
Direct to Manufacturer
Don’t discount going straight to the manufacturer for your lab needs as you can often get products at cost prices if you do. Naturally manufacturers are only likely to sell to you if you are looking to place a big order but should you do so, you can get some great deals on your equipment. Manufacturers are also the best places to go to if you need custom made equipment such as specific types of glassware.
Educational Institutes and Research Facilities
Depending on what kind of equipment you are after, you may be able to pick up some extremely high quality gear second hand. In order to find this kind of equipment, the best course of action is to start contacting educational institutes and research facilities who may be in the process of updating their laboratory. There is not an easy way for these type of labs to get rid of their old equipment and you could get exactly what you need, for a fraction of the price.
eBay
You really can find just about anything that you could possibly want on eBay, and that includes lab equipment. Now you can not of course guarantee that you will find exactly what you are looking for but it does make a lot of sense to have a search through the auction site to see if you can get a great deal on some of the bits and pieces that you need.
Tips
Make sure that you know exactly what you are looking for in terms of specific requirements before you start shopping about. You should also cast your net wide and don’t expect that a single medium will be able to offer you all of the equipment that you are looking for. It may be that you buy many different pieces from many different sources.