01
Application and temperature range
State the work and the set point. General microbiology usually sits at 30–37 °C, BOD and environmental work near 20 °C, and mammalian cell culture needs a CO2 incubator, which is a different instrument class.
Incubator
Laboratory incubators in natural and forced convection from Memmert (IN and IF series), Binder BD and KB, France Etuves XBE and XBR, plus cooled and BOD models — Memmert IPP, Binder KB and Lovibond TC135S and TC710S — and the BOXUN HPX-9052MBE and BXP-65. For culture work, food and water testing and BOD determination; free, fast quotations.
Incubator selection guide
Start with the set point and the actual room temperature
A microbiological incubator, a cooled BOD incubator and a CO2 incubator are different machines, not grades of one. Fix the application, the set point and the ambient temperature of the room it will stand in before comparing chamber volumes.
See the checklist and buying questions24 products
Incubator selection guide
Five decisions that narrow the incubator shortlist
02
Whether cooling is required
A heat-only incubator can only add heat, so it cannot hold a set point at or below room temperature. Use the measured ambient of the actual installation room rather than a nominal 25 °C — this is what decides between a heated and a cooled unit.
03
Natural convection or forced air
Forced air recovers faster after door openings and generally holds tighter uniformity. Natural convection reduces air movement over open or lightweight samples. Match this to the sample, not to the specification sheet.
04
Chamber volume, shelves and loading
Give plates or flasks per run, shelf count and how often the door is opened per day. Recovery after a door opening usually matters more in practice than the headline uniformity figure.
05
Uniformity, records and alarms
State the uniformity and stability your method requires, plus any need for a calibration certificate, over-temperature protection and logged data. Documentation and alarm behaviour are model- and option-specific.
Include this in an incubator request
- Application and required set point
- Whether the set point is below room temperature
- Chamber volume and plates or flasks per run
- Natural convection or forced air
- Required uniformity, calibration and data records
- Voltage, footprint and required-by date
Common incubator questions
Is a laboratory oven the same as an incubator?
No. Ovens operate well above ambient for drying and sterilising; incubators hold a narrow band close to ambient and are built for uniformity and stability at that band. Name the set point and the application rather than the cabinet type.
Do I need a cooled incubator in Thailand?
You do whenever the set point is at or below room temperature — a 20 °C BOD test is the common case. A heat-only incubator cannot cool below the room it stands in, so check the measured ambient of the installation point, not a nominal figure.
Should I choose natural convection or forced air?
Forced air recovers faster after the door is opened and generally gives tighter uniformity, but the airflow can dry open samples. Natural convection disturbs samples less. Decide from the sample format and how often the door is opened.
Can a CO2 incubator replace a standard incubator?
They are not substitutes. A CO2 incubator controls a CO2 atmosphere and humidity for cell culture. Routine bacteriological work at 35–37 °C does not normally require one, and paying for CO2 control does not improve that work.
Steps either side of incubation
Official manufacturer references
The convection and operating-range fields follow current manufacturer documentation. Range, uniformity and cooling capability are verified against the quoted model.
- Incubators IN / IF — natural convection or forced air circulation (Memmert)
- Incubators and climate chambers (BINDER)
Temperature range, uniformity, cooling capability and supplied documentation are model-specific. Confirm the set point, the measured ambient at the installation point and current manufacturer data before ordering.