The Best CO2 Incubators According to Our Product Reviewers

Even though CO₂ incubators have been a staple piece of lab equipment in research, biopharma, and clinical laboratories for many years, the rise of cell-based assays, cell therapies, and biomanufacturing has made these workhorses more popular than ever. Researchers use these machines for culture propagation, cell-based screenings, and more, but with so many CO₂ incubators on the market, how do you know which one is best suited for your lab?

Before comparing all the specs between different incubators, there are a few considerations to make:

• How much space is available in your lab for this new setup? How many cultures do you need to run at the same time?
• Has anyone in your lab worked with a CO₂ incubator before? How will monitoring and data capture capabilities be affected?
• Does your lab have an efficient decontamination protocol in place?
• How will you ensure temperature and environmental uniformity in the lab? How will you control excess humidity or evaporation?

Depending on your research, working with CO₂ incubators might be second nature. However, finding a long-lasting, reliable machine could be a different story. We’ve broken down some of our reviewers’ highest-rated CO₂ incubators so you can find the device that is the most appropriate for your lab.

Thermo Fisher Scientific CO₂ Incubators

Thermo Fisher offers a broad range of CO₂ incubators under several brand names, each with its own unique features.

Heracell™ VIOS 160i CO₂ Incubator with Stainless Steel Chamber

This CO₂ incubator from Thermo Fisher received a positive review from research scientist and reviewer Ab G. They state that this Heracell incubator was easy to set up and works great for culturing human cancer cell lines under hypoxic conditions. They note the oxygen levels are easily adjustable, so you can easily keep track of your specified parameters. However, Ab notes that you should thoroughly read the manual before operating the incubators. Due to a few extra features, they state that an extra glance at the manual will ensure you’re using the device correctly.

Heracell 150i CO₂ Incubator

Nioj Shrestha, a graduate student from the Medical University of Graz, Austria, reports that this CO₂ incubator from Thermo Fisher works very well for their cell cultures. They say that this machine is easy to check and refill with sterile water to maintain humidity throughout the incubation period. Additionally, they found that incubation at 5% CO₂ at 37°C worked best for their research.

Thermo Forma 3110 CO₂ Water Jacketed Incubator

Research scientist Ab G uses this CO₂ incubator to maintain CO₂ and temperature levels for cancer cell lines. They report that this machine works well for their needs, plus has easy-to-clean shelves and sides. Ab G notes that the basin must be filled with water regularly to maintain humidity for cultures, but temperature and CO₂ levels can be easily adjusted by the researcher at any time.

CO₂ Incubators from Eppendorf

New Brunswick™ Galaxy 170 S CO₂ Incubator

Eppendorf features their own line of CO₂ incubators for cell cultures, with one positive review left for this machine by lab manager Matt Sun from UC Berkely. They mention how the incubator works very well for their needs, with consistent temperature and circulation. However, they note to make sure that you shut the door completely before starting the incubation process, or else you might be greeted with a loud alarm by the machine.

New Brunswick™ Galaxy^® 48 R

Senior research fellow Kishore Kumar left a detailed review of this CO₂ incubator, stating that this portable and reliable incubator has served their research needs well. To start, they set CO₂ levels to 5% and temperature to 37°C. Then, they filled up the 48-liter capacity pan with autoclaved, distilled water. Plus, this incubator utilizes direct heating technology rather than a fan, resulting in lower gas consumption when compared to traditional CO₂ incubators.

CO₂ Incubator from NuAire

In-VitroCell ES (Energy Saver) NU-5800 Direct Heat CO₂ Incubator

Another popular CO₂ incubator comes from NuAire and was reviewed by lead lab technician Tima Thomas. They state that they successfully cultured several cell lines and primary cells with this easy-to-use machine. The incubator keeps stable temperatures and CO₂ levels during incubation periods, making it a valuable addition to any life science lab.

CO₂ Incubators from Sanyo

Sanyo CO₂ Incubator

Sanyo is yet another company featuring their own line of CO₂ incubators, which postdoctoral researcher and reviewer Lenin Veeraval states is great for maintaining cultured cells. They state that this incubator does a great job tracking temperature, pressure, and water changes, with spacious racks to provide researchers space to incubate several flasks at a time. Plus, the machine can be safely locked with a key to restrict unauthorized users.

Now that you’ve learned about more incubator options, check out Biocompare’s in-depth directory of lab equipment, assay kits, antibodies, and more to quickly find all the best products for your research. If you want to check out more product reviews from experts, read more Biocompare reviews before making your next purchase, or even leave one yourself to receive a $20 Amazon gift card.