Laboratory Rockers and Shakers

A rocker or shaker is likely to be found on the bench top of most laboratories whether small, large, academic, clinical or commercial. These equipment are used for a variety of applications including cell culture, DNA extraction, low foaming agitation, mixing reagents, and staining gels and blots. Rockers, as the name implies, are benchtop devices that move stationary vessels side to side in a rocking motion. In contrast, shakers utilize a platform that oscillates horizontally and can come in a wider variety of formats to accommodate different types of vessels and applications. This catalog presents rockers and shakers from trusted manufacturers in the life sciences.

Types of Rockers and Shakers

• Laboratory Rockers - These compact instruments typically have adjustable tilt capacity, both providing the gentle motion required for staining fragile gels as well as the more vigorous action necessary for washing blots.
• Laboratory Shakers - This broad class of equipment can come in a variety of types, such as open shakers, incubator shakers, shaking water bath, rotating mixers, and thermal shakers.
• Incubator Shakers - A type of platform shaker that features heating ability and an enclosure to allow sample incubation while shaking. They are useful for the agitation and aeration of liquid cell and tissue cultures, among other applications.
• Refrigerated Incubator Shakers - These offer the heating and shaking features of incubator shakers, while also allowing a cooling function. Temperature control typically ranges from 4°C to 80°C.
• Open-Air Shakers - Lacking an enclosure, these shakers allow easy access to the samples on the platform. However, if incubation is needed, they can also be placed inside a larger incubator or a temperature-controlled room.
• Thermal Mixers - Also referred to as thermal shakers, these are compact, benchtop shakers used to incubate and shake small tubes and microplates. They are ideal for quick and routine applications, such as enzyme preparations and digestions.
• Shaking Water Baths - In contrast to air-based incubators, water baths are able to transfer heat more rapidly and efficiently. They are ideal for applications that call for faster incubation while ensuring minimal changes in temperature.

Tips for Buying Rockers and Shakers

Ranging in price from under $500 to over $20,000 laboratory rockers and shakers can be a significant purchase for any research group, warranting careful consideration. Rockers are generally small, benchtop instruments, while shakers can vary greatly in size, ranging from benchtop to large, stacking units. Some useful features one can look for include, precise control, variable speed, modes of operation, platform attachment options, built-in timers and alarms, and product warranties. Accessories such as bottles, rollers and clamps are also available to modify the platform to the needs of the application. Browse the Biocompare rockers and shakers catalog to see available instruments in the market and gain better insight.