The Difference Between a Working Dewar and a Storage Vessel — And Why Your Lab Needs Both



This is a question that comes up regularly in laboratory procurement: do we need a liquid nitrogen dewar or a cryogenic storage vessel? The answer, for most IVF clinics and research laboratories, is both because they serve completely different purposes.

A working dewar such as a standard 20 litre liquid nitrogen dewar is designed for daily laboratory use. Staff handle it regularly, dispensing LN2 into storage tanks, preparing cryopreservation media, and keeping the lab's cryogenic workflow moving. It needs to be manageable in size, easy to pour from, and robust enough to withstand daily handling. At 20 litres, it sits at the sweet spot of capacity and practicality for most laboratory settings.

A storage vessel is designed for something entirely different holding biological samples at -196°C for months or years with minimal intervention. These vessels prioritise insulation efficiency, sample organisation, and long static storage times over ease of handling.

Cryolab's CryoCan series in 30-6, 47-6 and 47-10 configurations provides compact, reliable storage for smaller clinics and laboratories. The CryoNest® series goes further: the XL model offers 95 litres of storage capacity without the larger footprint of older high-capacity vessels, making it genuinely practical for busy fertility centres managing large patient sample volumes.

Most laboratories run a 20 litre working dewar alongside a dedicated storage vessel from one of these ranges. They work together as a complete cryogenic infrastructure
not as alternatives to each other.

Full buying guide: cryolab.co.uk/20-litre-liquid-nitrogen-dewar-buying-guide

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