Surprisingly, the purchase of an automatic pipettor is not a simple task. When you make the choice you should consider both parameters, as well as the skills of the pipettor user. For example, in research, where precision is particularly important, it is the 4-digit counter and volume lock that would really matter. But for people who are just learning to work with a pipettor it would be important to use a pipettor with perceptible pipetting stops to minimize the risk of error. The following table compares the features of all the variable volume pipettors currently offered by Corning HTL.

Pipettor series comparison by product feature

	Discovery Pro	Discovery Comfort	Labmate Pro	Optipette
Volume range (single-channel)	0.1 – 1,000 µL	0.1 – 10,000 µL	0.1 – 10,000 µL	0.1 – 10,000 µL
Volume range (multi-channel)	0.5 – 300 µL	0.5 – 300 µL	0.5 – 300 µL	0.5 – 300 µL
Counter type	4-digits	3-digits	3-digits	3-digits
Pipetting forces	Ultra low	Low, soft spring system	Low, soft spring system	Well perceptible pipetting stops
Autoclavability	Fully	Fully	Fully	Lower parts
UV-resistance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User recalibration	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Volume setting system	Pushbutton	Pushbutton + knob	Pushbutton + knob	Knob
Volume lock	Yes	Yes	No	No
Tip ejector height adjustment (concerns single channel pipettors only)	No, long ejector stroke	Yes	Yes	Yes, additional spacers
Universal shafts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thermal insulation	Yes	No	No	No
Colour coding	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Weight*	80 g	100 g	100 g	92 g
Shaft length**	140 mm	147 mm	147 mm	147 mm
Filters in 0.5-5 and 1-10 mL models	N/A	Yes	Yes	Yes
Models available (single-channel)	6	10	10	10
Models available (multi-channel)	4 x 8-ch / 4 x 12-ch	4 x 8-ch / 4 x 12-ch	4 x 8-ch / 4 x 12-ch	4 x 8-ch / 4 x 12-ch
Sets availability	Starter 4-pack	Starter 4-pack Starter Kit Starter Kit Bio	Starter 4-pack	Starter 4-pack

*For pipettor 200 µL.

**The length of 200 µL pipettor’s shaft with a tip attached. When the ejector is disassembled there is possibility to work with long narrow tubes.