If you’ve compared gloveboxes online, you’ve seen the same pattern:
low ppm claims, stainless steel chambers, “advanced purification,” and a nice-looking control panel.

But in real use, two gloveboxes with similar specs can feel completely different:

  • one stays stable and recovers fast,
  • the other drifts, wastes time, burns consumables, and turns every transfer into a gamble.

This blog is a buyer’s shortcut. Ask these 10 questions. The quality of the answers will tell you more than any brochure.

1) What leak test method do you use—and can you show a test record?

ppm is an outcome. Leak rate is the foundation.
If a supplier can’t explain the test method and conditions, the “low ppm” number is mostly marketing.

Look for: pressure rise/decay testing, defined test conditions, recorded results.

2) After a real transfer cycle, how long does it take to recover below my threshold?

This is the most practical performance metric for daily work.

Ask for: a recovery curve or at least a measured “time-to-threshold” after a standard transfer event.

If they only talk about “best-case ppm,” that’s a red flag.

3) What is the antechamber evacuation time from atmosphere to your target vacuum?

An antechamber that’s slow becomes your daily bottleneck.
You don’t feel this in week 1—you feel it every day after.

Ask: evacuation time under a realistic load (not empty-chamber marketing conditions).

4) Do you support multi-cycle purge (evacuate → refill → evacuate), and is it automated?

One pump-down often isn’t enough for porous items, packaging folds, and real lab transfers.

Look for: configurable cycles, setpoints, and automated programs that reduce operator variability.

5) Where are the O₂/H₂O sensors placed—and what exactly are they measuring?

A sensor reading is only as good as its placement and thermal environment.

Ask:

  • Is the sensor in the main circulation flow or a “nice-looking” location?
  • Is it measuring near the working zone or near a corner?
  • Can you support multi-point sensing if my process needs it?

6) How are sensors calibrated, how often, and how long does replacement take?

Sensors drift. That’s normal.
The real question is whether calibration and replacement are simple—or painful.

Ask:

  • calibration procedure (what standards/gases are required),
  • recommended interval,
  • downtime for replacement.

If replacement requires major teardown, you’ll postpone maintenance and your data becomes less trustworthy.

7) What is inside the purifier—media type, capacity, and regeneration procedure?

“Purifier included” is not a spec. It’s a headline.

Ask:

  • what media is used (for O₂, for H₂O, and for vapors if relevant),
  • expected capacity under typical use,
  • regeneration time, temperature, power requirements,
  • user vs service technician responsibilities.

8) What’s your approach to solvent vapor and outgassing loads?

Even if you don’t “run solvents,” many workflows import solvent residues through cleaning and packaging.
Outgassing is a slow contamination source that makes recovery look weak.

Ask:

  • recommended workflow for solvent-cleaned parts,
  • any trapping/pre-conditioning options,
  • what’s considered “safe” vs “high risk” inside the glovebox.

9) Do you have interlocks that prevent the main chamber from opening to an antechamber at atmosphere?

This single mistake can contaminate the entire system in seconds.

Look for: interlocks + alarms + clear state indicators.
If the supplier relies on “operator caution,” that’s not engineering—that’s hope.

10) What are the top three consumables, and what’s the realistic replacement cycle?

A glovebox is a system with ownership costs:
gloves, seals, filters, purifier media, sensor calibration accessories.

Ask for: a consumables list with recommended spares and typical intervals.
If they won’t discuss it, you’re buying an unknown cost curve.

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