What Is the Difference Between a Dry Shipper Dewar and a Standard Liquid Nitrogen Dewar and When Do I Need Each?

The terms dry shipper and dewar are sometimes used interchangeably in a cryogenic context, but they refer to functionally distinct types of container with different designs, different intended applications, and different regulatory statuses for transport. Understanding the difference is essential for anyone involved in the procurement, use, or management of cryogenic equipment in a clinical, veterinary, or research setting.

A standard liquid nitrogen dewar is a vacuum-insulated storage vessel that holds free liquid nitrogen. Cryolabs storage dewar range includes the CryoCan 30-6, CryoCan 47-6, and CryoCan 47-10 for laboratory and veterinary use, the clinical-grade CryoNest XL, CryoNest XXL, and CryoNest XXXL for IVF and biobanking, and the Dilvac Stainless Steel Dewar for various capacity requirements. Standard dewars are designed primarily for stationary use and cannot be used for air transport of biological specimens.

A dry shipper dewar holds no free liquid nitrogen at any point during normal use. Cryolabs CryoStork dry shipper range including the V2, V3, V4, V6, and V10 models makes the dry shipper safe to transport in any orientation and suitable for use as air freight without dangerous goods classification.

In practice, most facilities need both types: standard dewars for day-to-day fixed-location storage, and dry shippers for specimen transport. Browse our full range of both CryoStork dry shipper dewars and standard liquid nitrogen storage vessels and speak to our team about the right combination for your facility.