BacLab

BacLab: bacteriostatic water in sealed 10 ml vials for laboratory use

BacLab is a UK online seller specialising in a single product: bacteriostatic water supplied in sealed, tamper-evident 10 ml multi-dose vials. The company presents the item as a sterile diluent and solvent for laboratory and research work, and states explicitly that it is not a medicine and has no activity of its own.

The catalogue is organised around pack sizes rather than a broad product range. A single vial is listed at £5.99, and the price per vial falls as the quantity rises, reaching £2.75 per vial in a 100-vial pack. The site frames the larger formats as suited to laboratories, teaching facilities and institutional buyers ordering a term or a quarter at a time.

What the product is and how it differs from sterile water

According to the company's own explanation, bacteriostatic water is purified sterile water to which a bacteriostatic preservative has been added. It is packaged in a multi-dose vial with a rubber stopper and a crimped collar. The preservative is intended to inhibit the growth of bacteria that may enter the vial after the stopper has been punctured, which is what allows the same container to be entered more than once.

BacLab draws a clear distinction between this product and plain sterile water: the latter contains no preservative and is single-use once opened. The company also stresses that the preservative is bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal. It slows bacterial growth but does not sterilise the contents and cannot make a contaminated vial safe.

Technical specification

• Fill volume: 10 ml per sealed multi-dose vial.
• Composition: sterile water with a bacteriostatic preservative.
• Draws per vial: ten 1 ml draws or five 2 ml draws, depending on the volume taken each time.
• Appearance: clear, colourless liquid free of visible particles.
• CAS number for water: 7732-18-5 (EC 231-791-2); molecular formula H₂O.
• Storage: room temperature while sealed; 2–8 °C once opened.
• In-use period: 28 days from first puncture.
• Shelf life: expiry date printed on each vial.
• Hazard classification: not classified as hazardous under the GB CLP Regulation.

Pack sizes and pricing structure

The site lists six formats of the same sealed 10 ml vial, with only the quantity and unit price changing. The single vial is £5.99; five vials are £21.99 (£4.40 each, a stated saving of 27%); ten vials are £34.99 (£3.50 each, 42% saving); twenty vials are £64.99 (£3.25 each, 46% saving); fifty vials are £149.99 (£3.00 each, 50% saving); and one hundred vials are £274.99 (£2.75 each, 54% saving). The company explains the descending unit price by noting that picking, packing and posting an order costs roughly the same whether it contains one vial or ten.

Each pack size has its own page with per-vial and per-millilitre figures. The site also mentions a monthly plan option, described as offering up to two months free, alongside one-time purchase. Orders can contain up to ten of any bundle; larger volumes are handled by contacting the company.

Delivery, payment and price matching

BacLab states that UK orders of £40 or more qualify for free next-day delivery, while orders below that threshold carry a £3.90 delivery charge shown before payment. At checkout, customers choose between standard delivery by Royal Mail Tracked 48 (2–3 working days) or next-day delivery by Amazon Shipping, available for orders placed by 3pm. Orders placed by 3pm on a working day are dispatched the same day; orders placed after 3pm on Friday or at the weekend are dispatched on Monday. Monthly plans include delivery in the plan price: £3.90 per box on the 5- and 10-vial plans, and free on the 20-vial plan.

Payment is processed by Stripe on its own hosted checkout page, which accepts cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The company states that card details are entered on Stripe's page and are never sent to or stored by its own site. BacLab also advertises a UK price-match guarantee: if the same product is found cheaper and in stock from another UK-based seller, the company says it will match that price.

Documentation, bulk supply and customer feedback

The site refers to quality and documentation alongside bulk and wholesale pricing, and indicates that buyers needing more than the largest listed bundle should get in touch directly. Customer reviews are described as posted on Trustpilot and not edited by the company; no aggregate rating figure is given in the material available.