Vial vs. Tube — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 1, 2024
Vials are small glass or plastic containers with a sealable top, used for storing liquid samples, while tubes are longer, cylindrical containers used for transporting and storing diverse materials.
Difference Between Vial and Tube
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Vials are typically used in medical and laboratory settings for storing small amounts of liquid substances securely. On the other hand, tubes can be used in a wide range of environments and for various purposes, including packaging creams, pastes, and even scientific samples.
A vial is often sealed with a rubber stopper or a crimped metal cap to ensure the integrity of its contents, which is critical in pharmaceutical and clinical applications. Whereas tubes may be sealed with caps, screw tops, or even flip caps, depending on their intended use and content.
The material of a vial is usually glass or high-grade plastic to prevent interaction with its contents and provide a stable storage environment. In contrast, tubes can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, or laminate, depending on the required durability and barrier properties.
Vials are generally small and designed for single-use or small sample quantities, emphasizing precise dosage and contamination prevention. Tubes, however, can vary significantly in size and are often designed for multiple uses or larger quantities.
In terms of usage, vials require specific handling and are often used with syringes or pipettes for sample withdrawal. Tubes, on the other hand, are more versatile and can be designed for direct application by squeezing or rolling, which is common in cosmetic and dental products.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Material
Glass or plastic
Plastic, metal, or laminate
Closure Type
Rubber stopper, crimped metal cap
Caps, screw tops, flip caps
Usage
Storage of liquid samples
Transporting and storing materials
Size
Small, for precise quantities
Variable sizes
Application
Requires syringes or pipettes
Direct application possible
Compare with Definitions
Vial
Often made of glass or plastic to ensure content stability.
Each vial was carefully labeled to avoid any mix-up.
Tube
Often designed for direct application of its contents.
She applied the cream directly from the tube to her hands.
Vial
A small container typically used for storing liquids, especially in medical settings.
The vaccine doses were stored in glass vials.
Tube
A cylindrical container used for packaging and transporting a variety of substances.
He squeezed the last bit of toothpaste from the tube.
Vial
Requires careful handling to maintain sterility.
The lab technician used gloves to handle the sterile vials.
Tube
Comes in various sizes and materials depending on its use.
The artist bought several tubes of acrylic paint.
Vial
Used for precise dosage and sample integrity.
A single vial contained just enough reagent for one experiment.
Tube
Can be sealed with different types of caps for easy access.
The tube of hand cream featured a convenient flip cap.
Vial
Sealed with a rubber stopper or metal cap to prevent contamination.
She crimped the metal cap onto the vial to secure its contents.
Tube
Suitable for multiple uses or single, larger quantities.
The large tube of ointment lasted several months.
Vial
A vial (also known as a phial or flacon) is a small glass or plastic vessel or bottle, often used to store medication as liquids, powders or capsules. They can also be used as scientific sample vessels; for instance, in autosampler devices in analytical chromatography.
Tube
A hollow cylinder, especially one that conveys a fluid or functions as a passage.
Vial
A small container, usually with a closure, used especially for liquids.
Tube
An organic structure having the shape or function of a tube; a duct
A bronchial tube.
Vial
To put or keep in or as if in a vial.
Tube
A small flexible cylindrical container sealed at one end and having a screw cap at the other, for pigments, toothpaste, or other pastelike substances.
Vial
A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals.
Tube
(Music) The cylindrical part of a wind instrument.
Vial
(transitive) To put or keep in, or as in, a vial.
Tube
An electron tube.
Vial
A small bottle, usually of glass; a little glass vessel with a narrow aperture intended to be closed with a stopper; as, a vial of medicine.
Take thou this vial, being then in bed,And this distilled liquor drink thou off.
Tube
A vacuum tube.
Vial
To put in a vial or vials.
Tube
(Botany) The lower, cylindrical part of a gamopetalous corolla or a gamosepalous calyx.
Vial
A small bottle that contains a drug (especially a sealed sterile container for injection by needle)
Tube
A tunnel.
Tube
An underground railroad system, especially the one in London, England.
Tube
The elongated space inside a wave when it is breaking.
Tube
An inner tube.
Tube
An inflatable tube or cushion made of rubber or plastic and used for recreational riding, as behind a motor boat or down a snow-covered slope.
Tube
Television
What's on the tube?.
Tube
A television set.
Tube
Tubes(Informal) The fallopian tubes.
Tube
To provide with a tube; insert a tube in.
Tube
To place in or enclose in a tube.
Tube
To ride or float on an inflated tube for recreation.
Tube
Anything that is hollow and cylindrical in shape.
Tube
An approximately cylindrical container, usually with a crimped end and a screw top, used to contain and dispense semiliquid substances.
A tube of toothpaste.
Tube
The London Underground railway system, originally referred to the lower level lines that ran in tubular tunnels as opposed to the higher ones which ran in rectangular section tunnels. (Often the tube.)
I took the tube to Waterloo and walked the rest of the way.
Tube
(obsolete) One of the tubular tunnels of the London Underground.
Tube
A tin can containing beer.
Tube
(surfing) A wave which pitches forward when breaking, creating a hollow space inside.
Tube
A television. Compare cathode ray tube and picture tube.
Tube
An idiot.
Tube
(transitive) To supply with, or enclose in, a tube.
She tubes lipstick in the cosmetics factory.
Tube
To ride an inner tube.
They tubed down the Colorado River.
Tube
To intubate.
The patient was tubed.
Tube
A hollow cylinder, of any material, used for the conveyance of fluids, and for various other purposes; a pipe.
Tube
A telescope.
Tube
A vessel in animal bodies or plants, which conveys a fluid or other substance.
Tube
The narrow, hollow part of a gamopetalous corolla.
Tube
A priming tube, or friction primer. See under Priming, and Friction.
Tube
A small pipe forming part of the boiler, containing water and surrounded by flame or hot gases, or else surrounded by water and forming a flue for the gases to pass through.
Tube
A more or less cylindrical, and often spiral, case secreted or constructed by many annelids, crustaceans, insects, and other animals, for protection or concealment. See Illust. of Tubeworm.
Tube
A tunnel for a tube railway; also (Colloq.), a tube railway; a subway.
Tube
To furnish with a tube; as, to tube a well.
Tube
Conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
Tube
Electronic device consisting of a system of electrodes arranged in an evacuated glass or metal envelope
Tube
A hollow cylindrical shape
Tube
(anatomy) any hollow cylindrical body structure
Tube
Electric underground railway
Tube
Provide with a tube or insert a tube into
Tube
Convey in a tube;
Inside Paris, they used to tube mail
Tube
Ride or float on an inflated tube;
We tubed down the river on a hot summer day
Tube
Place or enclose in a tube
Common Curiosities
What are the common closure types for vials?
The common closure types for vials are rubber stoppers and crimped metal caps.
What materials are vials made from?
Vials are usually made from glass or high-grade plastic.
What are the common closure types for tubes?
Tubes commonly use caps, screw tops, or flip caps.
Can tubes be used for medical purposes?
Yes, tubes can be used for medical purposes, especially for packaging ointments and creams.
How is a tube different from a vial?
Tubes are generally more versatile, used for storing pastes, creams, and gels, and come in various sizes and materials.
What is a vial used for?
Vials are primarily used for storing small quantities of liquids, especially in medical and laboratory settings.
Are vials reusable?
Vials are generally intended for single-use to prevent contamination.
Are tubes reusable?
Some tubes are designed for multiple uses, depending on the material and design.
What sizes do vials come in?
Vials are typically small and designed for precise dosages.
Are tubes suitable for multiple uses?
Yes, tubes are suitable for multiple uses or single, larger quantities.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Seared vs. Grilled
Next Comparison
Wax vs. ResinAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
