There is no shortage of vacuum sealers on the market today, but how do we know which is the right one for us? We're taking the guesswork out of it by running 8 different models through a series of tests.
Here at The Barbecue Lab, we help you grow more confident in your backyard barbecue, and the vacuum sealer plays an important role in what we do.
I'm pretty sure that like us, you cook briskets and pork butts to feed a crowd, and the vacuum sealer is like magic for leftovers and freezing grilled and smoked meats.
They come with a price tag as low as $50 and can range well into thousands of dollars, so we're doing the testing for you, so you can decide which unit is right for your budget.
Why Trust Our Review?
You can trust all of our reviews because we have actually used these products. Our reviews feature our own photos and video that we've captured ourselves and not stock photography from the manufacturers. That means we've actually experienced the pros and cons that we mention in this review. Just ask our dining room table which has played host to these vacuum sealers for the past month...
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Best Vacuum Sealer Winners
Winners
Product Information
Nesco VS 12 Deluxe
Seal Width: 11.8 inches
Features: bag storage and cutter, accessory port, 3 sealing modes and 2 pressure modes
Warranty: 1 year
Winner: Best Overall
Geryon
Seal Width: 12 inches
Features: bag cutter, accessory port
Warranty: 2 years
Winner: Best Compact vacuum sealer
Meat! External 16"
Seal Width: 16 inches
Features: bag storage and cutter, accessory hose port, 3 preset vac levels plus adjustable, massive width
Warranty: lifetime
Winner: Best For Hunters
VacMaster Pro VP360
Seal Width: 16 inches
Features: bag storage and cutter, accessory hose port, marinate feature, pulse vac button, massive width
Warranty: 1 year
Winner: Best Home Professional
Vevor DZ-260A
Seal Width: 10 inches, 8mm thick seal
Features: swing away bar to hold bag in place, customizable vacuum and seal times
Warranty: 1 year
Winner: Best Budget Chamber
VacMaster VP95
Seal Width: 9.25 inches, double seal
Features: auto-lift lid, lid lock for storage, removable incline plate, accessory hose port for external canister, customizable vacuum and seal times
Warranty: 1 year
Winner: Most Versatile
Meat! Chamber
Seal Width: 12 inches, double seal
Features: auto-lift lid, lid lock for storage, bag clip to hold in place, customizable vacuum and seal times
Warranty: Lifetime
Winner: Last Vacuum Sealer You'll Need to Buy
VacMaster VP230
Seal Width: 12.25 inches, double seal
Features: auto-lift lid, lid lock for storage, removable filler plate, customizable vacuum and seal times
Warranty: 1 year
Winner: Best Professional
Two types of vacuum sealers
It's important to note that there are two categories of vacuum sealers, the external kind like you see in most big box stores across the US, and chamber vacs.
The external vacuum sealers clamp around a bag and suck the air out. Chamber vacs have a cavity where you place the bag inside, and it pulls the air out of the entire chamber.
There are benefits to each, and we'll cover those along with things like:
- how loud they are when they're in operation
- how much air stays in the bag when sealing
- size measurements
- convenience features
- and so much more
1. External Vacuum Sealers
Best Vacuum Sealer Overall: Nesco VS 12 Deluxe
Nesco VS 12 Deluxe Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 17 x 15 x 9 inches |
Weight | 10 lb |
Built in bag cutter | yes |
Bag storage | yes |
Accessory port | yes |
Warranty | 1 year |
What we like:
What we don't like:
The Nesco VS 12 Deluxe is our pick for the best vacuum sealer overall because it gets most of the jobs done quite well at an affordable price. It's not going to be the tool you use to vacuum seal up bags of liquid, but that's not the intended use for external vacuum sealers in the first place. For most home-kitchen vacuum sealing jobs, the Nesco is both affordable and reliable.
Best Compact Vacuum Sealer: Geryon Vacuum Sealer
Geryon Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 14.6 x 5.67 x 3.3 inches |
Weight | 3.44 lb |
Built in bag cutter | yes |
Bag storage | no |
Accessory port | yes |
Warranty | 2 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If you live in an apartment or are just working out of a tiny kitchen, the Geryon vacuum sealer is a great fit for you. It can perform most vacuum sealing jobs just fine with proper monitoring and it won't break the bank to get one.
Best Vacuum Sealer for Hunters: Meat! 16" external
Meat! 16" Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 19.49 x 11.85 x 6.38 inches |
Weight | 11.68 lb |
Built in bag cutter | yes |
Bag storage | yes |
Accessory port | yes |
Warranty | lifetime warranty |
What we like:
What we don't like:
I'm not a hunter or a fisherman and therefore don't process my own meat. But if I was, this vacuum sealer would be a total game changer. Preserving your protein with the Meat! vacuum sealer will virtually eliminate freezer burn ruining your hard-earned catch. And with the 16" seal bar and ability to custom cut bags to size, no cut of meat will be too big or awkward-shaped to vacuum seal with the Meat! external vacuum sealer.
Best Home Professional: VacMaster Pro360
VacMaster Pro360 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 19.25" x 11.5" x 6" |
Weight | 16 lb |
Built in bag cutter | yes |
Bag storage | yes |
Accessory port | yes |
Warranty | 1 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If you want to take your home vacuum sealing to the next level, we've ranked the VacMaster VP 360 as the best home professional. If you do a lot of vacuum sealing, particularly of larger items, this vacuum sealer would be an excellent step up for your kitchen.
2. Chamber Vacuum Sealers
Best Budget Chamber: Vevor DZ-260A
Vevor DZ-260A Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 16.1 x 12.6 x 11.8 in. |
Weight | 48.5 lb |
Accessory port | no |
Auto-lift lid | no |
Warranty | 1 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If you're wanting to make the transition to chamber vacuum sealers but aren't thrilled with the price tag that usually comes with them, this Vevor is definitely one to consider. It performs very close to the level of the much-more-expensive chamber vacs at a fraction of the cost.
Most Versatile: VacMaster VP95
VacMaster VP95 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 11” x 16” x 9” |
Weight | 42.5 lb |
Accessory port | yes |
Auto-lift lid | yes |
Warranty | 1 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
The VacMaster VP95 is the tech nerd of the bunch because it has such an amazing feature set. It isn't the vacuum sealer I'd choose to process a whole deer, but for work around the kitchen and here at The Lab, it's been the one that we reach for the most. It has an auto-lift top and countless customization options for dialing in your sealing sessions.
The Last Vacuum Sealer You'll Ever Buy: Meat! Chamber
Meat! Chamber Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 16.73 x 14.17 x 14 inches |
Weight | 65 lb |
Accessory port | no |
Auto-lift lid | yes |
Warranty | Lifetime |
What we like:
What we don't like:
With a lifetime warranty, the Meat chamber vac is the last vacuum sealer you'll have to buy. Yes, it is expensive to purchase initially. But with a lifetime warranty, you'll literally never have to purchase another. And it does all the things you'd want it to do, and does them well.
Best Professional: VacMaster VP230
VacMaster VP230 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Measurement | 15.5” x 19” x 15.75” |
Weight | 89 lb |
Accessory port | no |
Auto-lift lid | yes |
Warranty | 1 years |
What we like:
What we don't like:
If I'm honest, you're probably not going to want to purchase this vacuum sealer for your home. However, the VP 230 is the Best professional for those of you whose vacuum sealing needs are extending outside of the home into more of a restaurant or catering scenario.
It comes the closest to an industrial chamber vacuum sealer as any that we have in our testing group, and it's big enough for any task I throw at it.
6 replies on “The 8 Best Vacuum Sealers for Keeping Your Food Fresh in 2024”
Living in Alaska, we process lots of moose and salmon and currently are on the market for a chamber vacuum sealer for fish. Which would you recommend to do the absolute best job at keeping the fish fresh longest? Thanks! 🙂
If I was up in Alaska where my sister lived for a few years processing the salmon and moose like they did, I’d go with either the VacMaster VP230 or the Meat Chamber Vac. Both did an excellent job in our tests, and they have the capacity to stand up to 40lbs of fish in a session without breaking a sweat.
David,
Thank you soooooo much for doing the work of comparing vacuum sealers!!! So appreciative. Have you found the best company and price to purchase chamber bags?
This video was awesome!! Only question is about the vacuum sealer bags…are they all created equal or do you have a favorite?
Thanks Terry
Which if any vacuum sealers work well with maylar bags?
My current and old food saver does not.
Was looking at your video on vacuum sealers and am trying to find the Vacmaster Pro 360. They seem to be unavailable now. Does Vacmaster make the Cabela Pro units. They seem very similar? I like to double seal on it, but the warranty on the Meat unit makes it seem to be a no-brainer.
Thanks!