Flask Tongs For Hot Conical And Round Flasks

Quick Answer: The Tongs, Flask are scissor-type flask tongs whose jaws are shaped to close around the neck or upper body of a flask. The listing photograph shows metal finger loops and jaws with a textured covering; they are used to lift and pour from hot conical, flat-bottom and round-bottom flasks.

Gripping a Flask by the Neck

A flask narrows to a neck, and the neck is the most convenient and secure place to hold it. These tongs have jaws shaped to meet around that neck from both sides, so a hot conical flask can be lifted straight up from a gauze or hot plate without tilting. Tongs made for beakers, by contrast, have a wide opening intended for straight-sided vessels and grip a narrow neck poorly.

The covering on the jaws in the photograph adds friction and keeps bare metal off the glass. That matters in titrations carried out warm, such as oxalic acid against potassium permanganate, where a flask is lifted repeatedly and a slip would lose the sample. For round-bottom flasks, the tongs are useful for moving the flask to a cork ring, but a clamp is still the right way to hold one during a reaction.

Compare the beaker tongs for straight-sided vessels. A borosilicate 250 ml conical flask is typical of what these tongs handle.

Care & Handling

Grip the neck with the tongs and, for heavier flasks, support the base with a heat-resistant glove as you set them down.
Do not use the covered jaws in a flame.
Wash and dry the jaws after spills, and inspect the covering for wear.

Applications

Lifting a heated conical flask for titration while the solution is still warm
Moving hot flasks of boiled media or solutions in the prep room
Pouring a hot recrystallisation solution through a fluted filter paper
Transferring a round-bottom flask to a cork ring after heating

Specifications

Type	Scissor-type tongs for flasks
Jaws	Shaped for flask necks, with textured covering (as pictured)
Handles	Metal finger loops
Suits	Conical, flat-bottom and round-bottom flasks
Use	Lifting and pouring hot flasks off the heat
Neck size range	Confirm at enquiry

Why Choose LabEquip

Chemistry and microbiology labs that heat solutions in flasks daily keep a pair beside each hot plate and burner. LabEquip lists these with its beaker and crucible tongs in General Lab Products; send quantities through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use flask tongs instead of beaker tongs?

They close around the narrow neck of a flask, which is the secure place to hold it. Tongs for beakers have a wide opening for straight-sided vessels and hold a neck poorly.

Can the tongs lift a full, heavy flask?

They suit flasks of the size a school or college lab heats routinely. For large or very full flasks, use the tongs to steady the neck and support the base with a heat-resistant glove or pad.

Can the tongs be used in a flame?

No. The covered jaws are for handling hot flasks taken off a gauze or hot plate; coverings can scorch or melt in a flame.

Do they work on round-bottom flasks?

Yes, for lifting by the neck and placing the flask on a cork ring. During a reaction or distillation, a round-bottom flask should be held by a clamp instead.

How should a hot flask be set down?

On a heat-resistant mat or cork ring, not on a cold wet bench, which can crack hot glass by thermal shock.

How do I clean the tongs?

Rinse the jaws with water after any spill, wash them with mild detergent and dry them. Check the jaw covering regularly and replace the tongs when it is split or hardened.

Last Updated: September 2026