About the Saugheber-Kompass

The Saugheber-Kompass is an independent comparison of vacuum lifters, also known in the trade as gripsters. It is meant to give you orientation in a market where offers can barely be told apart anymore. This page explains where the data comes from and how the key figures and scores are calculated.

Why this site exists

Anyone looking for a gripster will find hundreds of offers with similar photos, similar promises and very different prices. Often the same device is sold under many names, sometimes as a branded product, sometimes unbranded, sometimes on its own, sometimes in a twin pack. Whether a higher price means more technology or just a different logo is impossible to tell at first glance. The Saugheber-Kompass puts the offers on a common basis and makes them comparable.

Where the data comes from

The basis is the manufacturers' data sheets and the product information in the listings. For each of the 519 devices in the database, the same attributes are recorded: shape and size of the suction pad, stated load capacity, drive, battery type and capacity, charging port, display, seal, additional functions such as vibration or automatic re-pump, package contents, brand and origin. Missing information is marked n/a in the tables.

Prices

All prices are prices per unit in euros. For twin packs and sets, the pack price is divided by the number of gripsters included. This allows single units and packs to be compared directly. Prices are rounded to whole euros.

Key figures

Load capacity per €100 relates performance to price: the stated load capacity is divided by the price per unit and multiplied by 100. A vacuum gripper rated for 200 kg at €50 thus comes to 400 kg per €100. The best values are shown in the ranking Most load capacity per euro.

Typical value refers to the median: if you sort all values in a group by size, it lies exactly in the middle. Unlike the average, it is barely shifted by individual outliers, such as a very expensive specialist device. It therefore describes better what is usual in a group.

How the head-to-heads work

In the head-to-heads, two models or two brands go up against each other. Points are awarded in six categories: price, load capacity, value for money, battery & charging, display and features. In each category, the point goes to the model with the clearly better value. For price and load capacity, the difference must be more than 5%; for value for money, more than 8%. Smaller differences count as a tie.

For battery & charging, the battery type counts first (removable battery ahead of built-in battery), then the charging port (USB-C ahead), and finally the capacity; the category is only scored if both devices are electric. For the display, a digital display ranks ahead of an LED indicator and a pressure gauge. Features counts the vibration function, automatic re-pump, a carrying case, multiple devices in the pack and a second battery. If a piece of information is missing for either of the two models, the category is not scored.

Identical models

Devices with identical hardware are classed as identical and combined into groups. To determine this, the comparison covers the housing and construction, the shape and size of the suction pad, the seal, the display, the battery system and the technical specifications. A group is formed as soon as at least two listings show the same hardware. The overview of identical models gives the price range for each group, from the cheapest to the most expensive offer.

Same rules for everyone

All brands and models are recorded and presented according to the same criteria. Rankings and head-to-heads result solely from the data and the rules described here. Terms that matter in the comparison are explained in the glossary.