Comparison of Fittings With Plastic and Rubber Tubing

When you’re using plastic tubing or rubber hose, you will, in most cases, need to attach it to something . . . a piece of equipment or another section of tubing. Fittings or connectors are a common means to accomplish this and come in many different materials so you can select the best match for your application.

There are many styles of fittings, from simple barbed varieties to multi-component compression types to heavy-duty cam couplings. This paper examines each style, what materials are offered, what tubing materials each works best with, how complicated (or not) installation is, and usage tips. Clamps are also reviewed.