The measure

Syringe sizes explained: from 1 mL to 150 mL

A syringe is only as accurate as the scale you can read on it. Picking the right size means matching the barrel to the largest amount you draw at once.

Foosi syringes in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 60 mL sizes

How the scale changes with size

Small barrels spread a small volume over a long scale, so each mark is a smaller amount. A 1 mL syringe usually marks every 0.1 mL; a 10 mL syringe every 0.2 mL; a 60 mL syringe every 1 or 2 mL. The bigger the barrel, the coarser the marks.

Size by size

1 mL: drops and tenths, colostrum, small doses
3 mL: half a teaspoon, a young animal's feed
5 mL: one teaspoon
10 mL: two teaspoons
20 mL: party food, lip gloss, bigger portions
60 mL: thick liquids, irrigation, feeding
150 mL: fluid extraction, equine feeding, paint

U-100 and other scales

Some syringes are scaled in units instead of millilitres. A U-100 syringe shows 100 units per mL; the Foosi 0.5 mL U-100 shows 50 units with wider spacing between marks.