Pyrex beakers have long been considered the standard-bearers of modern chemistry and are said to be equally at home in school laboratories as they are in major chemical manufacturing plants. This proprietary type of borosilicate glass offers some of the highest levels of unbreakable and nonreactive properties available, making it suitable for a wide number of industrial applications. Today the Pyrex brand is widely considered synonymous with this versatile material.

Pyrex has found its way into countless markets, from consumer uses such as measuring containers and cooking materials through more professional applications such as telescope manufacture and aquatic heat and storage. But by far its biggest market continues to be general chemistry, where the glass's particularly low thermal expansion index ensures it will not warp under most heating and cooling conditions. Many educators and manufacturers trust their employees with Pyrex products, due to the hardiness of the material.

Pyrex beakers are considered especially valuable for experimental designs where students may not have given due diligence to safety. Professional labs design and maintain each reaction with care, but high school classes tend to be less cautious, resulting in an unusually high incidence of accidents. Pyrex protects everyone involved with its lightweight and nonreactive features, ensuring no spill is compounded by flying fragments of glass.

One desirable attribute of Pyrex beakers is that they can be heated over direct flame. Common sizes of Pyrex beakers include 50 ml, 150 ml, 250 ml, 400 ml, 600 ml, and even 1,000 ml. Typical Pyrex beakers are straight-sided with pour spouts and clearly marked measurements.