Where to Buy 23-Gauge Butterfly Needles in the U.S.: Suppliers, Brands, and Buying Guide

Summary

• Major U.S. medical-supply distributors, including McKesson, Medline, Cardinal Health, Henry Schein, and Bound Tree, commonly offer 23-gauge butterfly blood-collection sets from manufacturers such as BD, Greiner Bio-One, Terumo, Nipro, and B. Braun.
• Buyers should compare more than Needle Gauge. Important purchasing factors include safety-engineered features, tubing length, luer or holder configuration, blood-collection compatibility, sterile packaging, expiration dating, and regulatory documentation.
• Because product names, inventory, and account requirements change, organizations should confirm the exact 23-gauge configuration, intended use, packaging quantity, and current availability directly with the supplier before placing an order.

Twenty-three-gauge butterfly needles are widely used in U.S. phlebotomy, outpatient laboratories, hospitals, physician offices, mobile blood-collection services, home-health programs, and other clinical settings. Their flexible tubing and winged design can make Venipuncture easier when the patient has small, fragile, rolling, or difficult-to-access veins. They are also frequently selected for hand, wrist, and other sites where a rigid straight needle may be less convenient.

In the United States, buyers can obtain 23-gauge butterfly needles through several types of suppliers. These include national medical distributors, laboratory-supply companies, specialty emergency-care distributors, group purchasing organizations, and authorized manufacturer representatives. The most commonly encountered product families include safety blood-collection sets made by BD, Greiner Bio-One, Terumo, Nipro, and B. Braun. Some distributors also carry private-label or regional alternatives.

The key purchasing issue is not simply finding a listing that says “23 gauge.” A butterfly needle is normally sold as a complete blood-collection set, and the configuration may include safety wings, flexible tubing, a needleless connector, a luer adapter, a preattached holder, or another connection format. These details affect clinical Workflow, compatibility with evacuated tubes, staff training, sharps safety, and total cost.

What a 23-Gauge Butterfly Needle Is

A butterfly needle, also called a winged blood-collection set or winged infusion set, consists of a short bevel needle attached to flexible tubing and plastic wings. The wings help the clinician stabilize the device during Venipuncture. The tubing provides distance between the needle site and the blood-collection tube or syringe, which can reduce movement at the insertion site.

A 23-gauge needle has a smaller outside diameter than a 21-gauge or 22-gauge needle. Gauge measurements are counterintuitive: the higher the gauge number, the smaller the needle diameter. A 23-gauge device is therefore often chosen for smaller or more delicate veins, although the final selection should be based on the patient, procedure, specimen requirements, and the judgment of a trained healthcare professional.

Typical product variations include tubing lengths of approximately 7 to 12 inches, although exact dimensions vary by manufacturer and model. Some devices use a luer adapter that connects to a tube holder. Others come with a preattached holder or a needleless access connection. Safety versions may have a sliding shield, hinged mechanism, push-button activation, or another design intended to cover the contaminated needle after use.

Major U.S. Suppliers of 23-Gauge Butterfly Needles

McKesson

McKesson is one of the largest healthcare distributors in the United States and commonly supplies hospitals, physician practices, laboratories, long-term-care facilities, and other healthcare organizations. Its medical-surgical catalog has historically included winged blood-collection sets in several gauges, including 23 gauge, from major brands and private-label lines.

Buyers using McKesson should search by the complete product description rather than gauge alone. A search for “23-gauge safety butterfly blood collection set” may produce different results from a search for “23G winged infusion set” or “23G blood draw set.” The buyer should check whether the item includes a holder, whether the tubing is the desired length, and whether the device is intended for blood collection rather than infusion.

McKesson ordering is often account-based. Hospitals and larger practices may purchase through negotiated contracts, while smaller offices may use a medical-supply account or an approved reseller. Availability can vary by distribution center, contract terms, back-order status, and manufacturer allocation.

Medline

Medline is another major U.S. medical-supply distributor with extensive laboratory, nursing, and vascular-access product lines. Medline’s catalog may include 23-gauge winged blood-collection sets, safety-engineered devices, tube holders, and related phlebotomy accessories.

Medline customers should distinguish between a standard winged needle and a safety blood-collection set. Many healthcare organizations now prefer safety-engineered products because federal occupational-safety rules require employers to identify and use safer medical devices when appropriate, with input from affected employees. A non-safety device may still be available for specific uses, but an organization’s exposure-control plan and purchasing policy may require a safety model.

When comparing Medline products, purchasers should record the manufacturer, catalog number, Needle Gauge, tubing length, connection type, box quantity, and case quantity. These details are especially important when the organization is replacing an existing product, because two items described generally as “23-gauge butterfly needles” may not connect to the same collection equipment.

Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health distributes medical and laboratory products to hospitals, integrated delivery networks, ambulatory centers, laboratories, and physician practices. Its product offerings commonly include blood-collection needles and safety devices from recognized manufacturers, subject to customer contracts and current inventory.

Cardinal Health may be particularly relevant for health systems that already use its medical distribution services. In those cases, the most economical product may be a contract-approved manufacturer’s item rather than the lowest unit price shown in a public catalog. Buyers should request a quote that includes freight, handling, minimum order requirements, and any tiered pricing.

Health systems should also ask whether the proposed 23-gauge set is included in their value-analysis process. A change in butterfly needle design may require staff education, updated procedures, compatibility testing, and revised preference cards. A small per-box savings may not be worthwhile if the device increases failed draws, blood-culture contamination, Specimen Rejection, or staff retraining costs.

Henry Schein

Henry Schein is a significant supplier to office-based healthcare practices, dental practices, ambulatory clinics, and other professional customers. Its medical catalog can include Phlebotomy Equipment, blood-collection sets, tube holders, specimen supplies, and sharps containers.

Henry Schein may be useful for physician offices and smaller outpatient practices that need moderate quantities rather than hospital-scale orders. Buyers should verify whether the listed product is a 23-gauge safety butterfly needle, a conventional winged infusion set, or a pediatric-oriented product with a different intended application.

Because office practices often have fewer purchasing and infection-prevention staff than hospitals, product descriptions deserve careful review. The practice should confirm that the set is sterile, single-use, individually packaged, and labeled for the intended clinical procedure. The packaging should also identify the manufacturer, lot number, expiration date, and applicable regulatory information.

Bound Tree Medical

Bound Tree Medical is well known for emergency medical services, prehospital care, and first-responder supplies. Its catalog commonly includes Venipuncture equipment, safety needles, blood-collection accessories, and other products used by emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and transport teams.

For EMS organizations, a 23-gauge butterfly set may be selected for patients with limited peripheral access or for situations where a flexible needle assembly is easier to secure during transport. However, EMS buyers should pay particular attention to packaging durability, compact storage, temperature exposure, and whether the product can be used efficiently in field conditions.

Organizations should compare the actual product configuration rather than assuming that all emergency-supply listings are equivalent. A device designed primarily for infusion may not be the preferred option for evacuated-tube blood collection, and a blood-collection set may require a separate holder or adapter.

Specialty Laboratory and Medical-Supply Distributors

Several specialty distributors serve laboratories, outpatient clinics, home-health agencies, veterinary practices, and medical offices. Examples of supplier categories include independent laboratory distributors, regional hospital-supply companies, diagnostic-product resellers, and authorized distributors for specific manufacturers.

These companies can be useful when national distributors are out of stock or when a customer needs a less common configuration, such as a specific tubing length, needleless connector, or low-volume packaging format. However, purchasers should confirm that the reseller is an authorized source and that products are new, properly stored, and traceable to the manufacturer.

Buying from an unfamiliar marketplace seller can create risks. Medical devices may be diverted, relabeled, expired, damaged by improper storage, or supplied without adequate documentation. For clinical use, the purchasing department should require lot traceability and retain invoices and packing records.

Manufacturers Commonly Available Through U.S. Suppliers

BD

BD is one of the best-known manufacturers of blood-collection products in the United States. Its Vacutainer product family includes safety blood-collection sets and related accessories in several gauges, including 23-gauge configurations in some product lines and markets.

BD products are widely used because many laboratories already use BD evacuated blood-collection tubes, holders, and specimen-management systems. Even so, compatibility should not be assumed. A buyer should confirm the exact connection style, holder requirements, and intended procedure before substituting one BD set for another.

Greiner Bio-One

Greiner Bio-One manufactures VACUETTE blood-collection systems and safety blood-collection sets. Its products are distributed in the United States through direct and indirect channels and are commonly used by hospitals, laboratories, and outpatient collection centers.

Greiner Bio-One’s product family may include different winged sets, safety mechanisms, tubing lengths, and adapter arrangements. Facilities using VACUETTE tubes may prefer to evaluate the complete collection Workflow, including tube filling, order of draw, holder connection, and disposal procedure.

Terumo

Terumo manufactures a broad range of needles, blood-collection devices, and vascular-access products. Its winged blood-collection sets may be available in 23-gauge versions through U.S. medical distributors and institutional contracts.

Terumo products can vary by safety design and connection format. Buyers should check whether the catalog description refers to a blood-collection set, a winged infusion set, or another device. The distinction matters because a product’s labeling and intended use determine how it should be incorporated into clinical procedures.

Nipro

Nipro supplies needles, blood-collection equipment, and other medical devices to the U.S. market. Nipro winged sets may be offered in multiple gauges and tubing configurations, including 23 gauge, depending on the distributor and current product line.

Nipro products should be evaluated using the same criteria applied to other brands: safety activation, needle sharpness, tubing flexibility, connection security, packaging, expiration dating, and staff acceptance. A short clinical trial with documented results can be useful before a large conversion.

B. Braun

B. Braun manufactures injection, infusion, vascular-access, and blood-collection products. Some of its winged needle and safety-device offerings may be available in 23-gauge configurations through U.S. distributors or direct institutional purchasing arrangements.

B. Braun is particularly relevant for hospitals and infusion-focused organizations that already use the company’s access and connector systems. Buyers should verify that the chosen device is approved and labeled for the intended blood-draw application and that it fits existing holders and collection tubes.

How to Identify the Correct Product

Product names can be confusing because “butterfly needle,” “winged infusion set,” and “winged blood-collection set” are sometimes used interchangeably in informal purchasing conversations. They are not always interchangeable in practice. The safest approach is to build a specification before requesting quotes.

1. Specify 23 gauge clearly and confirm the needle size on the manufacturer’s technical documentation.
2. State whether the device must be a safety-engineered blood-collection set.
3. Specify the preferred tubing length, such as approximately 7 inches, 12 inches, or another available size.
4. Identify whether the set should include a luer adapter, tube holder, needleless connector, or preattached holder.
5. Confirm that the product is labeled for phlebotomy or blood collection rather than only for infusion.
6. Record the desired box quantity and case quantity so unit-price comparisons are accurate.
7. Check sterility, single-use status, expiration dating, lot traceability, and packaging integrity.
8. Confirm compatibility with the organization’s evacuated blood-collection tubes and specimen Workflow.

Some organizations use a 23-gauge set with an evacuated tube system, while others use a syringe or a combination of methods. If a syringe is used, the connection must be secure and the blood-transfer procedure must follow institutional policy. The needle should never be manually removed or manipulated after use when a safer disposal method is available.

Safety and Regulatory Considerations

Needlestick Injuries remain a major occupational risk in healthcare. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s bloodborne pathogens standard requires employers to use engineering and work-practice controls, maintain an exposure-control plan, provide training, and document exposure incidents. The standard also requires annual consideration and implementation of safer medical devices when appropriate.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, enacted in 2000, strengthened federal requirements for evaluating and adopting safer needle technologies. Its practical purchasing implication is that a healthcare organization should be able to explain why a selected device is appropriate and how affected clinical staff participated in evaluating safety-engineered alternatives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly emphasized that standard precautions apply whenever exposure to blood or certain body fluids is possible. Appropriate gloves, protective equipment, Hand Hygiene, sharps disposal, and safe handling practices remain essential regardless of Needle Gauge.

A safety butterfly needle does not eliminate risk. The mechanism must be activated correctly, ideally immediately after withdrawal and while the needle remains near the patient, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Staff should not bend, break, recap, or otherwise manipulate a used needle. The activated device should go directly into a suitable sharps container.

Purchasers should also review U.S. Food and Drug Administration information associated with the device. A legitimate product should have appropriate labeling for its intended use, a clear manufacturer identity, and traceable packaging. FDA registration or listing alone should not be treated as an endorsement of clinical performance, but the absence of credible labeling or documentation is a reason to stop and investigate.

Cost Factors When Purchasing 23-Gauge Butterfly Needles

Unit price is only one part of the cost. A quote may look inexpensive until shipping, minimum-order rules, holder purchases, and wastage are included. A complete comparison should calculate the cost per usable blood draw.

1. Compare the price per individual sterile set rather than only the price per box.
2. Include the cost of separate tube holders, adapters, or connectors if they are not included.
3. Account for shipping, hazardous-material charges where applicable, and distributor fees.
4. Review minimum-order quantities and the risk of unused inventory expiring.
5. Estimate the financial impact of failed draws, repeat venipunctures, and specimen recollection.
6. Consider staff training and Workflow costs when changing product designs.
7. Evaluate sharps-disposal volume and whether the device changes container usage.

Healthcare organizations may receive lower prices through group purchasing organizations or health-system contracts. However, contract pricing can limit the availability of certain brands. A product with a higher purchase price may still be the better choice if it reduces needlestick risk, improves first-stick success, or is more accepted by staff.

Price comparisons should also take current market conditions into account. Medical-device supply chains can be affected by manufacturing interruptions, transportation delays, raw-material shortages, recalls, and changes in hospital demand. Maintaining an approved alternative product can reduce the effect of a temporary shortage, but alternatives should be evaluated before an emergency occurs.

Questions to Ask a Supplier

Before ordering, a purchasing department should obtain a complete written product description. The following questions can prevent many common errors:

1. Is the product specifically labeled as a 23-gauge blood-collection set?
2. Is it safety engineered, and how is the safety feature activated?
3. What is the tubing length and internal volume?
4. Does the set include a tube holder or require a separate holder?
5. What type of connector does it use?
6. Is it sterile, single-use, and individually packaged?
7. What is the shelf life at the time of shipment?
8. What are the package and case quantities?
9. Is the item currently in stock, allocated, back-ordered, or subject to a purchase limit?
10. Can the supplier provide manufacturer documentation, lot information, and a product sample for evaluation?

It is also useful to ask whether the supplier offers a substitute item if the requested product is unavailable. Substitutions should never be accepted automatically for clinical devices. The replacement should be reviewed by nursing leadership, laboratory management, infection prevention, occupational health, and procurement as appropriate.

Evaluating Performance Before a Large Order

A small product evaluation can reveal issues that are not visible in a catalog. A facility might test the needle with several staff members and patient populations, while tracking first-stick success, specimen quality, device activation, accidental disconnections, and staff preferences.

Evaluation criteria should be objective where possible. For example, the organization can record the number of successful first attempts, the number of redraws, the occurrence of hemolysis, the frequency of difficult activation, and any reported near misses. Patient comfort and ease of securement may also be included.

The evaluation should use the organization’s normal collection tubes and holders. A butterfly set that performs well with one brand of tube holder may behave differently with another. Staff should also test the product in the locations where it will actually be used, such as emergency departments, outpatient draw stations, pediatric areas, and mobile services.

Documentation is important. The final purchasing decision should identify the tested product, lot number, clinical departments involved, results, safety feedback, and approval date. This creates a useful record for future conversions, recalls, audits, and contract reviews.

Storage, Inventory, and Expiration Management

Butterfly needles are sterile medical devices and should be stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In general, inventory should remain in its original packaging, protected from excessive heat, moisture, direct sunlight, crushing, and contamination. Damaged or opened packages should not be used.

Hospitals and clinics should use a first-expire, first-out inventory method. This is especially important when ordering by the case, because a large quantity of low-cost supplies can become expensive if they expire before use. Inventory systems should track lot numbers and expiration dates where practical.

A reasonable safety stock depends on usage, supplier reliability, lead time, and the availability of approved alternatives. A facility drawing 500 patients per week will have different requirements from a small physician office drawing 30 patients per week. Buyers should use actual historical consumption rather than relying on a generic case quantity.

During shortages, organizations should avoid buying unverified products through informal channels. A shortage response should involve the supplier’s customer-service team, the manufacturer, clinical leadership, and infection-prevention personnel. Any substitute should be reviewed for gauge, safety mechanism, connection type, sterility, labeling, and performance.

Choosing Between Standard and Safety Butterfly Needles

Standard butterfly needles may have a lower listed price, but safety-engineered products are generally favored in settings where staff may be exposed to contaminated sharps. The correct choice depends on the organization’s risk assessment, exposure-control plan, applicable Regulations, clinical Workflow, and product availability.

Safety mechanisms vary. Some require the user to slide a shield over the needle. Others activate with a button or hinged guard. The best mechanism is not necessarily the most complicated one; it is the mechanism that staff can activate reliably without changing the procedure or creating additional handling steps.

Training is a critical part of the purchase. If a facility changes from one safety design to another, staff should receive hands-on instruction and understand the activation point, disposal method, and response to a failed activation. Training records should be maintained according to organizational policy.

Practical Purchasing Recommendations

For most U.S. healthcare organizations, the most practical starting point is to request quotes from at least two major distributors and one manufacturer-authorized source. McKesson, Medline, Cardinal Health, Henry Schein, and Bound Tree are reasonable supplier categories to investigate, depending on the organization’s size and clinical setting. The buyer should then compare available products from BD, Greiner Bio-One, Terumo, Nipro, B. Braun, and other approved manufacturers.

A purchasing request should state “23-gauge safety winged blood-collection set” if that is the requirement. It should also specify the tubing length, connector type, inclusion or exclusion of a holder, box quantity, and desired delivery schedule. This is more precise than requesting “23G butterfly needles,” which could result in an unsuitable infusion set or incomplete assembly.

Before the first large shipment, obtain a sample or small evaluation quantity. Verify that the device works with the facility’s collection tubes, holders, labels, specimen bags, and sharps containers. Review the package labeling and expiration date when the sample arrives, not only when the quote is prepared.

Final Considerations

U.S. buyers have numerous options for purchasing 23-gauge butterfly needles for phlebotomy. National distributors such as McKesson, Medline, Cardinal Health, Henry Schein, and Bound Tree commonly serve different segments of the healthcare market. Manufacturer brands such as BD, Greiner Bio-One, Terumo, Nipro, and B. Braun may be available through those distributors or through direct institutional channels.

The best supplier is the one that can consistently provide the correct, properly labeled, sterile product at a sustainable total cost while supporting regulatory compliance and safe clinical use. Gauge alone does not determine whether a butterfly needle is suitable. The safety mechanism, tubing, connector, holder, intended use, packaging, compatibility, and staff experience all matter.

Because catalogs and inventories change, organizations should confirm current availability and specifications before purchasing. A disciplined process—written specifications, supplier verification, sample evaluation, safety review, and expiration-controlled inventory—helps ensure that a 23-gauge butterfly needle is not merely inexpensive or available, but appropriate for the patients and professionals who rely on it.

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