They do not require water and there is not much pressure build up within the oven, unlike an autoclave, making them safer to work with. This also makes them more suitable to be used in a laboratory environment. They are much smaller than autoclaves but can still be as effective. They can be more rapid than an autoclave and higher temperatures can be reached compared to other means. As they use dry heat instead of moist heat, some pathogens like prions, may not be killed by them every time, based on the principle of thermal inactivation by oxidation.
A Hot Air Oven is a specialized sterilization device that operates using dry heat to sterilize various materials, particularly those that cannot withstand moisture. Unlike steam-based sterilization methods, which use high-pressure steam, the Hot Air Oven relies on heated air circulated within a sealed chamber to eliminate microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores. This dry heat method works by oxidizing cellular components and denaturing proteins, effectively rendering harmful organisms inactive.