Quartzy Review: Beyond the Inventory Module (2026)

Running a mid-sized analytical lab means managing egos as much as equipment. Here is the distilled verdict after 12 weeks of usage:

• The Good: Seamless integration between booking an instrument and ordering the consumables for it. If you book the Mass Spec, Quartzy reminds you to check your solvent stock.

• The Bad: The permissions hierarchy is still less granular than dedicated competitors like Clustermarket.

• The Ugly: The persistent nudges to use the Quartzy Shop for procurement can feel intrusive if you have established vendor contracts elsewhere.

• Best For: Labs that want a single dashboard for inventory and booking.

• Avoid If: You need complex booking rules (e.g., "User A can only book 2 hours per week unless approved by Manager B").

Software in a wet lab has a specific requirement: it needs to be usable while wearing nitrile gloves, often on a tablet with a smudge-prone screen.

Quartzy’s 2026 UI update flattened the learning curve significantly. The dashboard is high-contrast and minimalist. Unlike older iterations where the scheduler felt like an afterthought tucked behind the inventory tab, it now commands its own workspace.

The "Drag-and-Drop" Factor I tested this on an iPad Pro mounted near our primary expansive biosafety cabinet. The touch targets are large enough that I didn't mis-click while rushing. The color-coding is intuitive—maintenance blocks show up in hazard yellow (a nice touch for safety officers like myself), while user bookings are cool blues and greens. It feels professional, stripping away the visual clutter that plagues open-source alternatives.

A digital sign-up sheet is useless if it doesn't reflect the physical reality of the lab. Here is how the features held up to actual abuse:

1. Conflict Resolution

We tried to double-book our primary 3D printer intentionally. The system flag is immediate. Unlike Google Calendar, which allows overlaps unless configured perfectly, Quartzy throws a hard stop. It effectively prevented the "I thought I booked it" arguments.

2. Maintenance Lockouts

This is a critical safety feature. When our shear mixer required bearing replacement, I could lock the asset out for 48 hours. Any user trying to book it received a notification explaining why it was down. This transparency reduces the emails sent to the lab manager asking, "Is the mixer broken?"

3. Usage Reporting

For grant reporting, you need data. Quartzy exports CSVs of usage hours per user. It’s functional, but basic. It lacks the visual analytics of more expensive enterprise suites, but for a standard NIH grant report, it suffices.

If you are looking strictly for a Clustermarket alternative, Quartzy is the strongest contender only if you also plan to use their inventory system. If you treat them purely as a calendar, you are carrying a lot of bloat.

Every product has a catch. With Quartzy, the catch is their business model. The software is robust because they want you to buy pipettes, reagents, and solvents through the Quartzy Shop.

During my review period, the integration became aggressive. When I scheduled our HPLC, the system suggested I restock acetonitrile via their supplier. For a startup, this is helpful. For a lab with strict university procurement contracts or specific brand loyalty (e.g., you only trust Honeywell solvents), this feature is noise.

You cannot fully disable the "Shop" aspect. It sits there, a constant salesperson in your lab management software. If your institution mandates purchasing through a specific portal like Ariba or SciQuest, Quartzy’s procurement nudges become a friction point rather than a feature.