It all depends on your needs.
I found that after buying a chamber sealer I started to use it a LOT more.
Comparisons that I can think of off the top of my head:
Suction type:
Pros:
Cheap base models
Bags can come in roll form so you can "technically" seal something 20' long if you wanted to.
Very light and easy to move around and store
Easier to seal soft foods as you can watch it vacuum down and stop it in the right spot
You can find the bags pretty much everywhere
Cons:
Bags can be quite expensive ($0.50 each or so)
The cheaper models can burn out quickly
They require cool down periods after a few bags.
Wet foods and liquids are a pain to seal and often the vacuum isn't very good.
If you have a lot of sealing then making a ton of bags from rolls is time consuming and very tedious.
LOUD
So, there are your food savers and seal a meals that are the base units. They run from $50-$200. They do break and you cannot fix them. They are built cheaply and perform as so. They use a dry piston pump which is maintenance free but also can burn out if you don't let it cool down every 4-5 bags, same with the seal bar.
A slight upgrade would be something like a Weston Pro commercial unit.
https://www.amazon.ca/Weston-Pro-230.../dp/B001GP81R2 These are stupidly expensive in Canada. They are only about $400 US so ordering from down there would save you a bunch of money.
Chamber sealers: (Based off Vacmaster VP215)
Pros:
Better vacuum
Very quiet
Parts are replaceable, you can order pretty much every piece of this unit
Oil pump which allows constant use (sealed ~140 lbs of elk in about an hour, the sealer running constantly, no problem at all)
Bags are cheap ($0.06 for 6x10", $0.15 for 10x15" shipped prices)
You can use leftover suction sealer bags if you have them
You can use normal, foil, mylar etc bags without modifications or screwing around with straws etc
Wet foods and liquids are no problem. You can seal a bag of water to full vacuum with no issues.
Cons:
Heavy! The VP215 weighs in at 84 lbs.
Big. With the lid open it is 24" tall
Expensive. Normally $1,350 in Canada
Bags can be hard to find. Best place I found was Halfords.
Bag size is limited to chamber size
Oil pump needs to be maintained. Drain and replace oil every ~60 hours of use or around 750 bags IIRC. Takes 3 oz of oil.
So I am using the VP215 as an example because it is what I have. Currently on sale for $1,160 delivered from Costco.
https://www.costco.ca/VacMaster-VP21...100286983.html
It is a big, heavy unit. I bought a cheap rolling cart off of Amazon so that I could easily move it around. The chamber size is 10x13 but you can use 10x15 bags and let the last inch or so hang over the seal bar.
It includes the wire and heat tape to fully repair the seal bar which is really nice. The seal bar is 10" wide and double seals the bags.
You can adjust the vacuum time and seal time for the perfect seal. A 40 second vacuum and a 1.2 second seal is about perfect for most stuff. Thicker bags might need more seal time.
I would compare the noise to about a fridge, maybe a tad louder.
Halfords carries a ton of bags which is nice for us in Alberta. Their selection is limited to 3 mil bags though.
https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/ch...d-7bf9d99d1d1a
Slightly more expensive (but cheaper shipping) with a greater selection with some 4-5 mil bags is this place.
https://cedarlaneculinary.ca/Product...ng/ChamberBags
The ability to just put in a bag of soup/stock etc and let it go is huge. It makes storing/freezing leftovers or pre made stock very easy. No need to tie up various containers for months on end.
This also allows you to quickly marinade food. Put it in a bag and start the vacuum. Just before it seals turn the power off. It will hold the vacuum. Come back in 10-15 minutes and turn the switch back on and it will let the air back in which will suck the marinade into the food. Maybe repeat for really thick pieces. No need to soak things for 24-48 hours any more.