Is a chamber vacuum sealer worth the extra money over an external sealer?

For people who regularly seal soups, marinades, and other liquids, specialist communities like r/ChamberVacs and r/sousvide overwhelmingly say yes—chamber machines equalize pressure so they seal wet foods cleanly and use far cheaper bags. The trade-offs reviewers cite are higher upfront cost, more counter space, and limited chamber capacity. If you mostly seal dry goods and trimmed meat, a good external sealer is usually enough.