Robotiq 2F-85 Gripper: Specs, Price & Alternatives (2026)

Overview

Robotiq (Quebec, Canada) introduced the 2F-85 as part of their 2-Finger Adaptive Robot Gripper family. The "2F" refers to two fingers, "85" refers to the stroke in millimeters. Despite the simple parallel-jaw design, the 2F-85 is classified as "adaptive" because the finger geometry allows it to perform both parallel grasps (flat objects, cards, plates) and encompassing grasps (cylindrical objects, bottles, handles) without changing physical configuration. The finger underactuation — the mechanism that allows each finger segment to rotate independently — is the key mechanical feature that enables this adaptability.

The gripper has become the default end-effector for Universal Robots (UR) arm deployments because Robotiq developed URCaps — a direct software integration layer that makes the 2F-85 appear as a native UR tool, controllable from the UR teach pendant and via URScript without any additional driver installation. For UR3e, UR5e, and UR10e arms, the 2F-85 is the most plug-and-play gripper available. The combination of a proven UR arm and a Robotiq gripper is the most common research-grade manipulation platform in university labs globally.

For robot learning research, the 2F-85 offers a specific practical advantage: its gripper position is a single scalar value (0-255, mapped to 0-85mm stroke), making it trivial to include in action spaces for imitation learning. The programmable force control means demonstrations with varying grip strengths are captured accurately. The gripper's RS-485 interface outputs position, speed, and current feedback at high frequency, which is useful for contact-rich task monitoring.

The Robotiq 2F-85 is available at SVRC for $5,825. See our store listing for current availability. For teams that want to pair the gripper with an arm, see our hardware catalog for UR and OpenArm configurations.

Full Specifications

The ±0.02mm repeatability is notable — this is precision-instrument-level repeatability in a $5,000 gripper. In practice, this means the 2F-85 can reliably pick the same object from the same location across thousands of cycles without drift, which is important for both industrial deployment (consistent process outcomes) and research (reproducible experiments across data collection sessions).

The IP67 rating (dust-tight and submersion-resistant) is relevant for food handling and lab cleaning applications where the gripper may be exposed to liquids during sanitization. Most competing grippers at this price point are not rated beyond IP54 (splash-resistant only).

2F-85 vs 2F-140 Comparison

Robotiq's 2-Finger family includes two stroke variants: the 2F-85 (85mm opening) and the 2F-140 (140mm opening). The larger stroke of the 2F-140 enables grasping larger objects, but this comes with tradeoffs in payload and grip force. Here is the full comparison:

The guidance for choosing between 2F-85 and 2F-140 is straightforward: measure the widest object you need to grasp. If it exceeds 80mm (leaving a 5mm margin from the 2F-85's limit), get the 2F-140. If not, get the 2F-85 — you get 2.5x higher payload and nearly double the grip force, which matters for tasks involving heavier objects or tasks where grip security is critical. The 2F-85 is the right choice for the majority of research and light industrial applications.

A common planning mistake is to choose the 2F-140 "just in case" for large objects, then discover in practice that the 1kg payload is insufficient for the actual task. If you need both large stroke AND high payload, Robotiq's Hand-E (parallel gripper, 50mm stroke, 2.5kg payload with force sensing fingertips) or a custom gripper is a better option.

Compatible Robot Arms

The Robotiq 2F-85 connects to robot arms via an ISO 9283-compliant flange interface. Here is compatibility information for the most commonly paired arms:

For Universal Robots arm users, the URCaps integration is the major differentiator. Installing the Robotiq URCaps plugin on the UR teach pendant takes under 10 minutes, after which the gripper appears as a tool in the UR programming interface — you can add gripper open/close steps directly in UR's graphical programming environment without writing any code. The gripper receives power and communication through the UR tool connector at the wrist, so no external power supply or cable routing is needed.

For ROS2 users on non-UR arms, the open-source robotiq_ros2_driver package provides a ROS2 action server for gripper control and publishes gripper state (position, speed, force) as standard ROS2 topics. The driver works with any arm platform that has a USB port on the robot or workstation. See the OpenArm guide for an example of using the Robotiq gripper with a research arm in a ROS2 data collection setup.

Use Cases

Pick and Place in Research

The 2F-85 is the standard gripper for tabletop pick-and-place in robot learning research. It handles the canonical objects used in imitation learning benchmarks: YCB objects (cracker box, soup can, gelatin box, bleach cleanser), 3DNet objects, and common household items. The programmable force makes it possible to grasp fragile items like eggs or soft packaging without crushing them, while still applying sufficient force for heavier items.

For data collection with imitation learning pipelines, the gripper's 0-255 position encoding maps cleanly to a single continuous action dimension. This simplicity makes it straightforward to include gripper state in both observation and action spaces for ACT, Diffusion Policy, and OpenVLA training. The gripper's force sensing also enables contact-detection events (object reached, unexpected resistance) that can be used to automatically segment episodes or flag demonstration quality issues.

Light Industrial Assembly

In light industrial settings, the 2F-85 handles component insertion, packaging, kitting, and quality inspection workflows. The IP67 rating and 235N maximum force make it suitable for components that require positive engagement force — pushing connectors together, seating lids, pressing buttons. The 0.02mm repeatability satisfies most assembly tolerance requirements outside of semiconductor-grade precision work.

Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Deployments

UR cobots with Robotiq 2F-85 grippers are the most common collaborative robot configuration in production environments today. The URCaps integration, combined with UR's built-in force/torque sensing and safety configuration, creates a cell that is straightforward to certify for human-collaborative operation under ISO TS 15066. If you are planning a cobot deployment on a UR arm and need a gripper recommendation, the 2F-85 is the default starting point unless your object sizes specifically require the 2F-140.

Pricing

The Robotiq 2F-85 is available at SVRC's Mountain View, CA facility (1117 Independence Ave). Same-day pickup may be available for in-stock units. Contact us to confirm availability before visiting. The gripper includes the coupling for standard UR tool flanges; for non-UR arms, check that the coupling matches your arm's flange pattern (ISO 9283 pattern B or C depending on arm size).

Alternatives: OnRobot RG2, Schunk, and Wuji Hand

The Robotiq 2F-85 is the market leader for adaptive parallel grippers on collaborative robots, but it is not the only option. Here are the most common alternatives considered alongside it:

OnRobot RG2

The OnRobot RG2 is a parallel gripper with 110mm stroke and 2kg payload, priced lower than the 2F-85 (approximately $3,500-4,500 depending on configuration). OnRobot offers a Quick Changer system that allows the same mounting hardware to be used with multiple OnRobot tools, which is useful for teams that want to switch between grippers and other end-effectors (force/torque sensors, screwdrivers) on the same arm.

The main tradeoffs vs the 2F-85: the RG2's force range is narrower (3-40N vs 20-235N), which limits its ability to handle heavier objects or tasks requiring firm grip engagement. The RG2 also does not have URCaps-level UR integration — it uses OnRobot's own URCaps variant, which is less mature. For teams primarily doing UR deployments in production, the Robotiq ecosystem is better established. For teams that want multi-tool quick-change capability, OnRobot's system is worth evaluating.

Schunk EGH / EGP Series

Schunk is a German precision tooling company whose parallel grippers are the industrial standard for applications requiring very high cycle life (10+ million cycles) and sub-0.01mm repeatability. The Schunk EGH and EGP series parallel grippers range from $3,000 to $6,000+ depending on stroke and force specification, and are designed for continuous industrial production rather than research or collaborative robotics. They are typically pneumatically actuated (requiring a compressor) rather than electrically actuated, which simplifies force control but adds infrastructure requirements. For a research lab or cobot deployment, Schunk grippers are over-engineered for the use case; they are the right choice for 3-shift industrial production lines where uptime matters more than cost.

Wuji Hand (Dexterous Multi-Finger)

For tasks that require dexterous multi-fingered manipulation rather than parallel grasping — picking up a pen by the cap, reorienting an object in-hand, handling irregularly shaped items, or manipulating clothes — a parallel gripper of any type is the wrong tool. The Wuji Hand available at SVRC provides 5-finger dexterous grasping and is compatible with OpenArm 101. If your research involves contact-rich dexterous manipulation rather than pick-and-place, the Wuji Hand is the right next step. See our Wuji Hand teleoperation guide for details on how to collect demonstration data with a dexterous hand versus a parallel gripper.

When to Choose Each

• Robotiq 2F-85: UR arm deployment, research pick-and-place, imitation learning data collection, any application needing high payload + programmable force + proven ecosystem support
• OnRobot RG2: Quick-change multi-tool setup, cost-sensitive cobot deployments, lighter-payload tasks
• Schunk: High-volume industrial production (3+ shift), sub-0.01mm precision requirements, pneumatic preferred
• Wuji Hand: Dexterous in-hand manipulation, finger-level contact tasks, research on general-purpose manipulation policies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Robotiq 2F-85 price?

The Robotiq 2F-85 is $5,825 at Robotics Center of Silicon Valley (SVRC) in Mountain View, CA. This includes the gripper, coupling, RS-485/USB communication cable, and rubber finger tips. Same-day pickup may be available at the Mountain View facility; contact us to confirm stock. See the SVRC store listing for current availability.

What robot arms is the Robotiq 2F-85 compatible with?

The 2F-85 is plug-and-play compatible with Universal Robots UR3e, UR5e, and UR10e via the URCaps software integration. It is also compatible with OpenArm 101, Kinova Gen3, and Franka Research 3 (with adapter plate), and any arm with an ISO 9283-compliant wrist flange using the RS-485/USB communication method and ROS2 driver.

What is the difference between Robotiq 2F-85 and 2F-140?

The 2F-85 has 85mm stroke, 2.5kg payload, and 20-235N grip force. The 2F-140 has 140mm stroke (for larger objects), but only 1kg payload and 10-125N grip force. Choose the 2F-85 unless the objects you need to grasp are wider than ~80mm. For most research and light industrial tasks, the 2F-85's higher payload and grip force are more valuable than the 2F-140's larger stroke.

What are the best alternatives to the Robotiq 2F-85?

For parallel grippers: OnRobot RG2 (~$3,500-4,500, lower payload but quick-change capability), Schunk EGH/EGP (industrial precision, pneumatic, high cycle life). For dexterous manipulation: the Wuji Hand at SVRC provides 5-finger grasping for tasks a parallel gripper cannot handle. If your task only requires simple two-finger pick-and-place, the 2F-85 remains the best combination of capability, software support, and ecosystem maturity at its price point.