Differences in the anatomy and physiology of the young child necessitate specialist equipment and anesthetic equipment is constantly evolving. We will review the factors influencing the design of pediatric tubes and highlight those areas of special interest. There have been pleas for more standardization of tube markings, as this would help with positioning of tubes, especially in small babies, and there are recent advances in this area. Anesthetists need to be aware that there are important differences between tubes so that they take this into account when choosing an appropriate tube. In addition, developments in the design of cuffed tubes are increasingly being used both for routine care and specialist surgery.