Harder & Steenbeck Infinity vs Evolution vs Ultra (2024 Models)

The 2024 models side by side

	Ultra 2024	Evolution 2024 CRplus	Infinity 2024 CRplus
H&S pitch	Beginners' instrument; a first painting session from primer to highlights	Dependable do-it-all airbrush; the next step from the Ultra	The ultimate detail airbrush
Head in the box	0.45 mm	0.45 mm FineLine	0.25 mm titanium (Solo); 0.25 + 0.44 mm titanium (2in1)
Cups	5 ml, plus a micro-cup socket in the body	5 ml	Mini-cup and 2 ml (Solo); plus 4 ml (2in1)
Finish	Not stated on the 2024 page	CRplus triple chrome	CRplus triple chrome
Upgrade path	Takes the Infinity FineLine head	Takes the 0.28 mm detail head	Already the detail model
H&S list price	$120	$180	$245 (Solo)

From Harder & Steenbeck's product pages, read Nov 8, 2026 (prices in US dollars on H&S's US store).

Ultra 2024: the beginner model

H&S describes the Ultra as its beginners' instrument and the 2024 version as built for your first sessions, with a follow-along video that takes you from priming to highlighting a piece the first time. The new 0.45 mm head set, H&S says, out-details its old 0.4 mm head while being more forgiving. Lift the 5 ml cup off and a socket built into the body takes a micro amount of paint for detail work.

H&S is also specific about air: any single-piston compressor that can run an airbrush up to about 25 psi is enough, and it names Sparmax compressors. That keeps the whole setup affordable. The Ultra was not in stock on Amazon US on Nov 8, 2026; it links to H&S's own store.

Evolution 2024 CRplus: the workhorse

The Evolution is the airbrush H&S calls one of its most widely used, and the 2024 CRplus version is pitched at the progressing modeller or artist who wants maximum ease of use and full modularity. In the 0.45 mm version H&S highlights clean detail and excellent coverage with different paint types, metallics and primers, with a 5 ml cup for mixing and batch work. The CRplus finish is a triple coating of copper, nickel and chrome, which H&S says suits people with nickel allergies. The body has H&S's improved Trigger Cam, Clog Control and Speed Clean systems and strips for cleaning without tools.

Older Evolution variants are still listed on H&S's series page: the aluminum ALplus at 56 g, the Silverline with paint volume control, and the CRplus twin action with two 5 ml cups for body painters and T-shirt artists.

Infinity 2024 CRplus: the detail airbrush

The Infinity is H&S's detail airbrush, and the 2024 version introduces a titanium nozzle system. H&S says the 0.25 mm titanium head gives detail it has never managed before, while the 0.44 mm head (in the 2in1) gives ease of use, coverage and low-pressure texture effects. The series page lists the Infinity's adjustable lever resistance, the Quick Fix end piece with an engraved scale for repeatable paint flow, and an open needle cap so you can see the needle tip.

It strips without tools like the Evolution. Choose the Solo if you already own a larger-nozzle airbrush for base coats; choose the 2in1 if this will be your only airbrush.

Paint, air and hose for a Harder & Steenbeck

On a Harder & Steenbeck, the head size decides which paints spray well. The 0.45 mm heads on the Ultra and Evolution take primers, metallics and base coats, though Createx asks for a 0.5 mm or larger tip, at 25 to 30 psi or more, for its AutoBorne Sealer primer. The Infinity's 0.25 mm head wants thin color: Golden says its High Flow Acrylics can be modified for airbrushes of 0.25 mm or smaller, starting with water up to a suggested 15%.

For air, the Sparmax TC-620X fits H&S's recommendation of Sparmax compressors and has a 2.5 liter tank and two outlets, so an Evolution and an Infinity can both stay connected (per the Amazon listing). Iwata's setup guide says H&S airbrushes share Iwata's hose fitting, the 1/8" BSP end of a standard airbrush hose.

Older H&S models you will still see for sale

H&S's series pages still list earlier versions, and many are on the second-hand market:

• Infinity CRplus (pre-2024) with 0.15, 0.2 or 0.4 mm nozzle sets, or a Two in One with 0.15 and 0.4 mm, and 2 ml and 5 ml cups.
• Evolution ALplus, H&S's first aluminum airbrush at 56 g, about half the weight of a traditional airbrush, with 0.2 mm (and 0.4 mm in the Two in One).
• Evolution Silverline with paint volume control, and an fPc version with air and paint volume control.
• Evolution X and Ultra X, the suction-feed versions that take paint bottles directly.

H&S says its new 2024 head system is backward compatible with older H&S airbrushes, so an older body is not a dead end. Spare-parts pages for each generation are on H&S's site.

Service

H&S is a German maker selling worldwide; its site lists telephone support Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm CET, and delivery to more than 100 countries. US buyers mostly buy through H&S's own Amazon store or dealers, and the airbrushes strip for cleaning without tools.

Which one to buy

You are	Buy
New to airbrushing, budget around $120	Ultra 2024
Painting models, minis or crafts with primers, metallics and base coats	Evolution 2024 CRplus 0.45 mm
Painting fine detail: faces, freehand, small-scale weathering	Infinity 2024 CRplus Solo, alongside a 0.45 mm airbrush
Wanting one airbrush for detail and coverage	Infinity 2024 CRplus 2in1

Against Iwata, the Evolution sits closest to the Eclipse HP-CS (both all-rounders), and the Infinity competes with Iwata's Hi-Line and Custom Micron detail models. For miniature painting specifically, see the best airbrush for miniatures. Whichever you choose, clean the head after every session (see how to clean an airbrush).