Metal bellows are elastic vessels that can be compressed when pressure is applied to the outside of the vessel, or extended under vacuum. When the pressure or vacuum is released, the bellows will return to its original shape, provided the material has not been stressed past its yield strength. They are used both for their ability to deform under pressure and to provide a hermetic seal that allows movement.

Precision bellows technology of the 20th and 21st century is centered on metal bellows with less demanding applications using ones made of rubber and plastic. These products bear little resemblance to the original leather bellowsused traditionally in fireplaces and forges.