You can probably use the vac sealer you have, and yes you are really just buying their bags/mouse. But I will add my 2 cents worth about my experience with UMAI bags and my OLD sealer.
My OLD cheap sealer was automatic. In other words, it would draw a vacuum and then when it sensed a certain vacuum was reached it would start sealing automatically. I had no control of anything. The UMAi bags do not have the micro checkerboard shaped grooves or channels formed in the plastic like all other vacuum bags do to assist with drawing out all the air. So getting all the air out and a good vacuum becomes a challenge before it decides to seal. If you have a sealer that you can manually "pulse" the vacuum and then manually seal the plastic, you are golden.
This process can be further complicated if you have any fluids or liquids at all on the meat you are sealing. If blood or anything gets drawn into the vacmouse as you are drawing a vacuum, your screwed because it will foul it and collapse the foam and stop drawing a vacuum any further.
The UMAI stuff is spendy, but it does work. It is a great alternative If you don't have a specific dry curing chamber, and can do what you need to do in a refrigerator etc.
