6 best moisture meters

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

In certain areas of production, the moisture level of the material plays an important role. To determine this indicator, special devices are used, which are called moisture meters or hygrometers. And although there are several popular methods, the growth in sales of modern measuring instruments is growing every year. There is a wide range of moisture meters on the market, they differ in both price and functionality. To choose a device with the optimal set of characteristics, you should heed the recommendations of our experts.

How to choose a moisture meter

Varieties of moisture meters. Depending on the design and principle of operation of the measuring device, there are several types of moisture meters.

1. Needle or conductometric models are distinguished by thin short electrodes that are immersed in the material under study. The strengths of this type of moisture meter include compactness and lightness. The measurement accuracy is quite high (0.2%), but the device can work only at positive temperatures. The main field of application is the woodworking industry.
2. Depth hygrometers have more overall dimensions. With the help of a needle probe, it is possible to penetrate the structure of the tree in order to get an idea of ​​its moisture. However, the device requires careful handling, and an expensive probe often breaks down.
3. Non-contact moisture meters are popular for their ease of use. A sensor is installed on the studied sample (in some models, the samples are placed directly inside the device), which transmits data to the control unit. This type of moisture meter compares favorably with the absence of destruction of the material surface.

Additional options. While researching materials, the following options may be useful.

1. When examining large volumes of wood or mortar, the average moisture value helps to simplify the analysis. The user takes several measurements on different samples, and the device gives an average result.
2. When measuring the moisture content of materials, the user often needs to know the ambient temperature. Therefore, many manufacturers install thermometers in their models. Thanks to this function, it is possible to make timely adjustments to the indoor climate.

Accuracy of measurements. Not all consumers require accurate moisture or temperature measurements. But in some areas, instrument error becomes the most important characteristic. The margin of error is most often from 0.1 to 5%. In everyday life, an accuracy of 1-3% is sufficient, but in construction or woodworking, devices with an error of up to 0.5% are often required.

We've included 6 of the best moisture meters in our review. All of them are widely represented on the Russian market. When distributing places in the rating, the opinion of the expert community and consumer reviews were taken into account.

Rating of the best moisture meters

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best moisture meters	1	LASERLINER MoistureMaster Compact 082.333A	RUB 20,146
	2	MEGEON 20550	RUB 20 330
	3	TESTO 606-1	RUB 9,500
	4	CEM DT-172	RUB 6,100
	5	MEGEON 20725	RUB 2,490
	6	CONDTROL Hydro-Test 3-14-022	RUB 1,990

LASERLINER MoistureMaster Compact 082.333A

Rating: 4.9

German-Chinese moisture meter LASERLINER MoistureMaster Compact 082.333A is distinguished by its simplicity and reliability. With the help of this professional tool, it is possible to determine moisture content in different materials with high accuracy (error 0.2%). Experts note a wide measurement range (0-66.5%) and a wide range of applications. Builders use the device to control the moisture level of cement screed, concrete, gypsum plaster. For carpenters, the moisture meter is interesting because 56 varieties of wood have been brought into its memory. For instant data processing and a 12-segment backlit display, the model ranks first in our ranking.

Users praise the moisture meter for its high accuracy, prompt analysis and unpretentiousness. Of the shortcomings, only the high price is noted.

Advantages

• high build quality;
• accurate measurements;
• wide scope;
• quickness of moisture determination.

disadvantages

• high price.

MEGEON 20550

Rating: 4.8

The MEGEON 20550 device allows you to quickly determine the moisture content of various raw materials. Experts highly appreciated the versatility of the model, in addition to moisture, the moisture meter is able to determine the temperature and mass of bulk materials. Only 20 types are stored in the device's memory, but the possibility of adding new materials to the database is provided. The kit includes a measuring funnel, which makes the placement of samples more convenient. In addition, the manufacturer has installed a function for correcting the received data. The device operates in a humidity range of 3 to 35%.

Professionals in the field of construction and agriculture have no special comments on the operation of the moisture meter. The device is inferior to the winner of the rating in the range of measurements and accuracy (up to 0.5%).

Advantages

• multifunctionality;
• measuring funnel;
• data correction function;
• Backlit LCD.

disadvantages

• high price;
• narrow range of moisture measurement.

TESTO 606-1

Rating: 4.7

The portable device for measuring moisture is the TESTO 606-1 model. The digital-type device was liked by our experts for its portability and large LCD screen with bluish backlight. The measurement range of building materials is 0.9-22.1%, wood – 7.0-47.9%. To find out the moisture level, the user needs to insert two needle electrodes into the material to be tested. The hygrometer is capable of measuring air temperature with an error of 1 ° C. For the optimal combination of price and functionality, the model becomes the bronze medalist in our rating.

Users praise the moisture meter for its high-quality side, ease of use, compact size and affordable price. A minor drawback of the German device is an error of 1%.

Advantages

• lightness and compactness;
• air temperature detection function;
• high-quality assembly;
• wide range of measurements.

disadvantages

• large error.

CEM DT-172

Rating: 4.6

The Chinese moisture meter CEM DT-172 was included in our rating for its lightness (80 g), compactness and affordable price. But experts believe that the main advantage over competitors is the inclusion of the device in the state register. Thanks to this, the measuring tool can be verified in specialized metrological centers. In addition to measuring moisture content in materials (0-100%), the product can determine the air temperature in the range from -40 to + 70 ° C. The device is sensitive to changes in humidity, although the minimum absolute error is 3%. The received data can be transferred to an external storage device via a USB output.

To the pluses of the moisture meter, consumers include the presence of a certificate, the possibility of verification and compactness. The main drawback is the rare 3.6V battery.

Advantages

• compactness and lightness;
• availability of a certificate;
• the possibility of verification;
• affordable price.

disadvantages

• large error;
• uncommon battery.

MEGEON 20725

Rating: 4.5

Specialists in the field of woodworking will like the domestic development MEGEON 20725. Thanks to the Chinese assembly, the device turned out to be not only affordable, but also quite stylish. The induction hygrometer is designed for working with wood and wood fiber materials. It has a good measurement range (0.5-79.5%) with a small error (1.5%). In addition to humidity, the user can quickly find out the ambient temperature in the measurement range (0 … + 50 ° C). The experts praised the speed of analysis and the display backlight.

Domestic carpenters identified a number of shortcomings that did not allow the device to take a higher place in our rating. This is inaccurate work in the sun and shallow determination of moisture.

Advantages

• quick analysis;
• bright backlight;
• affordable price;
• determination of air temperature.

disadvantages

• inaccurate results in the sun;
• does not deeply determine moisture.

CONDTROL Hydro-Test 3-14-022

Rating: 4.4

The lightest (65 g) and cheapest moisture meter in our rating is the Russian-Chinese model CONDTROL Hydro-Test 3-14-022. Experts praise the device for a wide range of applications, from woodworking to construction. It is allowed to examine such materials as wood, lightweight concrete, cement-sand mortars. The analysis takes place within 1-2 s. The model is easy to operate. With the help of 3 buttons, it will not be difficult to obtain the necessary data, without even going deep into the instructions for use. In this case, the user does not need to turn off the device, after 2 minutes of inactivity, the power is turned off automatically.

Users have complaints about the measurement limit of the moisture content of building materials and the high error.

Advantages

• speed of analysis;
• wide range of materials;
• simplicity of measurements;
• automatic shutdown.

disadvantages

• narrow measurement limit;
• high error.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.