Jump to: Full Rankings | Accuracy | Affordability | Durability | Feature Set | Ease of Use
8 handheld weather stations were considered for our rankings for the Best Handheld Weather Station of 2022. To determine the best handheld weather station, we look at five areas: accuracy/performance, affordability, durability, feature set, and ease of use. We then compare them side by side, giving a rating in each area. The overall rating is weighted in the following manner:
- Accuracy/Performance: 25%
- Affordability: 25%
- Durability: 20%
- Feature set: 15%
- Ease of use/usability: 15%
To decide which handheld weather station is the best, we’ve developed a 100-point scoring system to determine the five best that we will feature in our rankings. Below, we’ve ranked our top stations in each area. Where the scores are the same, the device’s overall ranking is used to break the tie. Generally, scores between 80-100 are considered the best, 70-80 good, 60-70 average, and 59 and below poor. Here are those scores for the 8 handheld weather stations we tested.
Which handheld weather station is the best overall?
Our Pick: Kestrel 5000 with LiNK. Overall value matters. While the Kestrel 5500 offers the most functionality, most of the additional variables it measures are only useful in highly specialized applications. Stepping down to the Kestrel 5000 with LiNK saves you $80 on MSRP, but still has the option for LiNK which allows you to place the Kestrel on a mount and use it as a true portable weather station.
The Kestrel 2000’s accuracy and price helped it to rank high in our Best Handheld Weather Station of 2022 rankings, while the impressive feature set of the 3500 yet a fairly affordable price put it at #3. If you need humidity measurements along with temperature and wind, then the Kestrel 3000 is the best option.
| Total Score | |
|---|---|
Kestrel 5000
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Kestrel 2000
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Kestrel 3500
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Kestrel 3000
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Kestrel 1000
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Kestrel 5500
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Ambient Weather WM-5
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BTMeter BT-100
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Which handheld weather station is the most accurate?
Our Pick: Any Kestrel handheld weather station. The great thing about Kestrel wind and weather meters is they share the same sensors — the primary difference is in what each model can measure. We’d recommend any of the Kestrel meters if accuracy is one of the primary things you’re looking for.
While not as accurate, the Ambient Weather WM-5 still performs well and is much cheaper than its Kestrel counterpart, the 3500. BTMeter’s large margin of error (+/- 5%) really hurt the BT-100’s overall score in this category.
| Important! The accuracy of handheld weather stations is dependent on proper use. Read your owner’s manual first to ensure you’re using the device properly! |
| Accuracy Rating | |
|---|---|
| Kestrel 5000 | |
| Kestrel 2000 | |
| Kestrel 3500 | |
| Kestrel 3000 | |
| Kestrel 1000 | |
| Kestrel 5500 | |
| Ambient Weather WM-5 | |
| BTMeter BT-100 |
Which handheld weather station is the most affordable?
Our Pick: BTMeter BT-100. While the BT-100 may not be the most accurate station in our rankings for the Best Handheld Weather Station of 2022, it is by a wide margin the cheapest. However, if you need better accuracy, we’d push you to either the Kestrel 1000 or 2000 series meters, which are roughly double the price, but is overall a better handheld weather station.
Other options, like the Ambient Weather WM-5 and Kestrel 3500 series meters are a great mix of affordability and functionality.
| Affordability Rating | |
|---|---|
| BTMeter BT-100 | |
| Kestrel 1000 | |
| Kestrel 2000 | |
| Ambient Weather WM-5 | |
| Kestrel 3000 | |
| Kestrel 3500 | |
| Kestrel 5000 | |
| Kestrel 5500 |
Which handheld weather station is the most durable?
Our Pick: Any Kestrel handheld weather station. Our rankings on durability turned out just the same as the accuracy ratings, again because Kestrel differentiates its handheld weather stations by functionality, not construction or quality. Kestrel wind and weather meters in the 1000 through 3500 series are all similarly constructed, with the 5000 and 5500 series meters slightly different — but that’s more to house all the additional sensors plus the optional LiNK connectivity.
There is a noticeable step down in overall construction and durability in the Ambient Weather WM-5, but it’s still overall well constructed. The BTMeter BT-100 does feel considerably cheaper and less well-made than either the Kestrel or Ambient Weather weather meters.
| Durability Rating | |
|---|---|
| Kestrel 5000 | |
| Kestrel 2000 | |
| Kestrel 3500 | |
| Kestrel 3000 | |
| Kestrel 1000 | |
| Kestrel 5500 | |
| Ambient Weather WM-5 | |
| BTMeter BT-100 |
Which handheld weather station has the most features?
Our Pick: Kestrel 5500. It’s not even close here, the Kestrel 5500 wins by a considerable margin with over a dozen different variables, including some very specialized ones that may be useful in certain situations. However, the Kestrel 5000 with LiNK and Kestrel 3500 (no connectivity) are definitely decent alternatives. Since many of the Kestrel 5500’s additional variables are specialized, we’re also awarding the Kestrel 5500 a high rating for functionality here.
For more budget-minded shoppers, we found the Ambient Weather WM-5 to have a decent set of features — enough for a most — at a price below any of the Kestrel meters that ranked above it. But at least with Kestrels, as you add more functionality, the price increases incrementally as well. You might want to also look at our affordability rankings before making a decision.
| Functionality Rating | |
|---|---|
| Kestrel 5500 | |
| Kestrel 5000 | |
| Kestrel 3500 | |
| Ambient Weather WM-5 | |
| Kestrel 3000 | |
| Kestrel 2000 | |
| BTMeter BT-100 | |
| Kestrel 1000 |
Which handheld weather station is the easiest to use?
Our Pick: The Kestrel 1000, 2000, 3000, or 3500. The simpler Kestrel models are easy to navigate. While the more expensive Kestrels require a bit more practice to use quickly, it’s not too hard to master. The Ambient Weather WM-5 is also not that difficult to use either. The BTMeter again suffers from a lot of roughness around the edges and isn’t as intuitive as any of the other models that made our rankings for the Best Handheld Weather Station of 2022.
| Usability Rating | |
|---|---|
| Kestrel 2000 | |
| Kestrel 3500 | |
| Kestrel 3000 | |
| Kestrel 1000 | |
| Kestrel 5000 | |
| Kestrel 5500 | |
| Ambient Weather WM-5 | |
| BTMeter BT-100 |
Also look for connectivity
If you’re considering a Kestrel weather meter, we’d strongly recommend models with LiNK connectivity. The free Kestrel LiNK app gives you full access to advanced tools, including shareable reports, custom display options, threshold alerts, snapshot capture, and data visualization. The app is available for both Android and iOS operating systems.
