Our friends from “Oz” have supported us from the beginning: Australia is one of the top five locations where TWSE readers visit us. While some of the stations we recommend to readers here in the States are locally available, they’re expensive. So, we researched and came up with this list of the best home weather stations in Australia at various price points.
While Ambient Weather is available in Australia, nearly the same station is available through Ecowitt. You lose the smart home connectivity Ambient adds, but everything else is the same.
FAQ
Are you thinking about purchasing a weather station? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions from readers, some unique to Australia.
What is the best home weather station in Australia?
We’d argue the best deal overall for our Australian readers would be the Ecowitt HP2553. It is nearly the same station as the Ambient Weather WS-5000 in the States. However, if you don’t mind paying the duties to import it in, Davis weather stations or the WeatherFlow Tempest are well worth it.
Are home weather stations worth it?
Image Credit: Ecowitt
While television or your mobile are reliable sources of weather information, it’s not always current. Weather can differ considerably over just a few kilometres. A home weather station always provides a “hyperlocal” look at the weather outside.
Is a home weather station durable?
Yes. The weather in some parts of Australia can be pretty extreme. But this is nothing a weather station can’t handle. There’s a story of a Davis weather station in New South Wales that continued to report data after the devastating 2017 wildfires. Other stations have survived hurricanes, hail, and more. Of course, weather station maintenance is essential.
How much does a home weather station cost?
Generally, local brands will cost between $150-300 AUS. However, if you are looking for an imported brand such as AcuRite, Ambient Weather, or Davis, these stations range from $300-800 AUS or more.
Where should home weather stations be located?
You should always site your home weather station in an open area free of obstructions. For more information, please see our weather station installation guide.
Best Home Weather Stations in Australia
After much research, here are our picks for Australia’s best home weather stations. We’ll keep this list regularly updated.
The HP2553 is Ecowitt's top-of-the-line weather station, and it shows. Accuracy is on par with the Davis Vantage Pro2, and smart home connectivity and a new sonic anemometer make this our top pick.
The Ecowitt HP2553 is the company’s high-end weather station (sold as the Ambient Weather WS-5000 in the U.S., with a few differences). With practically nothing different — save for the lack of smart home support — this station is easily one of Australia’s best home weather stations right now. Our tests of the American version of this weather station were stellar, and we can’t see why the HP2553 would be any different.
The HP2553 features a redesigned sensor suite and an ultrasonic anemometer: the rain gauge contains the only moving parts in this setup. As a result, the HP2553 will have a much longer usable life than a traditional home weather station. The sensors are more accurate in our tests than in previous Ecowitt stations, and you can add additional sensors, including air quality, soil moisture, water temperature, and lightning. The brilliant colour, easy-to-read LCD console looks great just about anywhere.
The company’s made it easy to share your data publicly through Weather Underground, Ecowitt.net, and many other networks, which is a nice touch and view station data from the Ecowitt app.
- The outdoor sensor contains a haptic rainfall sensor, light and UV sensors, an ultrasonic wind speed sensor, and both temperature and humidity sensors
- Connects to Weather Underground and WeatherCloud
- Includes Wi-Fi hub
Compatible with other Ecowitt sensors
The Wittboy is Ecowitt’s latest Wi-Fi weather station, and it’s aimed at that outside of the U.S. who might not want to pay the extra duties to import in the WeatherFlow Tempest. It doesn’t have lightning detection or smart home capabilities (that we can tell), but it does pretty much everything else the Tempest does.
The outdoor sensor contains a haptic rainfall sensor, light and U.V. sensors, an ultrasonic wind speed sensor, and temperature and humidity sensors. Ecowitt also includes its Wi-Fi hub, which allows you to send your data to Weather Underground. The Wittboy is new, so we’re hesitant to give it our full-throated endorsement, but it’s worth considering.
- All-in-One Outdoor Sensor: wind vane, wind speed cups, UV / solar radiation sensor, thermo-hygrometer sensor, and rain gauge
- Wi-Fi Capable, no software needed, support for Ecowitt Weather, Weather Underground, and more
- Large TFT Color Screen
- 100-meter long-range wireless connectivity
- Supports up to 8 WH31 multi-channel temp and humidity sensors, one WH51 soil moisture sensor, and one WH41 PM2.5 air quality sensor
Ecowitt takes another spot in our list of Australia’s best home weather stations with the HP2551. This model is similar to the Ambient Weather WS-2000 sold in the States. The HP2551 is Wi-Fi compatible and doesn’t require software to share data with Weather Underground and other services.
However, if we had to pick, we’d certainly go with the HP2553 over the HP2551 if you can afford it. The sensor quality in the HP2553 is superior, leading to more accurate observations.
- Package includes base station and two temperature sensors
- Smart home compatible
- Sonic anemometer and digital rain gauge sold separately
Unlike most home weather stations in the U.S., there aren’t many options for those looking to integrate their home weather station with the smart home in Australia. However, French technology company Netatmo’s popular weather station provides one alternative if you want just that. We tested the Netatmo weather station several years ago, loved the app, and were pleasantly surprised with its accuracy.
The only negative to Netatmo’s weather station is everything is sold separately. The package above includes the base station and two temperature/humidity sensors. You’ll still need the optional rain gauge and sonic anemometer to complete the station, which costs an additional $150 AUS. However, it may be worth it if you are looking for a way to use weather data to control your smart home.
- Wi-Fi enabled
- Individual sensors, package includes 3-in-1 GW1100 Wi-Fi gateway, WS68 wireless solar powered anemometer, WH40 self-emptying rain gauge and WH32 outdoor temperature and humidity sensor
- Expandable
- View the live weather data on WS View Plus or Ecowit App, or send data to Weather Underground / WOW / Weather Cloud / Ecowitt Weather or other customized sites(using either Wunderground or Ecowitt protocol).
The Ecowitt GW1102 is a solid option for those looking for better accuracy from a budget home weather station. All parts are separate (much like the HP2553) but with lower-quality sensors. But you get all the benefits of more expensive stations, including expandability and the capability to share weather data online without much fuss natively.
If budget is an issue, we strongly recommend considering the GW1102 before any options below. You’ll get better performance and accuracy overall thanks to the capability to place each instrument in the best possible spot.
Image Credit: Jackson Photography - stock.adobe.comOther Options
While we think the best home weather stations in Australia are from Ecowitt, we can understand if you’d still want the accuracy or smart weather station features. You’ll want to import the Davis Vantage Vue, Vantage Pro2, or WeatherFlow Tempest.
While the Vantage Vue is showing its age, and its connectivity options limited, it remains the best mid-grade weather station on the market.
- Accuracy is nearly on par with the Vantage Pro 2
- Extremely reliable
- Well-constructed and durable
- Internet connectivity is optional, and expensive
- 5-in-1 sensor isn’t the best for accurate readings
- No expandability
Far behind its competitors in terms of high-tech features, the Davis Vantage Vue remains the most accurate mid-range home weather station weather watchers can buy. Amazon U.S. sells this package, so there is an additional wait time for it, but it is the cheapest we’ve found the Vantage Vue sold in Oz at the moment, and after the exchange rate, it is similarly priced to the station in the states.
With how expensive the Vantage Vue is in Australia, we’d recommend the Davis Vantage Pro2 instead. This is available from an Australian Davis supplier and is priced competitively considering the USD-AUS exchange rate (it’s a few dollars cheaper!). Plus, the Vantage Pro2 is the best weather station on the market, bar none, and one survived the 2017 NSW wildfires and continued to report data.
We can’t say that many other stations on our list would be able to perform a similar feat. It’s an expensive piece of kit, but you won’t need to buy a new home weather station anytime soon — Davis weather stations are known for providing years of trouble-free service.
The WeatherFlow Tempest is the weather station to buy if you own a smart home. The lightning detection capabilities are also the best we've seen. And you can use promo code TWSE for 10% off if you buy direct from WeatherFlow.
- Super quick setup
- Outstanding lightning detection
- Fairly accurate instrumentation
- Ready for the smart home
- Haptic rain sensor doesn’t measure rainfall accurately enough
- No expandability
- Price
Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention the WeatherFlow Tempest in our list. Even though the Tempest is one of the newest home weather stations on the market, the company behind it has spent decades building professional-grade stations, many of which are found at coastal locations throughout the U.S. — and have played a critical role in the monitoring of landfalling tropical cyclones.
The WeatherFlow’s smart home support is another reason why we’re big fans of the Tempest, and with no moving parts, completely solar-powered, and a simple installation, this is as close to “set it and forget it” as you come in a home weather station.
Image Credit: The Weather Station ExpertsWrapping Up
Australia has a lot of great options for home weather stations, and we think the Ecowitt HP2553 is by far the best buy. However, if you’re looking for top-tier performance, you can’t beat the Davis Vantage Vue or Vantage Pro2. Have questions? Feel free to ask them in the comments below.
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