Posted under Buyers Guides | Test Results

Weather Station Buyers Guide and Test Results (Updated 2023)

By Ed Oswald

Updated on:

vantage pro2 iss

Welcome to our home weather station buyers guide! If youโ€™re looking for tips on what to look for and the results of our real-world weather station tests, youโ€™ve come to the right place. See our Best Home Weather Stations of 2023 rankings for our full reviews, which use the tests below to determine the โ€œbestโ€ weather station available. This page will be regularly updated as we test (and sometimes retest) new weather stations.

Updated June 27, 2023, to include our test results for the KestrelMet 6000.
Updated July 1, 2023, to include revised ratings for the Davis Vantage Vue and Vantage Pro2 with WeatherLink Console.

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Home Weather Station Buyers Guide

Before buying a weather station, itโ€™s important to think about what you will use it for.

What are you looking for in a home weather station? Are you just interested in what the weather is like in your backyard? Need to monitor for outdoor activities or gardening? A gardener wanting to make sure your plants are growing in optimal conditions? A weather enthusiast that wants superior accuracy and reliability? Reading through our reviews will help you make a wise decision, and this weather station buyers guide will give you some insight into how we tested.

How youโ€™ll use your station does matter (and will save you some time reading through these reviews!). At a minimum, choose one with the following features:

  • Indoor temperature
  • Outdoor temperature
  • Indoor and Outdoor humidity
  • Barometric pressure
  • Rain gauge

However, just these features arenโ€™t enough in our opinion. When writing reviews, we also look for the following features in more advanced home weather stations and consider them equally important:

  • Wind speed and wind direction
  • Dew point
  • Heat index and wind chill measurements

The best home weather stations offer functionality above and beyond the basic measurements above. Some offer UV and light measurements, useful for outdoor activities, while others can detect lightning. Others offer sensors for other uses, including measuring soil moisture and water temperatures.

Home Weather Station Test Results

Jump to: Full Weather Station Buyers Guide Rankings | Accuracy | Affordability | Durability | Feature Set | Ease of Use

Twelve weather stations were considered for our weather station buyers guide. To determine the best 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 home weather station is the best, weโ€™ve developed a 100-point scoring system to determine the five best we will feature on our front page (although nine of these stations met our basic requirements). Below, weโ€™ve ranked our top stations in each area. Where the scores are the same, the weather stationโ€™s overall ranking breaks 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 12 weather stations we tested.

Which weather station is the best overall?

Our Pick: WeatherFlow Tempest. The Tempest offers a full suite of sensors, including a well-performing lightning detector. While it is not the most accurate weather station weโ€™ve reviewed, it generally performs well, and smart home compatibility is a big plus. However, the KestrelMet 6000 is a close second, and if it wasnโ€™t for its $999 price tag, it would likely be our new top pick.

The Ambient Weather WS-2902 is an excellent alternative, as is the WS-5000. The WS-2902 scores well thanks to an expansive feature set, far more than most other stations at its price point. While it doesnโ€™t include a lightning detector (youโ€™ll have to top for the WS-5000 for that option), it does have UV and light sensors. While the high price of the WS-5000 weighs on its score, sensor accuracy is much better than the WS-2902, and you can add any of Ambient Weatherโ€™s optional sensors to your setup.

We are partial to the Davis Vantage Vue, however. It is the most accurate home weather station outside of the Davis Vantage Pro2, and Davis stations last for years. The new WeatherLink Console has made Davis weather stations more competitive and also giving them a ratings bump in our formula, but that rise would have been more if Davisโ€™ prices didnโ€™t increase.

Review Score: 86/100

KestrelMet 6000

Review Score: 85/100

Ambient Weather WS-2902

Review Score: 83/100

Ambient Weather WS-5000

Review Score: 82/100

Davis Vantage Vue

Review Score: 81/100

Davis Vantage Pro2

Review Score: 79/100

AcuRite Atlas

Review Score: 76/100

Ambient Weather WS-2000

Review Score: 75/100

AcuRite Iris

Review Score: 75/100

WeatherFlow Tempest sensor on pole
The WeatherFlow Tempest excelled in many areas and is reasonably priced, making it the Best Weather Station of 2022.

Three home weather stations on our list scored high in our scoring model but did not meet the minimum requirements to be included in our weather station buyers guide (they have a low rating in a category where a minimum rating is required). These are still good choices for certain types of users, however.

The Ambient Weather WS-1900A scores very high thanks to its low price and functionality that matches the WS-2902. However, the WS-1900A feels like itโ€™s missing something without Wi-Fi connectivity. The Netatmo Weather Station has Wi-Fi connectivity (it was the first โ€œsmartโ€ weather station). Still, not much has changed in the half-decade since, and the base package only includes the temperature and humidity sensors.

Finally, the AcuRite Notos is the cheapest home weather station we considered. Itโ€™s quite small and is perfect for small yards. But it only measures wind, temperature, and humidity โ€” youโ€™ll need a separate rain gauge to get a complete picture of your backyard weather.

Ambient Weather WS-1900A

Review Score: 81/100

AcuRite Notos

Review Score: 69/100

Netatmo Weather Station

Review Score: 67/100

Which weather station is the most accurate?

Our Pick: Davis Vantage Pro2 or the KestrelMet6000. The Davis Vantage Pro2 was our testsโ€™ most accurate home weather station. These stations are used in scientific and commercial applications worldwide. The KestrelMet 6000 proved to be just as accurate, if not more so. However, the Davis Vantage Vue or the Ambient Weather WS-5000 are great alternatives and significantly cheaper.

With the Vantage Pro2 Plus or the 6000, readings shouldnโ€™t stray further than a degree or two from the actual temperature. Our tests found both the Vantage Vue and the WS-5000 to be a close second, although, without the fan aspiration, readings will sometimes be a degree or two too hot. It depends on the sunโ€™s angle and how long the station is in direct sunlight during the day.

The Tempest also was within this same range, although the haptic rain gauge undercounted precipitation in our tests (admittedly, we tested a launch unit, so this may have been fixed). The WS-2000 and 2902 share the same sensor suite, and with a smaller funnel, both undercount precipitation by a few hundredths of an inch in heavier rainstorms. The AcuRite stations performed the worst in our tests, especially rainfall measurements.

Bottom line? You get what you pay for regarding accuracy in home weather stations. In our experience, price is often a good predictor of sensor quality and accuracy, although exceptions exist. One thing we donโ€™t recommend is department store models, mainly because the vast majority are junk. These stations are built to be inexpensive, and the sensor quality is not there. Iโ€™ve found these stations to have the most issues in accurately measuring temperature, humidity, and rainfall.

We also find that higher-end stations offer far more reliable performance and donโ€™t suffer from connectivity issues or maintenance problems as much.

Accuracy Ratings

Davis Vantage Pro2

5/5

KestrelMet 6000

5/5

Davis Vantage Vue

4.5/5

Ambient Weather WS-5000

4.5/5

WeatherFlow Tempest

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2000

3.5/5

Ambient Weather WS-2902

3.5/5

AcuRite Atlas

3.5/5

AcuRite Iris

3/5

Which weather station is the most affordable?

Our Pick: Ambient Weather WS-2902. The WS-2902 is the most affordable home weather station on our list, but we strongly recommend the Ambient Weather WS-2000 or WeatherFlow Tempest, as they have far more functionality. Here, the Ambient Weather WS-2000 may be a good pick as it has expandability and is $30 cheaper (MSRP) than the WS-5000.

AcuRiteโ€™s stations also rank high in this category, as they are some of the cheapest stations on the market, with the Iris a bit cheaper than the WS-2902. However, weโ€™d strongly recommend the AcuRite Atlas instead if youโ€™re set on an AcuRite home weather station. Itโ€™s an overall better deal.

Regardless of your pick, expect to spend anywhere from $150 to $1,500. However, itโ€™s more likely that youโ€™ll pay somewhere in the middle of that range โ€” given the best weather stations are often mid-range models. We recommend using our brand guides, which represent a good range of stations at various price points to fit any budget. Start with the mid-range models first, and compare them with cheaper and more expensive models to ensure youโ€™re getting the best station for your needs.

Affordability Ratings

Ambient Weather WS-2902

5/5

AcuRite Iris

5/5

AcuRite Atlas

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2000

3.5/5

WeatherFlow Tempest

3.5/5

Davis Vantage Vue

2.5/5

Ambient Weather WS-5000

2.5/5

KestrelMet 6000

2/5

Davis Vantage Pro2

1/5

Which weather station is the most durable?

Our Pick: WeatherFlow Tempest. Our tests found the WeatherFlow Tempest the most durable home weather station. This station is built for the long haul with no moving parts and solid construction (and it operates entirely on solar power). The Ambient Weather WS-5000โ€™s only moving parts are in the rain gauge, and the Davis weather stations are known to last up to a decade or longer. Our test Vantage Vue has been operating continuously since September 2016 with minimal maintenance. And while the KestrelMet 6000 is new, based on our tests, the station isnโ€™t built cheaply and should last.

AcuRiteโ€™s stations rank at the bottom, as weโ€™ve found through experience (and user reviews) that they donโ€™t seem to hold up as well as the other stations. The plastics used are lower quality than other stations, and overall station life is shorter than others in our weather station buyers guide.

Regardless of your home weather station, all stations are made of plastic. The elements will do a number on your equipment, and the best weather stations will hold up for years (sometimes decades). However, cheaper models are built with less durable plastic and show their age quickly.

Durability Ratings

WeatherFlow Tempest

5/5

KestrelMet 6000

5/5

Ambient Weather WS-5000

5/5

Davis Vantage Vue

5/5

Davis Vantage Pro2

5/5

Ambient Weather WS-2000

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2902

4/5

AcuRite Atlas

4/5

AcuRite Iris

3.5/5

Which weather station has the most features?

Our Pick: WeatherFlow Tempest or the KestrelMet 6000. Itโ€™s close, but the WeatherFlow Tempest has the most features standard of any home weather station, although the Ambient Weather WS-5000 and KestrelMet 6000 have the expandability that the Tempest doesnโ€™t. Weโ€™re huge fans of the Tempestโ€™s lightning detection, which has been the best of any weather station weโ€™ve tested.

The KestrelMet 6000 is again among the top stations in this category, as its standard feature set is surprisingly robust, with expandability available (it does not have lightning detection functionality yet). The AcuRite Atlas does well here as one of the cheapest โ€œpro-gradeโ€ stations available.

But the Ambient Weather WS-5000 and WS-2000 arenโ€™t far behind. You can add lightning detection via an optional sensor (but it isnโ€™t as good in detection). However, the expandability is something the Tempest currently doesnโ€™t have. The Davis Vantage Pro2 does have some optional sensors, and the WeatherLink Console shows a lot of promise, but its high price might be a turn-off.

Everyoneโ€™s needs change, and you might need to add new sensors. We recommend that you always opt for expandability if you can afford it. Purchasing a weather station with this option will extend the useful life of your setup.

Functionality Ratings

WeatherFlow Tempest

5/5

KestrelMet 6000

5/5

Davis Vantage Pro2

5/5

Ambient Weather WS-5000

4.5/5

AcuRite Atlas

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2000

4/5

Davis Vantage Vue

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2902

3.5/5

AcuRite Iris

3/5

Which weather station is the easiest to use?

Our Pick: WeatherFlow Tempest, KestrelMet 6000, or Ambient Weather WS-2902 (tie). The WeatherFlow Tempest and Ambient Weather WS-2902 are the easiest weather stations, with the KestrelMet 6000 equally simple to install and use. Setup for either is straightforward, and the apps are easy to use.

Davisโ€™ WeatherLink Console improves Davisโ€™ usability ratings, although with a few bugs yet, itโ€™s not quite perfect. While the WS-2000 and WS-5000 arenโ€™t that hard to set up, we struggled to navigate the consoleโ€™s UI in our tests, which knocked a bit off the final score. AcuRiteโ€™s stations are generally easy to use but with a few hiccups. All in all, none of the home weather stations we tested were too tricky to use.

Usability Ratings

WeatherFlow Tempest

5/5

KestrelMet 6000

5/5

Ambient Weather WS-2902

5/5

Davis Vantage Vue

4.5/5

Davis Vantage Pro2

4.5/5

Ambient Weather WS-5000

4/5

Ambient Weather WS-2000

4/5

AcuRite Atlas

4/5

AcuRite Iris

4/5

Weather Station Buyers Guide Bonus Tip

Look for connectivity and smart home support!

Nearly every home weather station is wireless these days, which helps give flexibility in weather station placement. They also are often Wi-Fi and smart home capable, which is important. We looked for internet connectivity when considering stations to include in our weather station buyers guide.

You can view your data from anywhere through an app or web-based portal. You can also use your data to control your smart home devices. When your weather station detects rain, it could turn your sprinklers off to conserve water. While some weather enthusiasts might not have a use for smart home connectivity, many do.

Most of our recommendations also offer historical data storage. Some owners have decades of data stored; weโ€™re into our sixth year ourselves. With years of use, youโ€™ll build a useful historical weather record of your location โ€” and be able to compare your records with nearby official stations.

We hope youโ€™ve found our weather station buyers guide useful in your search.

Logo of The Weather Station Experts

Ed Oswald

Ed Oswald has nearly two decades of experience in technology and science journalism, and specializes in weather stations and smart home technology. He's written for Digital Trends, PC World, and TechHive. His work has also appeared in the New York Times. When he isn't writing about gadgets, he enjoys chasing severe weather and winter storms.

Why you can trust our reviews

We have experience with all the products and companies we recommend here on TWSE. Our review staff includes degreed meteorologists and scientists, some of whom have owned the products they review for several years. Our staff has reviewed home weather gadgets for over a decade both on TWSE and elsewhere.

How we test

A weather station or gadget must score highly in our scoring metrics in several key areas, including accuracy, value, durability, ease of use, and feature set. We accept products for review, but we do not accept compensation in exchange for a positive review.

Affiliate Disclosure

The Weather Station Experts participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates. We may receive a commission from clicking links on our site.

15 thoughts on โ€œWeather Station Buyers Guide and Test Results (Updated 2023)โ€

  1. Hi Ed! Nice write up on the different weather stations. I currently have a Davis VP2 6152 and will be upgrading as a few parts are beginning to fail and in the long run, itโ€™s probably more cost effective to upgrade. Iโ€™m now able to afford a new unit with the additional sensors, unlike 10 years ago when I got my current station, so I think that is the path I will go. Thank you for the info on the new console. Iโ€™m still deciding on whether or not I will get the new console or just use my old one.

    Quick question. Have you ever done any write-ups on Bloomsky? They have an interesting product similar to the Tempest. Just curious if you have or not.

    Thank you!!

    Chris

  2. I like the WS-5000, but it only lasts a few months in our marine environment. Iโ€™ve had 3 in the last 2 years. Iโ€™ll likely be trying the Davis Vantage Pro2 next.

    • TBH, theyโ€™re all made out of plastic. Curious: what is failing? The entire station or just certain parts. Thatโ€™s definitely something to add in here. Iโ€™m over 150 miles inland so I donโ€™t have the salt to deal with ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. hi, im thinking of geting the ws 5000, dose any one know if this can forcarst wether better than the davis

    paul

  4. hear is a exampal,

    larst week we had rain all day, but it only forcarst rain about 4 hours later ,.when the rain stopped ,it was STILL forcasting rain..

    to day most of the uk have got rain, but the davis is still showing broken cloud,โ€ฆprob not forcast rain for hours laterโ€ฆ
    its a totol jokeโ€ฆif you are thinking of getting a davis vantage pro 2, DONT,โ€ฆyou will be wasting your moneyโ€ฆ..

    • hi, im thinking of geting the ws 5000, dose any one know if this can forcarst wether better than the davis

      paul

    • โ€ฆtoday its been raining all day,โ€ฆthe davis never forcarst rain, and is STILL forcasting broken cloulds,โ€ฆ.ive had enough of this expensiv paper waight,โ€ฆ.its now going in the rubbish bin,โ€ฆ.dont buy a davis vantage pro 2โ€ฆ.

      • ive just discoverd that davis has now a new concil called a 6313 that will work with vu and vantag pro 2โ€ฆ..

  5. I have a Tempest and it seems like itโ€™s accuracy is lower on high wind days. Iโ€™m on a hill and winds can get really high. Iโ€™ve just re-installed a Davis Vantage Pro-2 and will be doing comparisons of the two. On rainfall accuracy, the Tempest varies. If the wind is low, Tempest is very accurate. If I have a lot of wind during the rain, accuracy suffers. Tech support with Tempest has been very good. They recalibrated the rain sensor and it helped.

    • No, thank you, we updated this page to reflect your questions! I should have included these initially, as relevant information was missing. We also have a new station here that weโ€™ll be testing this spring as well as a retest of some of the older stations, so itโ€™s a good time to do that!

  6. Could you quantify the accuracy of the various stations? Whatโ€™s the difference between a 5/5 and 3.5/5? How inaccurate is the WS-2902 for temp/wind/rainfall, etc? Are we talking 2% error or 50% error? I checked the more detailed reviews for the products, but this information doesnโ€™t seem to be there either. Anything more quantitative here would be appreciated, especially for the WS-2902 and the the WS-5000. Thanks!

    • Hi Craig โ€“
      Sorry for the delay on the reply here. As for the ratings, with a good portion of stations youโ€™ll have readings +/-2F of the actual reading in the shade, which is a pretty standard MOE for home weather stations. None of the stations we tested were outside of this range. Now, there is wide differences in non-optimal conditions. I would take a lower rating to mean thereโ€™s issues in non-optimal conditions, i.e. direct sunlight, high winds, etc. Does this help?

      • Thanks, Ed! How about rainfall and wind speed measurements? About what accuracy could I expect for the WS-2902 and the the WS-5000?

        • On rainfall, at least in my tests, the WS-5000 seemed to do the best, pretty close to the Davis Vantage Vue, which also performs well โ€“ generally within a few hundredths of an inch. The smaller funnel of the WS-2902 will cause some undercount. Niether is way off, on other non-AW stations, we found the AcuRite Atlas to most significantly undercount, and the Netatmo to overcount, often by a .1โ€ณ.. which we found unacceptable.. thatโ€™s a big error.

          On winds, I canโ€™t unfortunately give you accurate guidance as we donโ€™t have an installation location where accurate wind readings are possible. But if it means anything, we did have both installed at the same location, and the wind readings were often quite similar, although the sonic anemometer is obviously going to be more sensitive to changes in speed by design. Sorry ๐Ÿ™

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