The weather can be incredibly unpredictable, but investing in one of the best home weather stations can give you a heads-up if inclement weather is headed your way. While they aren’t particularly useful for anyone living in the city, these devices can be invaluable to anyone in a rural area, property owners, or really anyone that would be in a tight spot if they weren’t prepared for an impromptu thunderstorm or hurricane.
The best weather station for you is dependent on your level of engagement. Basic kits allow you to dress properly for the weather that day while commercial grade systems allow you to make predictions just like a meteorologist. The main consideration: Do you choose a wired or wireless? Each has its pros and cons, so you must decide which is the right choice for your particular needs.
To learn more about the details of how weather stations work so you can find one that’s perfect for you, keep reading. If you already have a good idea of what you’re looking for, consider one of the systems we’ve highlighted in this article.
5 Best Weather Stations in 2021:
1. Ambient Weather WS-2902
Ambient Weather is one of those brands that command the industry (alongside, perhaps, AcuRight). The WS-2902 is just about the best home weather station on the market, and the specs bring that through. This 10-in-1 station measures wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, solar radiation, and UV. Inside the console, you’ll get indoor temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure to round out the measurements inside. But beyond the normal home weather station operation, this thing connects via Wi-Fi, so you can read all the info when you’re on the go on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
The console has a sleek LCD display that is color-coded to show you all the measurements, and that Wi-Fi connection even pulls information from Ambient Weather’s huge network of home weather meters called Wunderground, so you’ll have the scale of crowdsourced data on your side. The outdoor sensors are top-of-the-line from a tech perspective, and the indoor controls are even compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. You’ll feel like a legit meteorologist with this thing.
- Integrated sensor array
- Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support
- Somewhat unreliable connectivity
2. Netatmo Weather Station
You won’t find a sleeker weather station than the Netatmo, but the aluminum-bodied smart device has more than looks going for it. Its modern design, high level of accuracy, and ease of use earned it top accolades from Good Housekeeping and Wirecutter. The base model includes two sensors: a battery-operated outdoor tower that tracks temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure; and an AC-powered indoor one that goes beyond competitors to keep an eye on CO2 and sound levels.
All these measurements were very accurate, according to reviewers. For a more complete picture outside your door, you’ll need to purchase the compatible rain gauge and anemometer, which will double your investment. However, the separate housing for each sensor lets you site them for optimal accuracy, unlike all-in-one systems. Reading measurements happens in the Netatmo Weather app or its website, not a typical countertop console like some people might prefer.
Still, the intuitive app has easy-to-read graphics and charts of real-time and historical data, plus a seven-day forecast. You can also pair the Netatmo with Amazon and Apple smart speakers and request weather reports from Alexa or Siri. That makes it a no-brainer if you’re already riding the smart home wave (or want to be).
- Indoor sensor tracks in-home air quality
- Pairs to Amazon Alexa and Apple Home Kit
- Rain gauge and anemometer cost extra
- Data reporting only available through app or smart home system
3. AcuRite 01012M Weather Station With Remote Monitoring
If you want a funny-looking prop in your garden that’s actually useful and not just a random gnome, then you might like where we’re heading with this next feature. The AcuRite 01012M Weather Station with Remote Monitoring comes with a propelled sensor that has the latest technology installed so that you’re given nothing but accurate weather readings every single day. All you have to do is plug in the sensor and colorful monitor and you’ll be good to go.
The thing we love the most about this 5-in-1 weather station is the free weather app which it connects with. The AcuRite App means that you can check the weather on your phone no matter where you are, as well as checking cool aspects such as weather trends, barometric pressure, wind direction, and so on. As you can probably tell by now, this is a weather station from the future. You’ll certainly be outsmarting all of the famous weather reporters when you have this device in your household.
- The display is incredibly colorful, making it both attractive and easy to read
- The whole family can benefit from this device as it is compatible with up to 7 devices
- Reviews have stated that the outdoor unit may not last 2+ years
- Connectivity issues may occur if the sensor is quite far away
4. Davis Vantage Vue 6250
The best part about this weather station is its durability and design. Davis Weather Station is well known for its high-quality manufacturing and excellent finishes.
It consists of a good display console and an integrated sensor suite (ISS). The special part of this meter is that it’s a compact of all kinds of sensors in a single package to give the maximum results.
It can easily survive in heavy wind and rain and its durability is pretty much appreciable.
The display is quite a relic and hence not as good as some of its competitors. However, it has 10 clearly labeled functions, four directional buttons, a toggle for backlight and a button to switch between the 10 functions.
It provides you a few unique features such as, moon phase, weather trend graphs and the times of sunrise or sunset.
- Extremely Top-notch accuracy
- High transmission range
- Strong sensor package
- Heavy build and durability
- Additional remote sensors cannot be added
- Expensive
5. La Crosse Technology C85845V3
If you’re on the hunt for a reliable weather station that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, look no further than La Crosse Technology’s C85845V3. It includes a digital console having a full color LCD screen that displays information in an intuitive and easy-to-understand way, complete with animated forecast icons and color-coded comfort level indicators. Capable of measuring temperature and humidity levels, the “TX141H-BV2” sensor can transmit recorded weather data to the console wirelessly, up to a distance of 300 feet.
Apart from temperature and humidity, the weather station can also display other information like heat index and dew point. You can also use it to set up customizable temperature alerts. Some other noteworthy features include self atomic time configuration, alarms, support for all the time zones in the US, and automatic On/Off functionality for Daylight Savings Time (DST). The C85845V3 uses AC power for the console (with three AA batteries for backup), while the weather sensor is powered by two AA batteries.
- Easy to set up and use
- Affordable price
- Only basic weather data can be measured
Weather Station Buying Guide
If you have any further queries regarding our buying guide or weather stations, then take some time to read some of the information below. From here, you will learn how we carefully select products on our buying guide, as well as learn which features to look out for on your next weather station.
Features To Look For In Weather Stations
If you’re ready to become your family’s dedicated meteorologist, there are a few things you need to know when shopping:
- Accuracy: By far the most important feature, but the hardest to measure. Consult product spec sheets for information on the machine’s margin of error, guides like ours that rely on rigorous real-time tests, and user reviews.
- Power source: Most weather stations are wireless, relying on battery or solar power to keep them running. Before selecting a model, consider how much sun your home gets.
- Connectivity: Some home weather stations can connect to the internet, which has a two-fold bonus. In many cases, this not only allows you to access weather data when away from home, but it also allows you to share data with crowd-sourced weather services and meteorologists.
- Smart home capability: If you already own a personal assistant device, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, look for a home weather station that’s compatible with these devices for seamless integration.
- Display: Some screens are more intuitive and easier to read. In our tests, we rate forecast icons for visibility.
How We Evaluated
To find the best home weather stations, we narrowed our focus to wireless models, which are more user-friendly than their cabled counterparts. Surveying the market led us to 15 popular models, and we excluded some that have been recently discontinued. For the remaining weather stations, we assessed their features, transmission ranges, compatibility with apps or smart home devices, and cost.
From nearly 22,800 user reviews on Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot, we calculated our Consumer Score, which is the percentage of people who rated the product at least four out of five stars. Five options impressed us enough to earn our recommendation. Read about them below.
FAQs
Q. Is assembly required?
A. Basic weather stations typically require no assembly, but some do need a bit of mechanical attention before they can be mounted.
Q. How weather-resistant is the device?
A. Although many weather stations are designed to resist the damaging effects of wind, rain, and soil, some require extra protection.
Q. Can a weather station be calibrated to support devices and data sources?
A. It is possible to calibrate weather station sensors to match the readings of another weather instrument, but it can be a difficult task. Some models allow users to “zero out” previous rainfall measurements, or adjust the gauges to match a weather channel’s more scientific numbers.
Q. Where should a weather station be mounted or stored?
A. Many basic models are self-contained and made of lightweight, weather-resistant materials. As such, many people choose to attach their weather station to an exterior wall, tree, or post.
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