The Best Soil Moisture Meters, According to Our Testing
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To help gardeners determine how much—and how often—to water, we tested some of the top soil moisture meters on the market today. Find out which ones scored the highest in our hands-on tests.
Water is vital to thriving plant life—plants would shrivel up and die without it—but ensuring that you provide the right amount of H2O can be difficult. Those new to gardening may often over- and under-water their plants, but even experienced green thumbs can mess up occasionally. Soil moisture meters are simple garden tools that include sensing probes that detect the level of dampness in soil. They’re touted as the best predictors for watering, so to see if they live up to the hype, we tested the most popular ones available.
To judge their ability to detect moisture differences, we tested numerous soil moisture meters in various growing mediums, including potting soil, dirt from the garden, peat moss, and compost. We tested them in bone-dry soil and then watered the medium to see how well the meters detected additional moisture.
Checking moisture levels can also be beneficial by helping determine whether the soil is draining adequately or retaining too much water. After a rainstorm, for instance, if soil feels dry, it may be draining too much. A soil moisture meter can do away with some of the guesswork, giving gardeners a solid idea of true soil moisture conditions.
Our favoritetsoil moisture meter is the Xlux Soil Moisture Meter for its versatile indoor/outdoor capabilities, analog design, 10-point scale, and ability to provide instant moisture readings without calibration, right out of the box.
Keep reading to learn more about selecting a soil moisture meter and find out the pros and cons of the following models, which all earned a spot in our roundup of the best soil moisture meters on the market.
- BEST OVERALL: Xlux Soil Moisture Meter
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Gouevn Soil Moisture Meter
- BEST HYBRID: Trazon Soil pH Meter 3-in-1 Soil Tester
- BEST FOR DEEP POTS: Xlux Long Probe Deep Use Soil Moisture Meter
- BEST FOR COMPOST: Reotemp Garden and Compost Moisture Meter
- BEST DIGITAL: Ecowitt Soil Moisture Tester
- BEST pH MODEL: Kensizer 3-in-1 Soil Moisture/Light/pH Meter
- BEST HEAVY-DUTY: Gain Express Soil pH & Moisture Meter
- BEST FOR INDOORS: Ippinka Sustee Aquameter, Set of 4
- ALSO CONSIDER: Fivota Soil pH Meter
How We Tested the Best Soil Moisture Meters
Soil moisture meters are relatively simple to use, so our testing focused on how well they differentiated between various levels of soil dampness and how well they were made.
Probe stability is vital—we were willing to accept a slight amount of play in the probe, but the meter was eliminated if it was wobbly. Multifunction meters offered an additional test or two, usually soil pH levels or light intensity. While we awarded extra points for these functions if they were accurate, we did not subtract points if they were just so-so because our testing aimed to determine how well the meters detected moisture.
We subjected the meters to a range of soil mixes, including garden soil and different potting soil mixes, and we tested them on bone-dry soil as well as sopping wet soil. We awarded points based on a 0-to-4-point rubric system for various aspects. At the end of the testing, we added up the points and used them to help determine the awards for this lineup. While all these meters differ slightly, all have earned a spot for accuracy in measuring moisture and are made to last.
Our Top Picks
To qualify for a spot in this lineup of the best soil moisture meters, the following models all had to be made from quality materials, be durable enough to insert into semi-dry soil without the probe bending, and be easy to read. We tested a range of meters, from simple analog types to digital ones with accompanying LCD displays. While soil moisture meters are relatively straightforward gardening tools, some are better suited to specific growing situations than others. The following models all met or exceeded our expectations—find out the pros and cons of each one in our reviews.
Best Overall
Xlux Soil Moisture Meter
Photo: amazon.com
The Xlux Soil Moisture Meter is the epitome of simplicity—and that’s one of the reasons we loved it. We tested it on various types of soil and dampness levels, and it responded accurately. While it has a 10-point scale, it’s a lot simpler to look at the color-coding on the dial. Red for dry, green for moist, and blue for wet.
We inserted the meter probe into the soil—no calibrating or prep necessary—and the dial gave an immediate reading. Although it lacks bells and whistles, this meter offers accurate readings, and the probe is securely attached. It also doesn’t require batteries or charging when taking a test, making it ready to use right from the box.
While some gardeners may want the higher degree of accuracy that comes from a calibrated digital meter, the sturdiness and ease of use of the Xlux meter make it a winner in our book.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Both
- Analog or digital: Analog
- Additional functions: None
Pros
- Instant moisture readings for quick testing
- Accurate readings for taking care of plant varieties
- Easy-to-read dial is suitable for first-timers as well as professionals
Cons
- Slightly hard to see in dim lighting; may not be ideal for light garden work
Get the Xlux soil moisture meter on Amazon.
Best Bang for the Buck
Gouevn Soil Moisture Meter
Photo: amazon.com
There’s no need to spend a lot for a good soil moisture meter, as we found when testing this simple, inexpensive analog model from Gouevn. It doesn’t come with fancy bells and whistles, but it does accurately measure soil moisture levels. In tests we were impressed with the large and easy-to-read display. Like other analog meters, it features color-coding to show the approximate soil moisture at a glance.
The back of the packaging also features a handy watering guide for more than 200 indoor and outdoor plants. This was helpful, and we considered laminating it to keep as a guide. For example, we checked the recommended moisture level for our mock orange bush—the guide told us it fell within the 4–5 (green) section of the meter. We then determined how much we needed to water weekly to keep the soil around that bush at the proper dampness.
We found the 7.7-inch probe to be highly sensitive and accurate when we tested various soil moisture levels and the unit requires no batteries or charging for proper operation. All in all, we were satisfied with this Gouevn as being budget-friendly and built to last.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Both
- Analog or digital: Analog
- Additional features: None
Pros
- Easy-to-read dial for quick checks and adjustments
- Color-coding for quick readings
- Included chart with moisture recommendations for different plant varieties
- No batteries or charging needed for proper operation
Cons
- Lacks a case to protect the probe when being stored
Get the Gouevn soil moisture meter on Amazon.
Best Hybrid
Trazon Soil pH Meter 3-in-1 Soil Tester
Photo: amazon.com
We measured moisture levels, light levels, and soil acidity with this multifunction analog meter from Trazon. While the most critical function in our tests was moisture meter accuracy, since we were testing specifically for dampness, we found the added functions—which give a broader picture of soil conditions—quite beneficial.
The simple analog display shows moisture levels on a 1-to-10 scale, light levels on a 0-to-2,000-lux scale, and pH between 3.5 and 8. A simple switch allowed us to select from among the three options, and the results of all three are available on the single dial readout.
This Trazon seemed highly accurate when reading both moisture and light range, but we weren’t as convinced about its pH detection. This is because we tested it in the un-amended soil of the lawn, and it gave us the exact same pH reading as it did when we tried it in our blueberry patch—a spot where we’ve added a high amount of soil acidifier over the years.
But the dual-probe meter offers a battery-free design and is suitable for use indoors and outdoors. We found it to be a boon in our garden-tool arsenal by accurately determining both moisture and light levels.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Both
- Analog or digital: Analog
- Additional functions: Light and pH meter
Pros
- Accurate for moisture readings and light detection
- Dual-probe construction with a battery-free design
- Can be used indoors as well as outdoors for versatility
Cons
- Not as accurate for determining pH values; may not be ideal for some users
Get the Trazon 3-in-1 soil moisture meter on Amazon.
Best for Deep Pots
Xlux Long Probe Deep Use Soil Moisture Meter
Photo: amazon.com
Watering tall potted plants can be problematic when gardeners can’t tell if the soil deeper in the pot is consistently as moist. We’ve run into problems in the past with tall pots that don’t drain well, leaving us to think we needed to add water—when in reality, the soil in the bottom part of the pot was too soggy. We found the Xlux Long Probe Soil Moisture Meter was just the ticket to solve this problem.
Like the other Xlux model that took top billing in this lineup, this meter also features an easy-to-read analog dial and color-coding for determining moisture at a glance. The main difference is that this version has a slightly over 12-inch-long probe for deep insertion into the soil of our potted plants. We discovered that one of our potted perennial bushes wasn’t draining well: The soil at the surface seemed dry, but a foot down, it was sopping wet. This gave us the information we needed to transplant the bush and replace the non-draining soil at the bottom of the pot with better-draining soil.
The probe is on the thin side, so we didn’t try to insert it into hard ground for fear of bending it. But it proved plenty strong enough for inserting into pots with commercial grow mixes.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Both
- Analog or digital: Analog
- Additional functions: No added functions, but an extra-long probe
Pros
- Possible to get readings of moisture levels as deep as 12 inches
- Easy-to-read scale is suitable for first-timers as well as pros
- Color-coding for at-a-glance reading and accuracy
Cons
- Slightly hard to see in dim lighting; may not be ideal for nighttime gardening
- Probe too thin for hard ground; may not be ideal for some users’ preferences
Get the Xlux long soil moisture meter on Amazon.
Best for Compost
Reotemp Garden and Compost Moisture Meter
Photo: amazon.com
If compost material is too dry, the material could take a long time to decompose, but if it’s soaking wet, it might attract pests. Knowing this, we were eager to put this Reotemp moisture meter through its paces, thanks to its long 15-inch probe particularly suited to testing a compost pile.
Before using the Reotemp meter, it must be calibrated, which proved simple enough. It required us to obtain a sample of compost we felt was of optimal dampness, insert the probe, and then turn a small flat-head screw on the back of the box to 5 on the dial. After that, we were able to take readings of both shallow and deep compost piles. If the reading was lower than 5, we added water; if over 5, we allowed the compost to air out a bit.
The heavy-duty probe on this Reotemp model is thicker than an average moisture meter to prevent bending when testing dense compost and heavy soils. This meter is powered by one AAA battery, which is already in place inside the meter box. It only reads moisture, but it does so accurately, and the dial is located on the top of the meter, so it’s easy to see.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Outdoor
- Analog or digital: Analog, battery-powered
- Additional functions: None
Pros
- Heavy-duty probe is suitable for tough turf and heavy-duty use
- Dial located on top for easy and quick reading
- Calibrated for high accuracy when taking readings
Cons
- Must remove the screws to replace the battery
Get the Reotemp moisture meter on Amazon or Kmart.
Best Digital
Ecowitt Soil Moisture Tester
Photo: amazon.com
Upon opening the box containing the Ecowitt Soil Moisture Tester, our first thought was how different the probe looked compared to all the other tester probes. Instead of a long round cylinder, the probe on the Ecowitt was flat and short—just 3 inches long.
We inserted a AA battery into the base of the probe’s handle and another one in the back of the small display screen. The LCD screen sprang to life, and we set the time using the buttons on the side of the display. Then we inserted the probe into potting soil. The display registered the moisture level as a percentage. While the probe was still in the soil, we poured some water into the pot—sure enough, the percentage of moisture increased on the display. What’s more, we tested the range of the probe’s signal and were able to get a clear signal from as far as 200 feet away.
We tested the Ecowitt probe on several potted plants, and it proved to be accurate, but because the probe is so short, we don’t recommend using it in the garden. Also, we would worry that rain might infiltrate the probe’s housing because the battery compartment is not sealed. This handy little gadget proved well suited to monitoring indoor growing situations, but it didn’t seem durable or long enough for outdoor conditions.
Product Specs
- Indoor or outdoor: Indoor
- Analog or digital: Digital
- Additional functions: Clock
Pros
- Highly accurate moisture probe can help take care of a variety of plants and grass
- Easy-to-read digital display is ideal for first-timers as well as pros
- Long-range signal (up to 200 feet in our tests)
Cons
- Short probe may not be able to stick into tough turf
Get the Ecowitt soil moisture meter on Amazon.
Best PH Model
Kensizer 3-in-1 Soil Moisture/Light/pH Meter
