The best rain gauges, compared.
Top pick: STOWBERRY outdoor rain gauge Best value: TFA 47.1001 rain gauge – About £8.72, with 4.6 from 8,364 reviews and a memory ring, if you already have a cane. Updated October 2026.
A garden rain gauge shows how deep the rain was at one spot, so you can compare showers and judge whether the border needs water. A useful one has a labelled scale, stays upright, and sits in the open. Most of these gauges are manual: you walk out, read the tube, and empty it. Only the claims a self-emptying collector and an indoor total, and its title also says the sensor may be absent, so check the live variant. A garden gauge will not match a Met Office station, and a product alarm is not a flood warning. The Met Office five-inch storage gauge is read at 0900 with the rim about 30 cm above the ground, and its tipping buckets count 0.2 mm. A plastic cone from amazon.co.uk will not match that instrument. How to choose is set out in the [best rain gauges](/hub/climate-measuring/rain-gauge/sub/rain-gauge-best).
A garden rain gauge shows how deep the rain was at one spot, so you can compare showers and judge whether the border needs water. A useful one has a labelled scale, stays upright, and sits in the open.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Will you walk outside to read and empty the gauge?
The STOWBERRY is a ground-insert cone, about 21 × 10 × 10 cm and 120 g, that you push into the soil rather than hang on a bracket. A rainfall chart comes in the box, and 77 amazon.co.uk reviews average 4.7 at £8.95. The bullets describe an easy-to-read scale and do not name millimetres or inches, so you cannot line the tube up with a forecast until you see the marks. No separate bracket is listed, and the gauge does not empty itself or show a total indoors. Leave the water sitting and evaporation can shift the level before you write the chart. The saved page puts it first in rain gauges, with a first-available date of 22 May 2025, which is a short record for a rank that high.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A border where you can push a short cone into the soil and note the depth on a chart the same day.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a named millimetre scale, a stake in the box, or a total they can read indoors.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the STOWBERRY include a mounting bracket?
The listing says you insert the gauge into the ground and that a rainfall chart is included. A separate bracket is not listed.
Is the scale in millimetres?
The bullets describe an easy-to-read scale and do not name millimetres or inches. Treat the unit as not stated.
The TFA 47.1001 is a plastic cone about 205 mm high and 118 g, with a memory ring you turn to the last water line. It has 4.6 from 8,364 amazon.co.uk reviews at £8.72, the largest review count in this set. One bullet says it comes with support and another says without rod. UK reviews say there is no stem, and buyers use a dowel, a broom handle, or an old stake. The saved fields do not state the scale unit. One reviewer says the ring is loose and can be unclipped. The bullets do not say it measures snow. This is model 47.1001, and specs quoted elsewhere for 47.1008 belong to a different gauge. The listing states that it is made in Germany. You still walk out, read the tube, and empty it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A gardener who already has a cane or dowel and wants a ring to mark yesterday's level.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stake in the box, a named millimetre scale on the listing, or a snow measurement.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the TFA 47.1001 include a stake?
One bullet says it comes with support, and another says without rod. UK reviews say there is no stem, and buyers use a dowel, a broom handle, or an old stake.
What does the ring do?
The listing calls it a memory-revolving ring. Reviewers turn it to mark the level so they can see later rain. One says the ring is loose and can be unclipped.
Can it measure snow?
A customer question asks about snow. The bullets do not say it measures snow.
The Tildenet T22 is about 250 mm and 140 g, graduated in millimetres and inches, with a recording chart and no bracket listed. It has 4.6 from 1,132 reviews at £8.97. A reviewer says the wide mouth and narrow base make small amounts easier to see, and that under 0.5 mm is hard to read. That magnified cone is a printed scale, not a ruler laid along the water. Reviewers also say sun makes the plastic brittle over a few seasons, and one buyer was on their third gauge, which is a review pattern rather than a stated lifetime. It does not empty itself and it has no indoor display. You still need somewhere to stand it, because a stake is not in the bullets. The model code on the listing is T22-TGW.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A UK gardener who wants millimetres printed on a short cone and will note the reading the same day.
Less suitable: A very sunny spot if you expect one tube to last many summers, or anyone who will not walk outside to empty it.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Tildenet show millimetres?
The listing says it is graduated in millimetres and inches. A reviewer says the wide mouth and narrow base make small amounts easier to see, and that under 0.5 mm is hard to read.
Does it include a bracket?
The bullets list the gauge and a recording chart. They do not list a bracket or a stake.
How long does the plastic last?
Reviewers say it is easy to use and that sun makes the plastic brittle over a few seasons. One buyer was on their third. That is a review pattern, not a stated lifetime.
The KINGLAKE is a clear plastic collector at £6.59, with 4.4 from 716 reviews and a stated weight of 120 g. The bullet size is 8.5 × 24 cm. The technical-details line says 1 × 1 × 1 cm, so those fields conflict and the bullet is the size claim to use. A holder for a stick or rod is included and the rod is not. A reviewer returned one because they expected a stand. The scale unit is not stated. A reviewer says an identical gauge cracked when rainwater froze inside it, and the listing does not claim frost proofing. The wide mouth is the reading aid on the comparison row. You still empty it after you read it. The page lists a first-available date of 3 November 2025.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone with a spare cane who wants the cheapest clear cone in this comparison.
Less suitable: A buyer who expects a complete stand in the box, or who will leave water in the tube through a frost.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the KINGLAKE include a stand?
The listing includes a holder for a stick or rod and says the rod is not included. A reviewer returned one because they expected a stand.
Which size is correct?
The bullet says 8.5 × 24 cm. The technical-details line says 1 × 1 × 1 cm. Those fields conflict. The bullet is the size claim to use.
Can frost crack it?
A reviewer says an identical gauge cracked when rainwater froze inside it. The listing does not claim frost proofing.
The Thermometer World gauge is a green funnel with black markings, about 35 g, in a package of 23.3 × 10.5 × 10.4 cm. It has 4.4 from 405 reviews at £8.95, and neither a stake nor a bracket is listed. The scale unit is not stated. Technical details say crystal, while reviews describe a light green plastic body, so the material name on the page is not settled. One reviewer fitted it to an old holder, and another put a stone inside so the wind would not shift a gauge this light. A UK buyer chose it after a previous gauge cracked in a hard Devon winter. This listing does not claim frost proofing. You read it outside and pour it out yourself. It has been on amazon.co.uk since 15 February 2017.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who already has a holder and wants a cheap cone with a few hundred reviews behind it.
Less suitable: A windy open site with nothing to weigh the gauge, or a buyer who needs millimetres named on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it include a bracket?
The bullets do not list a bracket or a stake. A reviewer fitted it to an old holder, and another put a stone inside so wind would not move it.
Will it crack in cold weather?
One UK reviewer bought it to replace a gauge that cracked during a hard Devon winter. The listing does not claim frost proofing.
What is it made of?
The technical details say crystal. Reviews describe a light green plastic body. The material name is not settled on the listing.
The Toiclebor RM-BS7-002 is a plastic tube on a coated metal stand, about 5.51 × 5.51 × 41.99 cm and 260 g, with a red float and a blue stripe. The bullets say inches and centimetres, not millimetres. The amazon.co.uk page shows 4.4 from 238 reviews at £12.99, yet the first 50 saved review blocks are labelled United States, Canada, or Germany, not the United Kingdom. The spiral stand can go in the ground or on a wall or fence with nails, and the listing does not say the nails are included. It does not empty itself and it has no indoor display. A fence mount is easy to see from the house and a sheltered place to catch rain, so the hardware option and a useful rainfall site are not the same choice.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A reader who works in inches or centimetres and wants a stand that can go in the soil.
Less suitable: Anyone logging against a millimetre forecast, or who is treating the 238-review score as UK-only feedback.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the reviews on the saved page from the UK?
The amazon.co.uk listing shows 4.4 from 238 reviews. The first 50 saved review blocks are labelled United States, Canada, or Germany, not the United Kingdom.
Does it show millimetres?
The bullets say inches and centimetres with large markings. They do not say millimetres.
Can it be mounted on a fence?
The listing says the spiral metal stand can go in the ground or on a wall or fence with nails. It does not say the nails are included.
The CKB LTD 75 cm gauge stands on a two-part metal spike or in a rear slot, with a blue centre strip and a stated maximum of 7 inches. Eight reviews average 4.4 at £14.99, and the listing first appeared on 17 September 2026. It does not mention millimetres, and a reviewer says the gauge is inches only. Reviews say it arrives in pieces and that the spike screws together by hand. Fixing the rear slot to timber is not described as tool-free. There is no self-emptying and no indoor display, so a wet spell past 7 inches means a walk outside to empty it before the next band of rain. The gauge body itself is listed at about 24 cm high inside an assembled height of 75 cm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A gardener who already thinks in inches and wants the tube high enough to read without kneeling.
Less suitable: Anyone matching a millimetre forecast, or who wants a long review record before paying.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the scale in millimetres?
The listing states a maximum of 7 inches. It does not mention millimetres. A reviewer says the gauge is inches only.
How is it mounted?
The listing includes a two-part metal ground spike and a rear slot for a post or vertical surface. Reviews say it arrives in pieces.
Does it need tools?
Reviews describe screwing the spike together by hand. Fixing the rear slot to timber is not described as tool-free in the listing.
The EujRcf is an 80 g white transparent cone that needs no batteries. Six reviews average 4.4 at £8.89, and the scale unit is not stated. The listing says the base stays upright in the wind. One of three UK reviews calls the construction flimsy and the mounting spike suspect after about a week. Dimensions are not given. A customer asked about calibration, and the bullets do not describe a calibration step. Six ratings is a thin sample next to the Tildenet or the TFA, so the 4.4 does not carry the same weight. You read it outside and empty it yourself. The listing gives China as the origin. There is no indoor display and no claim that it empties itself.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A trial gauge for a sheltered spot, if you accept that six reviews cannot settle the build.
Less suitable: A windy site, or anyone who wants millimetres named and a review count in the hundreds.
Specifications
Common questions
What is it made of?
The bullets say transparent plastic. The listing colour is white, the weight is 80 g, and no batteries are required.
How stable is the spike?
The listing says the base stays upright in wind. One of three UK reviews calls the construction flimsy and the mounting spike suspect after about a week.
Does it need calibrating?
A customer question asks about calibration. The bullets do not describe a calibration step.
The JINGEGECOME is an adjustable stake claimed at 19 to 29 inches, with a blue strip and a brush, at £12.99 and 4.3 from 193 reviews. UK reviews say the markings are in inches and not in millimetres. The bullets describe large numbers and a blue strip, and they do not name millimetres or state a capacity. The technical details say 14.99 × 9.91 × 1.78 cm, which conflicts with a stake of that claimed height, and the listed weight is 120 g. You get the tube off the ground, which helps if kneeling is awkward, and you still walk out to empty it. There is no indoor display. The first-available date on the listing is 17 June 2024.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A gardener who is content to read inches on a tube lifted off the soil.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs millimetres, a stated capacity, or dimensions that agree between the bullet and the technical details.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the scale in millimetres?
UK reviews say the markings are in inches and not in millimetres. The bullets describe large numbers and a blue strip and do not name millimetres.
What is the capacity?
A customer question asks for the capacity. The bullets do not state a millimetre or inch total.
Which dimensions should you trust?
The technical details say 14.99 × 9.91 × 1.78 cm. The bullets claim a stake from 19 to 29 inches. Those fields conflict.
The CKB LTD 100 cm gauge is a PS plastic stake about 105.5 cm tall and 466 g, with a yellow float and a scale the listing says shows inches and millimetres. Six reviews average 4.3 at £33.95. One reviewer found the spacing confusing and said the instructions do not explain it, so a dual-scale claim is not the same as a scale you can read at a glance. Emptying means lifting the gauge out of the ground. A reviewer says it does not seem to come apart, and the listing does not describe a drain. The technical-details line says solar powered, while the bullets and the reviews describe a plain plastic stake with no solar cell, so that tag is not confirmed. At this price you are paying for height and a named dual scale, with a very small review count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A reader who wants millimetres named on a tall stake and accepts a thin review sample.
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a long review record, a drain plug, or an indoor total.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it measure in millimetres?
The listing says the scale shows inches and millimetres, with a yellow floating disk. One reviewer found the spacing confusing and said the instructions do not explain it.
How do you empty it?
A reviewer says it has to be lifted out of the ground, and that it does not seem to come apart. The listing does not describe a drain.
Is it solar powered?
The technical-details line says solar powered. The bullets and the reviews describe a plastic stake gauge with no solar cell. Treat that tag as not confirmed.
The ACTIMED uses a three-section metal stake, claimed at 19 to 29 inches, with a blue strip behind the tube and a cleaning brush in the box. Fifty-five reviews average 3.9 at £13.99. The bullets do not name inches or millimetres, and a UK reviewer says the lines are not labelled as inches or centimetres. The title says freeze proof, yet the sampled UK reviews do not describe a freeze test. Other UK reviews mention a peg that is not solid and a stem welded at an angle, against a listing that says the stake holds the gauge in the wind. The catalogue size is about 5.49 × 5.49 × 74.93 cm and 280 g. You still empty the tube by hand, and there is no indoor display.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants a raised tube and a brush, and who will check the scale unit on arrival.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs millimetres printed on the tube, or a stake that reviews describe as straight and solid.
Specifications
Common questions
What unit is the scale?
The bullets do not name inches or millimetres. A UK reviewer says the lines are not labelled as inches or centimetres.
Does the stake stay upright?
The listing says the metal stake fixes the gauge in wind. UK reviews include a peg that is not solid and a stem welded at an angle.
Is it freeze proof?
The title says freeze proof. The sampled UK reviews do not describe a freeze test.
The Geevon is a battery wireless set with a backlit indoor display, a claimed range of about 100 m, and inches and millimetres named on the listing. At £34.99 it has 3.8 from 31 reviews, the lowest star line in this set. The title says grey without sensor, while the bullets describe a collector, a display, and installation accessories, so the live amazon.co.uk variant needs a check before you pay. A UK review says the instructions tell you to bring it in if frost is likely. The product mentions a flood alert, which is not an Environment Agency warning. The listing states a tolerance of ±1, one reviewer mentions a 0.2 mm step, and the review notes also cover weak magnets and a quiet alarm. Self-emptying is claimed, so you cannot pour the water back and read it again.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who wants a running total on an indoor screen and will confirm the outdoor sensor is actually in the box.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants to re-check water in a tube, or who needs the collector left outside through a frost.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Geevon include the outdoor sensor?
The title says grey without sensor. The bullets describe a collector, a display, and installation accessories. Check the live amazon.co.uk variant before you buy.
Can it stay outside in frost?
A UK review says the instructions tell you to bring it in if frost is likely. That is a reviewer report, not a lab test.
Is the flood alert an official warning?
The listing mentions a flood alert on the product. It is not an Environment Agency flood warning.
For this comparison we read twelve amazon.co.uk rain-gauge listings and set them against public UK sources, including the Met Office, the RHS and GOV.UK flooding advice. We did not run a lab test. The order follows a named scale, how deep the review count is, the mount, and whether you must walk outside to read and empty the tube. Shelf prices are the saved GBP figures, and they move.
Scale unit
25%UK forecasts are in millimetres. A listing that names millimetres and inches is easier to line up with a forecast than a tube whose unit is not stated.
Listing evidence
20%Star ratings are read with the review count. A 4.4 from six reviews does not carry the same weight as 4.6 from more than a thousand.
Mount
20%A cone with no stake can blow over. A stake raises the tube. A fence mount can sit in a rain shadow.
Reading and emptying
20%Manual gauges must be read and emptied. Only one model in this set claims a self-emptying collector and an indoor total.
Winter and plastic
15%Reviewers report sun brittleness and freeze cracks on cheap cones. A full tube left outside can freeze. Empty a manual gauge after you record it.
A rain gauge is worth buying when you want a depth at one spot in the garden, not a flood warning and not a copy of a Met Office station. The checks below follow the listings in this set: the unit on the scale, whether you will walk outside, the mount, and how many reviews sit behind the stars. See the [buying guide](/hub/climate-measuring/rain-gauge/sub/rain-gauge-buying-guide).
A garden rain gauge is a small collector that shows how deep the rain was at one spot. You use it to compare showers and to judge whether a border needs water. It is not a Met Office station, and it is not a flood warning. The Met Office five-inch storage gauge is read at 0900 UTC with the rim about 30 cm above the ground, and its tipping buckets count 0.2 mm. A plastic cone from amazon.co.uk will not match that instrument. In this set the hardware falls into three types.
Several gauges in this set are inches only, or the unit is not stated. A 7 inch capacity is not 7 mm. If the listing does not name the unit, do not guess it from the line spacing.
A fence mount can sit in a rain shadow. Met Office WOW guidance is at least twice the obstacle height away from the obstacle. That is guidance, not a fine, and it still changes the catch.
Evaporation shifts the level, and a freeze can crack a cheap cone. Empty a manual gauge after you record it. The TFA 47.1001 does not include a rod, even though one bullet mentions support.
Forecasts in the UK are given in millimetres, so the first check is whether the tube names that unit. In this set the Tildenet T22 and the CKB 100 cm model state inches and millimetres. The CKB 75 cm model states a maximum of 7 inches, and a reviewer wanted millimetres. UK reviews of the JINGEGECOME say the markings are inches only. ACTIMED reviewers say the lines are not labelled as inches or centimetres. The Toiclebor bullets say inches and centimetres, not millimetres.
A manual gauge has to be read and emptied. Leave the water sitting and evaporation can shift the level before you write it down. A full tube stops measuring, and most listings omit a millimetre capacity. Only the Geevon claims self-emptying, so you cannot pour that water back and read it again. It claims an indoor total and about 100 m range at about £34.99. The title says grey without sensor, so check the live variant.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You already walk the garden and you want a millimetre depth after a shower. The Tildenet T22 states inches and millimetres, includes a recording chart, and has 4.6 from 1,132 reviews at about £8.97. It has no stake, so you still need somewhere to stand it.
You will not go out in the rain, or you want a weekly total on a screen. The Geevon claims an indoor display, about 100 m range and self-emptying at about £34.99. The title also says grey without sensor, so check the live variant, and a UK review says to bring it in if frost is likely.
You want a long review record at an entry price and you already have a dowel or broom handle. The TFA 47.1001 is about £8.72 with 4.6 from 8,364 reviews and a memory ring. The scale unit is not stated, and the rod is not in the box.
Across these twelve amazon.co.uk listings, a labelled millimetre scale and a deep review count matter more than a best-seller rank. The Tildenet T22 is the top pick: the listing states millimetres and inches, and 1,132 reviews average 4.6 at about £8.97. The TFA 47.1001 is the best value at about £8.72, with 4.6 from 8,364 reviews and a memory ring, if you already have a cane. A garden gauge is not a Met Office instrument, and a product alarm is not a flood warning.
TFA 47.1001 rain gauge
About £8.72, with 4.6 from 8,364 reviews and a memory ring, if you already have a cane.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings saved for this comparison. Pages were read on 19 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts come from amazon.co.uk listings. We did not run a lab test.
