Rain gauge buying guide
Updated: October 2026
You have a border that needs water, a forecast in millimetres, and a page of amazon.co.uk cones that often never name the scale. A rain gauge buying guide should settle three things before the brand: the unit on the tube, whether a stake is in the box, and what happens when the plastic meets a frost. Prices on 19 October 2026 run from about £6.59 to £8.97 at the bottom, about £12.99 to £14.99 in the middle, and £33.95 or £34.99 at the top. The full grid is on the [rain gauge comparison](/hub/climate-measuring/rain-gauge).
You have a border that needs water, a forecast in millimetres, and a page of amazon.co.uk cones that often never name the scale.
You have a border that needs water, a forecast in millimetres, and a page of amazon.co.uk cones that often never name the scale. A rain gauge buying guide should settle three things before the brand: the unit on the tube, whether a stake is in the box, and what happens when the plastic meets a frost. Prices on 19 October 2026 run from about £6.59 to £8.97 at the bottom, about £12.99 to £14.99 in the middle, and £33.95 or £34.99 at the top. The full grid is on the rain gauge comparison.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Scale | Mount | amazon.co.uk reviews | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  TFA Dostmann TFA Dostmann 47.1001 rain gauge | Unit not stated | No rod included | 4.6 from 8,364 | 9.1 | about £8.72 | View offer |
 Tildenet Tildenet T22 rain gauge | Millimetres and inches | No stake listed | 4.6 from 1,132 | 9.3 | about £8.97 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Geevon Geevon wireless rain gauge | Millimetres and inches | Accessories claimed | 3.8 from 31 | 7.5 | about £34.99 | View offer |
On this page
Check the scale before the price
A Met Office rainfall total is a depth in millimetres. A garden cone only lines up with that number if the tube uses the same unit. The Tildenet T22 and the CKB LTD 100 cm gauge state millimetres and inches. The CKB 75 cm gauge states a maximum of 7 inches. UK reviews say the JINGEGECOME is inches only, and a UK reviewer says the ACTIMED lines are not labelled. The STOWBERRY, Thermometer World, TFA Dostmann 47.1001, KINGLAKE and EujRcf leave the unit unstated.
The Tildenet names millimetres at about £8.97. The CKB 100 cm gauge names them at about £33.95, with six ratings. An inches tube will not match a millimetre forecast.
Stake, holder, or nothing in the box
The second check is whether you can put the gauge up on the day it arrives. The TFA Dostmann 47.1001 is the clearest mismatch. One bullet says it comes with support, and another says without rod. UK reviews say there is no stem. It has 4.6 from 8,364 reviews at about £8.72, and the box still omits the stick. The KINGLAKE includes a holder and not the rod. A reviewer returned one over a missing stand. At about £6.59 it is complete only if you already own a cane.
The Tildenet does not list a bracket. The CKB 75 cm gauge has a spike or a rear slot. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects goods to match the description.
Frost, sun, and a full tube
None of these listings is a lab frost test. A reviewer says an identical KINGLAKE-style gauge cracked when rainwater froze inside it. The ACTIMED title says freeze proof, and the sampled UK reviews do not describe a freeze test. Empty a manual tube after you read it.
Tildenet reviewers say the plastic turns brittle over a few seasons. The CKB 75 cm gauge stops at 7 inches.
When the wireless console is the real upgrade
Spending about £35 is worth it in one case: you want the total indoors and you will not walk out. The Geevon is £34.99, with inches and millimetres, a claimed range of about 100 m, and 3.8 from 31 reviews. The title says grey without sensor, so check the live variant. A UK review says to bring it in if frost is likely. The split is on manual or wireless rain gauge.
Reject the missing unit before you spend more
Spend more only when the indoor total is the thing you lack. An inches tube compares one day with the next on the same gauge. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Should I buy a gauge marked in inches?
You can, if you only compare one day with the next on the same tube. The CKB 75 cm gauge, and the JINGEGECOME on UK reviews, are inches-only in this set. A UK forecast is in millimetres, so an inches tube will not match it unless you convert. The Tildenet and the CKB 100 cm listing are the rows that state millimetres. An unlabelled scale is a third case: wait until you can see the marks, or pick a listing that names them.
Does a stake come in the box?
Sometimes. The TFA Dostmann 47.1001 and the KINGLAKE expect you to supply the rod. The CKB gauges, the ACTIMED, the JINGEGECOME and the Toiclebor describe a spike, a slot or a stand. The Tildenet, Thermometer World and STOWBERRY cones do not list a bracket you can assume is there. If the copy disagrees with itself, as the TFA Dostmann support line does, treat the rod as absent until the live page and the reviews agree.
Will cheap plastic crack in a frost?
It can, if you leave water in it. A reviewer reported a KINGLAKE-style gauge cracking when the contents froze, and a Thermometer World buyer was replacing a tube that failed in a Devon winter. The ACTIMED title says freeze proof without a freeze test in the sampled UK reviews. Empty a manual gauge after you read it. A UK Geevon review says the instructions tell you to bring that collector in if frost is likely.
Is a £34 wireless gauge a better buy than a £9 cone?
Only if the indoor total is the point. The Geevon adds a display, a claimed 100 m link and self-emptying, at 3.8 from 31 reviews, with a title that says without sensor. A Tildenet or a TFA Dostmann near £9 gives you a tube you can see, with far more reviews, and a daily walk to empty it. The £33.95 CKB 100 cm gauge is not the wireless option. It is a tall manual stake with six ratings.
Can I use the reading to skip watering the pots?
Use it as one clue, not as a quota. The RHS does not set a weekly millimetre target, and 25 mm a week is not a rule from that source. One millimetre equals about a litre on a square metre, which describes the rain, not the moisture left in a pot. Check the compost. Empty the gauge so the next shower starts from zero.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings saved for this comparison. Pages were read on 19 October 2026.
- Met Office — How we measure rainfall (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Met Office WOW — Site ratings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- CEDA — Rainfall gauge catch comparison (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS — Watering (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — Check for flooding (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- UKHSA — Invasive mosquitoes and standing water (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk — Best sellers in rain gauges (retrieved 19 October 2026)