Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Depth gauge buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are looking at amazon.co.uk and every title says depth gauge, yet the photos are not the same tool. One is a short rule in a hardened head, one is a 200 mm vernier, three are stainless digitals, and one is a plastic jaw that straddles a fence. This depth gauge buying guide puts those shapes in the order you should decide them, using the seven listings in the [depth gauge comparison](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/depth-gauge), priced on 20 October 2026. Peter F. read those amazon.co.uk pages and the UK review notes in the files. He did not calibrate a gauge in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at amazon.co.uk and every title says depth gauge, yet the photos are not the same tool.

Our top picks

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60

Best overall

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60
9.4/10about £19.49
View offer
PRAZTECH PRAZTECH 150 mm rule-head

Best value

PRAZTECH PRAZTECH 150 mm rule-head
7.7/10about £8.99
View offer
KATSU Tools KATSU 200 mm vernier

Alternative

KATSU Tools KATSU 200 mm vernier
7.3/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Four shapes, not one tool
  2. 2.Battery only after the shape fits
  3. 3.Range, and what the accuracy line is
  4. 4.What this batch can and cannot decide
  5. 5.Shape first, then the claim

Four shapes, not one tool

Start with the surface you are measuring against, because the base is the part that makes the number mean anything. A rule-head, the PRAZTECH at £8.99 and the MachEl at £13.10, slides a 150 mm rule through a hardened head. The KATSU vernier at £11.99 uses a wider head and a 200 mm beam on steps a caliper rod cannot span. Cetornie, EETU and the DML add a screen. The Trend GAUGE/D60 at £19.49 is the odd one out: a 60 mm jaw for a router opening or a saw fence. A hole wants a beam that sits flat. Cutter height wants the jaw. A gap of about 18 mm that one UK buyer could not straddle is on the router table depth gauge page.

Battery only after the shape fits

PRAZTECH, MachEl and KATSU claim no cell. The digitals add one. DML's bullets say two LR44 cells and the battery field says one. EETU's three UK reviews say no battery arrived, and one CR2032 did not fit the slot. Cetornie does not name a cell at all. A flat cell in a cold shed still blanks the screen. KATSU against DML is the vernier or digital depth gauge page.
Trend Trend GAUGE/D60

Testsieger

Trend Trend GAUGE/D60
9.4/10about £19.49
View offer

Range, and what the accuracy line is

Five listings stop at 150 mm: PRAZTECH, MachEl, Cetornie, EETU and DML. KATSU is the only 0–200 mm beam. Trend's range is 80 mm. The 60 mm figure is the jaw, not the depth, and the pin is 50.8 mm on the maker's page, 50 mm on Amazon's bullet. Accuracy here is a seller's sentence. KATSU prints ±0.02 mm, and UK reviews include gauges 0.12 mm and 0.3 mm off zero. DML separates resolution 0.01 mm from accuracy 0.02 mm. EETU's 0.01 mm is a step, not a proved limit. Trend's bullet says 0.08 mm and the UK page says ±0.1 mm. Do not average them. None of the seven shows a BS EN ISO 13385-2:2020 certificate, and a home flat-plate check is not a UKAS calibration.

What this batch can and cannot decide

DML, at £32.99 with 4.5 from 47 reviews, is the stainless digital that writes resolution, a separate accuracy, a 100 mm base and a case on one page. Trend, 4.5 from 1,141, is the review file for a router or saw bench, plastic and a fragile lock included. PRAZTECH at £8.99, 4.5 from 18, is the battery-free dual-scale head: two UK texts say it does the job, and one slide needed silicone spray. The listed 9.07 g is not a mass to set beside the 180 g DML. MachEl is 5.0 from 3 with no review text, and marks at 15, 30 and 45 degrees are not a protractor. Cetornie's texts are not marked United Kingdom. KATSU's rank 5 in Depth Gauges is Amazon's list, not a zero check.

Shape first, then the claim

Choose the jaw when you must span a fence, and a beam when you need the floor of a hole. Buy 200 mm only when the step is deeper than 150 mm and you will check zero. Treat every accuracy figure on these titles as the seller's sentence until you have seated the base on a flat you trust. If the gauge is already in your hand and the number looks wrong, that is a setup problem, not another model.

Common questions

Do I need a jaw or a beam?
You need a jaw when the reference is a fence, a router opening or a saw plate. In this batch that is the Trend, a 60 mm jaw and an 80 mm range. You need a beam for the floor of a hole, a rebate or a step. A beam will not straddle a fence cheek, and a 60 mm jaw will not drop into a narrow gap.
Is 150 mm enough, or do I want 200 mm?
150 mm covers PRAZTECH, MachEl, Cetornie, EETU and DML, which is enough for most cabinet rebates. Buy the KATSU's 200 mm when the step is deeper than that and you will check a vernier zero. Trend's 80 mm is for cutter height and fence backset, not a deep mortice.
What does 0.02 mm on a title actually mean?
It is the seller's accuracy claim, not a certificate and not the smallest step on the scale. DML states both: resolution 0.01 mm and accuracy 0.02 mm. KATSU states ±0.02 mm, and UK reviews include gauges 0.12 mm and 0.3 mm off zero. Hold the claim against the description.
Which listings have no battery?
PRAZTECH, MachEl and KATSU are the battery-free gauges in this set. DML names LR44 cells and says they are supplied, though the bullets and the battery field disagree on one cell or two. EETU's UK reviews say the battery was missing. Cetornie does not name a cell. Trend's maker page names a CR2032. The Amazon spec block for the Trend does not.
Can I use any of these for tyre tread?
No. Car, light van and light trailer tyres need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters and around the whole tyre, and that check uses a tyre gauge. These seven listings are workshop depth gauges. A chainsaw raker gauge is a different product as well.

Related pages

Best depth gauge

Depth gauge

How to use a depth gauge: one reading, not a slant

Router table depth gauge for cutter height and fence

Vernier or digital depth gauge: parallax or a cell

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.

  1. ISO 13385-2:2020, calliper depth gauges (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. BSI BS EN ISO 13385-2:2020 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. ISO 13385-2:2020 preview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Trend GAUGE/D60, UK product page (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Cutwel, depth gauges guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Mitutoyo depth-gauge manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 20 October 2026)