The best string spirit levels, compared.
Top pick: Innovess 8-piece hanging line level Best value: Bubble Levels 7-piece hanging line level – 4.3 from 552 reviews at £5.99, against much smaller files at the same or a lower price. Updated October 2026.
A string spirit level is a short bubble vial with hooks that hangs on a taut builders' line and shows whether that line is level. You might be setting patio rails, fence posts or a shed base. What matters is whether the vials still agree on one tight line. A bench test only checks the base, not the hooks. The line must be tight enough that sag is not what the bubble reads. Hanging the whole pack adds weight and dip. It is not a drainage fall, not plumb, and not a stand-in for leads and a long spirit level on a brick course. The day-one hang test and the order of decisions are in the [string spirit level buying guide](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/string-spirit-level/sub/string-spirit-level-buying-guide). It is not a datum around a building, and it does not lay bricks by itself. Between two stakes, a line level is the instrument. For straight brick courses, buy line and pins and level the leads with a long spirit level.
A string spirit level is a short bubble vial with hooks that hangs on a taut builders' line and shows whether that line is level. You might be setting patio rails, fence posts or a shed base.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you already own a builders' line?
The Innovess pack is eight yellow ABS and acrylic line levels at £5.99, listed at 75 by 12 by 12 mm, with a hanging hook and no cord. The star line is 5.0 from only two amazon.co.uk ratings, which is not a larger sample than a 4.3 from several hundred. One of those reviews used the levels on deck side timbers and posts. The other found the yellow easy to see on the ground, and said the line is not supplied. That review also says hanging all eight will sag the line, so one or two is the hang, not the whole pack. The bullet says 6.2 g each and the item-weight field says 100 g. There is no IP rating on the listing, so outdoor suitability is not stated, and there is no millimetres-per-metre figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A yellow spare pack for a line you already own, if you hang one or two rather than the whole pack.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the cord in the box, an IP rating, or a stated mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Innovess 8-pack include the line?
No. The contents are eight string line levels. One of the two UK reviews says the line is not supplied and that the ends need solid anchors.
How much does each Innovess level weigh?
The bullet says 6.2 g each and 75 x 12 x 12 mm. The item weight field says 100 g. Those two weight figures were left as written.
Is the Innovess level rated for outdoor use?
A customer question asks about outdoor use. The listing has no IP rating, so outdoor suitability is not stated.
The Funngy pack is ten ABS line levels at £4.99, with hooks, a claimed clip and a V-groove, and no cord. The star line is 4.6 from eight amazon.co.uk ratings. The three UK texts in the file call them pocket-sized, a nice brick tool, and useful and durable. Those three sentences name no fault and no measurement, so the 4.6 is not a checked accuracy. There is no model number, no single colour, and no millimetres-per-metre figure. The pack dimensions are 13.6 by 10.4 by 2.9 cm and the weight line says 50 g, while the size of each level is not stated. Ten pieces at the joint lowest price here are spares if you already own a line and you hang-test them.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large spare pack of ABS hook levels if you already have a line and you do not need a review sample.
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a stated size, a stated colour, or more than three UK review sentences.
Specifications
Common questions
How many levels are in the Funngy pack?
The title and the bullets say 10. There is no Number of Items field and no model number. The pack dimensions are 13.6 x 10.4 x 2.9 cm and the weight line says 50 g.
Does Funngy include a line?
No. The bullets describe hooks for a builder's line, a clothing clip and a V-groove for pipes. The cord is not in the box.
What do the UK reviews say is wrong with Funngy?
The three UK texts on the listing do not name a fault. They say pocket size, a nice brick tool, and useful and durable. The listing is 4.6 from 8 ratings.
The Presch pair, model 10211, is two plastic line levels at £11.99, with counter hooks, a flat underside and a V-groove, and no cord in the box. It is 4.3 from 704 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest count in this set, and it is also the highest level-only price here. UK texts use the pair for paving, a shed base and picture hanging, and the bullets say the flat base works without a string. In the first 50 UK texts, one reviewer shows one bubble centred and the other off to the right, so the two pieces still need a side-by-side check before you build to either. Several reviews say the levels are smaller than the photographs. The listing says 8 cm by 3.5 cm and 10 g, while one review weighs them at 5.8 g each, and the unit-count field says 1.0 against two levels. There is no millimetres-per-metre figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A two-piece line level with a flat base if you want hooks and a surface vial, and you will compare the pair.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a cord in the box, a metal body, or a stated mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the Presch level be used without a string?
The bullets say yes. They cite a flat underside, and a V-groove for round surfaces. The same listing is built to hang from counter hooks. There is no cord in the box.
Do the two Presch levels agree?
Not in every UK review. In the first 50 texts, one reviewer shows one bubble centred and the other off to the right. Other reviews call the pair accurate for paving and a shed base.
What size is the Presch line level?
The listing says 8 cm by 3.5 cm and 10 g. Several of the 50 UK texts say the pieces are smaller than the photographs. One review says 5.8 g each.
The Bubble Levels pack is seven red ABS line levels at £5.99, with moulded hooks, a clip and a V-groove, and no cord. It is 4.3 from 552 amazon.co.uk reviews, the second-largest count in this set, at the same shelf price as several much smaller files. UK texts describe fences, a patio and a retaining wall. Many of the first 50 UK texts say the vials in the pack do not agree, with reviewers keeping three of seven, four of seven, or one of seven that matched. Hooks are called too shallow to stay on the line, and the same sample reports snapped clips, snapped hook seats and a piece chipped on arrival. The bullets say a British company and the country-of-origin field says China. There is no millimetres-per-metre figure, and the level length is not stated. Sort the vials that agree and hang one, rather than the pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A widely reviewed red plastic pack for a line you already own, if you sort the vials that agree.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs every piece in the pack to match, or a stated mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Do Bubble Levels include a builders line?
No. The pack is seven red plastic levels. Hooks, a clip and a V-groove are claimed. You supply the line.
Are Bubble Levels weatherproof?
A customer question asks if they are weatherproof. The listing has no IP rating, so weatherproofing is not stated.
Do UK reviews say the seven vials agree?
Not as a pack. In the first 50 UK texts, reviewers report three of seven, four of seven, or one of seven reading differently. Some reviews say the ones they kept did agree.
The Vnuipofa pair is two aluminium hanging levels at £6.96, the only metal body in this set, with moulded hooks the bullets say are shaped to limit line sag. The listing is 4.2 from three amazon.co.uk ratings, and the only UK review text is the word Excellent. There is no length on the listing and no millimetres-per-metre figure. The units field says feet and inches, which is not an accuracy claim. The material field says aluminium and the listing weight is 10 g for the pair. No cord is included. A metal body here is not a published accuracy, and three ratings do not outrank a 4.3 from several hundred plastic levels.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A two-piece aluminium line level if you want a metal body and you already have a line.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stated length, a stated mm/m figure, or a review sample larger than three ratings.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the Vnuipofa levels plastic?
No. The material field says aluminium. The listing weight is 10 g for the pair, and there is no length.
Does the Vnuipofa pair include a line?
No. Included Components says String Line Level, and the title is a 2-piece level pack.
What accuracy does Vnuipofa state?
None in millimetres per metre. The units field says feet and inches. That is not an accuracy figure.
The TXXATX pack is seven red ABS line levels at £5.98, model JF-168, with a hook and a claimed clothing clip, and no builders' line in the box. Across 98 amazon.co.uk reviews the listing sits at 4.1, and UK texts describe patio work where the line was easier to level once a vial was hung on it. The bullets give each piece as 75 by 12.3 mm, while the dimensions field says 7.5 by 7.5 cm, so those two sizes cannot be treated as one checked measurement. UK review texts say the vials in the pack do not agree with each other. One reviewer filed and glued a poorly seated vial. The material field says ABS plastic, the listing weight is 50 g, and the included-components field says no even though the title is a seven-pack. There is no millimetres-per-metre figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare pack of red plastic line levels if you already have a line and you will hang-test them on day one.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stated mm/m figure, a metal body, or a cord in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the TXXATX 7-pack include a builders line?
No. The listing is seven red ABS levels. The Included Components field says no. You need your own line.
What size is each TXXATX level?
The bullets say 75 x 12.3 mm. The dimensions field says 7.5 cm by 7.5 cm. Both figures are on the listing and they were not merged.
Are the TXXATX levels metal?
No. The material field says ABS plastic. A customer question asks if they are metal, and the specs do not say yes.
The LSGZJZY box is a nylon line plus five line levels at £10.39, and UK reviews used the line on fences. The star line is 4.0 from 41 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets say 304.8 metres, which is 1,000 feet, of 2 mm cord, while the model number says 656 ft and ends in blk. The colour field and the title say red, a bullet says bright green, and the item-diameter field says 50.8 mm against that 2 mm bullet. UK reviews call the cord too thin to hold tension, so the reel has to be judged apart from the bubbles. One UK review says every level gave a different reading on a flat surface. The item-count field says 7 against a bullet list of cord and five levels. There is no millimetres-per-metre figure on the vials.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants cord and vials together and will judge the reel separately from the bubbles.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a stated heavy cord, an agreed colour, or an mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the LSGZJZY line?
The bullets say 304.8 metres, which is 1000 feet. The model number says 656 ft. Item length says 30400 centimetres and the unit count says 304.0 metres. Those figures were not merged.
What colour is the LSGZJZY cord?
The colour field and the title say red. A bullet says bright green. The model number ends in blk. The listing does not pick one.
Do the LSGZJZY levels agree with each other?
One UK review says every level gave a different reading on a flat surface. Other UK texts call the levels useful. There is no mm/m figure.
The Hezee pack is five hanging levels with hooks at £4.99, and the listing does not name a material, a colour or a size. The star line is 4.0 from two amazon.co.uk ratings. One review found them handy for fencing, brickwork and posts. Hung on one tight line, that reviewer found the vials wildly different, and a bench test on the back did not match the hook reading. The listing weight is 29 g and there is no cord. A pack whose hooks disagree is not a set of readings you should average. The bullets claim a sliding passage and a solid casing, without saying what the casing is.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A five-pack of hook levels for fence or garden lines, if you hang-test them and keep one per line.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a named material, a colour, or vials that the two UK texts show agreeing on the hooks.
Specifications
Common questions
What are the Hezee levels made of?
The listing does not name a plastic or a metal. The bullets say a solid casing. The material is not stated.
Should you test Hezee levels on a bench?
One UK review lined them up on a bench and then found they disagreed when hung from the hooks. That review says the bench check did not test the hooks.
Does the Hezee pack include a line?
No. The contents are five small spirit levels. The listing weight is 29 g.
The FengXKYuan kit is a handled reel of orange nylon plus six mini levels, at £13.13, with a stated length of 165 m and a stated diameter of 1.7 mm. The star line is 4.0 from two amazon.co.uk ratings. A UK fence review found the string reasonably robust. The line-weight field says Heavy beside that 1.7 mm diameter, and the unit-count field says 7.0 metres against the 165 m length. One of the two UK reviews says one level arrived broken because the six were loose in the parcel. The same review says the reel has no end flanges and a V-notch that is too wide, so the string falls out, and that reviewer looped the string around the reel instead. There is no millimetres-per-metre figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A long orange line with spare mini levels, if you can accept a 1.7 mm cord and a reel a reviewer had to improvise.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a reel that locks the line, or a stated mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick is the FengXKYuan line?
The diameter field says 1.7 mm. The line-weight field says Heavy. A UK review describes orange twine on a small reel. The two catalogue words were not merged.
Does the FengXKYuan reel hold the line?
The bullets claim a non-slip handle. One UK review says there are no end flanges and the V-notch is too wide, so the string falls out. That reviewer looped the string around the reel instead.
Did both FengXKYuan reviews get six working levels?
No. One of the two UK reviews says one level was broken in transit because the six were loose in the parcel. The other review used the mini levels on a border and does not mention a break.
The ZALAOR pack is seven red plastic mini levels, listed at 75 by 12 mm, for £5.29, which is the lowest level-only price in this set. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.8 from 12 ratings, too small a file to treat as a settled score. UK texts say the hooks attach securely and that the bubble can be read over a large area. One UK review says the bubble moves when the level is turned around, so a reverse check is part of using this pack. The bullet range of 0–10 mm is not defined as millimetres per metre, and there is no millimetres-per-metre figure. The included-components field names the string line level only, with no case and no cord. The listing weight is 10 g.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap red plastic spare pack if you already own a line and you will reverse-check the vial.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a case, a cord, or a published mm/m figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the ZALAOR pack come with a case?
The Included Components field says String Line Level only. A case is not listed. A customer question asks about a case and the specs do not answer yes.
What does the 0-10 mm range on the ZALAOR listing mean?
The bullet says a measurement range of 0-10 mm and does not say whether that is vial travel or accuracy. There is no mm/m figure.
How many ZALAOR levels are in the box?
The title and the bullets say seven red mini levels, 75 x 12 mm. There is no separate Number of Items field.
Ten amazon.co.uk listings were scored on 16 October 2026 from the shelf price, the star line and the details on each page. Stars count up to 35, review volume up to 25, the listing up to 20, UK fit up to 10 and price up to 10. Points come off for fewer than 20 reviews, vials that disagree, snapped hooks or a cord that reviews call too thin. There was no hanging test and no laboratory score. None of the ten listings states millimetres per metre, so that listing point is zero on every row. A 5.0 from two reviews does not outrank a 4.3 from several hundred.
Stars
35%Amazon stars on that amazon.co.uk listing, scaled to 35 points. Half up from (stars ÷ 5) × 35. The star line is not multiplied by 20 to invent the editorial score.
Review volume
25%500 or more ratings score 25, 50–499 score 12, 20–49 score 6, and 1–19 score 2. A large file outweighs a perfect line from two ratings.
Listing
20%Material, a size that is stated and not contradicted, hooks, a flat base or V-groove, and no clash on length, colour, weight, diameter or count. A stated mm/m figure would score here. None of these ten has one.
UK fit
10%A review that names a job, such as a patio, fence, deck, paving, shed or brickwork, scores more than vague praise. A stated colour helps. Repeated arrival damage does not.
Price
10%Shelf price in GBP against review volume. A level-only pack under £7 with 500 or more reviews scores highest. A cheap pack with fewer than 20 reviews does not.
Choose the job first, then check that the vials agree on a tight line. Hooks, cord and a published millimetres-per-metre figure come after that. The price band is last. The notes below follow that order. They do not turn a star rating into a laboratory result.
A string spirit level, also called a line level, is a short bubble vial with hooks. You hang it on a taut builders' line between two stakes, and the bubble shows whether that line is level. It checks one cord. It is not a datum around a building, and it does not lay bricks by itself. Start with the job. Between two stakes, a line level is the instrument. For straight brick courses, buy line and pins and level the leads with a long spirit level.
One light level is the hang. An Innovess review says hanging all eight will sag the line. Extra weight is dip, and the bubble will read that dip.
A bench test checks the base, not the hooks. A Hezee review found the vials closer on a bench and wildly different once they were hung. If they disagree on the line, do not average them.
A centred bubble is level, which is zero fall. It is not 1:40 or 1:80, and it is not plumb. Do not push bricks into the line. Do not leave lines across walkways.
Between two stakes, buy a line level. For straight brick courses, buy line and pins and level the leads with a long spirit level. The line is the straight-edge. The vial is optional. For a datum around a building, use an optical level or a rotary laser. For a shelf, use a torpedo on the shelf. A centred bubble does not set a drain fall and does not plumb a wall. On day one, hang two or three pieces on one tight line. If the bubbles disagree, the pack is not a level you should build to.
Hooks must seat on the cord you use, and the body must be light enough not to sag the line. Several listings are about 75 mm long. One light level is enough. Hanging the whole pack adds weight and dip. Bubble Levels reviews call the hooks too shallow to stay on the line, and the same sample reports snapped clips and hook seats. Vnuipofa is the only aluminium body here, at £6.96, with no length and no millimetres-per-metre figure. A metal body is not a published accuracy.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need one checked vial and a tight line between two stakes. Presch is the pair with the largest review file, a flat base and counter hooks, at £11.99. Hang both on day one. UK texts show the two vials do not always agree, and there is no millimetres-per-metre figure.
Straight courses come from a line and pins between leads that you have already levelled with a long spirit level. The vial is a check, and you may not need it. If you want a spare hook level with a large review file at a lower price, Bubble Levels is £5.99. Sort the vials that agree and hang one.
You do not own a builders' line, so the cord is the main object and the bubbles are separate. LSGZJZY is the kit with a review file you can read, 4.0 from 41 ratings at £10.39. UK reviews call the cord too thin to hold tension. Judge the reel apart from the vials.
Presch, model 10211, is the top pick: 4.3 from 704 amazon.co.uk reviews at £11.99, with counter hooks, a flat base and a V-groove. The two vials do not always agree, several reviews say the pieces look smaller than the photos, and there is no millimetres-per-metre figure. Bubble Levels is the best value at the same 4.3, from 552 reviews, at £5.99. Funngy and Hezee are £4.99 and score lower, on eight and two ratings. The other eight listings have no award. Hang-test whatever you buy. Do not treat a centred bubble as a drain fall.
Bubble Levels 7-piece hanging line level
4.3 from 552 reviews at £5.99, against much smaller files at the same or a lower price.
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 in the research digest, checked on 16 October 2026. Shelf prices can change.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings checked for this comparison. We did not hang-test these levels in a lab.
