Best 5m tape measure UK
Updated: 22 October 2026
The best 5m tape measure UK shoppers can pick from this comparison depends on the job in your hand, not on a single star rating. A £2.38 pocket tape and a 32 mm blade for working alone are both best for someone, and they fail for someone else. This page names who each listing is for, and who should leave it on the shelf. It does not teach you to read millimetres, and it does not quote the Class II formula. Those sit in the [5 m tape measure buying guide](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/tape-measure-5m/sub/tape-measure-5m-buying-guide). Prices, widths, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the [Tape measure 5m comparison](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/tape-measure-5m). Products Compared editorial team, 20 October 2026. We compared listings and the review notes in those files. We did not run a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The best 5m tape measure UK shoppers can pick from this comparison depends on the job in your hand, not on a single star rating.
The best 5m tape measure UK shoppers can pick from this comparison depends on the job in your hand, not on a single star rating. A £2.38 pocket tape and a 32 mm blade for working alone are both best for someone, and they fail for someone else. This page names who each listing is for, and who should leave it on the shelf. It does not teach you to read millimetres, and it does not quote the Class II formula. Those sit in the 5 m tape measure buying guide. Prices, widths, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the Tape measure 5m comparison. Products Compared editorial team, 20 October 2026. We compared listings and the review notes in those files. We did not run a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Blade width | Standout | Hook | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  OX OX Trade 5 m twin pack | 25 mm, two tapes | n/a | End hook, no magnet claimed | 9.0 | about £9.00 | View offer |
 Stanley Stanley FatMax 0-33-719, 5 m | 32 mm | 3.3 m | Magnet disputed by reviews | 9.1 | about £14.42 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Stanley Stanley FatMax FMHT0-33864, 5 m | 32 mm | n/a | Magnetic in the bullets | 8.2 | about £20.72 | View offer |
On this page
A light 5 m tape for the drawer
For occasional DIY, the light tapes are the Rolson 50535 and the Stanley Powerlock 0-33-553, with Amazon Basics as a third drawer option you have to check. The Rolson is £2.38, 5 m by 19 mm, 181 g, with an auto lock and a wrist strap. amazon.co.uk shows 4.4 from 13,831 reviews. Many of the first 50 call it fine for light DIY. Separate reviews say it broke within a minute, after a month, or after about five months, and one pair disagreed by about 1.8 mm at 5 m. The accuracy field says High, which is not a class. Skip it if you are setting out a room on your own.
The Powerlock 0-33-553 is £9.51, also 19 mm, 209 g, and the bullets say metric and imperial. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 1,931 reviews. A review describes red marks at each 10 cm and each 12 in. The case field says plastic and the bullets say chrome; reviews say the chrome look is plastic. It is still a 19 mm blade. Do not ask it to stand across a room. Amazon Basics is £3.50, 4.6 from 10,372 reviews, with a self-lock. The title says 5 m and the blade-length field says 16 feet. Skip it if the listing and the blade must tell the same length story before you pay. G4GADGET at £4.99 claims dual scales and a 2.8 m standout. That is a listing to confirm, not a short-list pick.
A wide blade when you work alone
When you hook the far end and read the near end yourself, the short list is the Stanley FatMax 0-33-719, with the metric FatMax 0-33-720 if you already know you do not want inches. The 0-33-719 is £14.42. The title states 32 mm, Class II, and 3.3 m standout. The case is plastic and the weight is 390 g. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 4,740 reviews. Reviews praise the standout and also call the tape heavy, bulky, and the lock stiff. In this comparison it is the top pick for measuring alone, because the width, the class, and a plausible standout are on the listing. It is not the best value. The OX twin pack is cheaper per tape and does not claim that standout.
The title of 0-33-719 says Magnetic Hook End. Many of the first 50 reviews say the hook is not magnetic. Buy it for the 32 mm blade and the Class II line, and treat the magnet word as a title the reviews reject. The FatMax 0-33-720 is £16.52, also 32 mm and Class 2, at 380 g. The item name says metric, and reviews say there are no inch marks and no magnet. The bullets say the blade stays rigid up to 3.3 m, and the highlight says 4.2 m reach. Skip it if your timber list is in inches. Both tapes are bulky next to a 19 mm Powerlock. That bulk is the point, until a 390 g tape is the one you leave in the van.
When the hook has to stick
A magnet earns its place on steel studs, pipe, a radiator bracket, or a lintel. It does nothing for timber. Two listings in this set describe a magnetic hook in the bullets, and a third only says so in the title. The full split is on the magnetic or plain hook page.
The Stanley FatMax FMHT0-33864 is £20.72, 32 mm, metric only, 390 g. The bullets describe a magnetic end hook. The accuracy field says ±0.5 mm to 1 m, not a figure at 5 m. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 1,962 reviews. Reviews praise a strong magnet when it is fitted, and they also say the magnet comes off or is missing. Skip it if you need inches. The Milwaukee 4932498769 is £17.99, 30 mm, 410 g, and the bullets say a strong magnetic end hook and 4.5 m standout. amazon.co.uk shows 4.7 from 44 reviews. The accuracy field says 2, which is not Class II. A 4.7 on 44 ratings is a thinner file than a 4.6 on 4,740. The OX Trade twin pack is the spare, not the magnet: £9.00 for two 25 mm tapes, Class 2, 4.6 from 11,418 reviews. The title says metric and imperial. Several of the first 50 reviews say metric only. Skip the pair if you needed a 32 mm blade for working alone.
Who should skip the dearest row
The Stanley FatMax Xtreme FMHT38215-5 is £21.50, the highest price in the file, at 450 g. amazon.co.uk shows 4.0 from 34 reviews. The accuracy field says ±1.6 mm over 5 m. Almost everything else on the listing argues with itself. One bullet says 11 metre maximum reach on a 5 m/16 ft title. A 5 m blade cannot extend to 11 m. The blade-width field says 1.5 cm. Some reviews say it lasts longer than cheaper tapes. Others say the end snapped within two months.
Skip this row if you need a clean spec sheet. The millimetre tolerance does not repair an 11 m bullet or a 34-review file at the top of the price list. There is also a row, B0009VX200, that is only an amazon.co.uk URL in the saved listing. No title, no price, no stars. Do not treat a bare ASIN as a pick. If your short list is now pocket, solo wide blade, or a magnet the reviews support, the comparison table is where those three jobs sit side by side.
Common questions
Which 5 m tape is best for occasional DIY?
For a drawer, the Rolson 50535 at £2.38 is the cheap 19 mm tape, with snaps in the reviews, and the Powerlock 0-33-553 at £9.51 is the named 19 mm tape whose bullets claim metric and imperial. Amazon Basics at £3.50 has the larger 4.6-star file and a length field that says 16 feet against a 5 m title. None of them is the tape for a room you measure alone. Occasional means short pulls and a blade you can afford to replace.
Which one is for measuring alone?
The FatMax 0-33-719 at £14.42, 32 mm, Class II, with 3.3 m standout in the title and 4.6 from 4,740 reviews. Reviews praise that reach and also call it bulky. The FatMax 0-33-720 is the metric-only alternative at £16.52, with 3.3 m and 4.2 m both printed. A 19 mm tape is the wrong tool for this job, however many stars it has.
Is the FatMax 0-33-719 actually magnetic?
The title says Magnetic Hook End. Many of the first 50 reviews say the hook is not magnetic. Buy 0-33-719 for the 32 mm Class II blade, not for steel studs. The listing that describes a magnetic hook in the bullets, and whose reviews both praise and lose that magnet, is FMHT0-33864 at £20.72.
Is the Milwaukee better because it scores 4.7?
No. It is 4.7 from 44 reviews, against 4.6 from 4,740 on the FatMax 0-33-719 and 4.6 from 11,418 on the OX pack. The accuracy field says 2, not Class II. One review describes the blade collapsing around 350 cm, short of the 4.5 m standout in the bullets. Higher stars on a small file are not more evidence.
Is the OX twin pack two tapes or one?
Two. The price is £9.00, the included-components line says a twin pack, and the weight is 520 g. Each blade is 25 mm and the accuracy field says Class 2. You are not getting one 32 mm tape. You are getting a pair, and reviews dispute the dual scale the title claims.
Why is the Xtreme 4.0 from only 34 reviews at the top price?
Because the listing is the dearest and the least settled. £21.50, 4.0 from 34 reviews, a 1.5 cm width field, and an 11 m reach bullet on a 5 m title. A few reviews say it outlasts cheaper tapes, and others say the end snapped within two months. Price is not a proxy for a clean specification.
What should I skip if I need inches?
Skip the FatMax 0-33-720 and FMHT0-33864. Their item names are metric only, and reviews say there are no imperial marks. The Powerlock bullets claim both scales. Amazon Basics and G4GADGET claim both in the bullets. The OX title claims both, and several reviews say metric only, so check the blade. The Rolson scales are not stated in the file.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the digest first, then the Stanley pages. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The score method is dated 20 October 2026. The digest notes a 19 October 2026 scrape. This is not a laboratory test.
- Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016, Schedule 1I (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016: Great Britain (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, weights and measures business guidance (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Stanley UK, FatMax 5 m magnetic FMHT0-33864 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- The Tape Store, how to read a tape measure (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- The Tape Store, taking care of a tape (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- UK Metric Association, dual measuring tapes (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Stanley support, why the hook moves (retrieved 20 October 2026)