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

Bosch laser measure buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are standing in a UK hallway with a tape that needs a second pair of hands, and the amazon.co.uk shelf is full of Bosch numbers that do not describe the same job. A Bosch laser measure here is a handheld class 2 distance meter, not a cross-line laser. This guide sorts the choice by the metres you need, then DIY or Professional, then sealing and the app. Prices on 20 October 2026 run from £43.99 to £299.44. We did not run a lab test. Picks by job are on the [best Bosch laser measure](/hub/measuring-equipment/bosch-laser-rangefinder/sub/bosch-laser-rangefinder-best) page. Every row is on the [Bosch laser rangefinder comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/bosch-laser-rangefinder). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are standing in a UK hallway with a tape that needs a second pair of hands, and the amazon.co.uk shelf is full of Bosch numbers that do not describe the same job.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40-31

Best overall

Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40-31
9.6/10about £90.28
View offer
Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40

Alternative

Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40
9.2/10about £74.99
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyDistance 20

Best value

Bosch Bosch EasyDistance 20
9.2/10about £43.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are actually buying
  2. 2.Range, then line
  3. 3.Where the listing disagrees with itself
  4. 4.Sealing, spot and app
  5. 5.What to leave for the other pages

What you are actually buying

The beam is laser class 2 where Bosch states it, under 1 mW, against BS EN 60825-1. Do not call any of these tools eye-safe. Dazzle still matters if you aim near someone working at height. There is no mains plug. Power is AAA, AA, or a small rechargeable cell. A cross-line laser paints a level on a wall. These meters return one distance. Green-housing DIY tools in this set are the EasyDistance 20, the Zamo 4th generation and the UniversalDistance 40C. Blue Professional GLM tools are the rest.

Range, then line

Buy the shortest range that still covers the shot you repeat. Bosch DIY states ±3.0 mm for the EasyDistance 20, which is not the same written unit as ±3 mm/m on the listing. Forty to fifty metres is the indoor trade band: the GLM 40 at £74.99 states 0.15–40 m and ±1.5 mm, and the GLM 40-31 at £90.28 is the IP65 colour display. A stated 150 m belongs to the GLM 150-27 C at £299.44, and only if the spot itself disappears.
Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40-31

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch Professional GLM 40-31
9.6/10about £90.28
View offer

Where the listing disagrees with itself

Do not average the UniversalDistance 40C's 30 m title and 40 m bullet into 35. The amazon.co.uk price stays £69.32. On the GLM 40-31 the attribute says 24 metres, and the bullets state no range and no accuracy. Bosch Professional GB lists 0.05–40 m, 635 nm, class 2 and a typical ±1.5 mm for part 0 601 075 000. The battery-description field says Lithium-Ion while the box contains two AA cells. The GLM 50-27 C and the GLM 50-27 CG both show 4.7 from 12,691. Count that pool once.

Sealing, spot and app

IP65 means dust-tight and protected against jets, plus a stated 1.5 m drop where the listing says so. IP54 is limited dust and splashes. A water-resistant label with no IP code, where the EasyDistance sits, is weaker still. Red, where Bosch states it, is 635 nm on the DIY tools and the GLM 50-27 C, and 650 nm on the GLM 150-27 C. Green is 515 nm on the GLM 50-23 G and the GLM 50-27 CG. How far that gap is worth in pounds is the green versus red page. MeasureOn does not make the laser more accurate. AA or AAA are the predictable cells. Sun and long shots are the outdoor page.

What to leave for the other pages

This page is the filter, not the model-by-job recommendation and not a method for taking the shot. Ignore a sport-type field and a star line shared between two ASINs. If the listing's range, the batteries or the pouch do not match the parcel, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the backdrop. Photograph the conflict before you rely on the higher number.

Common questions

When do you step from Bosch DIY to a GLM?
When the bag, the stated accuracy or the working week changes. DIY here is the EasyDistance, the Zamo and the UniversalDistance, for a flat and a soft bag. A GLM is the Professional step: the GLM 40 if you want 0.15–40 m and ±1.5 mm written on the listing, an IP65 model if the housing has to survive dust and a drop. A flat measured once does not need the camera tool.
Does IP65 mean you can use it in the rain?
You can use it in dust and in water jets, which is what IP65 describes on the tools that print it. You cannot treat it as a tool you submerge, and Amazon's Waterproof word on the GLM 50-23 G does not upgrade the code. IP54 is splashes, not jets. A label that only says water resistant, with no IP code, is a weaker claim again.
Do you need MeasureOn?
Only if you already want lengths, photos and notes on a phone. The laser is no more accurate with Bluetooth. Reviews on the GLM 50-27 listings and on the UniversalDistance split between a useful plan and an app that is buggy or not worth the purchase. If a notebook is enough, buy the meter that does not charge you for the radio.
Why do two Bosch pages disagree on 30 m and 40 m?
Because the UniversalDistance 40C amazon.co.uk title says 30 m and the bullet, the attribute and Bosch DIY say 40 m. They are not two products. Read both lines, treat the title as the clash, and do not invent a third figure. The GLM 40-31 has a similar problem: Amazon's attribute says 24 metres and Bosch GB says 0.05–40 m.
What should you ignore on the Amazon attribute list?
Ignore a sport-type field, a dimension that is printed in millimetres for a tool that weighs about 150 g, and a waterproof word that sits beside an IP65 code. Ignore a review count that is identical on two ASINs. Keep the range, the accuracy, the IP code and the cells, and keep both numbers when the title and the bullet disagree.

Related pages

How to use a Bosch laser measure

Bosch laser rangefinder

Best Bosch laser measure: flat, indoor trade or sun

Bosch green laser measure vs red for a bright room

Bosch laser measure outdoors: sun and the long shot

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured with these nine listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. GOV.UK laser radiation safety advice (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE AOR employer guidance (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. SI 2010/1140 Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB GLM 40-31 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB GLM 50-27 C (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Bosch Professional GB GLM 150-27 C (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Bosch DIY GB EasyDistance 20 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Bosch GLM application overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)