The best cable detectors, compared.
Top pick: Aquota NS-850 Best value: FOLAI TH550 – Best value for a stated 85–240 V window to 2 inches at about £20.99, with 4.1 from 8,014 reviews. Not the highest score. The battery line is disputed in UK reviews. Updated October 2026.
A cable detector is usually a battery wall scanner you hold against plasterboard before you drill. It looks for timber studs, metal, and the field from a live single-phase cable. A second kind is a tone-and-probe for a dead wire, such as a garden boundary cable, and that tool must stay off live mains. A locator and signal generator for excavation is a third class. It is not what a shelf needs. You recognise a suitable scanner by a stated live-cable depth, a separate AC mode, a named cell, and simple plasterboard on timber studs. Foil-backed board, dot-and-dab, lath and plaster, and solid masonry confuse this class. Silence is not an empty bay. The Health and Safety Executive says some detectors miss a low-current wire, and a cable within 50 mm of the surface still belongs in a prescribed zone or under mechanical protection. Those checks are in the [cable detector before drilling](/hub/measuring-equipment/cable-detector/sub/cable-detector-before-drilling) guide. UK mains are 230 V at 50 Hz. These tools run on their own cells.
A cable detector is usually a battery wall scanner you hold against plasterboard before you drill. It looks for timber studs, metal, and the field from a live single-phase cable.
42 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you trying to find?
The Aquota NS-850 is an orange scanner at £24.99 whose bullet lists seven jobs: stud scan, metal scan, live AC, nail detection, a nail-collection reminder, a bubble level, and a backlit display. Deep, middle, and exact modes are named with no millimetres and no voltage. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.7 from 7 reviews, and six texts are in the file, all positive, with no criticism and no defect. Those notes mention a clear LCD, and use on TVs, shelves, cables, and pipes in a new home, and one says batteries were included, which is not what the components line says. The listing asks whether a manual is included and does not answer. A 4.7 from seven happy texts cannot outrank a scanner whose file includes the misses. The score stays at 37 because the sample is thin and the depths are blank.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a level and a mode screen, and you will not treat 4.7 from 7 reviews as a finished test.
Less suitable: You are choosing the highest stars in the set, or you need a stated depth.
Specifications
Common questions
What are the seven functions?
The bullet lists stud scan, metal scan, AC live wire, nail detection, a nail-collection reminder, a bubble level, and a backlit display.
Does it state a detection depth?
No. It names deep, middle, and exact modes and does not give millimetres.
Is a manual listed?
The listing asks whether a user manual is included and the spec block does not answer. Included components say stud finder.
The FOLAI 550-BX is a blue five-mode scanner at £19.99 with stud steps at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 inch, a separate metal scan, and an AC warning that also runs inside the stud and metal modes. The listing line is 4.4 from 1,315 reviews. In the captured file the early blocks are United Kingdom and describe this scanner, about 24 of them, and the later blocks are United States reviews of a digital angle finder, which do not belong to this tool. UK notes praise the LCD and the beep before a shelf or a TV bracket when it behaves. The same notes call AC detection useless on a known live cable a centimetre or two down, or describe a beep everywhere, including off the wall. Units that would not power on, a flashing LCD until the button is held, and a loose part clunking inside are in that UK set. An AC depth is not stated, the box contents are unpublished, and one attribute says batteries are not required while the power line still says battery powered.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want three stud depths on painted plasterboard, and you will test the AC warning on a cable you already know.
Less suitable: You are buying it for the live-cable mode, or you will read the 4.4 line as 1,315 reviews of this scanner alone.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 550-BX have a pipe mode?
No. The bullet says metal pipes can show up in metal mode, and that there is no dedicated pipe positioning.
How do you calibrate it?
The listing says it calibrates when it touches the wall, and that a side button can calibrate manually for thick walls.
Are batteries required?
The power attribute says battery powered, and a second attribute says batteries are not required. The cell type and the box contents are not stated.
The Maxesla TH810-5 is an orange scanner at £16.99 that states stud steps of 13 mm, 25 mm, and 38 mm through one layer, metal pipe to 60 mm, and 85–240 V live lines to 51 mm, with a backlit LCD and a beep. The package bullet includes a 9 V battery and a manual, while another attribute says batteries are not required. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 9 reviews, and six texts are in the file. Those notes match known studs and wires around one house, put a TV on a stud, and use the screen for a picture rail. The criticisms stay mild: works but not brilliantly, and fairly good as a metal detector, with no repeated defect. Nine reviews are too few to show the misses that appear in the files of several thousand. The millimetre depths are the clearest cheap spec sheet in the set, and the thin sample is why the score stays at 49.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want millimetre depths at £16.99, and you will not treat nine reviews as a long test.
Less suitable: You want a review file large enough to include the complaints, or a battery line that does not contradict itself.
Specifications
Common questions
Which depths are actually in millimetres?
The bullet gives stud steps of 13 mm, 25 mm, and 38 mm, metal to 60 mm, and live lines to 51 mm, each with an inch equivalent.
Is a battery in the box?
The package bullet includes a 9 V battery and a manual. Another attribute says batteries are not required.
Does it claim plasterboard?
Yes. The bullet names drywall, lath, ceiling, plasterboard, and wallboard. Six review texts are in the file, against a listing count of 9.
The FOLAI TH550, model 550B, is a five-mode scanner at £20.99 that states wooden beams to 1.5 inches, metal pipe to 3 inches, and 85–240 V AC to 2 inches, with a graphic LCD and a beep. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.1 from 8,014 reviews, and the first 50 texts are marked United Kingdom. Buyers use it for TV brackets and shelves on hollow plasterboard once it is flat and the scan button has been held for the 1–2 seconds the listing asks. The same reviews say the calibration does not hold if you lift it off the wall, and that AC can read a whole wall as live, change on the next pass, or miss a known 240 V cable. One review reports drilling into a live wire after a miss, and foil-backed plasterboard is named as a wall that defeats the stud scan. The feature bullet says a new 9 V battery is included, while UK texts describe a dead sealed cell, a missing cell, and a unit that would not turn on. Among scanners here that print a voltage window and have thousands of reviews, it is the best value at this shelf price. Those battery and AC notes are why the score stays at 63, one point behind the Mecurate.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated voltage window on plasterboard, and you will fit a fresh 9 V cell before the first pass.
Less suitable: You want the listing and the box to agree about the battery, or the wall is foil-backed.
Specifications
Common questions
What voltage does the TH550 claim to see?
The bullet says 85 to 240 volts AC, up to 2 inches. Metal pipes are a separate mode, up to 3 inches.
Is a battery included?
The feature text says a new 9 V battery. UK reviews disagree: a dead sealed cell, a missing cell, and a unit that would not turn on.
Does it keep its calibration?
The listing says hold the scan button for 1 to 2 seconds. Reviews say you must calibrate again if you lift it off the wall.
The HANMATEK SF1 is a four-function scanner at £26.99 that states an exact mode to 20 mm and iron in normal mode to 120 mm, with an LCD for mode, depth, signal, battery, and centre. The 120 mm figure is an iron claim, not a live-cable depth, and AC wires are named without that figure. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.0 from 8,439 reviews, and the first 50 texts are marked United Kingdom. Those notes find known sockets, copper pipes, and ceiling joists on simple plasterboard, and one says a live wire was easier to see with a load on the circuit. The same file describes an AC beep on the user’s leg or across a whole wall, a marked stud that was not there when drilled, and a false pipe reading followed by an empty cut. The supplied cell is reported dead, or flat within about 30 minutes, the battery type is not in the bullets, and the unit switches off after 5 minutes. IP66 is stated on the listing. Calibrating on the target makes it beep everywhere, which is the warning the bullet already prints.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a depth number on simple plasterboard, and you will read 120 mm as iron only.
Less suitable: You are buying the 120 mm line as a cable depth, or you need the battery type printed on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Is 120 mm a live-cable depth?
No. The bullet says exact mode measures to 20 mm, and normal mode measures iron to 120 mm. AC wires are named without that depth.
How should you calibrate the SF1?
Press the metal button with no nails, AC wires, or metal under the sensor. The bullet says otherwise the result is inaccurate.
What is the IP rating?
The listing states IP66. It also says the unit switches off after 5 minutes without use.
The Wenleer is a red five-mode scanner at £21.99 that states StudScan to 1.5 inches, metal pipes to 2.36 inches, and live wires to 2 inches, with a large LCD and a beep that grows louder nearer the target. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.0 from 101 reviews, and the first 50 texts are marked United Kingdom. Short notes praise the screen for studs, metal, and wires on plasterboard, and for a TV, shelves, or curtains. The critical minority is specific: live cables missed when the unit was over a known wire, or found about one time in five, and a stud centre that moves if you scan again. Foil-lined plasterboard reads as metal everywhere in one review, so nails were not found, though a cable in that wall still showed. The spec block has no model number and no manufacturer line, the thick-wall question is unanswered, and a 9 V cell is something a review mentions rather than a line in the box list. It has to sit flat, or a slight bend in the wall and detection stops.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want inch depths printed and a review file past 100, and the wall is plain plasterboard.
Less suitable: The board is foil-lined, or you need a model number and a battery named in the spec block.
Specifications
Common questions
What depths does Wenleer state?
StudScan up to 1.5 inches, metal up to 2.36 inches for pipes, and live wires up to 2 inches.
Does the listing say it works through thick walls?
It asks that question and does not answer it. The ergonomic bullet names drywall, plasterboard, and ceilings.
Is a model number given?
No model number or manufacturer line is in the spec block. The brand attribute is Wenleer, the colour is red, and the weight is 290 g.
The Mecurate MSF60A is a five-mode wall scanner at £25.99 that states a standard stud depth of 3/4 inch, a deep stud depth of 1-1/2 inch, metal at 2-3/8 inch, and an AC mode at 2 inches, with a beep. Across 6,493 amazon.co.uk reviews the average is 3.9, and the first 50 texts in the file are marked United Kingdom. Those notes use it for shelves, a monitor, and a TV mount on ordinary plasterboard, and several say the live-wire beep warned them before a hole. The same file returns to readings that move after a recalibration, and to an AC mode that beeps on an empty surface, the far side of a wall, a wooden door, or a cat. A UK review maps the buttons to about 19 mm, 38 mm, 60 mm, and 50 mm, which is that reader’s conversion of the inch bullets, not a British Standard. One buyer missed a metal stud and broke a drill bit, and the notes say accuracy drops on double board and skim. A dead 9 V cell turns up in the box, though the listing does include a cell, a pouch, and a manual, and a review quotes that manual: do not rely on the finder alone. It is the top pick in this set because the box line and the 9 V inclusion agree, and the review file is large enough to show the misses.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are fixing into ordinary plasterboard and you will treat a beep as a reason to look again, not as a map of the wall.
Less suitable: You need a quiet scan to mean the bay is empty, or the wall is foil-backed, double-boarded, or behind carpet.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Mecurate detect live cables?
Yes. The listing has an AC mode at 2 inches and a warning sound. It does not give a voltage range.
What is in the box?
The bullet lists the stud finder, a battery, a carrying pouch, and a user manual. The spec line says one 9 V cell, included.
Does it name a pipe mode?
No. The listing asks whether it can detect pipes and does not answer. Metal mode is the related claim, at 2-3/8 inch.
The Bosch Truvo, second generation, model 0603681205, is a one-button scanner at £41.98 that states live cables to 50 mm and metal to 70 mm, with separate LEDs and a beep. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.8 from 869 reviews, and the first 50 texts are marked United Kingdom. Buyers who get the hold right use the lights before shelves, a TV mount, or a picture rail, and some prefer it to a cheaper detector, including on a feed behind plastered brick. The listing does not claim a wood-stud mode, and it does not include a pouch. UK reviews say the grip is easy to get wrong: hold the sides, keep the other hand on the wall, and take off a watch, or a dry wall can read as live all over. Supplied AAA cells arrive flat, units switch off at random during a scan, including a replacement from Bosch, and some stop detecting after a few months despite new batteries. Pipe and cable are not clearly separated in those notes. At this price you are paying for millimetre claims and a two-year warranty line, not for timber studs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a live-cable and metal check in millimetres, and you do not need the tool to find a timber stud.
Less suitable: You are fixing into a stud, you will wear gloves or a watch, or you want a pouch in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
How deep does the Truvo claim to see?
The bullet says live wires up to 50 mm and metal up to 70 mm. It does not claim a wood-stud depth.
Are batteries and a case included?
Three 1.5 V AAA cells, a quick start, a manual, and a cardboard box are listed. A pouch is not.
Does the listing say how to hold it?
The bullets say one button and auto-calibration on the wall. Reviews, not the spec block, say the instructions require a particular grip and the other hand on the wall.
The VXSCAN F04 is a tone-and-probe tracer at £42.74, part number AT335, for a dead single strand or a parallel pair, stated at about 2–3 feet deep and 1,000 feet along. The listing says it cannot detect live cables, that the cable must be neutral before you connect it, and that a live cable can damage the unit and the user. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.8 from 50 reviews, with 24 texts, all marked United Kingdom. Those notes find a break in a robot-mower or pet-fence wire, often in minutes once the sensitivity wheel is set so the tone is quiet a few inches off the wire, and one narrows the spot to about a centimetre. The same file says it is useless on an armoured mains cable 18 inches down, that a test cable in a room only worked to about 15 cm, and that a high-resistance short is slow work. One unit arrived opened, with the batteries connected and dead, and then would not power on. It is not a dearer wall scanner, and it does not find timber studs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are tracing a dead mower, pet-fence, or similar single wire, and you will keep the clips off the mains.
Less suitable: You are scanning a living-room wall for a live cable, or you are about to dig near buried services.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the F04 find a live mains cable?
No. The listing says it cannot detect live cables, that the cable must be neutral before you connect it, and that a live cable can damage the unit and the user.
How far does the listing say it traces?
Up to 2 to 3 feet deep and 1,000 feet along a single strand, or a double strand in parallel. It says not for stranded wire.
What is it for, if not a wall scan?
The bullets name pet-fence cable, irrigation cable, underground and through-wall cable, and a break point. It is not sold as a stud finder.
The Ruwnii is an orange scanner at £19.69 whose title says 7-in-1, while the bullets describe depth, moderate, and precision modes, a beep, an AC icon, a level, and a backlit percentage screen. Live AC, wood studs, and metal are claimed with no depth and no voltage. The bullet says a 6F22 9 V cell is not included, and a separate attribute says batteries are not required. The weight attribute is 27 g beside a body listed at 20.5 cm. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.5 from 3 reviews. Two of the three texts restate the features, and the third is the single word Rubbish. Three reviews cannot test a depth the page does not print.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a screen and a spirit level, and you will supply your own 9 V cell.
Less suitable: You need a stated depth, a battery in the box, or a review file that describes a real wall.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Ruwnii include a battery?
The bullet says a 6F22 9 V battery is not included. A separate attribute says batteries are not required.
What does 7-in-1 mean on this listing?
The title says 7-in-1. The bullets describe three modes, a sound alarm, an AC icon, a level, a backlit screen, and one-button calibration.
Can it find studs in plasterboard?
The listing asks that and the bullets claim wood studs behind walls. They do not give a depth. Only three review texts are in the file.
The BEE&FLOWER 5in1SF-002-V is an orange scanner at £23.99 that claims studs, metal, and live AC, with a backlit LCD, a beep, and automatic calibration, and it states no depth. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.2 from 5 reviews, and four texts are in the file. Two say it found studs or wires, or that the display was clear. One says it found no studs, so the buyer drilled extra holes and used a fish wire. Another says it does not work and does not charge, although the listing never describes a USB charger and only says batteries are required. Runtime, box contents, and wall depth are questions the listing leaves blank. Five reviews and no millimetre figure are the whole of the evidence.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already accept a five-review sample and you only need mode labels, not a depth.
Less suitable: You need a stated scan depth, or a listing that actually describes a rechargeable cell.
Specifications
Common questions
How deep does this BEE&FLOWER scan?
The listing asks how deep it can penetrate and does not answer. Stud, metal, and live AC are named without figures.
Is it rechargeable?
The spec block says battery powered and that batteries are required. It does not mention USB. One of four reviews says it does not charge.
What do the few reviews say?
Two of four texts say it found studs or wires. One says it found no studs. One says it does not work. The listing average is 3.2 from 5 reviews.
The NICEWIN is a USB-charged scanner at £18.99 with a built-in 1,200 mAh cell, a backlit LCD, and a beep, and the listing claims wood, metal pipes, and live AC without a depth or a voltage. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.1 from 5 reviews, and only two texts are in the file. One says it found wooden battens behind plasterboard, and live cable and metal, by changing mode. The other says the display could not be read and the manual did not explain the operation. Runtime is a listing question with no answer, and the box contents are unpublished. Five reviews cannot carry a depth the page itself leaves blank. The model field is printed as Matt.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a rechargeable scanner for a basic plasterboard try, and you accept a sample of five reviews.
Less suitable: You need a stated depth, or a manual that tells you what the screen means.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this NICEWIN use AA cells?
No. The bullets say a built-in 1,200 mAh cell charged by USB, and that you do not replace AA cells.
How deep can it detect?
The listing asks that question and does not answer it. Wood, metal pipes, and live AC are named without a depth.
How long does the battery last?
The listing asks and does not say. Only two review texts are in the saved listing, and neither gives a runtime.
Twelve cable-detector listings on amazon.co.uk were scored from the 19 October 2026 capture and the UK review notes on those pages, not from a lab scan of a wall. Amazon stars can contribute up to 28 points, review volume up to 18, and the kit the listing actually claims up to 36. Those caps sum to 82. On this page the same shares are shown as 34, 22 and 44 so the weights sum to 100. Deductions sit outside that split: a thin review file, a repeated miss or false reading, a dead or missing cell, a unit that switches off or later stops detecting, and an attribute that contradicts the bullet. The shelf price is not in the score. It decides the best-value award. A quiet pass is not an empty wall.
Amazon stars
34%Up to 34 points on this page, from the published cap of 28: the amazon.co.uk star average divided by 5, then multiplied by 28, left unrounded until the final total. The star line stays the UK listing figure.
Review count
22%Up to 22 points on this page, from the published cap of 18: log10 of the amazon.co.uk review count, times 5, rounded half up, and capped. A file of several hundred and a file of several thousand both clear that cap. Fewer than 20 reviews draws a separate deduction, and fewer than 6 draws a further one.
Kit for the stated job
44%Up to 44 points on this page, from the published cap of 36. Inside that cap: a live-cable depth, or an inch depth plus a voltage window, scores highest, and a tracer that states a depth and bans live cables scores next. A second figure needs both a stud depth and a metal depth, or one of those, or an exact mode plus an iron figure. Alert points need a screen or dedicated LEDs plus a sound, or a tracer tone plus an earphone. Power points need a named cell that is included and not contradicted. A printed calibration or hold method adds a small share. AC named with no figure, or a cell the listing does not include, scores low.
Choose the job first, then the live-cable claim, then the wall, then the review file. The notes below follow that order for these twelve listings. None of the scores is a laboratory test.
A cable detector on amazon.co.uk is usually a battery wall scanner for timber studs, metal, and the field from a live single-phase cable before you drill plasterboard. Eleven of the twelve listings in this set are that kind of tool. The VXSCAN F04 is the exception: a tone-and-probe for a dead single or parallel wire, such as a robot-mower boundary or a pet fence, stated at about 2–3 feet deep and 1,000 feet along. Its listing says it must not be connected to live cables.
HSE says some detectors miss a low-current wire. A cable within 50 mm of the surface still belongs in a prescribed zone or under mechanical protection. A zone is where a cable may be buried, not where you may drill.
A wall scanner does not find a dead boundary wire. A tone-and-probe must not be clipped to live mains. Metal mode is not a map of every cable.
Depths on these listings are seller or manufacturer claims. A 120 mm iron figure is not a live-cable depth. Calibrate on a clear patch, not on the target.
Decide the job before the star line. A shelf on ordinary plasterboard needs a wall scanner. A dead mower or pet-fence wire needs a tone-and-probe, and that listing must forbid live cables. Live-cable mode only sees an energised single-phase field. Bosch states 110–240 V, 50–60 Hz, voltage applied, to 50 mm on the Truvo. Isolated, multi-phase, foil-shielded and deep cables can be missed. The realistic wall is simple plasterboard on timber.
Read depth as a seller claim. The Truvo states live cables to 50 mm and metal to 70 mm, with no wood-stud mode. Several £17–£27 scanners claim stud steps around 13–38 mm or 0.5–1.5 inches, metal around 60 mm, and AC around 51 mm or 2 inches. HANMATEK’s 120 mm figure is iron, not a live-cable depth. Power should name a 9 V cell, AAA cells, or a USB cell, and the box line should not contradict that. A dead cell in the box shows up in UK reviews.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are hanging a shelf or a television mount on ordinary plasterboard, and you will treat a beep as a reason to look again. The Mecurate MSF60A is about £25.99, with stated stud, metal and AC depths, and 3.9 from 6,493 reviews. UK notes still describe AC false alarms.
You want 85–240 V printed on the listing and you will fit a fresh 9 V cell before the first pass. The FOLAI TH550 is about £20.99, with 4.1 from 8,014 reviews. UK reviews dispute whether a working cell is in the box.
You are tracing a dead mower or pet-fence wire, and the clips must stay off the mains. The VXSCAN F04 is about £42.74, 3.8 from 50 reviews, and the listing forbids live cables. It is not a wall scanner.
In this set of twelve amazon.co.uk listings, captured on 19 October 2026, the top pick is the Mecurate MSF60A at about £25.99. It states stud, metal and AC depths, and the box line agrees that a 9 V cell, a pouch and a manual are included. The star line is 3.9 from 6,493 reviews, and those notes include AC false alarms. The best value is the FOLAI TH550 at about £20.99, with 4.1 from 8,014 reviews and a stated 85–240 V window to 2 inches. It is not the highest score, because UK reviews dispute the 9 V cell. The Maxesla prints a similar window at about £16.99 and has 9 reviews, so it does not take that award. None of these scores is a lab test, and a quiet scan is not an empty wall.
FOLAI TH550
Best value for a stated 85–240 V window to 2 inches at about £20.99, with 4.1 from 8,014 reviews. Not the highest score. The battery line is disputed in UK reviews.
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 from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured with these twelve listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average.
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 on 19 October 2026. We did not lab-test these cable detectors.
