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Best geiger counter

Updated: October 2026

"Best" is empty until you name the job. In these eight amazon.co.uk listings, the best geiger counter for a computer log is the GQ GMC-800, at £80.98 with 4.6 from 1,097 reviews. If you will not spend that, the best value is the Soogua at £37.60, because it names a GM sensor, and you should read the alarm fault before you treat that as an easy buy. Both sit on the [Geiger counter comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/geiger-counter). Peter F. updated this page on 16 October 2026 from those listings and the review files. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The [geiger counter buying guide](/hub/measuring-equipment/geiger-counter/sub/geiger-counter-buying-guide) sets the tube limits.

"Best" is empty until you name the job. In these eight amazon.co.uk listings, the best geiger counter for a computer log is the GQ GMC-800, at £80.98 with 4.6 from 1,097 reviews.

Our top picks

GQ GQ GMC-800

Best overall

GQ GQ GMC-800
8.6/10about £80.98
View offer
GQ GQ GMC-320S

Alternative

GQ GQ GMC-320S
6.7/10about £61.56
View offer
Soogua Soogua Geiger counter

Preis-Tipp

Soogua Soogua Geiger counter
7.6/10about £37.60
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.There is no single best counter in this set
  2. 2.Best in this set when you want a log
  3. 3.Best cheaper log, and the £50 alternative
  4. 4.When a check card or a kit is the point
  5. 5.What not to call best

There is no single best counter in this set

The top pick is not a certified dose, and the best value is not a clean review file. A single winner would need one job. These rows cover a logging meter, a cheaper GQ log, two GM meters with a shared specification block, a meter with a test card, a thin handheld, a tube-driver kit, and a title with three reviews. A different GMC-800 ASIN was £99 with 1,252 reviews on 16 October 2026. Those figures stay off this page. The unit here is B0CKM5FJQX at £80.98.

Best in this set when you want a log

Choose the GMC-800 when you want memory stated up to 10 years, free PC software, and LED, audio, vibration and voice alarms. The listing says beta, gamma and X-ray. In 47 review bodies, the United Kingdom review says it responded near a smoke detector and that the buyer could not vouch for accuracy without another meter. That blocks any claim that it is the more accurate tube. Skip it if you need alpha, a Bq/m³ figure, or a lower price. The manufacturer PDF states 0.00 to 2,000 µSv/h. This amazon file does not print that range, so it is not a reason to prefer the ASIN.
GQ GQ GMC-800

Testsieger

GQ GQ GMC-800
8.6/10about £80.98
View offer

Best cheaper log, and the £50 alternative

The GMC-320S, at £61.56 with 4.5 from 301 reviews, logs every second. Reviews describe CPM, µSv/h and mR/h, and a click that can be switched off. The United Kingdom note says a non-expert cannot know how accurate it is. You must hold the power button or the screen flashes and shuts down. The bullets do not name beta, gamma or X-ray, and they print 220 V AC beside the battery. Choose it when a GQ log at £61.56 matters more than a radiation line. The FNIRSI GC-01, at £50.79 with 4.1 from 1,416 reviews, names a GM sensor and does not state logging. Early failures in UK reviews block a best budget crown. The GMC-800 vs GC-01 page stays on those two.

When a check card or a kit is the point

Choose the FD-5000, at £69.00 with 4.5 from 44 reviews, when you want 0.01 µSv/h to 50 mSv/h and a test card. Buyers report about 27 µSv/h and about 35 µSv/h on the card, and some see little else. The card is a response check, not a calibration. Choose the Shkalacar, at £59.09 with 4.3 from 58 reviews, only for a build. It drives named GM tubes at 330 to 600 V. A UK note says the LEDs work only when pressed, and a supplied tube arrived broken.

What not to call best

Do not call one the best for alpha. Do not call the SPORTARC the best cheap meter, or the Dpofirs the best because 4.6 matches the GMC-800 on a file of 23 reviews. If you have chosen a meter, the how to use a geiger counter page is the background routine. If the question was the house, stop and use a radon pack.

Common questions

Which one should I buy if I want a log?
The GMC-800 at £80.98, if you want beta, gamma and X-ray named as well as memory up to 10 years. The GMC-320S at £61.56 logs every second and does not name those types. A UK review of the GMC-800 would not confirm accuracy, so the log is a record of counts, not a legal dose. Neither listing measures radon in Bq/m³.
Is the GC-01 good enough at £50.79?
It can be, if you accept the review pattern. It names a GM sensor and three alarm types, with 4.1 from 1,416 reviews, and it does not log. UK buyers report low readings against another meter and units that died within days. Compared with the GMC-800 you save about £30 and you take that record. It is not the best value pick here.
What if I only have about £40?
The Soogua at £37.60 names a GM sensor, an energy window and alarms, with 4.1 from 145 reviews. One alarm stuck until the battery was disconnected, and the sample includes a review of a tray. The Dpofirs at £41.72 has a screen and no tube name. The SPORTARC at £34.39 is cheaper and almost unspecified. Under £40, the Soogua is the best value only with those faults in view.
Which one includes a way to see that it responds?
The FD-5000 includes a test card. Reviewers report roughly 27 µSv/h and about 35 µSv/h on it, and some see little else. Smoke-detector checks appear in GMC-800 and GC-01 reviews. Do not open a smoke alarm to make a source. A card shows a response. It does not prove the µSv/h scale or replace a UKAS calibration.
What should I buy for radon?
Not a counter from this set. None states Bq/m³. UKHSA describes two passive detectors for about three months, at £52.80 including VAT, against an Action Level of 200 Bq/m³. A weekend of clicks in a cellar is not that average. Buy the pack if the house is the question.
Who should skip the GMC-800?
Skip it if you need alpha, a radon result, or a price under £50. Skip it if you need the dose-rate range on the amazon listing, because this file does not print 0.00 to 2,000 µSv/h. Skip it if screen scratches are a deal-breaker. The GC-01 is the cheaper cased alternative only if you accept early failures. The GMC-320S is the cheaper log if you can do without a radiation line.

Related pages

Geiger counter and radon

Geiger counter

Geiger counter buying guide: tube, units and limits

GMC-800 vs GC-01: logging, alarms and a £30 price gap

How to use a geiger counter: background, then counts

Sources

UKHSA, Public Health Wales, the Health and Safety Executive and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, plus manufacturer pages and the amazon.co.uk listings read on 16 October 2026. Prices move. Nothing was laboratory tested or UKAS calibrated.

  1. UKHSA, UK ionising radiation exposure, June 2025 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. UKHSA, radon Action Level and Target Level (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. UKHSA, measuring radon (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Public Health Wales, radon (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE, ionising radiation legal base (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, Schedule 3 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. GQ Electronics, GMC-800 user guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. FNIRSI GC-01 product page (retrieved 16 October 2026)