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Lux meter buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are on amazon.co.uk among handheld meters that all seem to claim 200,000 lux and a small percentage. You want a figure for a desk, a corner, or a shelf, and you do not yet know whether the head, the unit, or the price changes the reading. This lux meter buying guide starts with the job, then the sensor, then the range you will read. The [lux meter comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/lux-meter) holds the twelve listings and snapshot prices from £12.99 to £32.97. Peter F. used those amazon.co.uk listings and the UK review text, on 21 October 2026. We did not run a laboratory. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are on amazon.co.uk among handheld meters that all seem to claim 200,000 lux and a small percentage.

Our top picks

TopTes TopTes TS-710

Best overall

TopTes TopTes TS-710
8.2/10about £29.99
View offer
Dr.meter Dr.meter 1010BS split

Best value

Dr.meter Dr.meter 1010BS split
6.1/10about £18.99
View offer
URCERI URCERI handheld

Alternative

URCERI URCERI handheld
6.8/10about £29.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are measuring
  2. 2.Sensor first
  3. 3.Range, unit, and power
  4. 4.What the accuracy line is not

What you are measuring

A lux meter here reports visible light on a surface, in lux, which is lumens per square metre. That is not the lumen number on a bulb box, and it is not photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Lux follows the eye's brightness curve, so UK room charts use lux. It is the wrong quantity under a red-and-blue LED when you want to know what the plant can use. A blurple bar is the lux meter for plants page.

Sensor first

Buy the way the cell meets the light, not the brand line first. A fixed head is enough on an open desk if you can set the meter down and step back. A UK review of the URCERI says the head does not swivel, so your shoulder becomes the shadow. The Institution of Lighting Professionals notes that a remote head reduces body shadow. The TS-710 states a 180° head. The Dr.meter 1010BS and the URCERI MT-92H keep the cell on the shelf while you read the body. Use a fixed head on an open table, and a swivel or a split when you must lean over the spot.
TopTes TopTes TS-710

Testsieger

TopTes TopTes TS-710
8.2/10about £29.99
View offer

Range, unit, and power

Ten listings claim about 200,000 lux. The 1010BS stops at 100,000 lux. The WapoRich claims 1–400,000 lux. The top matters in strong daylight or close to a bright lamp, where 100,000 lux can clip. One foot-candle is about 10.76 lux, and UK charts are in lux. Both upper ranges on the 1010BS are printed as ×10. Snapshot prices on 19 October 2026 run from £12.99 to £32.97. Taking the reading is on how to use a lux meter.

What the accuracy line is not

A bullet that says ±3% of reading is the seller's claim, not a calibration certificate and not BS 667. TS23 puts a maintained, calibrated field meter near ±6%, and worse on saturated colours. None of these twelve files states cosine correction, Type F, or a UKAS certificate. About £30 is the wrong spend when the number must go to an employer or a dispute. On 21 October 2026 a Testo 540 was about £114–£143 including VAT at UK trade sellers. The Proster's CAT II 600 V mark is not a reason to open a consumer unit.

Common questions

What should I check before the brand?
Check the place, then the head, then the unit on the screen. A fixed head is fair on an open surface you can step away from. A swivel or a split is the better buy when your body would cover the cell, which is usual on a shelf or a deep desk. Best Sellers Rank comes after that. Rank 1 on a V·Resourcing listing is a shop position, and the two colours share one review pool rather than two tests.
Is 200,000 lux enough for a room and for daylight?
For a UK room under lamps, 200,000 lux is more top-end than you will use. Task light is hundreds of lux, not tens of thousands. The 1010BS stops at 100,000 lux, which still covers those rooms and can clip in strong daylight or tight against a bright lamp. The WapoRich claim of 400,000 lux sits behind three ratings, so the wider range is not a reason to pay £32.97.
Do I need foot-candles in the UK?
You need lux when you use a UK chart. One foot-candle is about 10.76 lux, and several meters can show either unit. A screen left on foot-candles will not match a chart written in lux. Switch to lux before you compare two spots or two meters. The Soonkoda listing is one of the few that prints the 10.76 factor next to its foot-candle top.
Does ±3% mean the meter meets BS 667?
No. The percentage is the seller's line, often only below 10,000 lux, and often with an extra digit allowance. BS 667 is the meter standard these files do not claim. TS23 discusses a maintained calibrated field meter near ±6%, worse on saturated colour. None of the twelve shows a UKAS certificate or a cosine figure.
Fixed head, swivel, or split sensor?
Set a fixed head on the plane and step out of the light. Use a swivel, such as the 180° head on the TS-710, when you must point the cell and still watch the digits. Use a split sensor, the 1010BS or the MT-92H, when the cell stays on a shelf and the display stays in your hand. The WapoRich 270° claim is the same idea with almost no UK reviews behind it.
When is a £30 meter the wrong purchase?
It is the wrong purchase when the figure has to stand in a workplace grid, an emergency-lighting log, or a dispute. These listings do not state cosine correction or a certificate. It is also the wrong purchase if you need current from the Proster, or plant PPFD from any of them. For a home comparison you can repeat, this £13–£33 set is the one the table describes.
Does temperature on the screen matter?
Only after you have checked it against a thermometer you trust. UK reviews often set the channel aside. The URCERI handheld's temperature digits are a repeated complaint, and one MT-92H reviewer called the sensor an afterthought even though the listing states −10 °C to 60 °C. Do not buy the meter for that line, and do not treat it as leaf temperature.

Related pages

Best lux meter

Lux meter

Lux meter for plants: compare spots under one lamp

How to use a lux meter for a reading you can repeat

Lux meter vs phone app for a number you will quote

Sources

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.

  1. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 8 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE HSG38: Lighting at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Lighting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE L24: Workplace health, safety and welfare (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. ILP Guidance Note 7: Choosing a photometer or illuminance meter (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. LIA TS23 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. CIBSE LG7: Lighting for offices (2023) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Michigan State University: Light into perspective (retrieved 19 October 2026)