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

Best multimeter

Updated: October 2026

A search for the best multimeter lands on a Fluke 117. Kitd's 2026 round-up cites it at about £230 to £260, and that meter is not in this set. The eleven listings here run from £7.99 to £49.99 on amazon.co.uk. Best here means a short list in those files. The top pick states True RMS and CAT III 600 V. The best value is the £16.99 meter for voltage and continuity, with no current in the bullets. The full table is the [multimeter comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/multimeter). Peter F. used the stored listings on 17 October 2026, not a laboratory. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

A search for the best multimeter lands on a Fluke 117. Kitd's 2026 round-up cites it at about £230 to £260, and that meter is not in this set. The eleven listings here run from £7.99 to £49.99 on amazon.co.uk.

Our top picks

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M

Best overall

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M
9.4/10about £26.99
View offer
TESMEN TESMEN TM-510

Preis-Tipp

TESMEN TESMEN TM-510
9.2/10about £16.99
View offer
ULTRICS ULTRICS UT0021YB

Alternative

ULTRICS ULTRICS UT0021YB
9.0/10about £7.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Top pick in this set
  2. 2.Best value when you do not need amps
  3. 3.Who should look at the other listings
  4. 4.What this short list will not decide

Top pick in this set

The VENLAB VM-600M is £26.99, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 623 reviews, the highest star line in this set. The title states TRMS and 6000 counts with manual range. Attributes list CAT III 600 V. Bullets state up to 750 V AC, 1000 V DC and 20 A AC/DC. Of the first 50 stored reviews, 41 are marked United Kingdom. Buyers praise the display and call the body quite big, at 21.4 x 13.3 x 6 cm. Skip it if you want auto-range, a compact body, or temperature in the function bullets. One buyer said voltage detection missed 5 V and 12 V. It is the top pick because the listing states True RMS and CAT III 600 V together, with that 4.7 score. It does not prove a circuit dead. The rules behind those marks stay on the multimeter buying guide.

Best value when you do not need amps

The TESMEN TM-510 is £16.99, rated 4.6 from 13,668 reviews, the largest review count here. It is a 4000-count smart meter. The listing states CAT II 600 V and smart mode for AC and DC voltage, resistance and continuity. Martindale treats CAT II as the socket and plug-in category, not a distribution board. Current, capacitance, temperature and True RMS are not listed. If you need amps, leave this meter. One UK review says the live detector will not find buried wires, and one title says the nodes were defective on arrival. A DC car-battery check, which does not need an amp jack, is on the multimeter car battery page.
VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M

Testsieger

VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M
9.4/10about £26.99
View offer

Who should look at the other listings

The ULTRICS in the table is £7.99, with UKCA and no CAT number. The 10 A input is stated for 10 seconds. Do not buy it because UKCA sounds like a CAT rating. The Crenova MS8233D is £22.99 with 4.6 from 9,442 reviews and CAT III 600 V. True RMS is not in the bullets, which is why it is not the top pick. The Proster T21D states True RMS at £16.99, with no CAT number. One UK buyer said the alligator clips can leave a live lead end exposed. The Aicevoos AS-118D states both True RMS and CAT III 600 V at £19.99, and UK buyers say auto mode cannot be turned off. The FNIRSI DMT-99 is £49.99 with only two stored UK reviews, and one says relative mode does not work. The Fyearfly pointer is £15.99, rated 3.6 from 13, with no stored review marked United Kingdom.

What this short list will not decide

Trade Fluke prices stay outside this set. If you need a meter a spark keeps on a van, this £7.99 to £49.99 band is the wrong shelf. HSE GS38 still applies: none of these listings decides that a low-voltage circuit is dead. Use a test lamp or a two-pole detector, proved before and after. The VENLAB is the top pick when you want True RMS, CAT III 600 V and the highest stars, and you can accept manual range. The TESMEN is the best value when current is off your list. The ULTRICS is the low shelf price, with a large review count and no category mark. When the AC wave is not a sine, that choice is on the true RMS multimeter page.

Common questions

Which meter in this set is the top pick, and for whom?
The VENLAB VM-600M, at £26.99 with 4.7 from 623 reviews. The listing states TRMS, CAT III 600 V and 20 A AC/DC, which is the combination this page uses for the top pick, and the star line is the highest here. It suits a DIY meter when you will set the range yourself. Skip it if you want auto-range, a small body, or temperature in the function list. One buyer reported non-contact detection missing 5 V and 12 V.
Which is the best value if I only need voltage and continuity?
The TESMEN TM-510, at £16.99 with 4.6 from 13,668 reviews. It states CAT II 600 V and smart mode for voltage, resistance and continuity. Current is absent from the bullets, so it is the best value only when you do not need amps. One UK note says the nodes arrived defective, and another says the live detector will not find buried wires.
Is the cheapest meter the one to buy?
The ULTRICS UT0021YB is £7.99 with 4.5 from 14,169 reviews, so the price and the review count are both strong. The listing has no CAT number and no True RMS, and the 10 A input is stated for 10 seconds. It fits batteries and simple checks. It is the wrong saving if your job needs a printed category and voltage.
Why is the Crenova not the top pick if it has more reviews?
The Crenova MS8233D has 9,442 reviews at 4.6, against 623 at 4.7 for the VENLAB, and it does state CAT III 600 V. True RMS is not in the Crenova bullets. This page's top pick asks for both a True RMS line and CAT III 600 V, plus the highest star score. More reviews describe a different meter. They do not fill in a claim the listing never printed.
Do these picks prove a circuit dead?
They do not. HSE GS38 points to a test lamp or a two-pole detector for the presence or absence of voltage, proved before and after. A high star line does not change that. Non-contact voltage on the VENLAB or the TESMEN is an alert. Silence is not a dead circuit, and a reading on any of these meters is not a certificate for the installation.

Related pages

Voltage tester comparison

Multimeter

Multimeter buying guide: the job, then CAT and True RMS

Multimeter car battery: rested 12.6 V, not cranking

How to use a multimeter: DC volts and dead continuity

True RMS multimeter: when the AC wave is not a sine

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest for this comparison: HSE, legislation.gov.uk, Martindale, Megger, Fluke, Electrical Safety First, the RAC and GOV.UK. Listing prices, star lines and review themes are the stored amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs, not a fresh page view. Updated 17 October 2026.

  1. HSE GS38, electrical test equipment for electricians (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 16 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. Martindale, how to choose a multimeter (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. Megger, measurement category (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. Fluke, what is true-RMS (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First, Best Practice Guide 2 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. RAC, car battery voltage (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK, Approved Document P (retrieved 17 October 2026)