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Multimeter buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You are looking at handheld meters on amazon.co.uk from about £7.99 to about £49.99, and the marks on the listings do not mean the same thing. This multimeter buying guide puts the checks in one order: the job you actually do, then the category mark and its voltage together, then whether an AC reading needs True RMS. Counts, the current socket and the leads come after those three. The star lines and the table stay on the [multimeter comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/multimeter). Peter F. read those listings and public UK sources on 17 October 2026. We did not test these meters in a laboratory. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at handheld meters on amazon.co.uk from about £7.99 to about £49.99, and the marks on the listings do not mean the same thing.

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
Crenova Crenova MS8233D

Alternative

Crenova Crenova MS8233D
9.2/10about £22.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Match the meter to the job
  2. 2.Read the CAT mark and the voltage together
  3. 3.True RMS, counts and the current jack
  4. 4.Leads, fuses and what a meter must not do

Match the meter to the job

Start with the measurement, because a meter that is fine for a battery can be the wrong tool for a socket. DC volts, resistance or a beep on a fuse you have already removed need those functions and a range above the voltage you expect. Amps need a stated current range and a separate socket. The TESMEN TM-510 states AC and DC voltage, resistance, continuity and non-contact voltage, and it does not list current. You cannot treat it as an amp meter. The Beizkna XL830L-250 attribute gives a maximum operating voltage of 200 V, and the RICOKEY attributes print 200 V to 600 V AC. A 12 V battery sits inside both. A mains check does not sit inside a 200 V attribute. The waveform choice is on the true RMS multimeter page.

Read the CAT mark and the voltage together

A category mark only means something with a voltage beside it. Martindale's UK guide puts CAT II on socket outlets and plug-in appliances, CAT III on the building's distribution, and CAT IV on the supply side. Megger's UK note is blunt: a CAT mark with no voltage is useless, and the words CAT rated on their own mean nothing. In this set the Crenova MS8233D, the VENLAB VM-600M and the Aicevoos AS-118D state CAT III 600 V. The TESMEN TM-510 states CAT II 600 V. The ULTRICS UT0021YB is the only file that states UKCA, and that mark is not a CAT rating. If the job is closer to a distribution board, look for a stated CAT III voltage, and still treat the board as work for someone competent under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 16. Those lines are listing claims.
VENLAB VENLAB VM-600M

Testsieger

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

True RMS, counts and the current jack

An average-responding AC meter is scaled for a clean sine. Fluke's UK explanation says an averaging meter can read up to 40% low, or 10% high, on a non-sinusoidal wave. That is Fluke's published figure, not a test we ran. You need the words True RMS on dimmers, many LED drivers or variable-speed tools. You do not need them for a DC battery. In this set True RMS is printed for the VENLAB, the Proster T21D, the Aicevoos AS-118D and the FNIRSI DMT-99. It is not in the Crenova bullets. A missing line means the listing does not claim it. It is not proof the meter is average-responding. The ULTRICS bullets limit the 10 A input to 10 seconds. If the listing does not mention current, as with the TESMEN, there is no amp range to select.

Leads, fuses and what a meter must not do

HSE guidance GS38 says probes for installation work should have finger barriers and a short exposed tip, and that multimeter leads used that way should have a high-breaking-capacity fuse, usually not over 500 mA. A zip case is not that fuse, and we have not checked these leads against GS38. To decide whether voltage is present or absent, GS38 points you to a test lamp or a two-pole detector, proved before and after. A multimeter is the wrong tool for that decision. A screen number is not a BS 7671 certificate. Bench steps are on how to use a multimeter. Names from this set are on the best multimeter page.

Common questions

What is the difference between CAT II and CAT III?
Martindale's guide puts CAT II on socket outlets and equipment you plug in, and CAT III on the fixed installation inside the building, including distribution. CAT IV is the supply side. The voltage has to sit next to the category. In this set the TESMEN states CAT II 600 V, while the Crenova, VENLAB and Aicevoos state CAT III 600 V. Those are listing claims. They are not a test we carried out.
Is a CAT mark useful if no voltage is printed?
No. Megger states that a measurement category needs a voltage, and that CAT rated on its own means nothing. If a listing prints a category and leaves the voltage out, you do not have a complete claim. In this set, several files print CE, UL or UKCA and no category at all. Treat that as no CAT line, and match the meter to a job that does not depend on one.
Do I need True RMS to test a battery?
A DC battery voltage does not need True RMS. True RMS is about the shape of an AC wave. Fluke says an average-responding meter can be well out on a distorted AC wave. A rested 12 V car battery is a DC reading. Choose True RMS when the listing's AC method matters, rather than buying TRMS for that DC check alone.
Can a multimeter prove a circuit dead?
HSE GS38 says you should use a test lamp or a two-pole voltage detector to see whether voltage is present or absent, and that you should prove the detector before and after. A multimeter is not that tool. Non-contact voltage that stays quiet is not proof of a dead cable. If you cannot isolate the circuit and prove it dead with the right detector, that work belongs to a competent person.
Does CE or UKCA replace a CAT rating?
CE and UKCA are marking claims on a listing. They do not state the installation category or the voltage. The ULTRICS file is the only one in this set that states UKCA, and it does not state a CAT number. Use UKCA as a mark the seller printed. Use a CAT line only when the same listing prints the category and the voltage together.

Related pages

Voltage tester comparison

Multimeter

Best multimeter in this set: VENLAB at about £26.99

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)