The best wood moisture meters, compared.
Top pick: TopTes TS-630 – 4.6 from 1,840 ratings, the longer review line of the three 92 scores, with spare probes, three AAA cells and a pouch in the box. Best value: GERUI WT660-1 – Printed wood 6–70% and building materials 0–15.2%, with 4.3 from 234 ratings at about £10.99. Updated October 2026.
A wood moisture meter is a handheld electrical tool that estimates how wet timber, firewood or a building material is, usually with two pins and sometimes with a pinless pad. You use one to check logs before burning, timber before you fix it, or a damp patch in a wall, floor, caravan or motorhome. Says aim for 20% or lower on a freshly split face. A high number on masonry is not a diagnosis of rising damp. What changes the purchase is the sensor, the material mode, whether a numeric range is printed, and whether batteries and spare pins are in the box. How to weigh the [sensor, the mode and the printed range](/hub/measuring-equipment/wood-moisture-meter/sub/wood-moisture-meter-buying-guide) sits beside this table. This comparison did not test any meter against an oven-dry sample.
A wood moisture meter is a handheld electrical tool that estimates how wet timber, firewood or a building material is, usually with two pins and sometimes with a pinless pad.
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Can the surface take pinholes?
The TopTes TS-630 is a pin meter at £25.99 with 4.6 from 1,840 amazon.co.uk ratings, and it is the top pick in this set because that star line is tied with two others and this listing has the longer review count plus a fuller box. The listing claims ±2%, seven calibration scales, two material modes, a 2.25 inch screen with a green, orange and red backlight, hold, and auto-off after 10 minutes. The box lists three AAA cells, a carry pouch, a spare pair of probes and a mini wrench. A numeric wood or building span is not printed. Reviewers use it on log batches and to compare several points when they are tracing a damp smell. One motorhome owner said it matched a professional damp check they had paid more than £300 for, which is one reviewer's report, not a calibration. The battery door uses a tiny cross-head screw rather than a slide cover. Choose it when you want spare pins and cells in the box, and skip it if you must not mark the surface or you need a printed percent band.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Logs or a comparative wall check when you want spare pins, cells and a pouch in the box.
Less suitable: A surface you must not mark, or a buyer who needs a printed percent band such as 6–60%.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with a carry case?
The box list includes a carry pouch, not a hard case. It also lists three AAA cells, a manual, a spare pair of probes and a mini wrench.
What accuracy is printed?
The listing prints plus or minus 2%, with seven calibration scales and two material modes. A numeric wood or building span is not printed. That ±2% line was not lab-checked in this comparison.
Can the listing measure concrete?
Concrete is not in the bullets. A UK review says the reviewer used it on concrete and brick as well as wood and drywall. That is one reviewer's use, not a printed building range.
The Valiant FIR421 is a pin meter at £17.99 with 4.6 from 1,749 amazon.co.uk ratings, and reviewers use the colour change as a burn or do-not-burn glance on stove logs. The listing also names structural timber and brickwork, shows temperature in °C or °F, and states a weight of 60 g. No numeric moisture range is printed, so the colour cue is a burning hint, not a certificate that a log meets England's 20% sales rule. One UK review says no batteries were supplied, the cap over the prongs is stiff, and warm wood produced no reading. Another buyer read Lo as a flat battery when the review treats that code as low moisture. Sampled praise includes a 29–30% reading on wood that had been sold as seasoned, and use on cottage brickwork. HETAS says Woodsure auditors use a Valiant meter at around £20, which names the brand and does not certify this shelf unit. Choose it for a stove log when you will split the face and supply cells, and skip it if you need a printed percent band.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A stove owner who wants a colour cue on a freshly split log and will supply the cells.
Less suitable: A finished floor you must not mark, or a plaster reading that needs a printed percent band.
Specifications
Common questions
What moisture range is printed?
No numeric moisture range is in the listing extract. The colour cue is a burning hint. It is not a certificate that a log meets England's 20% sales rule.
Are batteries included?
The included-components line lists only the meter. A UK review says none were supplied, so plan to buy cells before the first reading.
Does it read warm wood?
A UK review says it gives no reading when the wood is warm. The same review mentions a stiff cap over the prongs.
The BOBOVAV BBA011 is a pen pin meter at £14.99 with 4.6 from 22 amazon.co.uk ratings, and reviewers use the pen on log deliveries and seasoning stacks. The bullet prints 0.0–58.0%, two wood modes and five building modes, including concrete, anhydrite, cement, plaster and brick, with a green, yellow and red backlight. Two AAA cells, a manual and a screwdriver are in the box. No ± accuracy figure is printed, and the weight lines disagree at 109 g and 123 g. Of 11 UK reviews, one buyer got a lit display and no material reading after following the booklet. Another owner wanted a programmable scale rather than the presets. The 4.6 line is a thin sample next to meters with more than a thousand ratings. It suits a pocket check of a log drop if you accept that limit, and you should skip it if the first try must produce a reading.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A pocket check of a log delivery if you accept a short review history.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a long review line, or a scale they can programme themselves.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it measure concrete?
Concrete is one of the five building-material modes, with anhydrite, cement, plaster and brick. A numeric building span is not printed beside those names.
Are batteries included?
Yes. Two AAA batteries and a screwdriver are in the included-components line, with the meter and a manual.
Did every UK review get a reading?
One of the 11 UK reviews said the display came on but the meter would not register a material reading after the booklet was followed.
The Mecurate PDM-01 is a pinless meter at £24.99 with 4.5 from 1,871 amazon.co.uk ratings, and reviewers use it on plaster, cupboards and caravan panels because it leaves no holes. The listing gives softwood, hardwood, wall and masonry modes, nine softwood density steps, a three-colour LED bar and an audible alert, with resolution stated as 0.1%. No numeric wood or building span and no ± accuracy figure are printed. The gift bullet lists a carrying bag and three AAA cells, while the included-components field says the meter only, so you should check the box photo before you rely on the bag. One UK reviewer was not sure the readings matched a house survey that had already suggested damp. There is no repeated breakage theme in the sampled reviews, which fits a pad with nothing to snap. Choose it when the surface must stay unmarked, and skip it if you need a pin reading on a freshly split log.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Plaster, a cupboard or a caravan panel you must not mark.
Less suitable: A freshly split log, or a reading you will treat as a house survey.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it make holes?
No. The listing is pinless, and UK reviews mention plaster, cupboards and caravans for that reason. A pad still needs a face it can sit on.
Does it come with a case?
The gift bullet says a carrying bag and three AAA batteries. The included-components field says the meter only. Check the box photo before you rely on the bag.
What is the lowest level it can detect?
A lowest percent is not printed. Resolution is given as 0.1%. No numeric wood or building span and no ± accuracy figure are printed.
The Dryzone meter from Safeguard Europe is a pin meter at £24.99 with 4.4 from 3,347 amazon.co.uk ratings, the longest review line in this set, and UK reviews use it on damp walls, stove wood, caravans and motorhomes. The listing states wood from 6–60% on eight scales, building materials from 0–40%, hold, and an audio alert above 15% on wood and above 20% on building materials, with auto-off after three minutes. Wood accuracy is claimed at ±2%, which is a listing claim, not a lab result from this comparison. Two AAA batteries are not included, and the size bullet prints 15 cm × 60 cm, which does not match a handheld body or the package size of 17.1 × 6.9 × 4.2 cm. Reviewers say the pin cap needs a knack, and one probe snapped in hardwood floorboards. One review found the readings steadier than a pinless meter that had jumped around. It is the named UK brand here when you want both a wood scale and a printed building range, and you should skip it if you cannot mark the surface or you want cells in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A pin check that needs both a printed wood scale and a printed building range.
Less suitable: A surface you must not mark, or a buyer who wants batteries in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
What ranges are printed?
Wood is 6–60% on eight scales. Building materials are 0–40%. Wood accuracy is printed as ±2%. That accuracy line is a listing claim, not a lab result from this comparison.
Does it need batteries?
Yes. The bullet says two AAA batteries are not included, so you buy them before the first reading.
Does it come with a case?
No case is listed in the included components. UK reviews talk about a stiff cap over the pins, and one probe snapped in hardwood floorboards.
The Proster PST326 is the only meter in this set that claims both a pin and a pinless sensor, at £24.99 with 4.4 from 201 amazon.co.uk ratings. UK reviewers used the pinless side while buying a caravan, including walking away from one with damp, and to watch a leak dry in walls and a floor. Modes are drywall, masonry, hardwood and softwood, with hold, max/min, an audio alarm and a storage bag plus a battery in the included line. A UK review says the cells are three AAA. The pinless bullet states 0–100% relative humidity, a depth of no more than 20 mm, and only if the piece is thicker than 20 mm. That relative-humidity scale is not wood moisture content. Sampled UK reviews are mostly praise, with no repeated defect theme. Choose it when you genuinely need both sensors and you will read the pad line as relative humidity, and skip it if you only burn logs and want a simple pin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who checks both a log and an unmarked panel and will read the pad as relative humidity.
Less suitable: A log-only job, or a buyer who will treat the pinless percent as timber moisture content.
Specifications
Common questions
How deep is the pinless mode?
The bullet says no more than 20 mm, and that the piece should be thicker than 20 mm. The scale given there is 0–100% relative humidity, which is not wood moisture content.
Does it come with a case?
The included line lists a storage bag, with the meter and a battery. A UK review says the cells are three AAA.
Which materials have a mode?
Drywall, masonry, hardwood and softwood. A wood moisture-content span is not printed for those modes.
The Proster PST290 is a pen pin meter at £16.99 with 4.4 from 108 amazon.co.uk ratings, and reviewers have used it on rafters, brick and floorboards. The listing prints wood at 7.0–54.8% and building materials at 0–22.1%, with two modes, seven scales, a green, blue and red alert, hold and auto shut-off. Two AAA cells, a screwdriver and two spare pins are in the box, and a case is not listed. One UK review found a live-circuit warning label on the back and said that label belongs on an electrical test probe. That same reviewer would not trust the performance. Other sampled comments praise the colour change and the spare pins, including a concrete reading that stopped one buyer laying a membrane. Do not use it as a voltage tester. It fits a pocket pin check when you want both ranges and spare pins at £16.99, and you should skip it if a mislabelled body is enough to put you off.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A pocket pin check when you want both ranges and spare pins at £16.99.
Less suitable: Anyone who would reject a meter that arrived with an electrical-probe label, or who needs a case.
Specifications
Common questions
What ranges are printed?
Wood is 7.0–54.8%. Building materials are 0–22.1%. No ± accuracy figure is printed. Both ranges are listing claims.
Does it come with a case?
A case is not in the included-components line. Spare pins, two AAA batteries, a manual and a screwdriver are.
What did a UK review say about the label?
One reviewer found a live-circuit warning label and said it belongs on an electrical test probe, not on this moisture meter. Do not use the meter as a voltage tester.
The GERUI WT660-1 is a two-pin meter at £10.99 with 4.3 from 234 amazon.co.uk ratings, and it is the best value in this set because those stars sit on printed ranges: wood 6–70% and building materials 0–15.2%. The listing adds four wood stages and three building stages, an accuracy claim of ±2.0%, and a temperature figure of 0–50 °C, at a stated weight of 50 g. Two AAA cells are not in the box, so you buy them before the first reading. One UK review says the meter may be accurate but does not explain which setting to use, and calls it useless without that guide. Sampled UK praise, across 16 UK headers, stays short: reliable, and no issues. The ±2.0% line is a listing claim, not a lab result from this comparison. Choose it when you want both a wood scale and a building scale under £11, and skip it if you need batteries in the box or a species table the booklet actually names.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first pin meter when you want printed wood and building ranges under £11 and will buy the cells.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs batteries in the box, or a guide that names the wood species.
Specifications
Common questions
What ranges are printed?
Wood is given as 6–70% across four stages. Building materials are given as 0–15.2% across three stages. Both figures are listing claims, not a result from this comparison.
Are batteries included?
No. The listing says you need to buy two AAA 1.5 V batteries before the first reading.
Does a UK review mention the settings?
One UK review says the meter does not explain which setting to use, and calls it useless without that guide. Sampled praise on the listing stays short.
The HAVENWARE DampSense HW1902 is a pin meter at £21.99 with 4.3 from 22 amazon.co.uk ratings, and UK reviewers have used it after a gutter leak to watch residual damp in a wall. The listing names timber, plaster, drywall, concrete and masonry, with a backlit LCD, visual indicators and an audible alert, and the box is the meter and a manual at 130 g. No numeric wood or building range is printed. The technical table says batteries are not required, while the UK reviews say the meter will not run until you buy 2×AAA cells. Reviewers also call the pin cap stiff, worry about snapping the probes, and one longer review says the digits are thin at a distance. That review treats the shape as a generic two-pin tester sold under other names. It is a compact first look at a wall you already suspect, and you should skip it if you need a printed range, cells in the box, or a review sample larger than 22 ratings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first pin check on a wall you already suspect, if you will buy 2×AAA cells.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a printed percent band, batteries in the box, or a surface that must not be marked.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on plaster?
The bullet names plaster, with timber, drywall, concrete and masonry. No numeric wood or building range is printed for those names.
What is the measurement range?
A numeric range is not printed in the technical details or the bullets. Treat any percent you see as a relative reading, not a stated band.
Are batteries included?
The table says batteries are not required. UK reviews say the buyer had to purchase AAA cells, two of them, before the meter would run.
The Dongguan Dongyida S8603 is a pin meter at £8.99, the lowest shelf price in this set, with 4.2 from 66 amazon.co.uk ratings and only two UK review headers in the file. Those two reviews are short praise that it works well, which is too thin a sample to show a repeated fault. The listing claims 0–99.9%, ±0.5% and four modes labelled A to D, with data hold, auto shut-off, and three AAA cells plus a screwdriver in the box at 130 g. The title also names carton, paper and timber, and it does not print a masonry scale. A span of 0–99.9% with ±0.5% is a manufacturer claim, and this comparison did not test it against an oven-dry sample. Historic England's measurement work treats handheld meters as reasonably accurate only up to about 22%, so you should not treat that printed span as timber moisture content. Skip it if you need a building-material mode or a review sample larger than two UK comments.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap wood-mode pin check if you accept a very thin UK review sample.
Less suitable: A wall you need to map, or anyone who wants a printed building range.
Specifications
Common questions
What range does the listing print?
The bullets say 0–99.9%, with an accuracy claim of ±0.5% and a resolution of 0.1%. Historic England's measurement work treats handheld meters as reasonably accurate only up to about 22%.
Are batteries included?
Yes. The included-components line lists three AAA batteries and a screwdriver, with the meter, a manual and a box.
Does it measure paper?
The title and bullets name carton, paper and timber as well as wood. A masonry scale is not printed.
The Kiprim WM02 is a pin meter at £12.79 with 4.1 from 250 amazon.co.uk ratings, and UK reviewers use it on logs and on wet spots after a leak. The listing names softwood, hardwood, building and packing modes, hold, auto-off after two minutes, and a 9 V cell in the bullet, plus four spare pins and a wrench. Accuracy is printed as ±4% RH, which is relative humidity, not a wood moisture-content span, and no numeric wood range is printed. More than one review says there is no backlight, so the screen is hard in poor light. One buyer got 0% on a normal plastered wall and called that reading rubbish. The weight lines disagree: 78 g in the bullet and 170 g on a later line. Use it for stove logs if you will stay on the wood setting and accept a dim screen, and skip it for a plaster reading you intend to trust.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Stove logs, if you stay on the wood setting and can read the screen in daylight.
Less suitable: A plaster wall you expect to show a moisture percent, or work in a dark loft.
Specifications
Common questions
What accuracy figure is printed?
The bullet says ±4% RH. That is relative humidity, not a wood moisture-content span. A numeric wood range is not printed.
Does it have a backlight?
The listing does not claim one. UK reviews say the screen would be easier with a backlight, and that it is hard to read in poor light.
Are spare pins included?
The bullet says two pairs of extra probes, four pins in total, and a wrench, with a 9 V cell.
The VivaStride pin meter is £10.99, and the amazon.co.uk extract has no customer-review line, so the score here is 0 and you have no UK opinion to weigh. The listing claims 0–99.9%, ±0.5% and 0.1% resolution, with modes A to D named for teak, oak, poplar and lauan, plus paper, bamboo and herbal materials. A 10 mm needle is integrated, with data hold and auto-off, and one 9 V battery is required and not included. The box is the meter only, at 126 g. A bullet calls it a damp meter for walls and then names wood modes, without a building percent. The first-available date in the file is 8 April 2026, which fits a listing that has not collected a star line yet. Skip it until a UK review count exists, or if you need cells in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nobody, until a UK review count exists. The listing itself is a wide-range pin meter if you will supply a 9 V cell.
Less suitable: A purchase you want to judge from UK reviews, or a wall reading with a printed building range.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing include reviews?
No customer-review line is in the saved listing, so the rating is n/a and the score here is 0. Do not treat a missing line as a hidden star rating.
Is a battery included?
No. The table says one 9 V battery is required and batteries are not included. The box is the meter only.
Which woods are named?
The bullet names teak, oak, poplar and lauan for modes A to D, plus paper, bamboo and herbal materials. A building percent is not printed.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings are on this page. The score is the star line times 20. Price is used only for the best-value place. There was no laboratory test and no oven-dry calibration. The weights follow that buying order and sum to 100.
Sensor and the job
30%Pins on a freshly split log. A pinless pad, or the pinless mode on the Proster PST326, when plaster, flooring or a caravan panel must not be marked.
Material mode
25%Wood scales and building scales are different. The wrong scale still prints a confident percent.
What the percent means
20%HETAS quotes wood fuel on a wet basis. Kiprim's ±4% RH and the PST326 pinless scale of 0–100% relative humidity are not wood moisture content.
Batteries and spare pins
15%Spare pins are listed for TopTes, Kiprim and Proster PST290. Several listings say the cells are not included.
Review volume
10%Stars and the review count on the amazon.co.uk listing. A missing aggregate line scores 0. Price is not inside the score.
Choose the meter for the solid you will test. Pins belong on a freshly split log. A pad belongs on plaster, flooring or a panel you must not hole. A printed percent is a listing claim. HETAS aims at 20% or lower on a freshly split face, on a wet basis, and some construction meters read dry basis. Prices in this set run from about £8.99 to about £25.99. The top pick is the TopTes TS-630 when you want the fuller box and the longer review line among the 4.6 ratings.
A wood moisture meter is a handheld electrical tool that estimates how wet timber, firewood or a building material is, usually with two pins and sometimes with a pinless pad. You use one to check logs before burning, to check timber before fixing it, or to map a damp patch in a wall, floor, caravan or motorhome. On amazon.co.uk this set of twelve listings runs from about £8.99 to about £25.99.
A pin reading on bark, or on the unsplit end of a log, is not the figure Forest Research describes. Split a fresh face, and do not sample only the front of the stack. The GOV.UK large-load notice also points at a freshly split face after you calibrate.
HETAS says wood fuel is quoted on a wet basis and that some construction meters read dry basis, which is a higher number for the same log. Kiprim's ±4% RH and the Proster PST326 pinless scale of 0–100% relative humidity are not wood moisture content.
One Kiprim review reports 0% on a normal plastered wall. A high masonry number is not a diagnosis of rising damp. Salts push readings up. Call a surveyor before injected damp proofing or opening-up, especially on a traditional building.
Pins suit a freshly split log. A pinless pad, or the pinless mode on the Proster PST326, is the choice when you must not hole plaster, flooring or a caravan panel. Pin meters measure resistance between two electrodes. The Mecurate PDM-01 is the pinless meter in this set, and UK reviewers use it on plaster, cupboards and caravans because it leaves no holes. The PST326 is the only listing that claims both sensors.
A printed range is a manufacturer claim, not a result from this comparison. Dryzone prints wood 6–60% and building materials 0–40%. Proster PST290 prints wood 7.0–54.8% and building materials 0–22.1%. GERUI prints wood 6–70% and building materials 0–15.2%. The S8603 and the VivaStride print 0–99.9% with ±0.5%. BOBOVAV prints 0.0–58.0%. Valiant and HAVENWARE print no numeric range. TopTes prints ±2% and seven scales, and it does not print a numeric wood span.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a burn or do-not-burn glance on a freshly split face, and you will supply the cells. The Valiant FIR421 is 4.6 from 1,749 ratings at about £17.99, with a colour cue and temperature in °C or °F. No numeric moisture range is printed.
Plaster, a cupboard or a caravan panel should stay free of pinholes. The Mecurate PDM-01 is pinless, at about £24.99, with 4.5 from 1,871 ratings. No numeric moisture span is printed, and a pad needs a flat face.
You want a printed wood scale and a printed building range, and you will stop before treating the wall. The Dryzone meter is 4.4 from 3,347 ratings at about £24.99, with wood 6–60% and building materials 0–40%. Two AAA cells are not included.
The TopTes TS-630 is the top pick: 4.6 from 1,840 ratings, a ±2% listing claim, and three AAA cells, a pouch and spare probes in the box. It ties on stars with the Valiant FIR421 and the BOBOVAV BBA011, and it has the longer review line of those three plus the fuller box. A numeric wood span is not printed, and the pins mark the surface. The GERUI WT660-1 is the best value at about £10.99, with wood 6–70% and building materials 0–15.2% printed, and 4.3 from 234 ratings. Two AAA cells are not included.
TopTes TS-630
4.6 from 1,840 ratings, the longer review line of the three 92 scores, with spare probes, three AAA cells and a pouch in the box.
GERUI WT660-1
Printed wood 6–70% and building materials 0–15.2%, with 4.3 from 234 ratings at about £10.99.
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 on wood fuel moisture in England, meter limits, and damp in buildings. Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listing figures in this set. Prices move. There was no laboratory test and no oven-dry calibration. Last checked 17 October 2026.
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. Scores use the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. They are not a laboratory test.
