Although home weather stations have been out for long while now, few are those who have had the good sense to install them in their households. Perhaps the main benefit of using a home weather station is that of getting first-hand information regarding your local temperature, humidity, wind speed, barometric pressure, wind direction, the chance of rainfall, and so much more. With decent stations, you can even set up automatic alerts for specific weather-related changes that the station may detect.
Should you invest in a home weather station sooner rather than later, you will gain the capacity to not only get your own weather updates rather than relying on the local news or TV forecasts. Needless to say, this gives you much more control when planning the day ahead and even the foreseeable future. You also need to understand that the news sometimes gets the weather updates with a bit of delay, which doesn’t always reflect the state of the weather outside at the time when they report it.
Having said that, let us point out that weather stations can differ quite a lot from one another, not just in regards to their inbuilt functions but also when it comes to how sturdy and reliable they are. In this respect, you want to take every measure to ensure that you spend your money wisely should you ever find yourself in the market for such a complex device. To give you some pointers, we put together a list of the ten best home weather stations the market has to offer at this point in time along with a short buying guide for your consideration.
Best Home Weather Stations of 2020
#10 AcuRite 01536 Wireless Weather Station with PC Connect
This exquisite weather station features a high-precision 5-in-1 wireless weather sensor designed to accurately measure not only the temperature but also the wind speed, humidity, wind direction, and rain. Due to its illuminated color display, you can monitor its readings from a user-friendly and comfortable perspective.
At the same time, the PC connect feature enables you to connect the device to a computer via USB port, a computer through which you can remotely access the weather station at any given time. Not just that but the station also allows you to set up alarms for temperature, humidity, wind, rain, dew point, heat index, and storm alerts if you see fit.
#9 Davis Instruments 6250-WEATHERBRIDGE-KIT
Designed to keep you up to date with even the smallest changes in local weather in real-time, this ingenious weather station from Ambient Weather stands out for all the right reasons. For starters, you can set it up simply by plugging into any supported device and then using it right away.
Interestingly enough, this interesting weather station also supports Twitter, WeatherBug, Citizens Weather Observation program, PWSWeather, MySQL, EMail Summaries and Alerts, and even AirCams. Also worth noting is the fact that it operates a system that makes it perfect for low-consumption requirements without this affecting its remote capabilities in any way.
#8 ECOWITT HP3501 TFT Wi-Fi Weather Station
Constructed to meet the highest possible standards in the industry, this exquisite weather station from ECOWITT features among others a solar-powered wireless anemometer, UV & Light Sensors, a Self-Emptying Rain Collector, a Color Graph Display, a Weather App, and a lot more ingenious functions that you can use via its user-friendly interface.
Speaking of which, the station includes a high-resolution TFT screen measuring 3.77 inches in size, a screen that you can use to monitor anything from wind speed and direction to rainfall, indoor-outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, dew point, ‘feels like’ temperature, solar radiation and UV, and much more.
#7 Davis Instruments 6153 Vantage Pro2 Wireless Weather Station
This interesting weather station stands out through its accurate, reliable, and fully customizable measuring parameters which you can adjust via its user-friendly interface. it also updates its readings every 2.5 seconds, giving you a real-time measurement of the weather outside at all times. It also benefits from a wide range of sensors that can measure rainfall, wind speed, temperature, humidity, and a lot more.
Built from sturdy materials, it will withstand the scorching sun, corrosion, winds of up to mph, temperature extremes, and any superficial physical damage it may be subjected to. Furthermore, the station also comes with a wireless integrated sensor suite with mounting hardware and a console with a backlit LCD screen for good measure.
#6 Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Plus Wireless Weather Station
Similar to the 6153 model we already talked about, this too is a sturdy and reliable weather station by most industry standards. What makes it popular, however, is its impressive accessibility and ease of use, which needless to say, is something one should look for in any type of weather station, professional or not.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that it incorporates Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus UV & Solar radiation sensors intended to give you a better idea of what the weather outside is like and to do so in a very accurate fashion. It should also be said that the station has a standard passive radiation shield for added protection and an LCD display console for increased accessibility.
#5 Ambient Weather WS-1900 Osprey Solar Powered Wireless Professional Weather Station
Designed to meet the requirements and expectations of even the most demanding users, this ingenious weather station supports both imperial and metric measurement units for greater convenience. At the same time, the station can provide 16-second real-time wind speed updates on the console and can be calibrated to finely record all measured parameters in great depth.
Built from sturdy and reliable components, it will also withstand extreme weather conditions without showing any signs of damage. Interestingly enough, this weather station can run on solar power, mainly the osprey sensor array in particular. This makes it a very good choice for people who live in remote areas who may have issues powering the station at all times.
#4 Davis Instruments 6163 Vantage Pro2 Plus Wireless Weather Station
With this particular weather station from Davis Instruments, you get the highest possible build and operating standards in this price range. Seen as an exquisite machine on account of its price tag, the station fully reflects its somewhat higher price through its highly ingenious features. Among them, reliable solar and UV sensors that make it a near-scientific station by most accounts.
Furthermore, the station can gauge outdoor temperature and humidity, the wind, the barometric pressure, indoor temperature and humidity, tendency and graph, dew point and wind chill among a series of other equally useful measurements. It also needs to be said that the station comes with an auto-emptying rain bucket that makes it easier to use in all types of weather.
#3 WeatherFlow Smart Home Weather Station
This is without a doubt, one of the most advanced home weather stations on the market at this point in time, a station that stands out through its ingenious build and reliability. It also benefits from a revolutionary design that involves no moving parts to wear out, a precision sonic anemometer, an instant rain sensor, and a variety of other useful features.
Among them, solar-powered, super long-range outdoor wireless sensors with a range greater than 1,000 feet. The station also features complex online apps along with a free personal weather webpage, direct link to Weather Underground, a REST API, and BLE local broadcast capabilities.
#2 Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station
Designed to meet even the most demanding of operating standards, the Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station stands out through its impressive accessibility. Not only does it send real-time data to various weather websites for better synchronization but it also receives updates through the same route as well for a more accurate reading.
Built from sturdy materials, the weather station can withstand a fair amount of abuse before showing any real signs of damage, which is something you need to consider when buying a weather station of any kind. Also worth mentioning is the fact that it incorporates a dynamic color tablet that combines measured parameters with calculated data that includes dew point, sunrise, sunset, moon phase, and ‘feels like’ temperature readings.
#1 Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue Wireless Weather Station
Few other weather stations can meet the reliability standards set by the Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue Wireless Weather Station, a system you can rely on to always provide accurate readings. Thanks to a self-contained weather monitoring system that includes an integrated Sensor Suite, and LCD console, and sturdy mounting hardware, this weather station will deliver clear measurements in any weather conditions at any given time.
We should also point out that it features an easy-to-read, backlit 3 x 4.3-inch LCD console with a glow-in-the-dark keypad intended to increase the console’s accessibility. Last but not least, let us say that the station reports on not only current weather conditions but humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, dew point, and rainfall probability as well.
What To Look For In A Home Weather Station
Even though most high-end weather stations meet certain functional standards, you shouldn’t expect all of them to have the same accuracy; nor should you presume that you can operate all of them the same way and by employing the same customization preferences.
In fact, apart from their generic build, you are unlikely to find two weather stations that behave identically, especially if you’re looking at stations in different price brackets. To give you a better idea of what to look for, we put together a short guide regarding high-end weather stations and the specifications that make them stand apart.
General Purpose
The first thing you want to consider when buying a home weather station is the type and build of the system, mainly the versatility and portability. While some of these stations can be repositioned at will, others will require that you find a good permanent spot for them from which to acquire the most accurate readings possible.
In this respect, you have to consider whether you want a station that you can depend on to always keep you up to date with local changes in weather, or a station that you can take with you on the go.
We say this because some people also like to rely on these stations when they’re out camping or hiking for days at a time. Seeing how it can be difficult to plan the route ahead based on nothing but local weather reports, a portable weather station can come in rather handy for passionate hikers and/or campers.
Bear in mind, however, that home weather station requires a constant power supply and cannot be re-positioned once you have set them up at home. These stations are also a lot more accurate than portable weather stations on account of how large and dependable they are.
Recorded Data
The type of data a weather station records should also be considered upon purchase, mainly if it presents multiple variables to look at. In this respect, you want a station that records temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and wind speed above all else.
If possible, you also want the station to be able to detect UV radiation levels, rainfall, soil condition, leaf wetness, and much more. Needless to say, you want a station that can record multiple readings at the same time, especially if you’re the type of person who spends a lot of time outside.
Connection Type
One should also consider the connection type of any weather station they’re looking at. Although most high-end weather stations employ roughly the same functional principles, they do stand apart from one another in terms of build quality, functionality, versatility, and of course, connection type.
Speaking of which, a standard weather station can either be wired or wireless for the most part, although there are several stations out there who meet both parameters.
Wired Weather Stations – As the name suggests, wired weather systems are powered via wires connected to the console of the device. These stations are commonly mounted on supports, which means that their installation takes a fair bit of time to set up.
At the same time, they tend to offer a bit more stability than wireless weather stations on account of their wired design. Even so, the choice between a wired or wireless station should be made based on their technical capabilities.
Wireless Weather Stations – These stations are much easier to install than their wired counterparts and they are commonly smaller in size. That said, we should point out that these stations are prone to signal interruptions connected by not only radio signals from other electronics but interruptions caused by the weather itself.
It should be said, however, that newer models are less prone to interruptions than older models and that the technology is getting better and better with every generation.
Transmission
It is fairly important that you consider the transmission range of any weather station you plan on buying, for practical reasons more than anything. Even though you are likely to set up the station in the near proximity of your household, you still want to be able to access its readings from a fair distance removed.
What you want in this regard is a station with a transmission range of at least 300 feet or so, and bear in mind that the longer the transmission range of your station, the more accessible the device is.
Power Source
You should also consider what power source you would want your weather station to have, especially if you live in a remote area. For instance, there are portable weather stations that operate on AA batteries or solar panels, which needless to say, are popular among people who live in areas that have problems with an unreliable supply of electricity. Still, it is best that you invest in a stand-alone weather station that you can supply straight from the power outlet on the wall if you have the possibility.
Warranty
Although you are advised against purchasing a second-hand weather station, it isn’t so much because these devices lose their reliability over time but rather the increased risk of physical damage that should worry you. As such, you would do well to get yourself a brand new weather station, one that should also come with a fairly long warranty.
Seeing how expensive some of these stations can be, you definitely want a model that comes with not only a commercial but a functional warranty as well. On average, you can expect a decent weather station to come with a 5-year warranty or even a bit longer than that.
Factors To Consider
Accuracy – The first thing you want to consider when buying a weather station is whether not it can accurately measure weather parameters and do so in a timely and efficient manner. The best way to ensure that whatever station you’re looking at does that is to check out reviews and opinions from people who have already bought the device. At the same time, you want to pay close attention to the quality of the sensors inbuilt into the weather station and see if they’re built to the highest possible standards.
Range – Range can also be an issue with sub-par or mediocre weather stations, and yet most of the good ones tend to possess a fairly decent range. Now, it needs to be said that a weather station’s range and accuracy can be affected by various parameters but that for the most part, it comes down to the station’s built-in sensors and the positioning of the station itself. You also have to bear in mind that home weather stations will also record different types of data and that each individual measurement can vary from time to time depending on the weather, positioning, and any physical damage the station may withstand over time.
Update Frequency – Although not as intuitive as accuracy and range, update frequency is just as important on the basis that it determines how frequently it updates its readings. As such, a standard home weather station will update its readings once every 30 seconds or so if all its systems are working correctly. That said, some weather stations can also update data every couple of seconds or so, which may be a little too fast if all you want is a standard weather station for your household.
Size – Not many people know this but home weather stations take up quite a bit of real estate when properly installed, especially if it’s the type of station that also records peculiar readings like wind speed and rainfall. For these systems to operate at acceptable standards, the weather station needs to perform its readings without any obstruction, be it physical or otherwise. To make sure that your weather station records the correct readings at all times, you have to avoid placing any large objects in its proximity if you can help it.
Cost – It should be self-evident that high-end weather stations command a heftier price tag than average models, which is why you need to put a lot of thought into what exactly you expect from a weather station before committing to a purchase. Even though you can find fairly standard models for just a couple hundred bucks or so, the more advanced models can cost upwards of one $1,000 or so depending on the model, size, inbuilt systems, and general purpose.
