Best Infrared Thermometers in the UK

If you're on the lookout for a pro-grade IR thermometer that would have everything you'd expect from a measuring tool, the Fluke 62 MAX can be your destination. This tool is quite small in size, highly accurate, and what's no less important, has a durable housing, making it a reliable assistant for use at construction sites and industrial facilities. In fact, it's such a tough boy it could easily take a drop from 3 m height. Besides that, it has an IP54 rating, which makes it safe to keep it in the dustiest of environments with no risk of damaging its internal components.

Coming back to the measurements, the Fluke 62 MAX delivers accurate and immediate readings for many things, starting from cooking, central heating, floors, walls to human temperature. You can use it to check the temperature of electronic components, auto parts, HVAC systems, aquariums, pizza stones, and many other things, both cold and warm. The unit uses one laser and can detect the target at a 10:1 distance to spot ratio, allowing you to pinpoint objects even in some awkward and hard-to-reach areas. What we especially like is that it is possible to set the emissivity for different surfaces, thus, increasing the accuracy of the results.

Besides that, the Fluke 62 MAX is very convenient to use. Featuring an ergonomic design with a loop, it can be clipped to your belt or clothing when you don't need to use it. You also can hang it on a hook with the rest of the tools. Also featured on the unit is a large backlit screen that provides for easy readings in bright and poor lighting conditions.

All in all, though not the cheapest, the Fluke 62 MAX's a worthy buy. If you need a robust measuring tool for non-contact measurements of all kinds of things, it won't let you down.

The Black & Decker TLD100 is a versatile thing. You can use it for a whole variety of tasks around the house, including checking the temperature of hot and hazardous surfaces that can't be touched, diagnosing engines, automotive components and HVAC systems and checking food. But where it works best, as is claimed by Black & Decker, is at detecting energy leaks. So, if you suspect that your home leaks the heat out around tricky places that you can't spot, the TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector will come to help.

The beauty of the TLD100 is its simplicity. You get one single on-off button and a switch for selecting the temperature limits. Simply pinpoint it at the surface and let the beam of light hit it and then move it around to detect cold spots. The moment the tool detects the temperature change (which you can adjust by using the switch), the indicator light on the tool will flash red or blue, depending on the nature of the spot.

Admittedly, the TLD100's not a substitution for an infrared thermometer and deviations from the readings might occur, but it's a useful device nevertheless. For those occasions when you need to quickly detect colder areas in a room and register rapid changes of 0.1-0.2 degrees, you won't find a better tool than the Black & Decker TLD100, especially at this price point.

The Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 doesn't have dust and water protection and more likely than not, it will not survive a drop even from a small height, but despite that, it's still a very cool product. Why? Because in all other respects, it delivers just as wonderfully as professional tools.

The tool perfectly measures targets at great distances (12:1 spot ratio) and can detect temperature changes in a range from -50°C to 550°C, which is what you'd get from the experts of measuring tools. The response time at ≤500M is very quick too. You can use it when barbequing, cooking, doing some repairs, diagnosing auto components, performing checkouts of heating systems and a whole lot of other tasks - the unit will come up with accurate readings in no time.

On top of that, it's not devoid of added functions. You get a large LCD screen with backlight for reading measurements in dark areas and an auto shut-off feature that will turn the device off to save its battery life. There's also a handy indicator that will light up when the battery charge drops low so you will know when the battery needs replacement. In general, though, one 9V battery can last for 1-2 years, depending on use.

Some users note that the device might occasionally produce inaccurate results when applied to metal surfaces, however, there's an easy way to avoid this. Just make sure that the distance between this surface and thermometer is not bigger than 30-36 cm.

It's also worth noting that Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 is designed only for inanimate objects and will not be suitable for use on humans and animals.

As you can see, there's very little the Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 won't be suitable for. It's accurate, has a very long measuring range, and can detect temperatures in a wide range. If you've no problems with it being made of plastic and not shock-proof, it won't disappoint you.

The Bosch UniversalTemp Infrared Thermometer is one of the best models for everyday use. Accurate, reliable and durable, it can measure the temperature of just about any surface, including heating, heated floors, windows, refrigerators, flat kitchenware and many other things that can get to a boiling hot or freezing cold temperature.

The model works in a wide temperature range of -30°C to +500°C and allows you to select one of the three measuring modes depending on the type of material the measured surface is made of.

On top of that, it offers two ways of measuring. This contributes towards its functionality, allowing you to quickly take a single reading when you need to find out the temperature of a pizza stone, for example, or use it in a continuous mode for checking walls and detecting hidden leaks.

Using the Bosch UniversalTemp Infrared Thermometer is very easy. The device has a simple design with an inverted backlight display that shows taken readings as well as the current battery life, the selected emission mode, and the readings that have been taken previously. You also get a leaflet with instructions that will help you figure out how to use all those modes.

In all, the Bosch UniversalTemp Infrared Thermometer lives up to its name and offers versatile functionality. You can use it for measuring the temperature of just about any household object and for many other DIY things.

One of the biggest factors often plaguing IR thermometers is the range. If you have similar concerns and need a device that will be able to measure temperatures accurately from a greater distance, the Etekcity Lasergrip 800 Digital Infrared Thermometer will fit you to a tee.

This model sports several capabilities that put it above many of the other devices on the market. For one, it has the 16:1 distance to spot ratio, which is among the highest we've seen. And for two, it has a wide temperature range, with it able to accurately measure temperatures within the range of -58ºC to 1382ºC. The measurement accuracy is also quite good, with measurements varying no more than 2 degrees F from the actual temperature. With all of these, the Etekcity Lasergrip 800 Digital Infrared Thermometer will be suitable for just about use case.

Where the Etekcity Lasergrip 800 Digital Infrared Thermometer is also very useful is in its automatic data hold feature. This feature stores previous readings and allows you to easily find and analyse any variations in the temperatures, so the problem if you have any, can be quickly fixed.

The device itself is also quite easy to use. It has an ergonomically designed handle that is very easy to hold and is highly accurate with wherever you point it. The controls on the device are easy to recognise - each button on the screen sports a small image that gives you a clear indicator of what it is used for. Temperature readings are all displayed on the large backlit LCD display which is easy to read in any light conditions.

The only gripe we have with this IR thermometer is that there is a slight delay between the time the measurement is taken and the reading appears on the screen, although this really isn't a big deal and shouldn't impact the usefulness of the device.

All things considered, if you're looking for a robust IR thermometer with a great measuring range at a budget price point, the Etekcity Lasergrip 800 will suit you.