Make an informed choice
Guides
Research-backed picks and explainers for the tools that measure. Updated as products change.
How we chooseBest picks
Best Battery Testers: Car, Load and Household Picks
Choose a battery tester for your car or household cells. Compare conductance and load tests, AGM support and voltage checks, with clear limits for each tool.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Sound Level Meters: When a Phone App Is Enough
Choose a sound level meter for spot checks or logging, see when the NIOSH iOS app is enough, and understand weighting, calibration and Class 1 versus Class 2.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Kill A Watt and Other Plug-In Watt Meters: Measure What Anything Really Uses
Measure what an appliance really uses with a Kill A Watt or an energy-monitoring smart plug: which to buy, how to read watts vs VA, and the 0.2% fine print.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Multimeters in 2026: for Home, Electricians, Electronics and Cars
Multimeters picked by job, from the Klein MM420 to the Fluke 117 and 87V MAX, plus how to read CAT ratings and per-range accuracy, and when True RMS matters.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
USB-C Power Meters and Cable Testers: See What Your Charger Really Negotiates
USB-C power meters compared on voltage range, PD readout and e-marker reading: the ChargerLAB KM003C, Plugable VAMETER3, Klein ET920 and FNIRSI FNB58.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Clamp Meters: AC-Only vs AC/DC, and When You Need True RMS
Clamp meters picked by job: Klein's AC/DC CL710 and CL390 and Fluke's AC-only 323. Why DC current needs an AC/DC clamp, and why you clamp one wire, not a cord.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Non-Contact Voltage Testers (and Why Silence Doesn't Prove a Wire Is Dead)
Non-contact voltage testers picked by job: Klein's dual-range NCVT3P, the one-button NCVT1P and the self-testing Fluke 1AC II, plus what no pen can detect.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Ethernet Cable Testers: Wiremap, Length and PoE (Plus How to Check an HDMI Cable)
Ethernet cable testers explained: what a wiremap tester proves, when you need length and PoE testing, why none certify Cat 6, and how to check an HDMI cable.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Best Outlet and GFCI Testers (and What They Can't Tell You)
Outlet and GFCI testers compared: Klein's RT250 shows voltage and GFCI trip time, the RT210 shows lights. What each can and can't find, and how to test a GFCI.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
Gift guides
Buying guide
Home Energy Monitors: Emporia Vue 3, a Smart Plug or a Plug-In Meter?
Do you need a whole-home energy monitor? What the Emporia Vue 3 measures, what its panel install involves, and when a smart plug or a Kill A Watt is enough.
Updated November 2, 2026Read
How to Use a Multimeter: Continuity, Voltage and Current, Step by Step
How to use a multimeter safely: what the dial symbols mean, which jack the red lead goes in, and step-by-step continuity, battery voltage and current checks.
Updated November 2, 2026Read