What to Look For in a Home Weather Station
Sensors and Accuracy
Sensors are the most important feature to look for, because they’re what measures the local weather conditions. According to Matt Makens, meteorologist and weather consultant for Makens Weather, temperature and humidity are two of the most important sensors. Other important sensors include barometric pressure, rain, wind, solar radiation, and lightning. Other less common options include soil moisture and leaf wetness sensors that can help you plan and manage your garden beyond just paying attention to hardiness zones. Some weather stations include all of the sensors in a single sensor body, and others like the Ambient Weather WS-5000 allow you to add new sensors to expand your system.
Accuracy is also important, and each sensor has its own individual accuracy ratings. Each sensor has a range in which it can operate, like a minimum and maximum temperature for a temperature sensor, and also a margin of error that indicates the potential for minor inaccuracies. More expensive sensors like those included with the Davis Vantage Pro2 have larger operational ranges and lower margins of error.
Update frequency is another important aspect of weather sensors, as it refers to how often the sensors send data. A sensor with a low update frequency might only send an update once each minute, while high frequency sensors can send data every few seconds. Faster sensors are typically more expensive, but they give better real-time results and also pick up on variations that slower sensors don’t.
Transmission Range
The transmission range of a home weather station refers to the maximum distance between the sensors and the base station. Range is an important consideration, because it limits exactly where you can place the base station or display inside your home in relation to the positioning of your weather sensors. The range of a home weather station is typically about 300 feet, but some go beyond that. The Davis Vantage Vue, which is our recommendation for providing the most accuracy, has a significantly enhanced range of 1,000 feet.
It’s also important to consider that the range of a weather station refers to a direct line of sight connection. In the real world, obstructions like the walls of your home will lower the range of your weather station to some degree.
Durability
Home weather stations are, by definition, exposed to the elements. These devices sit outside, in the wind, sun, rain, and everything else, so they must be durable. The manufacturers featured here are all known for producing durable products, with the higher-end models known to last longer than lower-end units. If you’re looking for a more durable unit, Makens recommends specifically to, “Avoid the cheaper ones, not because of data quality, but because they tend to break easily—especially the wind meters.”
Some higher end weather stations solve the problem of broken components by minimizing the number of moving parts with advanced ultrasonic and haptic sensors. “An ultrasonic anemometer measures wind parameters based on the time of flight of ultrasound pulses between pairs of transducers, essentially using the difference in the speed of sound to determine wind speed and direction,” says David St. John, the CTO of WeatherFlow. These sensors cost more than traditional instruments, but don’t have any moving parts and are less likely to break down.
Power Source
Home weather stations are powered by solar panels, batteries, or a combination of the two. Solar panels are the most convenient, because they require the least maintenance. When paired with high quality rechargeable batteries, they can remain operational for quite a while. Our top overall recommendation, the Ambient Weather WS-2000, combines a solar panel with a super-capacitor and backup batteries, which keep it going for years at a time.
Weather stations that don’t have solar panels do require more attention, but Makens has a recommendation for minimizing the trouble there. “For those that require batteries, buy the lithium ones because they’ll perform longer and more reliably in cold weather climates,” he says. Our recommendation for the best ultrasonic weather station, the Weatherflow Tempest, runs on a solar panel and lithium-ion battery combination that lasts for years.
Standout Features
Connectivity (smart features)
Connectivity is one of the most important advances in home weather stations. This feature allows you to connect your weather station to your home network, typically via a Wi-Fi connection. According to St. John, “investing in a station that can integrate with your smart home and irrigation tech, or one that provides a customized forecast using your data, significantly increases its functionality.”
If you find that interesting, then look for a model with Wi-Fi connectivity, the ability to send data to weather websites, and a phone app that lets you view current and historic data from your weather sensors. If you use a specific smart home system, like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, then you should also focus on home weather stations that are compatible with that system.
Display
Most home weather stations include a display console of some kind, but some use a phone app instead. If you want quick and easy access to your weather data, forecasts, and other information from your home weather station, then a high quality display like the high definition screen that’s included with the AcuRite Atlas 01001M is key.
On the other hand, if the display isn’t a big concern to you, then you can save a lot of money by opting for a system that uses a high quality sensor assembly paired with a simpler display. For example, the Ambient Weather WS-2000 is our best overall recommendation, and the Ambient Weather WS-2902 is our recommendation for best value. These weather stations use an identical sensor assembly, but the Ambient Weather WS-2000 has a significantly better display.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Jeremy Laukkonen, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. He’s had experience testing and reviewing a variety of home weather stations throughout his career, including hands-on experience with several of the stations featured here. In addition to The Spruce, his reviews can be found in other outlets including Lifewire and DigitalTrends.
After gathering expert insights, Laukkonen focused his research on factors like durability and extensibility, sensor design and accuracy, and connectivity.
Our Experts:
- Matt Makens from Makens Weather
- David St. John, the CTO of WeatherFlow
