For sorting out electric issues and to monitor devices and gadgets, a basic digital multimeter now becomes a real need for every home.
A best multimeter for home use can serve you well to find the mains voltage of household supplies, currents drawn by electric items, find resistance values , frequency, and other basic parameters.
Now the question is without being an electrician how can you find a best multimeter in the market already full of many valuable multimeters. You don’t need to worry here, our team of electrical engineers and electricians has vast experience and knowledge of handling electric tools including multimeters and clamp meters for both industrial and general home uses.
Whether you are a do it yourself person or electronics hobbyist you should have a right accurate and durable meter with all basic features and easy to operate interface. For homes, you don’t need an expensive, hi-fi multimeter with the latest technologies. Only a basic digital multimeter can do simple tasks for you like testing an outlet.
But we will advise you to don’t use a multimeter without taking proper training and safety sessions. Also, you should read the manual and user guides in detail before using meter. Whether you are buying it for checking marine devices, rv equipment, solar panels, battery testing and other common home electric installments safety should be your first concern.
Best Home Use Multimeters Reviews
1.FLUKE-106 Palm-sized best home use Digital Multimeter
Fluke 106 is specifically designed for home users, beginners and electronic hobbyists. It’s a basic digital multimeter that can solve all primary electric troubleshooting issues. You can test home wiring, test light switches, dc appliances, mains supply, and current drawn by household applications.
Surprisingly it comes in a matchless small design, which can perfectly fit into your pocket. And you can take it anywhere easily when needed. It’s not only a small size that attracts us to include this meter at top of our best home multimeters list, but we are really impressed by its high accuracy level, robust body features, stylish design and good responsive interface.
You can check Christmas lights, wiring faults, diodes and faulty switches or breakers with help of continuity function. You just have to connect probes of multimeter to two ends of wiring, diodes, or any other electric device. if continuity is ok it will give a buzz indication to confirm that there is no problem in circuit continuity otherwise you have to analyze other faults in detail.
This fluke’s compact pocket sized multimeter seems solid in your hand, has extra drop protection and vibrations resistance. Fluke multimeters are already built to survive longer in a rough and tough environments with wear and tear conditions.
It will automatically shut off after some time of inactivity. That’s so helpful to conserve battery charge and gives extra longer life to meter’s battery. Unlike other multimeters of its genre, it will not irritate you in battery replacement process due to its easy to replace battery compartment.
We found this best multimeter for home use as an ideal option for completing your home basic tools kit. Having this basic multimeter can save you from many common home electric faults by regular monitoring and checking.
Key features
CAT III 600 V 600V AC/DC 10A AC/DC R 40 MΩ F 100 Khz Cap. 1000uF Continuity Diode test Duty cycles Data hold Auto range
Next on our list is a decently designed tekpower mastech home use multimeter. It comes with auto and manual range, which means you can set range according to your choice. Auto range could be a better option for beginners and hobbyists as they don’t have to change parameters through selector switch every time before tests. Professional electricians or electronics engineers can use it on auto or manual range by their choice.
It comes with an amazing range or voltage which is upto 1000 volts ac or dc. But we will recommend that you should not play with high voltage systems without proper knowledge and training. You can also check currents whether ac or dc up to 10 amps.
If your concern is safety, you’ll be pleased by this mastech home use multimeter. As it is designed for use at CAT 2 1000V CAT 3 600V level installations. You can imagine now how much it could be safe for applying it to small home use equipment when it has this level of safety regulations. It also comes with overload and resettable fuse protection on all ranges.
You must have experience of weak or fast draining batteries of some cheap multimeters. In this case, you don’t have to worry about early battery drainage as it has an auto power off feature which can also be disabled if you don’t want to use it. If it,s in enable position multimeter will power off automatically after some time of inactivity. Battery replacement procedure is much easier than you can expect. Only three aaa batteries are required to run multimeter which can be replaced anytime easily.
There is light and sound warning for wrongly connected banana jacks. It means whenever you connect test leads in the wrong manner multimeter will indicate that there is something wrong. For example, if you want to test voltage but forget to switch the banana jack to voltage socket it will beep to indicate a warning.
Key features
CAT 2 1000V CAT 3 600V 1000V AC/DC 10A AC/DC F 200KHz Cap 200uF R 40 Mohm Auto/Man range Auto shut of Backlit Lcd Builtin back stand
Innova is already a known name to electricians for producing heftier multimeters. They are specially designed with robust materials, ideal for long lasting use in rough tough environments. This innova 3320 variant is a best multimeter for home use when your primary concern is to find out voltage levels of the mains supply and general batteries.
It comes with protective rubber guards which provide it extra protection from sudden falls during work. These rubber guards also give meter strong hefty looks. There are proper probes holding space available beside rubber guards where test leads can be placed conveniently after work.
As it comes with auto ranging scale so you don’t need to set dial range every time before conducting any test. Auto ranging capability makes it suitable for general home use where you can check basic parameters and solve ordinary wiring faults without calling electricians. So in another sense, you can say that a good inexpensive home use multimeter can save you from heavy maintenance bills for minor problems sometimes.
There is a very advantageous function included by innova in this awesome multimeter which is battery health indication by color coded led. It will give you overall battery health status. While checking batteries if led indicates green it means that the battery is in good health. If led turns to yellow that means there is some problem or battery is weak and if you got a red color indication that will mean you should replace the battery.
This basic home use multimeter is UL certified, comes with overload protection. It also has reverse polarity protection, which means multimeter will be safe if ever mistakenly test probes connected to a circuit in the wrong polarity. You can use it for a variety of household electrical problems like home wiring faults, charging system issues, battery failures and many other issues.
Unfortunately, there is no backlight in its lcd which is quite helpful for reading results in dim light areas. But this thing can be managed by using another flashlight.
Key features
AC/DC 600V DC 10A AC 200mA R 20.00MΩ Diode test Continuity test 2000 counts LCD display UL certified Auto range Auto power off Battery health check
If you want something extra in your home use multimeter within a reasonable budget then extech ex360 could be a great choice for you. It comes with a bunch of useful features and an ideal accuracy level. It contains all the basic functions which should be included in a best multimeter for home use. Also, you’ll get some extra benefits at a relatively lower price.
True rms technology is a next level advanced technology that is featured in all industrial digital multimeters. Because of versatile load demands, trms is a must have thing to strengthen accuracy in industrial multimeters. But what will be your reaction if you get a multimeter for general home use decored with true rms feature? Absolutely it’ll be a great experience to have one like this.
Along with true rms it also has low impedance mode, which assures the prevention of false readings due to stary and ghost voltages. You’ll also get analog styled bar graph to see signal behavior on lcd screen. If you have some know how of basic electrical theories bar graphs can be so beneficial for you to understand signal waveforms.
Electrical testing could be dangerous for newbies or DIYers enthusiasts at the start when they had not much practice to test voltages and currents safely. For these types of people extech’s ncv function is a true blessing. You can detect AC voltage in any circuit, switch, or wiring by just switching the multimeter’s dial to NCV without making contact. Also, a led indicator is present which will indicate voltage presence.
If we talk about other facilities provided in this adorable home use multimeter, then we would like to mention its peak hold ability which will hold peak value, auto shut off system with control to enable or disable it and a much useful relative mode which can be used for capacitance zero and other adjustments.
One thing we noticed is that it’s relatively slower in auto range while in resistance checking mode.
Key features
CAT IV600V CATIII1000V 1000V DC/AC R 40MΩ Cap. 10mF F 100Khz Diode test Continuity Auto range TRUE RMS Loz mode NCV 1000V Smart data holding Analog bar graph 6000 counts LCD display Relative mode
This amazing clamp multimeter can ideally complete your electrician’s tools kit. You don’t need a separate electrical tester if this proster best multimeter for electricians is with you. You can sort out all general house electric appliances faults and can check heavy currents with its high rated clamp.
Generally in homes, people didn’t prefer a clamp meter as it,s supposed to be a tool for professional electricians who has proper knowledge of its functioning. But as a matter of fact, there is not much difference between a clamp amp meter and a general digital multimeter, you can operate it easily effortlessly.
It is equipped with true rms sensing, has auto range ability on all functions which is helpful for beginners. Also you’ll get non contact voltage tester, by which voltages can be detected with light indications whether from mains panels, live wires, naked switches, and other electric applications. These types of features made it a best multimeter for beginners.
One more benefit of temperature measurement you’ll get by having this multimeter at your home. A k type thermocouple plug is included in the package. With the help of that thermocouple, plug temperature can be tested for a range of -40 to 1000 centigrades.
We often needed to calculate the total power consumption of different appliances or overall home use. For this, a normal multimeter that comes with a smaller range of measuring amps can’t fulfill your need. But this clamp meter can tell you the exact realtime power consumption of trolling motors, lawnmowers, light bulbs, fans, ovens, refrigerators, and many other home appliances. You may also check overall power consumption through the mains supply panel.
If you are a style and design lover then it will not disappoint you in this matter too. Having a slim ergonomic body, robust abs built material, gorgeous color scheme, soft function buttons and backlit lcd gives it a real stylish overlook.
Key features
600V AC/DC 600A AC/DC F 20Mhz R 60MΩ Cap 6000uF Temp. -40-1000℃ Diode test Continuity test True RMS Backlit lcd Duty cycles 6000 counts lcd Ncvt test
Pros we found after testing
18 months warranty
Inexpensive
Abs material body
Zip pouch included
Auto off
Low battery indicator
Temperature measurements
Cons we found after testing
Nothing noticeable
Some facts about this blog
Total Products analyzed = 35, Research time spend = 19 hours, Selection criteria = Multimeters in the budget, having all basic functions, reliability, safety, and ease of use.
This etekcity Msr-r500 is the best cheap multimeter available in market. It has almost all basic electrical and electronics parameters with swift response functionality. It has an amazing sampling speed of 3 samples per second which we never expect from this price range multimeter.
You can test AC,DC voltages, DC amps , resistance and continuity by this best home use multimeter. An audible beep sound will be produced by meter to tell you whether electric components and wiring are in working condition. It’s so helpful to find where’s the actual fault in lengthy household wiring systems.
A data hold button is available by which you can hold display reading during test to note it somewhere or some other purpose. Lcd is decored with bright backlight operable by button present on main interface just under lcd screen.
This manual range multimeter comes with valid overlaod protections on all ranges so you can use it without worrying about overload hazards. To protect the multimeter from damage during accidental falls, rubberized sleeves are present across its body.
It could be a perfect option for electrical internees and diy beginners as they don’t have to spend many bucks for expensive multimeters. They’ll get all their basic needs done with this quality low budget home multimeter. It still comes with good safety standards beside its cheap price. After rigorous testing, it got IEC certification, safe to use for CAT level 1 and 2 installations.
It comes with a built-in back support stand which makes its handsfree use possible. You can do hobby electronics in your garage lab or workshop while placing multimeter by backstand in front of you. Test leads also seemed good in quality, they come with protective caps.
Key features
IEC61010 CAT I 600V CAT. II 300V 500V AC/DC 10A DC R 200MΩ Diode test Continuity test Manual range Data hold Backlight in lcd Low battery indicator Overload protections 2000 Counts display
This is a pure American made product available at very reasonable price. Whether you want a meter for your home and other machinery and appliances like lawn mowers, golf carts, electric fences, uninterruptible power supply systems, and solar panels. It’s an auto ranging digital multimeter so you’ll be at ease while using it. Anyhow manual range multimeters required some skills to operate.
If we talk about the body then we must say that it,s a rugged and protected meter. The reason behind this statement is its abs made tough outer, rubberized sleeve protector around body. When we say easy to operate then it means a clear and simple menu of ranges around selector wheel, basic functions provided through buttons and a clearly illustrated interface.
One thing we would say here after our deep analyzation that if you want a multimeter for temperature detection then don,t select this meter. Because we noticed that it,s not much good at temperature and needs more calibration. You may face a deviation of 5 to 8 degrees of temperature readings from actual. Anyhow all other features are great and of course accuracy is good for all basic parameters.
Now here is another amazing fluke variant that we were forced to add in this best multimeter for home use list due to its supreme performance and accuracy. It’s a standard fluke multimeter with all basic functionalities like volts, ohm, amps, frequency, and capacitance. Temperature is an extra useful feature included in this meter which lacks in many fluke multimeters even at a higher price than this. As far as accuracy is concerned we can trust this brand due to a bright track record in accuracy and performance.
Generally for home use people want a multimeter with simple user experience and easy to operate interface. This meter gives flexibility whether you want to operate it manually or on auto range choice is yours. It’s large LCD display is feasible for viewing results at any angle.
What we liked the most about this multimeter is its capacity to test milli amps and temperature, these two functions are available only in expensive fluke meters other than this. If we compare it to other brands we can see that its unmatched accuracy, user friendliness, and functions variety make it superior to them.
What we don’t like about it is its warranty which is limited to a single country only. But that’s not a big problem as fluke doesn’t need warranties and certifications because of its reliability and durable lifespan.
This multimeter is a bit different from other homeuse multimeters in this list mainly due to its amp clamp meter and unique make design. We noticed that sometimes electricians want a multimeter for using it at residential buildings, offices, banks and commercial hubs. For that purpose, a multimeter with both temperature and high amps range is a badly needed thing. So here is uei test meter DL379b which can solve this issue.
The good thing about this best clamp meter for home use is its detachable clamp head, which could be attached or detached anytime according to user demand. When we compare it to other multimeters, we identified that it has some extras for us like dual display lcd screen, jack lock, magnetic mounting, and temperature calibrations by user input. We also liked its classic design and simple interface.
Even a beginner or diy hobbyist can easily understand its functions which are clearlly illustrated around selector switch. You just need a little know how and the rest multimeter will do for you. Although temperature probe seems of average quality but that doesn’t affect accuracy. All other functions like voltage and amperes are satisfactory.
This kaiweets digital multimeter is for those people who want something extra in their home use multimeters. It,s equipped with almost all advanced level features like true rms, auto ranging and analog bar graph. So it could be a perfect choice for electrical enthusiasts or diy beginners who want to learn new things. Apart from all this we also found it extremely accurate even you can relate its accuracy to expensive fluke multimeters.
It comes with a broad lcd with white bright backlight, whenever voltage goes across 80v or amperes over 10 A its lcd light turns to orange to indicate you about taking necessary safety measures. Its body is protected by silicone case, which prevents damage against sudden drops and vibrations. There,s a built in flashlight in this dmm which could be the only light source in dim areas.
when compared to rivals we concluded that it has an edge in extra features and rugged body material with valid safety certifications. On other hand, it requires some extra space due to the larger size. It also may be a bit confusing for newbies or house owners to see bar graph and other illustrations on lcd. But its overall user experience is amazing, if you have a little knowledge to handle electric tools you’ll certainly love this device.
Some of its functionalities which we liked most are lighted jack ports which enlighten according to selector switch position. Suppose you set the switch position at voltage and insert test leads to amp port then that port light will not turn on to indicate that you are at the wrong point. A kick stand is a real ease while working on a bench or if you want a handsfree use.
Another useful function we discovered is live wire test. It gives both visual and audio alarms to tell whether a wire is live or neutral. This feature should be included in all home use multimeters but unfortunately, we didn’t find it in many of them.
We don’t like some of its characteristics like its display turns off after only 10 seconds of inactivity which is too little, it should be somewhat between 15 to 20 sec. 2nd thing is It does,nt remember the last function selected and you have to set it again.
There are dozens of multimeter brands available in market with various specialties and price range. You may get a multimeter with the same features/functions in comparison with a multimeter having 3 or 4 times higher price than it. Now here is the power of research and experience comes, through which you can conclude which one is better then other.
You may trust our findings which we have finalized after hours of research and practical examination on multimeters. We can’t give you a single choice because it all depends on area of use, equipment and device sensitivity and level of precision you want from a meter.
Obviously, for general home use, we’ll not see a meter that comes with laboratory calibration or nist certifications. But for house we should keep in mind that a multimeter should be safe and overload protected. Before making a purchase you should focus that what a multimeter offers, is it completing your requirements?
All best home use multimeters which we reviewed above are selected after proper research and analysis process. Each of them has safety protections and a variety of features, now it’s your choice which one will you select according to your needs.
Leo Maxwell is basically an Electrical engineer and hobby tech writer, having 13 years of experience in the electronics and instrumentation industry. He has hands on experience working in various fields like Powerhouses, solar, automotive, and FMCG.
During his career, he has used many power tools and meters in electrical projects. Now his aim is to explain tools and troubleshooting in easy guides to help people. Other then it, leo loves traveling, reading books and DIY tasks.
