Home Weather Station Reviews 2022

1. Ambient Weather WS-2000

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SUMMARY

The WS-2000 is Ambient Weather’s latest weather station model.  It has a total of 10 weather instruments and uses their proven Osprey sensor suite, but pairs it with a new tablet-like, high-definition user interface.  This display (shown below) can be switched between light mode and dark mode so that it can be easily seen in any lighting situation.  The outdoor weather sensor on the WS-2000 is solar-powered and uses battery back-up, making yet another great Ambient weather station.

CONNECTION

WIFI Weather Station

WHAT WE LIKE

We’ve always loved the value that the Ambient weather stations provide the user.  The WS-2000 just adds a great, new touch panel interface that increases the weather station’s popularity among its user base.  It does cost a bit more than the next model on our list.  If the screen doesn’t matter as much to you and you’d like to save a few bucks, we recommend taking a look at the Ambient Weather WS-2902 in our #2 spot. In additional to the value for your money and the nice screen, the WS-2000 is the best weather station for Weather Underground due to it’s easy to connect and upload WIFI capabilities. 

Another feature on the WS-2000 that sets it apart is the stand-alone indoor sensor.  Nearly all of the other home weather stations on this page utilize the display for the indoor sensor.  This works fine, but if you wanted to record data from a different room, it wasn’t possible before the WS-2000.  In addition, this makes expanding to multiple indoor sensors very easy!  Are you looking for more detailed information on the WS-2000?  Read our Full Review…

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The Ambient WS-2000 is fairly priced towards the middle of the pack.  Due to its ease of installation, high-end tablet-like screen, and suite of 10 weather sensors, it’s perfect for any weather enthusiast, from beginner to professional.  

2. Ambient Weather WS-2902

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SUMMARY

The Ambient Weather WS-2902 (now called the WS-2902C due to some minor upgrades) also uses the Osprey weather sensor and includes a total of 10 weather instruments.  The outdoor sensor is solar-powered and has back-up batteries.  With its WIFI capabilities, it’s one of the easier weather stations to get setup and connected to the cloud quickly. 

CONNECTION

WIFI Weather Station

WHAT WE LIKE

As our previous pick for Best Home Weather Station, the Ambient WS-2902 provides the consumer with more value than another other weather station.  You get so much for so little as it’s priced very competitively to other personal weather stations with similar, or even inferior capabilities.  Keep in mind that if the WS-2000 above is out of your budget, the WS-2902 is likely a great candidate for you.  One of the few major differences between these two is the screen.   If you intend to primarily view your weather data on your smartphone, you likely won’t be using it much anyway.  Read our Full Ambient WS-2902 Review…

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The Ambient WS-2902 is perfect for the budget-conscience weather watcher.  This gives you as many sensors as a professional weather station at a cost almost any amateur can afford!  This has been a top performer and one of the most popular personal weather stations over the past year or so since it’s been released.  We love this option for most enthusiasts looking to get into a weather station at an affordable price.

3. AcuRite Atlas (Model # 01007M)

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SUMMARY

AcuRite teased the Altas release for over a year and had consumers pretty excited about it coming out.  It uses a new, larger outdoor weather sensor and includes a total of 11 weather instruments.  This is more than any other home weather station on this list comes standard with.  Another unique feature of the Atlas that sets it apart from the rest is the lightning detection sensor. 

CONNECTION

Yes, Access Module

WHAT WE LIKE

Obviously having more sensors than the other options and including a lightning detector sets this model in a league of its own.  In addition the screen is very nice and easy to use and AcuRite’s mobile app makes viewing real-time weather data super easy.  The one thing holding us back from rating the AcuRite Atlas is that the outdoor sensor runs on battery power.  This unfortunately means you may run into a situation where you’ll have gaps in your weather data and might even have to go outside and change batteries when there’s snow on the ground.  Luckily, AcuRite does offer a remote battery pack for the Atlas.  Read more about it in our full Atlas Review…

WHERE IT FITS BEST

AcuRite’s Atlas is the best option if you’re interested in lightning detection.  Very few home weather stations have this option built-in.  In addition, the MyAcuRite app is arguably the best from any manufacturer.  If you’ve used AcuRite in the past and are looking for an upgrade, the Atlas is a great choice and obviously the best weather station with lightning detection!

4. Davis Vantage Vue

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SUMMARY

The Davis Vantage Vue is a highly-accurate and quick-updating wireless weather station that has been around for quite some time, proving its longevity.  The Vantage Vue is another small all-in-one outdoor sensor, but its accuracy, update frequency, and long-distance wireless capabilities are only matched by professional weather stations.  

CONNECTION

Requires Add’l Parts

WHAT WE LIKE

Davis Instruments makes the most accurate and robust home weather stations that are readily available and affordable to average consumers.  The Vantage Vue packs all that into an all-in-one outdoor sensor that can transmit wireless weather data up to 1000 feet.  That’s farther than any other on the list, prompting us to consider this model the best wireless weather station!  However, one downside to the Vue is it’s need for additional hardware in order to upload weather data to the cloud.  Another is what we consider an outdated display console.  Want to know more?  Read our full review…

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The Vantage Vue is the best choice if you need to place the outdoor sensor more than a couple hundred feet away from the indoor console.  Davis claims it’ll work up to 1000 feet with no obstructions!  In addition, Davis weather stations are very rugged and this is probably the best option for an all-in-one weather station that will stand the test of time in extreme weather conditions. 

5. AcuRite 01012M Digital Weather Station

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SUMMARY

AcuRite is a huge brand and claims “the #1 top-selling weather product line in North America”. They sell heavily into big box stores and have weather stations that are user friendly, easy to setup, and affordable for everyday folks.  This makes their digital weather stations popular among hobbyists.

CONNECTION

Yes, Access Module

WHAT WE LIKE

The AcuRite 01012M uses the same “Access” module we saw in their Atlas weather station.  This makes for another good Weather Underground weather station as it allows for remote monitoring and is expandable for additional sensors.  This digital weather station uses their proven PRO+ 5-in-1 outdoor weather sensor. The upside is that this sensor has tons of social proof and thousands of positive reviews at Amazon.  We’ve mentioned it before…the downside is that it’s battery-powered rather than solar, meaning semi-frequent battery changes.  Despite some downsides, the screen is very bright and vibrant and the price is fair.  Read more about it in our full review…

BUYWHERE IT FITS BEST

This AcuRite model is a great all-around home weather station for beginners that want to connect to the Wunderground network.  It’s easy to install and setup on the cloud, but also expandable and can monitor additional sensors outside and throughout the inside of your home.

6. Davis Vantage Pro2

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SUMMARY

The Davis Vantage Pro2 is a professional-style weather station that includes many sensors.  Beyond the standard sensors, the Vantage Pro2 is expandable to provide data from even more sensors, sensors that are not options on many of the other home weather stations.  This professional weather station has the ability to separate the wind vane and anemometer from the thermo-hygrometer.  In layman’s terms, that means you can measure wind speed at 33 feet while still measuring temperature at 5-6 feet above the ground.  These are the optimal heights for accuracy per proper siting guidelines.  This is not something that can be done simultaneously on an all-in-one sensor like every other one on this list.      

CONNECTION

Requires Add’l Parts

WHAT WE LIKE

The Davis Vantage Pro2 is quite unique and definitely belongs on this list.  Depending on your purpose for buying a weather station, it could be placed anywhere from the top to the bottom of the list.  If you have a critical application where an accurate weather station is needed, the Pro2 is your only choice besides paying multiple thousands of dollars to buying a high-end professional model.  Similarly, if you run a large farm, the Vantage Pro2 is the perfect fit.  With optional soil moisture sensors and the ability to network multiple stations together in nodes, it’s the best weather station for farmers.  

All these added benefits and high-performance features are great, but they come at a price.  The Vantage Pro2 can cost anywhere from twice as much as some of the others on this list to well over $1000 if you add enough of the bells and whistles to log data in the cloud and add sensors galore.  It all depends on what you need it for.  If you need some of these added features, click here to read our full Vantage Pro2 review.

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The Vantage Pro 2 is best for someone that cares about accuracy or wants the highest performance you can get out of a home weather station.  This is typically a business or some other professional use.  It’s also the best weather station for schools and farms. 

7. Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI

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SUMMARY

The Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI is another 10-sensor weather station.  This is not something to gloss over as you pay extra for the last two sensors with other brands…that’s if they’re available at all!  In addition, the WS-1002 has a nice screen and is made to connect easily to your home’s WIFI connection, and thus Weather Underground if that’s your interest.

CONNECTION

WIFI Weather Station

WHAT WE LIKE

Similar to their WS-2XXX series weather stations, Ambient packs a ton of features in this WS-1002-WFI model.  We think the display falls in line somewhere between the WS-2000 and WS-2902 controllers.  There are many die-hard weather observers that like the “OBSERVER” weather sensor that Ambient makes better than the “Osprey” of the WS-2XXX, which we believe is why they keep making this weather station.  It’s a proven technology and this WIFI weather station is one of the best.  It’s very easy to set up right from the screen.  It doesn’t get much easier than this!  See more in our full review. 

WHERE IT FITS BEST

This WIFI weather station makes uploading your weather data to the cloud a breeze.  This model and the newer WS-2000, also from Ambient, have similar capabilities and price-points.  It’s all about preference.  If you like this screen and/or outdoor sensor better, this is the best weather station for you!

8. AcuRite 01036M Digital Weather Station

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SUMMARY

The AcuRite 01036M is a very inexpensive home weather station, perfect for any beginner.  It has all the basic weather instruments and has a nice, bright and colorful digital screen.  This model does allow for PC Connect, meaning you can upload your weather data unlike other “cheap” weather stations, but it is a wired connection and does not flow through your home’s WIFI like some of those towards the top of our best home weather station list. 

CONNECTION

Yes, Hard Wired

WHAT WE LIKE

It’s simple…this is the lowest cost full-function home weather station that can upload weather data to a PC and the cloud.  You can use the MyAcuRite App from AcuRite or send data to Weather Underground.  All that for right around a hundred bucks!  You can’t beat that.  Are there downsides?  Yes, it requires a wired USB connection from the weather station console to your PC.  If you want inexpensive and a wireless connection to the cloud, consider the AcuRite 01012M or the Ambient WS-2902.  See more in our full review. 

WHERE IT FITS BEST

If you’re looking for a low-cost option that allows for an online connection real-time viewing of weather data on your smartphone, this is the best weather station for you.  You won’t find another option that works this good for a lower price.

9. Netatmo Urban Weather Station

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SUMMARY

The NETATMO weather station is a more modern, sleek design than most.  Due to its size and shape, it’s perfect for an urban environment where more standard weather stations don’t work well.  In additional to some of the more common weather instruments, the Netatmo also contains sensor for air and noise pollution.  

CONNECTION

Yes, Hard Wired

WHAT WE LIKE

We love how the Netatmo is different than the rest!  It’s clearly not for everyone and can’t do everything you might need.  But, it fits almost anywhere and provides air quality readings both inside and outside that you won’t find in any other home weather station.  In fact, it’s a smart weather station that can connect to Samsung SmartThings and Amazon Alexa homes and can also be controlled via IFTTT!  See more in our full review. 

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The Netatmo is the best weather station for urban applications and also fits well in smart homes due to Amazon Alexa integration.  Its unique ability to be both a weather station and an air quality monitor at the same time surely is a big reason many choose it.

10. AcuRite 01512 Wireless Weather Station 

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SUMMARY

The AcuRite 01512 5-in-1 wireless weather station is very basic and easy to set up.  There is no connection for your computer or any cloud service.  It contains all the standard weather instruments and has been available and proven itself over several years.

CONNECTION

N/A, No Connectivity

WHAT WE LIKE

There are two things we really like about the AcuRite 01512.  First, it’s social proof.  There is tons of great customer feedback and positive reviews all over the web for this weather station.  And second, we love that it’s so basic.  Not everyone is looking to share their weather data with Weather Underground or even wants to connect it to anything.  Ever heard of the KISS Method?  Keep it simple!  See more in our full review. 

WHERE IT FITS BEST

The AcuRite 01512 is the best weather station for someone that wants no connection between their weather data and the outside world!  This also makes it simple and easy to set up, day I say the ultimate amatuer weather station?

How to Choose a Home Weather Station:  The Ultimate Guide

As you know, most consumers search out product reviews for advice when making large purchases, especially online.  Of course, this is probably why your are here!  You don’t expect you to blindly follow our recommendations, which is why we provided you with the weather station reviews above.  In addition though, it’s important to understand what things to look for when you’re buying a weather station and how to navigate all the different options.  That’s the purpose of this comprehensive weather station buying guide.

As with most products, not all weather stations are created equal.  Prices can vary significantly from around $150 up to thousands of dollars.  How much you spend will depend on your budget, but also what you’re using the weather station for.  Regardless of why you’re in the market, we’re here to help you figure out what’s best for you and your specific needs.

Here are some of the guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for your home weather station.

Purpose

How you plan to use this device is maybe as important as any other criteria.  For instance, are you a novice just looking to learn more about local weather patterns or interested in using this tool for a hobby?  Or, conversely, do you require accurate weather measurements for some aspect of your job or business?  If the data is needed for something weather dependent that will affect lives or finances, it’s clearly more important than if it’s just a hobby.  Farmers, fishermen, hunters, sports stadiums, academics, gardeners, and emergency responders all use personal weather stations, and for different reasons.

Once you’re able to determine how critical accurate and frequent weather data points are, it’ll be easier to determine if you need a professional weather station like the Davis Vantage Pro2 or if our favorite, the Ambient Weather WS-2000 will do the trick! 

Connectivity

Just like most other gadgets, the best weather stations are becoming “smart” devices.  They can be interconnected with our smart homes through Amazon’s Alexa or by IFTTT.  Most weather station brands also offer their own smart phone apps so you can see real-time weather data right from your mobile phone or tablet at any time.  Many of them can even be connected to the cloud and viewed on the very popular weather station network, Weather Underground.     

Depending on how you intend to use your device, connectivity can be an important factor in your selection.  In what seems like a long time ago now, there was a day when we had run wires to an outdoor sensor.  Almost everything today is a wireless weather station, meaning data transmissions between the weather instruments and the display console are wireless  This makes installation practices so much easier!  No drilling, no running wires, and much less work, especially when weather instruments are further away, higher off the ground, or are on rugged terrain. 

Transmission Distance

Each of our weather station reviews include the manufacturer’s estimated maximum wireless transmission distance.  This will help give you an idea of how far away you can put the sensor array from the display console for a given weather station model.  Keep in mind however, that this distance is not always realistic in real world conditions.  Terrain and other objects like trees or buildings will degrade the connection when in the line of site between the sensor and the console. 

Note, while there is some brief information above with connectivity details, we have covered this topic extensively within our individual weather station reviews.  Some models have tons of capabilities in this arena, while others cannot even connect to the cloud or a PC out of the box and require additional hardware to have these capabilities.  We’ve done our best to include what additional hardware is required to make this happen in these cases.

Display Consoles

Displays, screens, consoles, whatever you want to call them, may seem materialistic on the surface.  But some models don’t even come with consoles so it’s an important topic to cover.  A few brands obviously put a higher priority on offering some really nice vivid, high definition displays.  It makes them more attractive and easier to see from across the room.  However, other brands like Davis Instruments, place more emphasis on their instruments, accuracy, and performance.  In fact, some of their displays can seem a bit out of date for this reason.  With this in mind, there are some tangibles when it comes to displays such as size, resolution, and ease of use.

Sample Home Weather Station Displays

Of course, it’s not all about looks.  The power source is something to consider.  Most screens are powered by an AC adapter (using the wall power).  An often critical item is whether or not the display also has the option of battery backup power.  Viewing current conditions might most critical during a storm, right?  Well this is the same time you’re most likely to have a power outage.  Surprising as it may be, not all screens have battery backup. 

There are other “bells and whistles” to watch out for also.  These include things like weather tickers, forecasts, graphs of historical data, and alarms.  Weather tickers provide real-time data rolling across the screen.  Forecasts are based off of algorithms using recent data from your home weather station.  Some displays deliver historical data in a graph format so longer term trends of things like temperature or rainfall can be seen.

Weather Instruments

Weather instruments included with a personal weather station vary by manufacturer and model.  Yet, most of them have at least the following basic weather sensors…  

Common Weather Sensors

There are countless weather instruments available that are not included on the list above.  In general, most other sensors would come as optional features on higher-end weather stations.

However, an exception to that is the Netatmo Weather Station.  Out of the box it doesn’t offer wind or rainfall measurements like most others do.  Instead, the Netatmo does include solar radiation, UV, CO2, and air quality sensors.  It also includes a sound meter, proving that this weather station model has more of a focus on indoor rather than outdoor sensors.

We’ve provided a list below that contains some examples of less common instruments available on some home weather stations.  Note, this is not an exhaustive list.

Less Common Weather Instruments

• Solar Radiation

• UV Sensor
• Lightning Detector
• Soil Temperature
• Soil Moisture
• CO2 Sensor
• Air Quality

• Sound Meter

All In One Weather Stations

One last thing worth mentioning on weather instruments is how the sensor array is put together.  Most of the reviews on this site have been done on all in one weather stations, meaning all of the weather instruments are packaged together in a single unit. There are pros and cons to this format.  

All in ones do make the station much easier to install and requires fewer components to find a place for and mount.  On the contrary however, being able to separate the thermometer and the anemometer are part of proper siting techniques.  Placing them at optimal heights allows for a more accurate weather station.

For this reason, you’ll see that professional weather stations actually split the weather instruments out.  This allows for mounting each weather sensor in its optimal location, independent of the other individual sensors.  The Davis Vantage Pro2 is a good example of this. 

Power Sources

There are three basic power sources for the instruments on home weather stations.  They are solar energy, battery powered, and wired personal weather stations that get their power from an outlet.  Obviously no one uses wired weather stations any longer.  We focus on the other two, battery operated vs solar powered weather stations.

Battery-operated weather stations are obviously more convenient than a wired model would be, but they do require battery replacement from time to time.  This can be a difficult task depending one where you mount your station.  It’s not uncommon to mount them fairly high off the ground for instance.  

The best home weather stations are solar-powered.  Many of them store solar energy in super capacitors for top performance during the day.  Then when there is no sun for long periods of time, they have battery backup.

Accuracy

Again, depending on your use, accuracy may be another important thing to consider in your selection of a home weather station. For example, farmers and emergency response crews need to know when we hit freezing temperatures.  Likewise, research projects in academia might require a high degree of accuracy to ensure success.  By contrast however, weather station accuracy is not usually as important for amateur weather watchers.  

For comparison purposes, we’ve provided measurement accuracy for all of the weather instruments on each of our weather station reviews where published.

Here’s an example of the accuracy stats we provide in our reviews:

• Temperature: ± X° F
• Humidity: ± X%
• Barometric Pressure: ±0.0X inHG
• Rain: ± X%
• Wind Direction: ± X°
• Wind Speed: X mph

Update Frequency

Like most of the categories in this buying guide, the update frequency of a home weather station matters to some weather watchers, but not all.  Update frequency is how often data from the weather instrument is transmitted to the display console.  In general, this varies by model.  The higher end units typically provide more updates to the user in a given period of time.  Some units update the user every 2-3 seconds.  By contrast, others allow 30 seconds and even up to a few minutes between data updates.

In addition, there are other reasons update frequency matters besides picking up wind gusts and other rapidly changing weather patterns.  For instance, the more often the weather sensors update, the more data points the station has.  For this reason, accuracy increases for building averages, trends, and forecasts.  Update frequency is more than just how often your phone updates.

Affordability

Generally speaking, one of the first questions always asked is, “what does it cost?”  While price isn’t everything, the phrase “you get what you pay for” does typically apply with home weather stations.  After all, it’s time to take into consideration everything we’ve learned above and decide what’s important and what’s not.  

If things like accuracy and update frequency are dire to public safety, you’ll need to buy the best weather station money can buy.  Conversely, if you want something that’s just easy to connect to your smartphone for convenience, you’ll be able to find a more affordable model.   Certainly the same is true if you don’t care if it’s highly accurate or updates more than every 30 seconds. 

User Feedback

Ultimately, one of the best sources of recommendations and honest feedback are unforced reviews of actual product users.  Altogether, we’ve gathered and studied thousands of reviews and feedback assembling our weather station reviews.  We weight feedback and ratings heavily when writing our reviews.  In addition, highlights of our own research are provided so you don’t have to spend the time doing it yourself.

However, it’s important that you actually read through the negative reviews.  There are always a few people who have bad experiences with an ordering process or a shipping issue that frustrates them.  We also see reviews from time to time where the user clearly did not know what they were doing during the installation process and blamed it on the weather station.  These particular cases need to be taken with a grain of salt.  On the other hand, stations where specific negative comments are the norm rather than the exception are something you want to watch out for.

Home Weather Station Reviews

On the whole, our weather stations reviews greatly reduce the amount of time spent researching the best weather station.  Notably, we assembled our reviews based on the criteria in this buying guide so they’re easy to follow.  Please reach out to us if there’s a home weather station model you’re interested in and we don’t have a review posted for it.  In general, we’ll do the research and quickly publish a review for that model if we consider it to be relevant to the site. 

Buying Guide Summary

Selecting a home weather station on your own can be a daunting task, but with the help of our reviews and buying guide, it should be much easier.  With all the different options, it’s critical that you follow these guidelines:  First, you must decide how the unit will be used.  Next, use the categories here to greatly reduce your learning curve.  They will assist you in determining what’s important to you during your search.  When pairing our reviews, resource articles, and all the information above, anyone can become an instant expert on personal weather stations!