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The local weather report can give you a basic idea of the conditions around your home, but a home weather station can do so much more. These devices measure everything from wind speed to barometric pressure. Our best overall choice, the Ambient Weather WS-2902C offers a robust set of instruments and a handy built-in Wi-Fi connection for simple monitoring and tracking. The best home weather station for you depends on your specific needs and budget, so here are some options to consider.
How we chose the best home weather stations
I have experience with consumer weather station usage in a field environment, as per my previous career in the sciences. Used for much the same reason that anyone would want a personal home weather station—the desire to know very local meteorological conditions—I have a bit of insight into what you might desire from a home weather station. Not to mention what problems you might face! For, as it turns out, when you have instruments measuring weather, you also have to open them up to the weather, a not always friendly beast. I combined that experience with critical reviews and online user impressions to select our top five models for home weather stations.
Once you have your weather station installed, you can take part in some true citizen science.
The best home weather stations: Reviews & Choice
The home weather stations we’ve collected vary in style, functionality, and pricing so that you’ll be able to find something that fits your desires. We’ve also looked at what you’re looking for, such as compatibility with the Google Home system, and found top-ranking products that match those desires.
Pros
- Solar-powered measurement station
- Connects with Ambient Weather system
- Quick setup
Cons
- Measurement station and display device use different types of batteries
Why it made the cut: The Ambient Weather WS-2902C is Amazon’s best-rated home weather station and has robust weather monitoring capabilities.
Specs
- Measures: Wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall, UV and solar radiation
- Power supply: Solar with AA-battery backup
- Sensor size: 15 x 11 x 10 inches
- Price: $189
The first home weather station, and the overall winner on our list, is the Ambient Weather WS-2902C. The WS-2902C earns this distinction by having appealing features and being the best-rated home weather station by online shoppers.
First and foremost is the easy setup-and-forget nature of this home weather station. After taking a few minutes to place it on a pole and connect it to your WiFi network, you won’t find yourself fiddling with it often. Part of this is because of its hybrid solar and battery-powered measurement unit. Another important aspect is how easily accessible your data is via the Ambient Weather app environment.
One of the main problems I found with the product was that the display device and measurement stations used different types of batteries—the former taking AAA’s and the latter taking AA’s (may we recommend rechargeables). Admittedly, this is a minor problem, as the display device can be plugged in and the measurement station only needs batteries for cloudy days.
At the end of the day, this is a fantastic wireless weather station that also has nice power-saving features, making it amongst the best eco-friendly home weather stations as well. All for a sub-$200 price point!
Best for the money
Tempest Weather System
Pros
- Downward-facing intakes on measurement device
- Solar-powered
- Works well with Google Home
- 1,000+ foot wireless data transmission range
Cons
- Periodic measurement quirks
Why it made the cut: The Tempest Weather System provides information on par with a professional weather system but at a much more affordable price.
Specs
- Things measured: Temperature, “feels like” temperature, solar and UV radiation, wind speed and direction, dew point, humidity, barometric pressure, lightning strikes, rainfall
- Power supply: Solar with lithium-ion battery backup
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