For aquarists, homebrewers and horticulturalists, knowing the water’s pH level is, by far, essential to getting the results that you are searching for. And, thankfully, the best pH meters can give you readings that are way more precise than strip testers and other pH measurement equipments.
With a wide array of handy applications, the best pH testers even double as electric conductivity gauges and digital thermometers.
And, more importantly, a pH meter lets you determine the acidity or alkalinity in water in a few seconds. That means you can swiftly adjust the chemicals or get expedited professional service if you think it needs particular treatment.
pH testers are one of those pieces of equipment that many people don’t even know about, never mind having one on their shopping list. However, there are times when events bring us to the point where we need to get one. When this happens, choosing the one that’s best for us could become a major issue.
Advantage of Using a pH Meter
Today, you can find many devices for measuring the pH level of something. But when you look around, it’s easy to see why a pH meter is better than the rest.
There are many advantages of using a pH meter over a pH testing strip or some other form of measurement.
One of the main reasons is that a pH meter is much more accurate than a strip tester is. Once you calibrate your meter, it gives you a straightforward reading that’s understandable. There’s not really any room for doubt or confusion.
Using a pH meter is also just very objective compared to reading a color pH testing strip. These strips tend to vary by color and brand, so getting a reading depends on how you think the colors look.
A pH meter just gives you a simple number that’s easy to understand and the same across the board.
A pH meter also has the advantage of being reusable. You don’t have to throw it away after a single use like most pH measuring tools.
You can measure with a single meter as many times as you like, saving you money and convenience.
Buy a Best pH Meter Will Help You More
The COM-300 is an advanced waterproof combo meter with superior accuracy. The meter measures four parameters: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and temperature. Features include 2 different conductivity conversion factors to convert EC to TDS using the 0.5 (NaCl) or 0.7 (442TM), as well as selectable modes for measurements in the µS, mS and ppm scales. The meter incorporates automatic temperature compensation (ATC) to accommodate for discrepancies in temperature that would naturally occur, and also features digital calibration for easy and precise calibration that will yield better results.
Very economical conductivity and TDS pocket meter
Ergonomically designed display to view measurements easily
Waterproof and dustproof housing
Stainless steel electrodes
Built-in belt/pocket clip
The C65 is a microprocessor-based conductivity tester with a rugged one-piece IP67 waterproof casing. Immersible up to the LCD. This instrument is a low-cost and easy to use meter with a replaceable electrode.
ECO Farm 5-in-1 water quality meter can measure TDS/EC/S.G/seawater specific gravity/temperature. The measurement range is large and wide and can measure freshwater salinity and sea salt.
This product can detect the salinity of edible salt. At the same time, it can detect the salinity of seawater. Food salinity measuring range: 0.00-25.00%, seawater salinity measuring range: 10.1-200.0ppt.
Conductivity: Portable TDS meters can be carried anywhere to measure water quality such as tap water, RO system water, aquarium, seawater, pool water.
Measurement Range: 0 to 10000us/cm 10.01-19.99ms 20.1-400ms /cm, Resolution: 1us/cm, 0.1ms /cm. Accuracy: ±2% of the reading
[TDS]: measurement range: 0-1000ppm, 1000ppm to 10000ppm, 10.1-200.0 PPT (automatic range selection), Resolution: 1ppm.
How to Buy the Best pH Meter?
1. Power Source
The small and portable pH meters you’d typically find in a home or laboratory setting are battery-powered. This source of power is a great complement to their compact sizes.
That’s why all the pH meters we reviewed are battery-powered. The battery life of pH meters varies. From our review, Apera Instruments AI209 had the longest battery life of up to 2000 hours.
Ensure you check the type of battery your pH tester runs on; in case you need to buy replacement ones.
2. pH Range
A top consideration when buying a pH meter is its pH range. The standard pH range used universally and across different applications is 0 - 14.
It is, however, possible for pH to exceed that range with a small margin. That is why meters such as Apera Instruments AI223 and Apera Instruments AI316 have a pH range of -1 to 15, and -2 to 16, respectively.
Such can accommodate the rare cases of when pH exceeds the normal range, in commercial settings, for instance.
3. Accuracy
Accuracy is, arguably, the most important consideration you’ll make when buying a pH meter. You want one that returns the most accurate pH level of the substances you test.
Luckily, many of the models we reviewed are famed for being accurate in pH measurements. However, some meters such as Apera Instruments AI223 , Apera Instruments AI316 and Pancellent Quality Test Meter, did stand out for their superior accuracy.
4. Display
Your pH tester displays the measurement results on a digital display. LCD is the most common display used in pH testers. It is clear and very intuitive.
A key shortcoming you may find in most pH tester displays is their lack of a backlight, perhaps as a cost-saving compromise.
The Pancellent Quality Test Meter did, however, stand out from the pack with is a backlit LED display.
5. Waterproof
Waterproofing is an important feature that a pH tester should have to prevent it from damage caused by accidental or constant contact with water.
Unfortunately, most of the pH testers we reviewed have no waterproofing or water resistance capacity.
Only one, the HM Digital PH-200 pH meter rises above the competition by having an IP67 waterproof rating for its housing. HM Digital PH-80 was also recognized for being water-resistant.
6. Easy to Use
Your pH tester should be easy to use, right out of the box. A lot of the devices we reviewed have been made easy to use by having functionalities such as autocalibration.
One-touch functions for calibration and testing also simplify the operation of your pH meter.
Ensure you read the user instructions clearly before using the pH meter, to get the best out of it.
7. Portable
The portability of your pH meter is determined by its size and weight. All the meters we reviewed are notably lightweight. They all weigh less than 10 ounces.
They also proved to be very compact in size, with the ability to fit comfortably in the pocket.
However, if you need to carry the entire tester kit, a storage space larger than your pocket may be necessary.
Final
A pH meter emerges as a useful device you should have at home to test the acid/base levels of different substances, including consumables. Wish this post can help you make a best choice.