Regularly watering your plants is a great way to help them grow big and strong, but it’s easy to make mistakes and water too much or not enough—soil moisture meters can help with this. They’re simple, but useful devices that tell you how much moisture is in a patch of soil, informing you of precisely when more water may be necessary. We reviewed the best soil moisture meters of 2024 to help you ensure your plants can thrive. We like the Sonkir pH meter the most for its versatile, 3-in-1 design, but your yard is sure to benefit from any of the options on our list.
Our Top Picks For Soil Moisture Meters
The Best Soil Moisture Meters
Best Overall
This Sonkir gadget isn’t just a soil moisture meter—it’s a 3-in-1 tool that is capable of measuring soil moisture levels, surrounding sunlight levels, and the pH value of the soil, too. It gives you a lot of information about your soil and planting conditions, perfect for gardeners who want to make the best choices for their plants and have the happiest and healthiest yard.
This tool is very impressive, accurate, and also easy to use. It’s suitable for gardens, indoor use, or even professional use on farms. It’s also very lightweight and portable, perfect for carrying around your yard or home to measure different patches of soil. With its ease of use and impressive technology, this soil moisture meter earns our best overall award.
Pros
- Three tools in one
- Works indoors or outdoors
- Light and portable
Cons
- Not the best light detection
Easiest To Use
Next, we have this top-quality soil moisture meter from Gouevn. This moisture meter has a clear gauge with 1 to 10 ratings to show you exactly how wet or dry your soil is. The gauge is color-coded, with a red section if the soil is too dry, a blue section for overly wet soil, and a great central section for the ideal moisture level.
Thanks to its smart gauge system, this soil moisture meter is really easy to use, even for total beginners. It provides clear and easily understandable readings for any patch of soil, both indoors and outside your home. It’s also a compact and lightweight model that doesn’t need any batteries or other power sources.
Pros
- Really simple to use
- Useful color-coded gauge
- Works indoors or outdoors
Cons
- Doesn’t show pH or other metrics
Best Set
The Kensizer soil tester is another top-quality device to add to your gardening and planting kit. The set includes two items: a soil moisture meter and a pH test. These tools can measure how wet the soil is and how acidic it is, too, which is very helpful when planting certain kinds of plants or seeds that don’t do well in acidic soil.
Ideal for use on farms or in gardens, both of these plant probes feature a clear dashboard with a simple arrow pointer to show you a precise reading instantaneously, upon connection with the soil. The probes are super simple to use and require no batteries.
Pros
- Two probes in one
- Good value for money
- Simple to use
Cons
- May corrode over time
Best for Indoor Use
Here’s another great soil moisture meter provided by Atree, a trusted brand for gardening equipment. This plant moisture meter is a great tool to use in indoor environments when you want to measure the moisture of your soil for potted plants around the home.
Available in black and green varieties, it features a 7.6-inch probe to get right down into even the deepest plant pots and tell you exactly how wet the soil is. It’s a handy tool to rely on when you want to improve plant health and ensure that seeds and saplings grow big and strong. Plus, since it’s so compact and lightweight, you can safely and easily carry it around the home or yard without any issues or inconvenience.
Pros
- Great to use indoors
- Compact and lightweight
- Two different colors
Cons
- Doesn’t show light or pH
Best Design
Last but not least, we have this smart soil moisture meter from Xlux. The first thing that stands out about this product is its design—it’s one of the sleekest and most modern soil moisture meters around, with a nicely rounded head that feels comfortable to hold in the hands.
Ideal for use on big farms or for watering the plants in a small studio apartment, this versatile device has a clear and easy-to-read display, with a little arrow that moves automatically across the dial to show you how wet or dry the soil is. This device has two size options: 26cm or 40cm. It’s also a very lightweight tool that doesn’t need any batteries or plugging in.
Pros
- Sleek, modern design
- Comfortable to use
- Two size options
Cons
- Doesn’t work in hard soil
Soil Moisture Meters: A Buyer's Guide
A soil moisture meter is a super tool to use for plant health. It provides you with clear and easy-to-understand information about any patch of soil, helping you make the best decisions for your plants.
What Does a Soil Moisture Meter Do?
As the name implies, a soil moisture meter is a device that measures the moisture levels in the soil. It features a long probe with a dial or display at the top. Once the probe connects with the soil, it detects the moisture levels and shows you how wet the soil is on the dial.
Why Should I Use a Soil Moisture Meter?
So, what’s the point of using a soil moisture meter in the first place? Well, the main reason people use these devices is to help with their gardening to ensure they do not over or under-water their plants.
It’s vital to water potted plants around the home and other plants or crops in gardens, yards, and fields.
However, if you put too much water or not enough, the plants will suffer negative effects and may even die.
By using a soil moisture meter, you can easily find out how moist the soil is and then decide whether or not more water is necessary. In other words, these devices take the guesswork out of watering your plants.
How Do I Use a Soil Moisture Meter?
It’s important to note that soil moisture meters are all unique. They all appear similar and usually operate in the same way, but some have their own unique quirks and features, so it’s always best to read the instructions before you begin to find out more about your specific device.
In general, follow these steps to use your soil moisture meter:
- To begin, gently push the probe into the soil and push it right down until most of it is buried. Try another spot if you encounter any resistance, like rocks or hard patches.
- Once the soil moisture meter probe is in position, wait for about 60 seconds (times vary between models) and then check the dial.
- The dial should show a reading for the soil moisture. Most devices have a little gauge with an arrow pointing to the moisture level.
- Once you have a reading, you’ll be able to decide whether or not more water needs to be added to the soil.
Remember that plants have different moisture needs. The likes of cacti and succulents don’t need a lot of water and cope well in relatively dry soil, but other plants need lots of water. So it’s important to research each type of plant and know how much or little water it requires.
People Also Asked
Is a soil moisture meter worth it?
Many gardeners agree that soil moisture meters are very useful tools, and if you have lots of plants, this device will help you a lot.
How long do you leave a moisture meter in the soil?
It depends on the device you’re using. Most of them should show a reading within 60 seconds. Some are faster and only need 30 seconds in the soil.
Are moisture meters accurate?
Yes, as long as you use a good quality moisture meter, it should be very accurate.
