The 9 Best Decibel Meters

If you want a handheld that meets a recognized accuracy standard without lab prices, look at the Extech SL510. Extech rates it Class 2 under the international rule for sound meters, which keeps readings within tight limits across most pitches people hear. It switches between A and C weighting, has fast and slow response, and holds the highest and lowest levels. Its warranty lasts two years. It can't store readings, so you write them down yourself.

For a record of noise over hours, not a single glance, the Reed R8080 is the tool. It stores time-stamped readings as often as every second, and its software turns them into graphs on a computer. It meets Type 2 accuracy, reads A and C weighting, and shows a moving bar beside the number. A hard case and windscreen come in the box. Reading the log in detail takes a computer, and the cost is steep for home use.

Crysound CRY2831 comes from a company that makes acoustic test equipment, and each unit ships with its own calibration chart. Besides the usual A and C settings, it adds flat Z weighting, with no hearing curve applied, and it reaches higher pitches than most handhelds, a plus for music. It meets Class 2, shrugs off dust and splashes, and runs on batteries or an adapter. It's a recent release with little track record yet.

Checking a noisy neighbor, a home theater or a workshop doesn't call for lab gear, and the TopTes TS-501B covers those jobs for little money. It switches between A and C weighting, holds the highest and lowest readings, and has a big backlit screen. It also shows room temperature and humidity. A carry case and batteries come with it, and the warranty runs three years. Its accuracy is the maker's own claim, with no standards rating.

A long-running Extech model, the Extech 407730 pairs its digital readout with a bar graph along the bottom of the screen, so rising and falling levels are easy to follow. It reads A and C weighting with fast and slow response and holds the peak. Extech covers it for two years and sells a version with a calibration certificate for work that needs paperwork. It's rated within two decibels and carries no standards class.

Danoplus DP-441 brings data logging to a budget meter. It saves tens of thousands of readings with the time and date, draws a live line chart on its color screen, and exports to a Windows computer over USB. A colored light turns green, yellow or red against limits you set, handy in a classroom. It charges by USB instead of eating batteries. Mac users are out of luck, and its accuracy rests on the seller's word alone.

The Risepro HT-80A is a bare-bones meter for quick checks, like whether a blender or a leaf blower is loud enough to need earplugs. It reads A weighting only, the setting that matches how people hear, with a backlight and a hold button for the highest reading. It fits in a pocket and comes with a pouch. It can't show bass-heavy C readings or a slow average, and it misses the highest pitches, so it's a poor choice for music.

A wall display like the Sndway SW-525A suits classrooms, offices, gyms and rehearsal spaces, where everyone needs to see the noise level at a glance. Its red digits read from across a room. When noise passes a level you set, a light flashes and a buzzer sounds. It runs from a USB cable and has a calibration knob. Sndway publishes no accuracy figure or standards rating, so it works as a visual cue, not a measuring tool.

Made to stay in one spot and warn people, the Extech SL130W isn't a carry-around meter. You set a limit, and a row of lights turns from green to flashing red when noise goes over it, bright enough to see across a big room. It can also switch an outside relay for a siren or a fan, and runs on wall power or batteries. Extech rates it to Type 2 accuracy. That's a big outlay for one room.