Get the best soil pH tester from the given list to understand and improve your soil conditions, evaluate your plant’s needs, and obtain a good yield this season.
Science contributes to all walks of our life and gardening is also one of them. If you are thinking about planting some new vegetables, this season, in your garden, the very first thing you need to do is to check whether your soil could support those plants or not? And for this purpose, you need to get a soil pH tester.
Soil pH testers are the chemical, electronic, or paper strip tools that show the acidity, alkalinity, or neutral nature of soil by changing its color or deflection of the needle.
If you don’t know anything about pH then remember it’s nothing but the potential of hydrogen ions in the soil. Higher the potential, more acidic will be the soil and vice versa.
Each plant needs a different kind of soil to grow properly. Some thrive better in acidic soil since it is usually higher in magnesium, zinc, and other minerals. On the other hand, some plant species flourish superbly in alkaline mediums where the number of hydroxyl ions is higher.
Which type of plant can grow perfectly in your garden soil or how you can improve your soil to make it compatible with a crop, the only solution to these questions is a good and accurate soil pH tester. So let’s have a look over some well-known pH testers of the market to evaluate which one is more authentic and which one is crap.
Table of Contents
Best soil pH tester Comparison Table
1. SONKIR Soil pH Meter
This pH tester possesses the title of being Amazon’s choice and is a 3-in-1 device that not only tells you the pH of soil but also its moisture content and sunlight exposure. Thus, in this way, you can better determine the factor which is stopping your crop from flourishing.
The device is quite lightweight and easy to carry around. It consists of two large rods of about 7.9 inches that work as probes. One rod is specified to evaluate pH while the second one acts as a moisture sensor.
On digging these probes deep inside the soil, the needle in the meter deflects accordingly. The digit on the readout scale to which the needle deflects may range from 3.8 to 8 and reflects the soil pH.
As both the rods work simultaneously, you don’t need to reset the device all the time before detection and get all the information regarding moisture, pH, and light at once. You can dig the probes effortlessly into the fine soil or soil-water solution.
The only problem which I found on using this device is that the needle doesn’t deflect towards any direction when the probe is dug inside the dry or rocky land. In other words, you always need to moist the soil a little before using this device to get the results. In addition to this condition, you also need to wait for about ten minutes to get the final reading but since the device doesn’t need a power source like an electric supply or battery, doing so would cost you nothing.
- Multi-purpose device
- Sturdy build quality
- Gives efficient and accurate results
- Portable and easy to use
- Best-valued
- Don’t need an external power source
- One year guarantee
- Cannot detect pH of dry soil
The pH tester works equally fine and accurately in both indoor and outdoor environments and its durable and high-grade build plays a significant role in enhancing its overall life and performance. Altogether, the device is the perfect fit for both professional and residential gardeners.
2. Veroyi Soil pH Meter
This soil pH tester resembles much of the previously mentioned device. For example, it also acts as a three in one solution but in a more affordable way.
In fact, the standout feature of this device is that it falls under the category of budget pH testers and at the same time, it can be used to measure the moisture and light present in the soil.
Using the device is also quite handy as it also contains two rods – the probes, which act as pH tester, and moisture measurer. Plus, you don’t need to attach it to a battery or any other power source. Just dig the rods to three to four inches in soil and wait for at least ten minutes to get your readings.
Although the gauges are extremely responsive to generating results in a few seconds, it’s still better to leave the rods inside the soil medium for some minutes to get maximum accuracy.
Since the length of rods is quite fancy, you can determine the conditions of different soil layers regardless of indoor and outdoor environments. To read the result, you just need to look at the readout scale.
However, if you are new to pH testers and don’t know even a bit about pH ranges and ratios, you can get help from the user manual, provided along with the packaging.
The manual book not only comes with all the instructions and interpretations of numeral reading but also tells you briefly about the differences between good and bad soil conditions. In this way, you could better conclude the results and make a corresponding strategy for improving your gardening medium.
- 3-in-1 device
- No need for batteries
- Lightweight and portable
- Twelve months guarantee
- User-friendly manual
- Budget pH tester
- Limited pH range
The device is also portable and comes with a twelve-month guarantee. The only problem I observed is its limited pH range (3.5-8) which means you cannot determine the exact pH value of too acidic or too alkaline soil.
3. Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit
By now, we have discussed the efficiencies of two automated pH testers but now we are going to tell you our reviews about this chemical pH tester.
First thing first, we know that mostly, electronic and automated testers are considered more authentic with the least chances of errors but it doesn’t mean that other counterparts are a failure. To resolve this myth, the manufacturer of this luster leaf test kit came to the field.
The thing which made me a fan of this kit is that you can not only check the pH of soil but also find out the concentrations of essential chemicals in the soil including phosphorus, nitrogen, and potash. In this way, you would be completely aware of the substances which you should add or remove from the medium.
For each kind of evaluation, a special sort of test capsule is given. In other words, you’ll get a total of forty test capsules in a kit to perform tests regarding pH, N, K, and P ten times. However, if you ever get run out of any test capsules, you can request the seller again and restock them for a few dollars.
To understand the results, a complete user guide also comes along with the kit which stores all the data regarding color change interpretations and optimum nutrient and pH levels for about 400 different plants. After getting the results regarding soil pH on using the capsules, we performed the same tests using automated devices and lab procedures to check the accuracy and we’re glad to announce that there was not even a point difference in the results.
- 4-in-1 testing kit
- Check pH and nutrient content of the soil
- 99.9% accuracy
- User-friendly guide
- Easy to interpret results
- You can’t perform unlimited tests
All in all, this chemical pH tester kit is best for all those looking for a fun way to determine the pH and nutrient content of the soil. Especially if you are going to establish a lawn, this device is your go-to solution as it will tell you in detail about what needs work.
4. Gain Express Soil Ph & Moisture Meter
Gain express soil pH tester is suitable to all the gardeners who are solely interested to measure pH values and can compromise on other aspects like light exposure or nutrient content. This device is also an automated tester which consists of a single electrode that only works as a pH checker.
The electrode possesses a slender shape and a length of about 295mm which means you can dig it deep down to the soil, even if the soil is not as smooth or fine as it should be. Still, we suggest you wet the soil before the inspection to prevent damages.
Plus, the metallic electrode is longer than that comes with other automated pH testers which allow you to check the pH of soil present even below the roots. In addition to pH, it also tells the moisture level of the soil.
The standout feature and the main reason why this average-looking device is a part of our list is that it can measure pH in a broader range of about 3-8. Whereas, mostly the automated device usually gets a total fail below the pH of 3.8.
Another impressive aspect of this pH tester is that it is made up of waterproof technology due to which, you can conveniently use it in heavily damped up soil. Since the device doesn’t need to be connected with any power source, there are no chances of erupting fire or electric shocks.
The only downside of this gain express pH tool is that it’s a bit more costly but on paying this price, you’ll get a device containing a superb build of internal components and outer casing which will save you from buying a new device every new season.
- Broader pH range
- Longer probe with robust build
- Self-powered device
- Waterproof technology
- Compact and lightweight
- Quick and accurate results
- ● Slightly expensive
Whether you are a naive or experienced gardener, an agriculturist, or a researcher, this compact, durable, and self-powered pH tester can keep on serving you in the long run with sharp accuracy.
5. Fivota Soil pH Meter
Just like other high-end automated pH testers, this device can also be used to determine moisture level, soil pH, and the ratio of sunlight that the sun is throwing over your plants. However, some highly interesting aspects make this tester far more different from other automated devices.
First of all, the company claims that expert soil engineers have manufactured this device and they put huge efforts to keep the design simple yet super accurate. Since the tool is self-powered, no batteries of the power input source are needed.
The standout feature of this pH tester is its more than bigger display which discards the readout errors and facilitates getting accurate and easy readings. I also observed that the gauges of this device are more responsive and instant to draw results than its counterparts. The reason could be the highly efficient or somewhat advanced sensors though.
Speaking of the sensors then the sunlight sensors are upgraded in this model to make them able to capture more sunlight in a limited inspection time. In this way, you don’t have to dig the tester for longer to get the maximum accuracy.
Due to being a 3-in-1 digital tester, the testing kit acts as a multi-purpose device that helps you to gain utmost productivity. The results are not only easy to read but are also quite easy to comprehend so the user can make a constructive decision on time.
The only thing which I dislike is its fragile probes. You cannot use the device roughly on all kinds of surfaces since by exerting a little more pressure, you may break the prongs off which, in turn, will make the tester completely useless.
- Bigger readout display
- Easy to use and read
- More responsive gauges
- Upgraded sensors
- 3-in-1 device
- Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use
- Fragile prongs
In short, this fivota soil pH tester is a versatile solution that can contribute a lot to growing your plants at a swift rate. The tester can be successfully used for outdoor and indoor plants, and to check the health of the plants planted in farms, allotments, and gardens.
6. Soil Plant Moisture Meter
If you are looking for an eco-friendly, easy-to-read, and affordable soil pH tester, look no further since this device is everything you want. First of all, its three-in-one functioning capabilities made it a versatile and ultimate gardening solution to perform all the basic evaluation of your garden.
Two rod-like probes are there to measure the pH and moisture content of the soil while the sensor on the head provides coverage for the sunlight. The best thing about this product is that it uses the same sunlight to charge itself out for further functioning and sets you free from the hassle of carrying bulky batteries or chargers.
The readings it generates are not only efficient but also highly accurate. I even compared the readings of this tester with my lab-generated report and I didn’t find any significant difference between both. In other words, on buying this soil-plant moisture meter, you don’t have to worry about reliability and validity at all.
The display comes in an average size but the feature which makes it different from others is its simplicity. To read the results, you just need to pay attention to the front side of the user-friendly digital display – no need to match the colors or refer to complicated charts to interpret results.
Since it’s a budget device, you should not expect way too much durability from it but that also doesn’t mean it will run out of working within months. How long the device will serve you depends on the care and maintenance.
- Eco-friendly
- Budget device
- 3-in-1 tester
- Solar-powered
- Not-too-complicated readout meter
- The device is not waterproof
- Probes could get damaged on shoving over rocky soil
To get the most out of this pH tester, it’s recommended not to shove it hard over the rocky soil. Plus, it’s not waterproof so you better not use the tool to check the pH of dilute or extra thin solutions of soil and water.
7. Bluelab MONGUA Guardian Monitor
If you are a professional or serious grower and looking for the best quality, high-grade, and combo device to evaluate the pH of not only soil but also of liquid and suspensions, this digital pH meter will suit you perfectly.
The meter comes in a mountable construction which serves so many purposes in addition to measuring pH. For example, you can use the same device to measure the temperature, EC, 500ppm, 700ppm, TDS, and even the CF.
That’s why this meter is not only limited to gardens or agriculture fields but also quite useful in other daily life activities including testing the quality of your drinking water, pool, and food.
You can mount the device anywhere on the wall around the field and throw the probes into the soil to get highly authentic two-point calibration 24/7. Not only this but the device will automatically measure the temperature of soil accurately, while measuring the pH, without any need of command or repeated settings.
The readings display over the huge backlit display in the form of numerals which means you don’t need to decode the data to understand what your plants need to thrive. The data is readable in both daylight and low light conditions of the nighttime.
The meter comes with plenty of supporting accessories and most interestingly, the flashing alarms will work as soon as the pH or temperature value of the sample goes out of the range. Furthermore, the device comes with a two-year warranty.
- Calibrate pH, nutrients, temperature, CF, TDS, EC, 500 and 700 ppm.
- Mountable meter
- Waterproof
- No need for frequent setting
- Automatic temperature measurements
- Waterproof
Since you are getting covered from almost all the sides on using this blue lab MONGUA Guardian Monitor, the manufacturer demands a few more dollars but, undoubtedly, those few dollars are seriously worth of the live monitoring and everything else you are getting in return.
Buying guide
By now, we have reviewed plenty of pH testers, all belonging to different types and price ranges. The clear thing is that not all pH testers are manufactured similarly. Plus, the functionality of each device also varies from others since some of them can only check the pH of soil while some others can serve multiple purposes including calibrating temperature, minerals, CF, and many other things.
The question which arises here is how to decide which pH tester will suit you perfectly? The answer is simple! Just focus on your goals and interests. But that’s not as simple as it sounds since you also have to decide about different factors like accuracy, probe length, portability, and power source. The basic things which you need to consider before buying a pH tester are as follows
Range and accuracyThe first and foremost factor about the best soil pH tester is its accuracy and range. Most of the devices present in the market detect the pH of soil within the range of 3.5-8. Below or above this value, they don’t show any reading at all or show a flash.
However, some high-grade devices also contain a broader pH range of 3-8.5 which covers almost all types of soils. Speaking of accuracy then it partially depends upon the technology used to manufacture the tool and partially depends upon your skill of using the device.
For example, if you don’t keep the prongs inside the soil for the recommended time or if you don’t dig the probe to the desired depths within the soil, chances are, your results may fluctuate and might not be precise.
Type of pH testerAs described before, pH testers are of three types; electrical, self-powered, and chemical. In the first place, automated testers seem the best option since they are quite portable, lightweight, and don’t need to change frequently. However, such automated devices can calibrate only three factors maximumly; pH, moisture, and light.
If you want to measure other things like temperature, CF, EC, PPM, along with the pH, you better go with electrical pH testers. However, if you are more concerned about the mineral content of your soil, and want to figure out which mineral is deprived and which one is present in bulk, you should get chemical pH testers.
Conclusion
If you are still confused about which is the best soil pH tester for you and your gardening needs, here’s we have shortlisted three of the seven products that can suit users of every class, skill, and experience level.
SONKIR Soil pH Meter due to its sturdy build quality, compact design, and self-powered functioning.
Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit due to its ability to measure mineral and pH of the soil, 99.9% accuracy, and fun calibration techniques.
Bluelab MONGUA Guardian Monitor due to its mountable design and high-grade construction, wide range of functionality, and is waterproof.