The Best Home Weather Stations for Monitoring Local Conditions

Best Overall

Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with WiFi Remote Monitoring and Alerts & Thermo Hygrometer

4.8

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The Ambient Weather WS-2000 comes with a full suite of highly accurate sensors, the option to add additional sensors if your needs change over time, and one of the best display consoles available. This station is easy to set up and use for those who have never had a home weather station before, but it’s also quite accurate and highly customizable, which is why it’s our best overall home weather station.

This weather station comes with Ambient’s innovative osprey sensor array, which combines all of the main sensors into a single unit that’s easy to set up and install. It includes sensors for temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, UV and solar radiation, and rainfall. The sensor array has a built-in solar panel that charges a supercapacitor to keep it running at night, and you can also install optional backup batteries just in case.

The only real downside to the WS-2000 is that it uses the same sensor array as the less expensive Ambient Weather WS-2902C, which is our pick for best value. You can save some money by going with that unit instead, but then you miss out on the fantastic high-definition display that comes with the WS-2000. It’s one of the best-looking home weather station displays available, and it can even show data from any additional sensors you add to the system.

Price at time of publish: $300

_{Display Type: High-definition TFT LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, UV and solar radiation | Transmission Interval: 16 seconds | Transmission Range: 300 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, numerous weather services}

Best Design

WeatherFlow Tempest Weather System

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The Tempest Weather System looks and is quite different from the competition. Instead of an anemometer (tool for measuring wind speed) and wind vane, it uses an ultrasonic sensor and measures rain with a haptic sensor. That data is available in real time, and you can access historical information through the app and website. WeatherFlow also feeds the data into its Nearcast system, which leverages machine learning to generate a remarkably accurate forecast for your exact location. 

A single sensor package houses all the Tempest sensors, so the device is really easy to install and get going. You don’t have the option to install your wind, rain, and temperature sensors in different locations, but the tradeoff is that beginners can get up and running with this station without any trouble. It includes hardware for pole-mounting and for mounting on a post or fence. The other drawback is that you don’t get a physical display. Instead, WeatherFlow provides an app and a website.

However, the data is available remotely, so you don’t have to be home to check what’s happening on the Tempest sensors. You can even share the website address with friends and family in the area so they can benefit without needing to invest in their own weather station.

Price at time of publish: $329

_{Display Type: None | Sensors: Temperature, barometer, wind speed and direction, UV, light, solar radiation, rain, lightning (up to 25 miles) | Transmission Interval: 3 seconds | Transmission Range: 1,000 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Tempest app, Weather Underground, Alexa, Google Assistant}

Best Budget

AcuRite Iris 5-in-1 01540M Weather Station with Wi-Fi Connection to Weather Underground

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The AcuRite Iris 5-in-1 weather station packs all the most essential sensors while offering a relatively affordable price tag. The design uses a single sensor body that bears a passing resemblance to much more expensive options like the Davis Vantage Vue, and it’s capable of measuring temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and rainfall.

The sensors in the AcuRite Iris don’t have the same accuracy and don’t send data to the display as often as the more expensive options on this list, but they’re accurate enough for home use, especially for anyone who is just starting to get into weather as a hobby.

The unit can connect to your Wi-Fi network and send data to Weather Underground, which allows you to check the sensors and see a customized weather forecast on the Weather Underground app.

Price at time of publish: $139

_{Display Type: LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rain | Transmission Interval: 18-60 seconds | Transmission Range: 330 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Weather Underground}

Best Value

Ambient Weather WS-2902 WiFi Smart Weather Station

4.2

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The Ambient Weather WS-2902C Smart Weather Station punches well beyond its weight class, mostly thanks to its full suite of sensors, expandability, and connectivity. The sensor suite monitors temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, UV, and solar radiation. That kind of array is often referred to as a 5-in-1, and it includes all of the most important sensors you need in a home weather station.

The best thing about the Ambient Weather WS-2902C is that you can add more sensors later on if you feel the need. It has all the basic bases covered right out of the box, but you can add up to eight additional thermo-hygrometer sensors (to measure temperature and humidity), soil moisture sensors, and even air quality sensors.

The catch is that the fairly basic display isn’t capable of showing data from these sensors, but you can connect the unit to Wi-Fi and check that additional data on the Ambient Weather website.

Price at time of publish: $190

_{Display Type: LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, UV and solar radiation (additional sensors available) | Transmission Interval: 16 seconds | Transmission Range: 100-300 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Alexa, Google Assistant, Ambientweather.net, various weather services}

Best Display

AcuRite Atlas 01001M Weather Station with Direct-to-Wi-Fi Display and Lightning Detection

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The AcuRite Atlas 01001M stands out in a crowded field thanks to its high-definition liquid-crystal display (LCD). Most so-called color displays for weather stations make use of static color stickers that act as backgrounds to basic clock-radio-style LCD numbers and graphics. Instead, the Atlas features a beautiful high-definition display with bright colors, automatic dimming, and great viewing angles.

Beyond the first-rate display, the Atlas features a number of improvements over other AcuRite units. It uses a single sensor body that houses all of the instruments, but you can extend the anemometer for more accurate wind readings.

If you add an optional wind extension kit, you can raise the anemometer an additional 30 feet in the air. In addition to the basic sensors, it includes a lightning sensor that can detect strikes up to 25 miles away.

Price at time of publish: $250

_{Display Type: High-definition LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, UV, light intensity, barometric pressure, rain, lightning (up to 25 miles away) | Transmission interval: 10-30 seconds | Transmission Range: 330 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Weather Underground}

Best Accuracy

Davis Instruments Vantage Vue 6250 Wireless Weather Station

4.2

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The Davis Vantage Vue is a long-time front-runner in the world of home weather stations. It doesn't have the lead it used to, especially in areas like ease of use and connectivity, but Davis still makes the most accurate sensors available on the consumer market. The Vantage Vue comes packed with all of those best-in-class instruments and a solar panel that keeps the unit running year after year without any batteries.

The display console that comes with the Davis Vantage Vue is a bit of a stumbling point, as it looks and feels like a relic from the past. It packs tons of useful data into a small amount of space, but it has a steep learning curve and lacks the visual flair offered by much of the competition.

The Vantage Vue also lacks any internet or smart home connectivity out of the box, so you can't send data to the internet without an expensive add-on.

Price at time of publish: $340

_{Display Type: LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, rain | Transmission Interval: 2.5 seconds | Transmission Range: 1,000 feet | Connectivity: Requires an accessory}

Best Connectivity

Netatmo Weather Station

4.2

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The Netatmo Weather Station is equal parts smart home device and weather station. It’s built from the ground up to integrate with your smart home, with excellent support for Alexa, HomeKit, and IFTTT. It doesn’t include a rain or wind sensor out of the box, but you can add those later if you feel the need. That makes it a good entry point if you’ve never had a home weather station before, as you can decide later if you want or need those additional sensors.

This weather station doesn’t have a display, but it does have a well-designed mobile app that serves the same purpose. The lack of a display is a bit of a letdown if you’re used to having an always-on display that you can check for weather information at a glance, but the app looks and works great.

However, the one thing the Netatmo Weather Station includes that the competition doesn’t is an indoor CO2 sensor. This sensor helps you monitor the indoor air quality in your home, and the unit will send you an alarm if the levels get too high and it’s time to air out your house.

Price at time of publish: $177

_{Display Type: None | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, barometer, CO2 | Transmission Interval: 5 minutes | Transmission Range: 328 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, IFTTT, Alexa, Homekit}

Best Expandability

Ambient Weather WS-5000 Professional Smart Weather Station & Thermo Hygrometer

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The Ambient Weather WS-5000 is a serious weather station for those who are serious about tracking the weather. This system comes with a full suite of sensors out of the box, including an ultrasonic wind sensor that's faster and more accurate than traditional anemometers, plus a huge variety of add-on sensors, including up to eight thermo-hygrometers and soil moisture sensors, as well as air quality, leak, and lightning detectors.

Unlike other Ambient Weather stations that accept add-on sensors, the WS-5000 comes with a display that shows all the additional sensor inputs. It can even show data from a lightning sensor if you add one to the system, though that functionality is completely absent from the base unit. Most of the sensors that come with the WS-5000 are separate units, allowing you to place each in its ideal location. The wind and temperature sensors aren't separate, which isn't ideal, but this is an expandable system.

If you want the most accurate readings possible, you can mount the wind sensor up high where it needs to be. You could then add an additional thermo-hygrometer sensor (to measure humidity and temperature) closer to the ground—or even multiple thermo-hygrometers in different places around your yard.

Price at time of publish: $450

_{Display Type: Full-color TFT LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, rain, wind direction and speed, UV and solar radiation | Transmission Interval: 4.9 seconds | Transmission Range: 1,000 feet | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, IFTTT, Alexa, Google Assistant, Weather Underground, other weather services}

Best Splurge

Davis Wireless Vantage Pro2 Weather Station with Standard Radiation Shield

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The Davis Wireless Vantage Pro2 straddles the line between hobbyist home weather stations and the sort of weather stations used in agricultural and commercial applications. While this weather station is more complicated to set up than most of the other options, it offers the precision and reliability that serious hobbyists need and professionals can rely on. It includes separate wind, rain, temperature, and humidity sensors, allowing you to place each sensor exactly where it needs to be for the most accurate readings. 

Not only are the sensors included with the Vantage Pro2 some of the most accurate you can get in a home weather station, but the data from each appears on the console and also updates quickly—every 2.5 seconds. That means when you look at the display console, the numbers you see are a more accurate representation of the conditions at that very moment than other stations provide.

While the display console is monochrome and isn’t as attractive to look at as many other home weather stations, it provides a ton of data with dangerous weather alarms, historical graphs, and an accurate local forecast.

Price at time of publish: $613

_{Display Type: LCD | Sensors: Temperature, humidity, rain, wind speed, wind direction, barometer | Transmission Interval: 2.5 seconds | Transmission Range: 1,000 feet | Connectivity: Requires an accessory}