The 5 Best Digital Lux Meters [Ranked]
Digital light meters, or as they are also known luxmeters or luminometers, are most commonly applied in movie-making and set design environments to ensure the best lighting for the scene (Source).
They are great for measuring total visible light in a particular area (Source).
Other applications include residential utilities where they can be applied to decrease the extent of wasted light in the home, assess outdoor light pollution, and to gauge the best light levels for plant growing (Source).
Our Top Pick: The Dr. Meter Lux Meter
- ▶【4-Range Settings】: This high-quality digital illuminance/light meter has 4-range settings, 0/200/2,000/20,000/200,000 Lux, for a dynamic metering ability.
People that bought the Dr. Meter Lux meter write that they use their light meters for a variety of purposes:
- assessing how several different light fixtures illuminated the same space;
- examining the impact of different light levels on different surfaces;
- optimizing light for growing orchids;
- measuring a video projectors peak light output; architecturally reviewing buildings;
- and making sure that a building electrical code is up to standards.
Video Overview
Let's take a look at five of the best-selling looks meters on the market today and see how they compare.
Contents
Comparing Them
| Digital Lux Meters | Our Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The Dr. Meter Digital Illuminance Meter | 4.4 | $ |
 | The Tondaj Digital Luxmeter Light Meter | 4.2 | $ |
 | The Geartist Digital LCD Lux Meter | 4.3 | $ |
 | The Maximum Horticulture LX-1010B Digital Luxmeter Light Meter | 3.9 | $ |
 | The CEM DT-1309 Professional Digital Lux Meter | 3.6 | $$$ |
The Five Best Digital Light Meters
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This 9-volt, Dr. Meter Digital Illuminance meter is a great product for those working in the field of electricity or lightning. Since the electrical code mandates the amount of illumination for each building, this product becomes necessary equipment for professional contractors and electricians.
This digital Lux meter gives you an objective measure of light in your house, as well- which makes it useful for home-owners. Using this Dr. Meter Digital Illuminance meter, you can evaluate:
- The comparison of different light fixtures used in the same setting.
- The number of active lamps at a time
- The various types of lamps and wattage in a fixture
- The way light fixture allocation affects illumination
- The way different objects such as colors and walls affect lightening
- The level of light on work surface and general lighting
This LX1330B meter has a measurement range of 0 – 200,000 Lux, and can be used for a variety of different applications.
Video Overview
Pros
- You can switch between FC and Lux
- You can even capture the maximum measured reading
- An inexpensive meter
- Readers say that this digital meter gives you great readings
Cons
- The sensitivity graph displays that the digital meter is highly nonlinear over a spectrum
- You cannot use it to measure lights of different wavelengths
- You can store one reading at a time, which can be a disadvantage under low lights where you cannot read the meter
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This digital Luxmeter light meter comes with an LED display and measures a range up to 50,000 Lux. Many users have reported this digital light meter is great for home use because of its decent accuracy and functionality.
You can measure the approximate light brightness according to the human eye. While this meter is not meant for photography, you can still use it for this purpose using formulas for conversions.
Pros
- The product is good to measure large changes in light, say- 10 Lux to 20 Lux
- Users report an accuracy within 5%
Cons
- It is made of thin plastic, which cannot withstand frequent drops
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This Illuminance Light Meter Measure Tester comes with a measurement range of 0.1 to 200,000 Lux, 0 to 185806FC. Measurement speed of the product is 2 times per second with its 9-volt battery. The digital LCD screen is supported with a backlight, which does not consume much power. It automatically shuts off if you are not using it. The digital LCD Lux meter also gives you an indication for low battery. The high resolution and quick response of this particular meter makes it a great buy at a relatively cheap price.
Video Overview
Pros
- Ease of use
- The screen is easily readable
Cons
- You cannot use this digital Lux meter for professional purposes
- If you want to use it for photography, you will have to use formulas and convert the units accordingly
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This LCD display Digital Luxmeter Light Meter can measure light up to a range of 0- 100,000 Lux with an accuracy of ±5%. The sampling can be done in only 0.4 seconds. Some users say that the LCD display of the digital Lux meter is a major plus- it is highly responsive and accurate. The auto zero feature of the product forces the displayed frequency turn back to zero if a pulse input is not obtained within a fixed time during the process of measurement. The over range indication is also a helpful feature. The product is supported by the data memory. When the battery is critically low you will receive an alert- another useful feature.
Video Overview
Pros
- The product is lightweight and is easy to carry
Cons
- It may slip from your hand since the grip is not very tough
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
This US-enabled, 400K Lux Light Luxmeter comes with a pre-packed long-life silicon photo diode. Users love the measurement accuracy of this Lux meter- which is 1.5 times per second. The LCD display gives 4000 counts along with the 41- segment analog bar graph. One of the more user-friendly attributes of this product is that you can select from Lux and FC. The CEM DT-1309 CE certified digital light meter comes with a large display of 4 digits- great for readability.
Video Overview
Pros
- You can measure light up to 400,000 Lux with this digital meter
- The 40,000- foot-candle of the product is 8 times higher than conventional light meters
- You can make use of the software that comes with this product, to load the measurement results to your computer via USB cable. Once the data is uploaded, you can view and save it in your PC
- You also get the protection pouch with this foot- candle meter
Cons
- You have to handle this product quite delicately since it is prone to breakage
- Novices may find the features slightly difficult to understand
Buying Guide
If you're looking to purchase a digital luminance light meter, you are probably interested in measuring the lighting in a particular area. Whether you are a cinematographer, a set designer, or somebody just trying to get the perfect amount of light for their delicate indoor plants, there are many inexpensive and high quality digital light meters on the market today to choose from.
These devices are pretty simple to use and generally deliver accurate results. We should say that if you need something for intensive scientific research, you may want to shop around for a more robust digital light meter than we have reviewed on this page.
Users have commented that it is not ideal for measuring your fish tank lights or grow lights, because most plants use red and blue, while these locks meters measure mostly green.
Make sure you understand your personal requirements before purchasing a digital light meter- reviewing the product pages and what other users have said about the models they have purchased is a great way to get added insight into the purchasing decision you are making.
