It’ll give you a live feed of data from your backyard, which, if you are a farmer or live in a storm-prone area, can give you valuable time when bad weather is on the way. Even if you live where the weather is pretty steady, the amount of data you can collect with a home weather station is truly fascinating to look at, especially using the smart apps many of them can use. It’s not perfect, but we think its large sensor array will meet the needs of any weather enthusiast. You can get data on wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, solar radiation, and UV. Inside, you get indoor temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Crucially, that sensor data is not only available for display on the slightly rubbish LCD. Thanks to the Wi-Fi connectivity, it’s available on nearly any device you own and is even compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. We love the connectivity and accessibility here. The weather app collects weather data for analysis, and you can store the data for further analysis if that’s your thing. Otherwise, the LCD will give you a solid picture of the weather around your home. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: Yes | Barometric Pressure: Yes We were concerned by the lack of apparent seals on the battery door and around other removable components—this creates the distinct possibility of moisture penetrating the interior of the sensor array. Fortunately, we did not encounter issues with this during our testing. Another concern is the placement of the solar panel. It is located in the center of the station and lies flat on top, which is not ideal for maximum efficiency of energy-gathering. The most glaring flaw in the base station is the loud beep it emits when you press any of the buttons. It is ridiculously loud and makes operating the station an annoying experience. The base station’s display is somewhat disappointing. In our testing, we found the WS-2902A to be quite accurate, though perhaps not quite as reliable as more expensive systems. In addition to Wi-Fi, you can connect the WS-2902A to a smart hub. This range of compatible services is where the most potential practical use can be had from a weather station. — Andy Zahn, Product Tester The weather station doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that others do, but it has automatic time correction, daylight saving time, alarms, and temperature zone alerts. In a nutshell, it’s a basic device but has just enough data so you can easily plan your day around the weather. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: No | Rainfall: No | Barometric Pressure: No Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: Yes | Barometric Pressure: No The Vantage View could also be called the Vintage View based on its dated design and the fact the station does not hook up to the internet out of the box. Still, it’s a solid unit with the looks of when products used to be more reliable (and less flashy). This weather station is also quite expensive compared to some of the competition. You’re paying for quality, but less serious hobbyists may do better with less expensive hardware. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: Yes | Barometric Pressure: Yes The sensor suite does a good job of combining a large number of sensors into a relatively compact package. Built out of white and black plastic, it felt nice and solid during assembly and held up well under heavy wind and rain during our testing. The main issue with the sensor suite is that you typically don’t want to measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and rainfall all in the same location. The console looks old and feels clunky. It works well, but it really does seem like a relic from the past. While it displays all the information you need right out of the box, you can use the function buttons to dig down into additional information and charts. Davis boasts of extremely accurate sensor hardware, something we confirmed during our testing. — Jeremey Laukkonen, Product Tester Unlike many more expensive weather stations, this unit uses standard AA batteries and doesn’t have a solar panel to help keep them charged up. The display is slightly odd—it’s claimed to be color but is actually a basic two-tone screen with a multicolored static background. The viewing angles are also poor, so you need to be looking at it straight on. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: No | Barometric Pressure: Yes The display is a basic two-tone LCD with a multicolored static background. It’s crisp and easy to read, even at a distance, with large numbers and icons providing all of the most vital information at a glance. The one issue is that the viewing angles are awful. This weather station includes an anemometer for wind, a temperature sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, and a humidity sensor. These sensors are all rated as being fairly accurate, and that was my experience. This unit doesn’t have any way to measure wind direction or rainfall, so keep that in mind if those are measurements that you want to be able to keep track of. It also doesn’t have any kind of connectivity beyond the wireless connection between the sensor unit and the display unit. — Jeremy Laukkonen, Product Tester We don’t love the fact that Davis Instruments charges for data to be sent to the internet, but if it’s enough to say this is the best, then we’ll say it again: This is the best weather station you can buy. Display: LED | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: Yes | Barometric Pressure: Yes But the data is synced slower than some others on this list, and apparently getting Wi-Fi set up is more trouble than it should be. If you don’t mind some potential troubleshooting, you’ll be rewarded with accurate data on its display and whichever mobile device you want. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: Yes | Rainfall: Yes | Barometric Pressure: Yes So what’s the summary on the Netatmo? You’ll get accurate data and even data you don’t get from other weather stations, but you have to use a separate device to view the data, as there’s no included screen. And, to get what many would consider basic functions of rain and wind reports, you have to pay extra. Oh, and the data sometimes takes 10 minutes to sync. The Netatmo Personal Weather Station is a decent model with accurate readings, but, as is, it lacks the features and instruments to make a case for its rather exorbitant price tag—even though it does look great. Display: LCD | Humidity: Yes | Wind: No | Rainfall: No | Barometric Pressure: Yes As is the case with other home weather stations, the Netatmo Personal Weather Station requires a minimal but somewhat tedious setup process. It’s helpful to go ahead and download the Netatmo app before you physically set up the weather stations. The Netatmo app is definitely the standout feature with this personal weather station, allowing individuals to sift through basic indoor and outdoor data on the go. The thermometer, hygrometer, and barometer proved to be consistently accurate. On the flip side, it can be a bit problematic when attempting to understand real-time data at times. For example, rather than monitoring live outdoor readings, the app refreshes every few minutes to provide updated information. — Dallon Adams, Product Tester
Transmission Distance
The setup of your weather station can be crucial to its accuracy. Most importantly, it needs to sit within a certain distance of the display. Standard sensors usually work within 330 feet, but more premium models have a transmission distance of up to 1,000 feet away. It’s important to keep transmission distance in mind when shopping for a weather station. Another important consideration is that transmission distance is generally advertised in clear, line-of-sight conditions. If you get a weather station that can transmit 300 feet, you should plan to mount the outside sensors within a circle or roughly 200 feet. Also, bear in mind, some sensors should not be mounted in areas that receive direct sunlight, while still others require mounting in direct sunlight.
Connectivity
Why Trust Lifewire
Meredith Popolo is a Stockholm-based writer specializing in consumer technology designed to streamline users’ lives, including home weather stations.
Beyond providing a heads up against dangerous weather patterns, home weather stations can give you localized data on humidity and rainfall if you’re an avid gardener. For others, monitoring the weather is a fun hobby.
Measuring rainfall and wind direction can be a fascinating look into your local meteorology. You can even contribute that data to a number of crowd-sourced weather services like Weather Underground. Andy Zahn is a writer specializing in tech. He’s reviewed cameras, weather stations, noise-canceling headphones, and more for Lifewire. Jeremy Laukkonen is a tech writer and the creator of a popular blog and video game startup. He is a consumer technology expert and reviewed some of the home weather stations on this list. Dallon Adams is a Portland, Oregon-based tech writer who specializes in consumer technology. He reviewed the Netatmo Weather Station on our list. Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade. When he’s not hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast, he’s playing with the latest phones, tablets, and laptops. When not working, he’s a cyclist, geocacher, and spends as much time outside as he can.
