A rain gauge is a must-have for any homesteader. Whether you are a meteorologist or a gardening enthusiast, a rain gauge accurately records the amount of rain that falls in your garden, orchard, or on your lawn.
Save Water in Your Garden with an Accurate Rain Gauge Udometer
If you want to prevent drought around your property, conserve water, or prevent overwatering of your garden, invest in a rain gauge. A rain gauge or udometer is a simple but incredibly helpful rain measuring instrument that is primarily used by professional meteorologists at weather stations to accurate record and predict rainfall.
However, for home use, it is a very useful way of measuring the amount of precipitation or snow that falls around your home so that you can irrigate your garden or lawn properly and save money on water bills.
The 10 Best Rain Gauges
- Outdoor Home Rain Gauge
- AcuRite 00850A2 Easy-Read Magnifying Rain Gauge
- Stratus Precision Rain Gauge (Our Top Pick)
- Bits and Pieces Garden Decor Hand Painted Gnome Rain Gauge Sculpture
- La Crosse 705-109 Waterfall Rain Gauge
- Headwind 8201002GRN Jumbo Rain Gauge
- Sunset Vista Rain Gauge Glass Tube
- Netatmo Rain Gauge Weather Station
- OUTWEST TRADING Professional Outdoor Rain Gauge
- Taylor Jumbo Jr. Easy-Read Rain Gauge
Our Top Pick for the Best Rain Gauge
Our top pick for the best rain gauge is the Stratus Precision Rain Gauge.
Whether you are a professional meteorologist or a gardening enthusiast, checking the rainfall level around your property or in your garden is made super easy with this quality udometer. The extra-large rain gauge is made from weather-resistant thermoplastic polycarbonate, has easy-to-read black numbers and markings, and more importantly, provides consistently precise rainfall readings.
Check the price on AmazonHow to Choose the Best Rain Gauge
There are 2 types of weather gauges: an analog or traditional rain gauge or a digital gauge.
Analog Rain Gauge
Analog rain gauges are the most commonly used udometers and they are the most affordable. These types of gauges are made of clear plastic, polycarbonate thermoplastic, acrylic, or glass, with graduated numbers and markings displayed on the outside of the container. Measurements may be displayed in inches, inches and millimeters, or inches and centimeters.
These types of rain gauges, such as the Headwind 8201002GRN Jumbo Rain Gauge, are very easy to use once you learn how to read the measurement scale. Analog gauges are very easy to set up on a fence post, brick wall, a patio railing, a mailbox, a plant pot, or you can place the gauge into the ground near your plants.
Measurement Size
The measurement range of an analog rain gauge varies from a small 5-inches size up to 6, 8, or 11-inches. 5-inches rain gauges are best used in a small garden or you can install a few around a medium-sized garden. Large 6, 8, or extra-large 11-inches rain gauges are perfectly suited for a bigger garden or large farming property.
Digital Rain Gauge
If you are a tech-savvy gardener, a digital one gauge, such as the Netatmo Rain Gauge Weather Station, is a great way of monitoring the rainfall right from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Once you have placed it in your garden or on your patio, the gauge’s smart sensor transmits real-time readings of the amount of rainfall and accumulated precipitation data wirelessly to the app on your device.
Like the analog rain gauge, you have to place a digital rain gauge gadget in an unobstructed, low wind area. Also, to ensure the gadget sends the information properly, you need to have a compatible router that is within 100 meters of the rain gauge.
Construction
Plastic, resin, polycarbonate, or acrylic rain gauges are constructed from strong and durable UV resistant material that can withstand rough weather without fading, yellowing, cracking, or corroding. However, the material can still crack if it is left outside in the direct hot sun for too long or in freezing temperatures.
A glass gauge is a good choice as it will not yellow or crack like plastic can, but it can break easily if you knock it against hard objects.
Measurement Accuracy
Analog rain gauges are very accurate with precise measurement markings, but some are highly accurate such as the Stratus Precision Rain Gauge which is accurate to 1/100th of an inch.
Wireless rain gauges provide incredibly accurate rainfall or snow data as they connect directly to a national or global weather station. However, an analog or digital rain gauge’s final measurements can be affected by 3 main factors:
- To be able to get precise rainwater measurements, make sure that you mount it in an area that is free of obstruction. Place it away from overhanging roof eaves or trees, and up high on a fence pole.
- Do not place it in a high wind area.
- If you are placing the rain gauge in your garden, make sure it is placed on a level surface so that the rain collects evenly inside the container.
10 Best Rain Gauges – Reviews
1. Outdoor Home Rain Gauge
The Outdoor Home Rain Gauge is destined to be your new rainfall-measurement friend in the garden, on a small farm, or in the apple orchard.
Made from heavy-duty UV-resistant polycarbonate, the rain gauge is a great choice for tough outdoor conditions. So whether the burning sun beats down or the frosts lay thick on the ground, your gauge will not crack or discolor and will faithfully continue to collect and record the precipitation.
The large rain gauge can handle a light sprinkle or a quick downpour. You can rely on it for professionally accurate measurements that are displayed on the easy-to-read raised 6-inches/150mm dual graduated scale.
For fast installation, mount the gauge to a suitable post with the mounting bracket and 2 screws. Slide it into position and it is all ready to go. Once the gauge is full, it can be easily removed by sliding it off the bracket. Just make sure that the gauge is higher than the fence post so that it can catch the rain and provide precise measurement results.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Heavy-duty UV resistant polycarbonate
- Virtually unbreakable
- Will not crack or discolor
- Sun and frost resistant
- Professionally accurate dual scale has raised graduations for easy reading
- Imperial and metric measurements
- Large 6-inches/150mm capacity
- Ideal for home use, farming, orchards, or horticulture
- Can handle large downpours or light sprinklings of rain
- Fast and easy installation with the included mounting bracket
- No complicated calibration
- Easy to empty
Cons
- Little pricey
- Measurements are a little hard to read against the clear material
- Screws are not included
2. AcuRite 00850A2 Easy-Read Magnifying Rain Gauge
If you want to conserve water usage or prevent overwatering in your garden, the AcuRite 00850A2 Easy-Read Magnifying Rain Gauge is a great choice for any gardener.
The 12.5-inches tall rain gauge is made of durable, weather-resistant acrylic and can hold up to 5-inches of rainwater. You will have no trouble reading the accurate rainfall readings due to the curved design. The easy-read large white numbers and inch markings stand out from the blue background and are magnified by over 35%, so you can view them from 10-feet away.
Installing it is very easy. Use the integrated hang hole to mount the gauge on a wall or fence post or attach it to a stake in your garden.
AcuRite offers a 1-year warranty on its rain gauge.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Excellent price
- Helps to conserve water and prevent over-watering of lawn and garden
- Collects up to 5-inches of rainwater
- Good accuracy
- Durable weather-resistant acrylic construction
- Easy-read large white numbers and inch markings are magnified by over 35%
- Numbers stand out on the blue background and can be seen from 10-feet away
- Easy to install
- Integrated hang hole for wall or post mounting or a stake in the garden
- One-year warranty
Cons
- Acrylic is not durable enough for extreme freezing conditions or hot weather
- Can crack if you force it into very dry earth
- Accuracy is better when it is attached high up on a fence post
3. Stratus Precision Rain Gauge
With highly accurate measurements and super strong design, the Stratus Precision Rain Gauge is a fantastic choice for a large property, garden, or orchard.
The heavy-duty, UV, heat, and frost resistant polycarbonate thermoplastic construction will stand up to years of rough weather without fading or corroding.
Highly versatile, the rain gauge gives you 2 ways of measuring rainfall. A funnel top on the rain gauge catches rain and delivers it to a 1-inch measuring tube, while the extra-large outer cylinder captures 11-inches of rain.
You can accurately monitor rainfall, snow, sleet, and hail amounts with this high precision weather recording instrument as it is built to the US Weather Bureau specifications, and it is accurate to 1/100th of an inch. Checking the amount of rainfall is made easy with the bold black numbers and inch markings.
It can be mounted onto a fence post (away from buildings and trees) or wall with the exclusive “Quick Connect” bracket, which also lets you quickly remove the cylinder for emptying or cleaning.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Ideal for a large property, garden, or orchard
- Can be used by meteorologists or gardeners
- Heavy-duty polycarbonate
- No fading
- Heat and frost resistant
- No metal parts to rust
- Extra-large 11-inches outer cylinder
- Specially calibrated measuring tube
- Even a light shower registers clearly in increments of 100ths of an inch
- Built to US Weather Bureau standards
- Fast installation with the exclusive “Quick Connect” bracket
- Easy to read black numbers and inch markings
- Easy to empty and clean
Cons
- Expensive
- Black numbers can fade if you leave the gauge in hot conditions for a long time
- Inner cylinder can crack in freezing weather
4. Bits and Pieces Garden Decor Hand Painted Gnome Rain Gauge Sculpture
Cute and functional, this charming Bits and Pieces Garden Decor Hand Painted Gnome Rain Gauge Sculpture will help you keep track of the rainfall while also functioning as an eye-catching, fun garden decoration that will delight family and guests.
The unique 8-inches tall x 3¼-inches wide garden gnome is crafted from durable weather-resistant polyresin composites. Its hand-painted unique faux finishing and realistic detailing will create a dramatic accent to your garden or outdoor living areas.
You can easily keep track of rainfall in your garden as the garden gnome holds up the 5-inches rainfall tube, which has easy-to-read black numbers and inch measurement markings. The tube can be removed to empty the water that has collected inside and then replaced back into the gnome’s hands.
As the garden gnome rain gauge comes at such an affordable price, it will make a fantastic gift for other gardening enthusiasts among your family or friends.
Pros
- Great quality
- Very good value for money
- Very affordable price
- Good 5-inches rainfall capacity
- Cute and functional garden gnome gauge
- Handcrafted from durable weather-resistant polyresin
- Hand-painted unique faux finishing and realistic detailing
- Weather-resistant polyresin tube
- Easy to read black numbers and measurement markings
- Great gift idea
Cons
- Very small
- Needs to be placed on a flat surface for accurate measurements
- Very light so it can be knocked over easily
5. La Crosse 705-109 Waterfall Rain Gauge
The La Crosse 705-109 Waterfall Rain Gauge offers you a lot of versatility for recording rainfall in your garden or outdoor living spaces.
Inspired by a cascading waterfall and made from durable plastic, the 6-inches rain gauge is perfect for the outdoors. Its extra-large black numbers and clean measurement lines allow for easy and consistently accurate monitoring of the rainfall around your garden, backyard, or patio. You can even see how much rain has gathered in the container from a distance due to the vibrant red floating rain level marker.
Highly versatile, the waterfall gauge comes with a mounting bracket and screws for quick installation on a fence, deck railing, or a stake in the ground.
The innovative slide-on-and-off design makes it very easy to install the rain gauge onto the bracket and allows for quick removal when you have to empty or clean the container.
La Crosse Technology offers a 2-year limited warranty on the rain gauge.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Cascade waterfall design
- Durable plastic container
- Large 6-inches size
- Comes with mounting bracket and screws
- Mounts on a deck, fence rail or top of a stake
- Innovative easy slide in and out design
- Easy to empty and clean
- Extra-large black numbers and markings
- Vibrant red rain level floating marker
- Consistent accuracy
- Two-year limited warranty
Cons
- Cannot be installed near a roofline or other overhanging structure
- Plastic can become brittle if left outside in freezing temperatures
- Plastic can become yellow after long-term use in the hot sun
- Red strip can fade in the hot sun
- Red marker strip can float out when the container is full
- No markings for the 6-inches level
6. Headwind 8201002GRN Jumbo Rain Gauge
Recording rainfall in your garden is made super easy with the Headwind 8201002GRN Jumbo Rain Gauge.
The pretty green fully-functional 5-inches rain gauge is made from durable heavy-duty plastic and the rust-resistant bracket is long-lasting. For precise measurement readings every time, the Headwind gauge has been specially calibrated to ensure consistent accuracy.
With jumbo-sized EZ Read numbers and measurement markings and a high visibility float, you can easily see how much rain has fallen on your garden from up to 50-feet away. The unique DebrisGuard funnel keeps debris out of the gauge so that any leaves or twigs cannot affect or obscure the water level.
You can mount it to a fence post, a railing on your deck, or in the ground among your plants.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Durable plastic
- Specially calibrated to ensure accuracy
- Jumbo size EZ Read numbers and markings can be read from up to 50-feet
- High visibility float
- DebrisGuard funnel
- Rust-resistant mounting bracket
- Can be mounted on a fence post, deck railing, or in the ground
Cons
- Plastic is not thick enough for mounting in the ground
7. Sunset Vista Rain Gauge Glass Tube
With easy-to-read dual measurements and sturdy glass construction, the stylish and functional Sunset Vista Rain Gauge Glass Tube is perfect for any gardening enthusiast.
If you have recently broken your glass rain gauge, the sturdy and strong 8.25-inches tall gauge is a quick and easy solution for replacing an existing glass udometer. It fits all decorative rain gauge products, or it can be used on its own.
Installing your rain gauge is quick and easy. The gauge slides into the udometer holder and the wide, thick lip on the top of the gauge ensures that the glass vial rests securely in the holder’s top ring so that the vial will not fall out onto the ground.
The imperial 7-inches and metric 17- centimeter measurement scales are displayed in bold, large-print letters which are very easy to read through the clear glass.
Pros
- High quality
- Excellent value for money
- Very good price
- Stylish and functional
- Sturdy and strong replacement glass vial udometer
- Fits all decorative rain gauge products or can be used on its own
- Quick and easy replacement
- Large 8.25 x 2.25-inches size
- Wide and thick lip on the top of the gauge securely rests in the holder
- Imperial inches and metric centimeters
- Measures up to 7-inches or 17-centimeters of rainfall
- Easy-to-read measurements are in bold, large-print letters that won’t fade
- Glass has a clear finish
Cons
- Not to be left outside in freezing temperatures
- Does not come with the holder
8. Netatmo Rain Gauge Weather Station
Once you have placed the high-tech Netatmo Rain Gauge Weather Station in your garden or on your patio and downloaded the Netatmo Weather Station, you will enjoy unlimited access to precise real-time rainfall data 24 hours a day.
This super-smart device tells you precisely how much precipitation has fallen around your home in millimeters per hour. It displays the total precipitation over time and expected precipitation. All of these extremely helpful measurements are recorded every 5 minutes. The app will also alert you when it starts to rain. Amazingly accurate, its measuring range is 0.2-mm/hour, and accurate to within 1mm/hr.
There is no need to empty the gauge as its tipping bucket measurement design makes sure that the rainwater automatically drains out the bottom once it has been measured.
If you do not have a smartphone or tablet, you can access the rainfall data from your computer using Netatmo’s Web app. For easy on-demand voice activation, you can connect the Netatmo rain gauge to Alexa.
The Netatmo rain gauge app is downloadable from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Highly functional, it can be used on multiple devices: iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2, iPod Touch (5th generation or later), Android 4.0 or later, Google Play access, and Windows Phone 8.0 or higher.
Netatmo charges no subscription fee and there is no storage limit.
For the app to work properly, you will need to place the rain gauge within 100 meters of a wi-fi router. Your router needs to be 802.11 b/g/n and 2.4GHz compatible and have Open/WEP/WPA/WPA2-personal (TKIP and AES) security.
The rain gauge is powered by 2 AAA batteries, which can provide up to 1 year of battery life.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Strong plastic
- Easy to install wireless rainfall app
- Connects to the global Netatmo Weather Station
- 24 hour a day rainfall data
- Measuring range is 0.2-mm/hour
- Amazingly accurate to within 1mm/hour
- Displays the total precipitation over time and expected precipitation
- Measurements are recorded every 5 minutes
- Rainfall alerts
- Accessible from multiple devices and a computer
- Free access to your personal online control panel
- No subscription fee
- No storage limit
- Compatible with Alexa
- Tipping bucket measurement system
Cons
- Little pricey
- Public hotspots are not supported
- Only one rain gauge can be connected to the Netatmo Weather Station
- Not to be placed in the direct sun for long periods of time
- Needs to be placed on a flat surface to keep it upright
- Must be placed 100 meters from a router
- App has to be purchased separately from Google Play or Apple App Store
9. OUTWEST TRADING Professional Outdoor Rain Gauge
The OUTWEST TRADING Professional Outdoor Rain Gauge is an excellent choice for any gardener.
Designed to withstand harsh storms, the tough virtually unbreakable plastic is impact-resistant, UV resistant, freezeproof, non-yellowing, and will not rust.
Its unique wedge shape and large raised numbers on the dual 6-inches and 150mm scale allow for easy reading of the accurate measurements of heavy and light rainfalls.
Installation is very easy. Fix the mounting bracket with screws onto a flat, level surface like a fence post or deck rail, and slide the rain gauge onto the bracket. It slips off the mounting bracket when you need to empty or clean the container.
To be able to provide consistently accurate measurements, correct placement of the rain gauge in your yard is critical. It should not be placed in a high wind area. It needs to be installed away from large objects like buildings and trees, which can block the rain from getting into the container.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Professional rain gauge
- Built tough to survive harsh storms
- Strong and heavy-duty plastic
- UV resistance, non-yellowing, and won’t rust
- Virtually unbreakable
- Freezeproof
- Mountable bracket is quick and easy to install on a fence post or deck rail
- Easy slide-in-slide-out design
- Dual 6-inches and 150mm measurement scale
- Large raised numbers and markings
- Unique wedge shape
- Accurate measurements
- Very easy to clean
Cons
- Not to be placed in a high-wind area
- Not to be placed near trees or buildings
- Numbers and measurements can be hard to read on the clear plastic and from a distance
- Does not come with mounting screws
10. Taylor Jumbo Jr. Easy-Read Rain Gauge
If you are a passionate gardener who has trouble with your eyesight, the Taylor Jumbo Jr. Easy-Read Rain Gauge is tailormade for you.
This tall rain gauge is made from durable high-impact plastic that is ideal for outdoor weather conditions. Viewing the accurate rainfall up to 5-inches is effortless due to the bright yellow jumbo-sized numbers and markings and the bright red floating disc. All of these rainfall indicators are clear and distinctive and can be viewed from up to 50-feet away.
Another excellent feature is the special funnel filter that minimizes outdoor debris that can fall into the container and affect the gauge’s rainfall measurement accuracy.
Highly-versatile, you can install the rain gauge on a fence post, wall, or in the ground with the included mounting bracket and sturdy ground spike.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Durable high impact plastic construction
- Extra-large 20-inches tall size
- Good 5-inches water capacity
- Easy-to-read bright yellow jumbo-sized numbers and markings
- Clear and distinctive measurements are visible from 50-feet away
- Bright red float
- Special funnel filter minimizes outdoor debris
- Includes sturdy ground spike and easy-to-install mounting bracket
- Ideal for a fence, fence post, wall mounting, or ground installation
Cons
- Plastic can become brittle if left outside in harsh hot weather or freezing temperatures
- Ground spike is not strong enough for hard rocky ground
Our Top Pick for the Best Rain Gauge
Our top pick for the best rain gauge is the Stratus Precision Rain Gauge.
Whether you are a professional meteorologist or a gardening enthusiast, checking the rainfall level around your property or in your garden is made super easy with this quality udometer. The extra-large rain gauge is made from weather-resistant thermoplastic polycarbonate, has easy-to-read black numbers and markings, and more importantly, provides consistently precise rainfall readings.
Check the price on Amazon
