Every budget laser measure struggles to show you the dot outdoors. This one has a second problem on top: owners report being unable to read the screen in ordinary daylight. When both the beam and the display fail in the same conditions, the tool has a clear boundary, and it is the front door.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links below, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what gets recommended.
Owners are consistent that it measures well in a normally lit room and consistent that daylight defeats both the beam and the display. At this price that is a reasonable trade, provided you know it before you buy rather than after.
| What the listing says | What owners report |
|---|---|
| 165 ft range | Indoors only. Daylight defeats it |
| Black LCD display | Unreadable in ordinary daylight |
| 2 bubble levels | Present |
| Pythagorean mode | Present |
| Distance, area and volume | Present |
| Accuracy | Called very accurate indoors |
| Nothing about the button layout | The power symbol button does not power it on |
The most carefully written review on this listing separates two things that usually get lumped together, and the distinction is worth borrowing.
Their summary was that the tool is very accurate, that they were unable to read the screen in ordinary daylight, and that the laser was difficult to use for vertical distances outside because of ambient light, even on a cloudy day. Their conclusion was blunt: perfect indoors, and if your usage is outside, look for another unit, because this one will not do the job.
They added that if they do measure outside, it will have to be at night.
Nearly every budget unit we cover has the beam visibility problem. Fewer have the display problem on top of it. A black LCD in bright ambient light is a different failure from a dim dot, and it means that even if you solved the aiming with a target plate, you would still be squinting at the answer.
One owner felt strongly enough about this to repeat themselves inside their own review. The button marked with the power symbol is not the one that turns the device on. The triangular button is. They said it twice, in capitals, and the product otherwise works perfectly for them. It is the sort of thing that has people returning a working tool in the first ten minutes, so it is worth knowing before you open the box.
Inside its envelope the reports are positive and unremarkable in a good way. Great deal, works well, easy to use, pretty accurate. One owner using a laser measure for the first time said the directions could have been more descriptive but there was enough to work it out.
The same first time user made two observations worth passing on. The display is easy to read in moderate lighting and harder in bright light, which matches the more detailed account above. And it fits comfortably in an extra large hand and sits well in a tool bag, though they wished it had more yellow on it so it was easier to spot among other tools.
That last note is a small thing that turns out to matter. Small black tools disappear in bags, and several units we cover ship with a bright pouch for exactly that reason.
One owner was harsh and specific. They bought it to save time and felt they wasted it, describing cheap build quality they could live with but brightness they could not, saying you cannot see a thing outdoors. They also found it small in size but still bulky, and described the build as fragile. Notably they could not comment on accuracy, because they could not get far enough to test it.
Another simply found it tricky to operate.
Set against 670 ratings at 4.3, these are the minority view, but the brightness complaint corroborates the more measured review above rather than contradicting it. The two agree on the fault and disagree only on how much it matters.
The detailed reviewer noted their unit arrived used, with minor damage to the packaging and batteries already installed. They kept it and it works.
We have seen this on other budget listings. Open the box promptly and check whether what you received looks new, because the window to do something about it is short.
Homeowners measuring indoors who want area, volume and a Pythagoras mode at the bottom of the market. Inside a normally lit room the accuracy reports are good and the price is very low.
Anyone measuring outside, including on overcast days. Anyone who needs to read the display in bright light, such as near a large window or in a conservatory. And anyone who wants a tool that explains itself, given the button layout.
If the display is the problem. The DTAPE has a two inch backlit screen at a similar price and it is the most praised thing about that unit.
If you want the biggest owner sample at this price. The RockSeed two pack carries 22,354 ratings and gives you a spare.
If you need to measure outdoors. No unit at this price does. What works is a target plate or a camera viewfinder, and the outdoor guide ranks on how you aim rather than on rated range.
If you want a green beam for visibility. A Huepar S60-G-BT is the cheapest route. Green against red is covered here, including where green stops helping.
Whatever you buy, check it against a known length before you rely on it.
Working out the right laser measure for the job in front of you is what our front page is for.