Indoor Outdoor Thermometer
On one hand, an indoor thermometer can do wonders when it comes to maintaining a comfortable temperature within your home. Moreover, it can help you save up on power bills by giving you the exact information you need to use your electronic appliances (such as an air conditioner) efficiently.
On the other hand, an outdoor thermometer can help you set accurate expectations of the weather when you step outside. This way, you can rest assured that you will never be a victim of the elements of nature when you go out. After all, it pays to be prepared right?
Indoor outdoor thermometers combine these functionalities to offer the advantages of two devices in one. With that said, choosing the right one can often be tricky because let’s face it, how often does one need an indoor outdoor thermometer?
For this reason, Rebar Group went out and tested over 40 different models of indoor outdoor thermometers. Each device on our list was vigorously tested for over 30 hours in short-term tests. For long-term tests, these were tested for a period of 12 months.
Our tests narrowed our list of best indoor outdoor thermometers to ten exceptional devices that offer great functionality.
The overall winner of our study came out to be La Crosse Technology-WS-9160U. The thermometer offers superb functionality, boasts a crystal clear screen that can display clear information from across the room, and a great, utilitarian design. However, just like in most cases, even the best pick only comes with the most basic features.
If you are looking for a more advanced indoor outdoor thermometer with features like humidity sensors, our top pick would be AcuRite- Tall.
With much delay, let’s get into the details of what features matter when it comes to indoor outdoor thermometers:
Features To Consider When Purchasing An Indoor Outdoor Room Thermometer:
Just like other areas of technology, indoor outdoor thermometers have come pretty far. While the most basic features to look for are obviously temperature accuracy and clock display, modern thermometers offer a host of advanced features that you may or may not need.
For instance, if you live in a humid area, having a thermometer with a humidity sensor makes sense. Similarly, the modern thermometers also offer features like temperature predictions, high/low temperatures, barometric pressures and much more. The only downside it, in their bid to add more features to their thermometers, manufacturers have compromised on the readability of their devices. This, in our opinion, is not a great trade-off.
Our testers felt that they can easily do without most of the “advance” features being offered by these advanced devices. In fact, most of them valued being able to read the temperature from across the room over knowing what the temperature is going to be three hours later.
We felt like some very important features were missing from some great devices. For instance, not all indoor outdoor thermometers are wireless. The AcuRite’s thermometer coloured version does have a battery option, but it automatically dims the screen display light to a point that it is completely unreadable. It is possible to turn up the brightness manually, but this feature is no good when you’re sitting across the room with the air conditioning remote in your hand.
With the help of our testers, we have narrowed down the most important features of indoor outdoor thermometers that matter to casual users. The feature list ranks these features in order from most important to least important. It is worth noticing that the top thermometers on our list offer all these features at a respectable price. However, as you move down the list, there is either a compromise on features, or on the affordability. Here’s the list of the features to be considered to get the best thermometer as per your needs.
- Indoor/outdoor temperature
- Clock
- Readability of the display
- Wireless or wired display
- High/low daily temperatures
- Temperature/forecast prediction
- Temperature range
- Barometric pressure forecast
Most of these features are pretty self-explanatory. However, we noticed our testers were a bit unsure about what barometric pressure is, and how it will affect their choice. Before we jump into the actual study, let’s understand barometric pressure in brief.
Understanding Barometric Pressure
A simpler name for barometric pressure is air pressure. In simple terms, it is the pressure exerted by the weight of the air on the surface of the earth. Now, this pressure obviously varies from area to area.
Being able to predict barometric pressure can enable you to effectively predict (and prepare) for weather changes. When the barometric pressure is high, the weather usually remains bright and sunny. On the other hand, when the barometric pressure is low, you can expect the weather to get cloudy, even expect rains.
This feature, just like humidity sensors, makes sense in certain areas. Particularly ones with higher rainfall. If you live in a sunny area, this feature, however nifty it may seem, is probably of no use to you.
Apart from barometric pressure, two more important features that are worth talking about in detail are temperature accuracy and range.
Understanding Temperature Accuracy and Range
While testing our top ten contenders for temperature range and accuracy, we realised that all of them stood their ground on these parameters. The temperature range offered by these devices is more than enough for household use in almost any area.
To be able to really test the limits of the temperature range, we would have to conduct specialised tests that don’t mimic real-life situations.
Results were quite similar when it came to temperature accuracy. All our top contenders are being manufactured by top businesses in this niche. The accuracy of these products is pretty on point. Moreover, as just mentioned, for casual users, minor differences don’t matter much. A difference of a couple of units in the accuracy doesn’t make a lot of difference in real-life situations.
With that said, the most important feature to test remained the display clarity. Let’s talk about the same in a bit more detail:
How The Devices Compare In Terms Of Display
Display test results would make no sense without the actual photos of the display. For this reason, we have tried to photograph the displays of each of our top picks in a consistent lighting. If that doesn’t give you an accurate idea, each photograph is followed by a short description of the thing we did and did not like. Without further delay, let’s look at the photos:
The AcuRite- Wide indoor outdoor thermometer, at first glance, looks great and offers superb functionality. The device is feature loaded and displays everything from temperature predictions to humidity calculations to barometric pressure.
The wired display is one of the largest displays we came across. Even after that, the display, our testers felt, was a bit too dim to be read from across the room.
The size of the device sure helps in making the display more reader-friendly, but barely gets the job done, especially when you compare the device with our top pick from La Crosse. The bigger size, while nice to look at, also takes up more space, which can be a drawback if space is at a premium in your home.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Taylor 1730. In contrast to the AcuRite- Wide, the Taylor 1730 indoor outdoor is one of the most compact devices that we tested. The device is also one of the most pocket friendly options that we tested. In fact, it is the cheapest option on this list, by a fair margin.
With that said, the Taylor 1730 makes efficient use of its small display and presents the user with the most important information. The display is a delight at short distances, and a nuisance when the device is kept across the room. The wireless range of the device also isn’t something that will raise any eyebrows. However, if you plan on keeping the device house close to you, such as your office desk, it actually turns out to be the best, most budget friendly option on the market.
The AcuRite- Tall is a feature loaded device that offers a great, functional display without taking up too much space. It is affordable and even has a humidity sensor, which is a must-have feature in relevant areas.
With that said, the device did not score high in terms of design. Our testers felt it to be too bulky and some even went so far as to call the device outright ugly. If you value ability over aesthetics, this is a pretty great indoor outdoor thermometer.
The AcuRite- Colour is the most expensive model that we tested. The device comes loaded with functionality and features. From weather predictions to humidity sensors to every other feature a weather nerd may appreciate. With that said, the device scored poorly in the display department, which is pretty surprising considering it is the only device with colour display.
The display of AcuRite- Colour captures light awkwardly and makes reading the smaller readings next to impossible. Even reading the big numbers came off as a challenge to our testers. Sure it’s not absolutely obscure, but our testers had higher expectations from a coloured display.
The device, despite being the most expensive option on our test, doesn’t offer wireless functionality. It needs to be plugged in to be lit, which is a huge downside.
The Ambient Weather Thermometer WS- 10 is one of the most advanced devices on our test. It comes with excellent functionality. The device can connect with up to 8 different sensors placed in eight different rooms/areas.
Thanks to this feature, the display of the device is both huge and bright, making it easy to read from a distance. However, things tend to get a little cramped when you try to display information from more than two sensors at the same time.
A budget option, the Ambient Weather WS- 10 did not score any brownie points in the style department. However, if you believe you can hide the simple device in plain sight, it may well be an excellent option.
The ThermPro TP 65 is probably the best budget option available in the market as of now. However, in order to save on the consting, several features have not been included in the device.
With that said, the display of the ThermPro TP 65 scored very high among our testers. The display is precisely the right size, is well lit, and offers all the important information in large, bold numbers.It is easily readable from across the room and comes with a quirky touch screen feature.
The device does have some downsides in terms of functionality, but we will discuss those in later sections.
The X Sense AG- 4S is a great device with some truly useful features which will be discussed in later sections. The display of the device comes with a bright backlit screen that has been efficiently designed to use up the space available.
With that said, in sunny areas, the orange backlight of the device may become an issue. The device features have led us to believe it was made while keeping chilly areas in mind, that get mild sunlight.
The Oregon Scientific, while a feature loaded device, scores poorly in the display ability department. As you can see in the photograph, the numbers are barely visible on the device.
Those among our testers that were able to read the numbers from across the room struggled with making sense of them, since only the numbers were visible from a distance. While the device does offer excellent functionality at a pocket-friendly price, it does not offer an excellent display.
The Lacrosse Technology 308-1414B is a superb device that offers all the bells and whistles you can imagine, along with an average-at-best display.
The device prides itself on its accuracy and versatility but in their bid to make this device loaded with features, display quality took a big hit, which is especially apparent when the device is compared with other offerings by Lacrosse.
The Lacrosse Technology WS- 9160 U is our top pick in many aspects, along with being the top pick overall- and for good reason.
While the device offers only basic functionality, it has been thoughtfully design, especially when it comes to the display. The LCD screen of the device is bright and well-structured to provide the user with information, without causing hassle.
The Top 10 Indoor Outdoor Thermometers
| Product Name | Readability | Advertised Range | Cost |
| Lacrosse Technology WS- 9160 U | 5 | 200 feet | $$ |
| Lacrosse Technology 3018-1414B | 4 | 200 feet | $$$ |
| Oregon Scientific | 4 | 300 feet | $$$ |
| X Sense AG 4S | 3 | 200 feet | $$ |
| Thermpro TP 65 | 3 | 200 feet | $$$ |
| Ambient Weather WS 10 | 3 | 330 feet | $$$ |
| Taylor 1730 | 1 | 200 feet | $$ |
| AcuRite 0611A3 | 4 | 200 feet | $$$ |
| AcuRite 02027A1 | 3 | 200 feet | $$$$ |
| AcuRite 75077 | 3 | 200 feet | $$$ |
Top Pick: Lacrosse Technology WS- 9160 U
The Lacrosse WS 9160 U or the Lacrosse Technology WS- 9160 U is the top pick of our testers. The reasons were pretty straightforward, the Lacrosse thermometer offers great utility, nifty features, and a crystal clear display.
While the device does not offer a lot of features, the features presently being offered are more than enough for household use. In fact, the absence of advance features seems to be the only downside of this device. With that said, the features offered aren’t just great for casual users, they rightfully justify the price of the Lacrosse Technology indoor outdoor thermometer.
Another downside of the product, which is also a result of the lower relative pricing, is the limited range offered by the thermometer. While the range offered will work perfectly in 99% of households, if you are looking to measure temperatures over a larger distance, it may become a problem.
Runner Up: Lacrosse Technology 3018-1414B
Lacrosse, being the leader in its niche, has managed to land its two best products in our top two, and for good reason. The Lacrosse Technology 3018-1414B thermometer offers everything that isn’t available in its B/W sibling. We’re talking advanced features, an enhanced range, a clear, bigger, and more informative display which is of course, in colour.
The only downside is the price. Unlike its B/W counterpart, the Lacrosse Technology 3018-1414B may have breached the price point where it becomes irrelevant to casual users.
That being said, if you are a weather geek, this device is perfect for you. It offers the perfect blend of durability, utility, and features, while not being unjustifiably expensive. Definitely a winner, all around, if you ignore the price tag (which isn’t exactly exorbitant, in our opinion).
The left hand side of the panoramic display offers information on the outdoors, while the right hand side is dedicated to the in-house temperature conditions. We weren’t surprised to find that the reading, whether in terms of temperature or in terms of humidity, were pretty on point and accurate.
The devices measures and updates the barometric pressure every 12 minutes and creates and stores hourly averages. The nifty feature about this is, the averages are stored in a non-volatile memory. That means, even when your thermometer runs out of battery, it has the ability to display the average barometric pressures that have already been recorded.
The device also features an atomic clock that can be configured for up to 7 different time zones. With that said, the warranty and proper function of the device are only backed by the manufacturer in the supported time zones. These are:
- AST: Atlantic Standard Time
- EST: Eastern Standard Time
- CST: Central Standard Time
- MST: Mountain Standard Time
- PST: Pacific Standard Time
- AKST: Alaska Standard Time
- HAST: Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time
Oregon Scientific
The Oregon Scientific BAR208HGS, or as we have chosen to call it in this review, the Oregon Scientific, has turned out to be a superb product for household use. The economically priced device offers all the basic features that a household may need to prepare for the upcoming changes in the weather.
The 3.7” by 7.2” display has been designed cleverly to provide temperature information in an easy to read fashion. However, our testers agreed that the slight tilt offered by the Lacrosse B/W gives it an advantage over all the other displays. With that said, as far as completely upright displays are concerned, the Oregon Scientific does a pretty good job.
The use of symbols to convey the weather information was something that was appreciated by all our testers. It saves the user from the strain of having to squint and read the information on a small LCD screen, which seems to be a norm among household indoor outdoor thermometers.
The only downsides, and the reason for the device not ending up at the top of our list, is the lack of features offered by the device. While our testers agree that households barely have any need for any sort of advanced features, Oregon Scientific has taken the ideology a bit too far. Additionally, the device only offers a range that is fit for smaller homes. Add to that the 3% margin of errors on the reading.
Our testers felt that a lot more could have been done with the price the device is being offered at.
X Sense AG 4S
The X Sense AG 4S is one of the most unique devices on our list of top ten indoor outdoor thermometers. Just like the others, it will give you the temperature information of your home, and its surroundings in one place.
However, the feature that sets this device apart is the ice alert. As soon as the temperature drops below three degree celsius, the X Sense AG 4S is designed to deliver an automated notification to let the user know of the winter that is coming.
As bad as the pun was, this features was highly appreciated by our testers, especially those living in areas that get snow regularly. The ice alert is aimed at helping users predict the oncoming snow and prepare themselves accordingly, in terms of home prep, along with getting any necessary supplies from the grocery store, in case the roads get blocked.
The sad part is, apart from the ice alert and orange-light backlit display, the device does not offer anything unique. The temperature measuring capacity and accuracy is good enough to be used in households, and the display does a half-decent job of displaying the basic information. Besides the temperature (indoor and outdoor) and the time, the device will not offer any sort of information to the user.
Thermopro TP 65 ( Best Home Weather Station )
Thermopro TP 65 weather station is one of the highest ranking products on our top 10 list, and for good reason. The device offers an excellent range of features, an incredible range, along with a large and clear display.
The device features a 4” backlit display that offers temperature and humidity information. It has the ability to record and show the lowest/highest/ temperatures of a day, along with recording the temperature and humidity trends.
It can be used as a table-top device or a wall mounted device, or even a refrigerator mounted device, thanks to the magnet on the back. However, our testers were torn between using it as a table top or as a wall mounted device, particularly because of a unique feature offered by the device- the touchscreen.
Thanks to the touch screen, the device needs to be picked up every time you want to use it if it is being kept as a table top. On the other hand, when it is mounted on the wall, reading the temperature may become a challenge in certain instances. That being said, our testers did not feel that the touchscreen feature was an advantage.
While it could be one, we felt that it wasn’t designed thoughtfully. The touchscreen elements are positioned too close to each other and more often than not, one ends up touching the wrong element, which makes the whole process a little irritating. It can be especially difficult to use the device if you are depending on the back light of the screen as your only source of light in a dark room.
With that said, the poor touch ability of the device may be the only downside of the Thermopro TP 65. Unlike some other devices offered by Thermopro, the TP 65 features a reset button on the front face of the device, which is a surprisingly talked-about feature among our testers.
Beyond that, the device offers an incredible 200 ft range, which is more than adequate in most cases.
Ambient Weather WS 10
The Ambient Weather WS 10 was designed keeping the needs of weather buffs in mind. The device offers some truly advanced capabilities, while still being pocket friendly. For starters, the screen on the device, in most cases, is big enough and properly backlit to provide comprehensive analysis of the temperature, that can be read even from a distance.
The device comes with additional features such as humidity sensors, the information about which, is displayed on the screen by default. It features three buttons at the front, including an alarm set button, which we felt solved multiple problems, and does the job of multiple devices within a home.
However, these aren’t even the best things about the device. Apart from the unbelievably low price tag on the device, its capabilities left some of our testers in complete awe. The device comes with three separate sensors, along with the one that is installed within the device itself. In most other cases, such a setup can end up costing up to $150, but in this case, Ambient Weather is offering this device at just $60.
And that’s not it. The device can connect with up to 8 different sensors in eight different rooms. In our experience, most people have fewer than eight rooms in their homes. That means, the Ambient Weather WS 10 has the ability to tell the temperature of all the areas of your home, individually. This, in our opinion, is a truly nifty feature that will especially be appreciated by weather enthusiasts.
Each sensor of the Ambient Weather WS 10 features a screen of itself. That means, if the sensor is positioned in the room, the people present in the room can know the temperature without having to locate the base unit. That being said, the screens on the sensors are naturally small. However, we don’t have any complaints with the same as it doesn’t make sense to have large sensors that don’t blend in with the rest of the interior, in exchange for a bigger screen.
The device does offer great range on the sensors. Generally, it shows accurate readings for up to 100 feet, which increases to 300 feet when the sensors are in clear line of sigh of the device.
The device does have a couple of flaws. For one, the device uses batteries excessively, and uses a total of four AAA batteries. If you plan on getting additional sensors and use the device to its maximum capabilities, you will have to purchase a pack of 20 AAA batteries. The batteries are not included with the device, which may be a nuisance to some, but we felt that it was a plus side as the batteries that are generally included with indoor outdoor thermometers turn out to be problematic in many cases.
The other downside of the device is the screw-on feature of the sensors. They don’t feature a magnet or a sticky tab, and screwing the tiny devices doesn’t just feel cumbersome, but may also interfere with the aesthetics of your home.
The final flaw of the Ambient Weather WS 10 is its looks. The device is not exactly pleasing to the eye, and some of our testers found it to be compromising when it comes to maintaining the aesthetics of their home. This isn’t a problem for those who plan to use the device as a tabletop and not mount it to the wall.
Taylor 1730
The Taylor 1730 is the cheapest device on our list. For less than $20, the device does offer the basic functionality, but that is about it. The small device also compromises on display, but works well when space is available at a premium.
To maintain the pocket-friendliness of the device, both in terms of size and cost, it is only able to display the temperature and time. It cannot record or display information from multiple sensors either.
With that said, you cannot expect much from a device as cheap as this one. However, the price does not translate into a compromise on quality. Taylor Precision Products is a known and trusted brand in the weather station niche, and the 1730 is a testament of the same.
Even after months of use, the device functions as it did on the first day of use, which in our opinion, is a great thing when you are spending just $20. Additionally, the device does offer a no-condition applied range of 200 feet, which is great looking at the size and the price of the product.
The AcuRite 0611A3
AcuRite is an established name in the World of weather stations, and the AcuRite 0611A3, at its price point, is almost an industry leader. Except, it has a few flaws that could have been fixed before the product was rolled out. However, most of these flaws can be overcome by the customer by ordering multiple units.
For starters, the AcuRite 0611A3 comes with an installed sensor in the display device itself, along with a separate sensor that can be placed outside. If you want more comprehensive temperature and humidity information, you will have to purchase additional hardware, which can set you back by anywhere between $50 and $100. With that said, it will be a worthwhile investment.
Next, and this seems to be a prevailing problem in many weather stations, the outside thermometer sensor drinks battery like the thirsty crow drinking water. This isn’t a problem that can be solved by shedding some extra cash.
Another such problem is the utility of the device. Many of the function buttons are placed on the back of the device. While this makes more space for the screen, and it doesn’t do much for the utility.
Even with the extra space, the screen of the AcuRite 0611A3 is sub-par at best. When compared to Lacrosse devices, the screen is a bit dimly lit and the numbers are barely readable from a distance.
However, if you plan to keep the device close to yourself, it should work fine. The device performed well in long-run tests, and even after a year of use, it works perfectly fine.
AcuRite 75077
As the name may suggest, the AcuRite 75077 solves the display related problems we spoke about in the previous section. However, the awesomeness of the product isn’t just limited to the display.
However, before we move on, let’s talk about the display in brief. AcuRite has tried their best to offer as much information as possible on the wide screen. While this may seem like a great thing when you are staring at the device from a short distance, things start getting a little crammed when you view the information from across the room.
With that said, it does offer some truly advanced features at its price point. For starters, the device features an atomic clock, which we feel is a necessary feature in indoor outdoor thermometers. Additionally, it also offers forecast of the weather on the next day.
For weather buffs and those who like being prepared, the AcuRite 75077 gets the job done beautifully.
The device, however, does not feature many advanced weather-related capabilities such as rain gauges, barometers, and anemometers.
While the device comes with just one sensor, it is a powerful one at that. It is designed to be easily surmountable, and sends weather data to the base unit every 16 seconds. This means, whenever you glance at the device, you can be sure that the information in front of your eyes is absolutely up to date. The sensor works perfectly up to a range of 330 feet from the base unit. However, our advice is to keep the transmission distance limited to 200 feet.
The device accuracy was questioned several times during our tests. While some testers argues that the device accuracy is, at times, off by one or two degree Celsius, others were adamant that the device was consistently off by three to six degrees.
Moreover, the nifty forecast feature isn’t as nifty when you start using the device. It needs the barometric pressure data of a 14-day period before it can start accurately predicting the weather.
One notable missing feature from the AcuRite 75077 is the inability to measure humidity. Moreover, we noticed that the device has no capability to account for altitude, which, in many cases, makes the weather predictions inaccurate.
AcuRite 02027A1
The third entry by AcuRite in our top 10 list makes it clear that the brand is trustworthy, both in terms of product quality and customer service.
The AcuRite 02027A1 is the flagship product of the brand, and thus, offers a ton of features, along with excellent functionality.
For starters, the device features an eye-pleasing colour display that, when the backlight is working, is easy to read. Not as easy to read as the Lacrosse devices, but it does come close.
In terms of features, the device offers all the bells and whistles a casual user can think of- barometric pressure, temperature readings, atomic clock, and forecast abilities. It comes with an outdoor sensor and the indoor sensor is installed in the base unit itself. Unlike its predecessor in this list, the device offers consistent and accurate readings.
Being the most expensive option on this list, it does have quite a few downsides. To begin with, it is the only device on this list that needs to be constantly plugged in. Don’t get us wrong, it does work without a constant supply of electricity, but isn’t as user friendly.
When the device is plugged it, the backlight is working constantly, making it easy to read the information on the screen from across the room. However, when the device is not plugged in, the backlight needs to be manually switched on through a button placed at the top of the device. This means, when the device is placed across the room, and not plugged in, you will have to walk to the device to be able to read ANY information that is useful for you.
Our testers expected more from the device that costs upwards of $80.
Long Term Testing Notes
All the devices in this list were tested over a period of 12 months. While we expected to make a special mention in this section, every one of the devices effectively stood the test of time. Each of the devices we tested functioned perfectly, as they did on day 1, even after rigorous use over 12 months.
One thing that truly surprised us was the durability of the outside sensors. Standing not just the test of time, but fighting the elements of weather, all of the sensors that came with the aforementioned devices are still in perfect condition.
In essence, if durability or quality is your concern, you can blindly pick out any device from this list, without the risk of being disappointed.
The Conclusion
In our experience of this test, size truly does not matter. While the bigger AcuRite devices may seem like a more lucrative option, the case is absolutely different. The Lacrosse, a compact device, that offers the basic functionality of an indoor outdoor thermometer, emerged at the top, thanks to its clever design and its easy to use features.
On one hand, an indoor thermometer can do wonders when it comes to maintaining a comfortable temperature within your home. Moreover, it can help you save up on power bills by giving you the exact information you need to use your electronic appliances (such as an air conditioner) efficiently. On the other hand, an outdoor…