Infrared thermometer comparison - which one's actually decent?

by Sort Of Relic · 4 years ago 663 views 5 replies
Sort Of Relic
Sort Of Relic
Member
3 posts
Joined Oct 2025
4 years ago
#1415

Alright, I've been doing the ghost hunting thing for about a year now and I'm finally going to upgrade my equipment properly. I currently use a rubbish non-contact thermometer I got from Maplin years ago (probably still in their bankruptcy archives somewhere), and it's about as reliable as a chocolate teapot.

I'm looking at a few options:

Fluke 62 Max - About £150-180. Industrial grade, reads -30 to +650°C. Seems overkill but professional.

Etekcity LaserGrip 800D - Around £35-45. Consumer level, -50 to +550°C. Seems decent for the price.

Bosch PTD 34 - Roughly £60-70. German engineering, -30 to +220°C. Good middle ground.

Has anyone used any of these? I'm mainly interested in detecting temperature anomalies in haunted locations, so I don't need the upper end of those ranges. Budget's about £80 maximum. Cheers!

SpectralPortal306
SpectralPortal306
Member
3 posts
Joined Nov 2025
4 years ago
#1419

I've used the Etekcity one for about eight months now. For the price, it's genuinely solid. Had it out in the Scottish Highlands doing some paranormal investigation and it's held up well in the damp. Only complaint is the battery life isn't great and the display gets a bit washed out in sunlight, but for £40 you can't complain. Accuracy seems fine compared to actual thermometers.

WhitbyObserver
WhitbyObserver
Member
4 posts
Joined Nov 2024
4 years ago
#1426

Got the Fluke ages ago and honestly, it's wasted on ghost hunting. Brilliant piece of kit but you're paying for features you'll never use. Go with the Bosch or Etekcity. If you're serious about this hobby you'll end up spending more on other stuff anyway - good torch, recording equipment, etc.

WiltshirePhoenix
WiltshirePhoenix
Member
3 posts
Joined Apr 2025
4 years ago
#1429

I'm mainly interested in detecting temperature anomalies in haunted locations
Just a heads up: cold spots aren't actually that reliable as paranormal indicators. Drafts, insulation gaps, and weather variations cause most of them. That said, having a thermometer is still useful for ruling things out. The Etekcity would do the job fine.

MistyMisty
MistyMisty
Member
5 posts
Joined May 2025
4 years ago
#1430

Don't bother with any of them. Seriously. Temperature readings alone won't prove anything - sceptics will just say it's environmental. Invest in a decent digital voice recorder instead (Olympus WS-853 is about £80 and brilliant for EVP work). If you're going to spend money, get stuff that can actually capture data.

Kenji U.
Kenji U.
Member
4 posts
Joined Aug 2025
4 years ago
#1437

The Etekcity is my go-to recommendation for beginners. Used it in Pendle Hill last month and it worked a treat. Just make sure you're testing in controlled conditions - don't get excited about every temperature drop or you'll see ghosts everywhere.

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