Stud finders are a crucial tool when undertaking home repairs, general DIY projects, or simply putting up a picture. When drilling a hole or hammering a nail into plasterboard or drywall, you'll need to make sure that what you're attaching to the wall is securely fixed to a wooden beam, while avoiding piping or wiring.
Picking the right tool can be confusing, so we've put together a handy buying guide to help you find the best stud finder in your price range. We've included premium options suited to professional environments, alongside budget stud finders for use around the home. We've even ranked the top 10 stud and cable finder in the UK from Bosch, StudBuddy and more!
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of stud finders available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() Bosch | 2 ![]() StudBuddy | 3 ![]() Bosch | 4 ![]() Bosch | 5 ![]() CH Hanson | 6 ![]() Bosch | 7 ![]() StudPoP | 8 ![]() Tavool | 9 ![]() Franklin Sensors | 10 ![]() Ultratool |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | GMS 120 | The StudBuddy | D-tect 120 | Truvo | Magnetic Stud Finder | Universal Detect | Magnetic Stud Finder | Wall Scanner | ProSensor 710+ | Wall Stud Finder |
Features | A Professional Stud and Cable Finder With a Great Depth Range | A Cheap and Cheerful Stud Finder for Home Decoration | Hi-Tech Stud Finder for Professional Environments | Great Value Electronic Stud and Cable Finder for DIY Enthusiasts | Accurate Magnetic Stud Finder With Spirit Level That’s Great for Ceilings | Premium Stud Finder With a Full-Colour Touchscreen Display | Tiny Magnetic Stud Finder for Detecting Fasteners and Nails | A Cost Effective Option for Those on a Budget | A Specialist Stud Finder With Thirteen Sensors for Accuracy | Five-In-One Deep Detection for Wood, Studs and Metal Pipes |
Price | £85.00 | £9.99 | £229.95 | £35.72 | £14.90 | £78.00 | £19.10 | £18.49 | £52.74 | £16.89 |
Type | Electronic | Magnetic | Electronic | Electronic | Magnetic | Electronic | Magnetic | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic |
Modes | Metal, cable, wood | Metal | Stud, cable | Stud, cable | Metal | Metal, cable, wood | Metal | Metal, cable, wood | Metal, wood | Metal, cable, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 120 mm / 80 mm | 30 mm | 120 mm / 80 mm | 70 mm / 60 mm | 30 mm | 100 mm | 30 mm | 45 mm / 40 mm | 40 mm | 40 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 50 mm | - | 50 mm | 50 mm | - | 50 mm | - | 60 mm | - | 40 mm |
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You will find that most electronic stud finders are also capable of detecting live wires, along with other cables, wood and metal. This makes them a great choice for DIY enthusiasts and handymen who work in a variety of locations, as they're useful when drilling into brick or working around light fittings, switches and plugs.
As is the case with most electronics, you're going to see much better results with a premium model as cable finders can be notoriously unreliable when working with brick, concrete and mortar. When it comes to plasterboard and drywall, however, even the more budget-friendly stud finders shouldn't have any issues.
When it comes to simplicity, nothing beats the classic magnetic stud finder for hanging shelves, pictures, or cabinets around your home. These powerful magnets can easily find the nails in studs behind walls and ceilings, allowing you to map out where the wooden beams are without having to worry about batteries or annoying beeping!
While a reliable option for finding where wooden joists are, these cannot detect live wires or non-magnetic metals, such as stainless steel or copper - which piping is often made from. That said, if you're not planning any serious work,these tend to be considerably cheaper than electric finders and have very little risk of breaking.
Ensure accuracy when drilling holes or hammering in nails with a laser level
When working with an electronic stud finder, you'll notice that they often have a number of different settings to choose from, or different sounds, depending on what you're detecting. For example, you may want to switch from looking for piping using the stud finder's metal mode, to searching for live cables and wiring when drilling.
The more basic electronic options will automatically tell you the type of material that's being detected, usually with a simple display and an audible alert. On the other hand, premium stud finders may have specific settings that can be changed manually. This allows for better accuracy in their detection and gives you much more detail regarding a specific material's location and depth.
Different materials can only be effectively detected at certain depths. For instance, magnetic metals can be found far easier than non-magnetic metals, even if they're further away, while live cables and wood can only be found at relatively shallow depths.
If you're tackling a home decoration project, such as putting up some shelving or hanging cabinets, and are working with drywall and plasterboard, a maximum depth of 40 mm should be more than enough to find a stud.
For more serious DIY and home renovation, however, where you run the risk of drilling into piping, we recommend choosing the highest depth range possible within your price range.
We've also ranked the 10 best cordless electric drills to help you get the job done!
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
601081000
£85.00
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal, cable, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 120 mm / 80 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 50 mm |
£9.99
Type | Magnetic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal |
Max. Depth Metal | 30 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | - |
£229.95
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Stud, cable |
Max. Depth Metal | 120 mm / 80 mm |
Mac. Depth Cable | 50 mm |
£35.72
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Stud, cable |
Max. Depth Metal | 70 mm / 60 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 50 mm |
£14.90
Type | Magnetic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal |
Max. Depth Metal | 30 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | - |
£78.00
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal, cable, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 100 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 50 mm |
£19.10
Type | Magnetic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal |
Max. Depth Metal | 30 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | - |
£18.49
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal, cable, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 45 mm / 40 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 60 mm |
£52.74
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 40 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | - |
£16.89
Type | Electronic |
---|---|
Modes | Metal, cable, wood |
Max. Depth Metal | 40 mm |
Max. Depth Cable | 40 mm |
Written and researched by David Sexton
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