
The Best Solar-Powered Weather Stations: 2020 Buying Guide
For those of you familiar with the WeatherStationary site, you’ll know that we regularly take a look at weather monitoring tools, bringing you recommendations based on accuracy, price and durability.
For those of you that like keeping an eye on the weather, we also know that you’re conscious of the environment and want to keep track of the elements around you in a sustainable way.
What better way to keep track of your local weather system than to harness the power of the weather itself? Today we’re going to take a look at the most popular solar-powered weather stations on the market to help you decide which solar weather station could be best for you!
In a hurry? Skip right to what you’re looking for 👇:
- Best For Home
- Best Wireless / For Connectivity
- Best Value For Money
- Best For Farming/Business
- Best For Accuracy
- Best All Rounder
But before you jump into our review below it’s worth having a think about what you may need from your next weather station – here’s some key areas to consider:
- Accuracy – Consider how precise your weather station needs to be. If your livelihood depends on super accurate tracking make sure it’s very precise but if you’re just a hobbyist or gardener, some variance may not be a problem for you day-to-day.
- Functionality – Weather stations come equipped with a wide range of different indicators, tracking everything from wind speed to temperature. Ensure if there’s some specific measurements you need to know, whether that be for growing crops or managing garden projects, the weather station you chose can track them for you!
- Durability – Weather stations are an investment so you want to ensure you make the most of it! As an example, if you’re measuring somewhere that’s exposed to strong winds, sleet or hail make sure you invest in a robust enough station to keep your tracking up and running over the long term.
- Technology – Modern weather stations now vary in their use of technology, with many offering the ability to track the elements remotely from the comfort of your home or office. If you want something with remote monitoring built in, a wireless monitoring device is a must have when making your buying decision.
Best Solar Weather Station For Home: ProWeatherStation TP3000WC
If you’re looking for a great and easy to use solar weather station for home then look no further than the ProWeatherStation TP3000WC!
It comes with a 7-in-one sensor array providing an anemometer, a wind direction meter, a temp/humidity sensor, a rain gauge & a solar/light sensor! So as you can see, a great array of options for keeping an eye on the elements!
It’s super easy to setup with its main power drive coming from it’s solar sensor array all whilst maintaining a battery backup when things go dark!
- No Assembly Required - Easy setup
- 16 sec data update, instantaneous average and peak.
- Inside and Outside Temperature and Humidity, Wind Speed (average and gust), Wind Direction, Solar...
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Great array of measurements
- Easy to install
- Price
Cons:
- Build quality ok, but not as sturdy as premium competitors
- Display quality can be hard to read
Best Value For Money: La Crosse Technology S81120-INT
We start our roundup with the La Crosse Technology S81120-INT which is a fantastic entry point for anyone wanting solar-powered readings at a bargain price.
It comes with the functionality to track temperature, wind speed and humidity, giving you the ability to set specific alerts around those metrics.
It comes with a full colour digital display with a range of over 100m. It’s fully solar-powered including a rechargeable battery so you’re good to go right out of the box!
- Current & top wind speed (mph/kmh) & history with tend indicator; Compass Rose, Cardinal wind...
- Dynamic Forecast icons and forecast tendency indicator; Monitors Indoor and wireless outdoor...
- Adjustable backlight with auto dim feature (HI/LO/OFF); 12/24 Hour time; 4 Language settings:...
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Measurement alerts
- Colour display
- Price
Cons:
- Limited measurements compared to premium models
Best for Farming/Business – AcuRite Atlas 01007M
For those looking to keep a tight gaze on the local environment to inform your livelihoods you’ll need something super reliable. The AcuRite Atlas 01007M is a great choice for those that need to keep tracking accurately 24/7.
It comes with sensors for wind, rain, temperature & humidity as well as a super handy lightening detector equipping you will all the stats you need to work and operate safely.
AcuRite are also a US based company offering first class customer support both in terms of setup and maintenance as well as for any issues which may arise!
- Real-Time Weather Conditions from Your Desktop, Android, iPhone or Tablet
- Create Custom Alerts to Monitor Your Home Environment From Anywhere
- High-Definition (HD) Touchscreen Display Looks Great in Any Room
- UV Index and Light Intensity Along with Accurate Wind, Rain, Temp and Humidity Sensor
- American Based Company in Lake Geneva, WI, USA
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Reliable functionality
- Rang of measurements
- Great customer support
Cons:
- Only partial solar powering, requires batteries
Best Wireless Solar Weather Station: La Crosse Technology V40A-PRO-INT
For those that want to monitor their local conditions on the move, you’ll need a station that connects into your home network and mobile phone. One of the best on the market for connectivity is the La Crosse V40A-PRO-INT.
Boasting a good range of measurements including rain, wind, heat and dew point, the La Crosse isn’t sacrificing connectivity for functionality even though additional sensors are sold separately.
But the power of this station is in it’s ability to connect into your daily life utilise the ‘La Crosse View’ app. The app gives you all your data right at your finger tips, allowing you to look back at trends alongside tailor weather predictions for your area as well as across the country! This is the weather station for those that love tech!
- Illuminated color weather display with adjustable intensity settings and programmable auto-dimming feature
- Dynamic advanced forecast icons with foliage changes seasonally
- Comprehensive weather information; including: WIND (Speed/Direction/History); RAIN (Current to Rainfall Total); TEMP (outdoor with humidity); Heat Index and Dew Point
- Use as StandAlone weather station or Connect by Wi-Fi for bonus features
- EXPAND your system by adding sensors, or even displays, around your Home. Easy setup and Viewable in your free La Crosse View app. For more details, please visit our La Crosse Technology website
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Great tech/connectivity
- Sleek colour display
Cons:
- Additional sensors sold seperately
Best for Accuracy – Davis Instruments DAV-6152EU
If you’re in the market for a product that’s going to provide best in class accuracy then the Davis Instruments DAV-6152EU is definitely the weather station we recommend!
The power of accuracy comes from it’s ability to crunch many sets of complex data, working with other stations and repeaters within a 300m radius to aggregate and average readings!
Alongside this, it also provides you, as the reader, with the most accurate updates, feeding back into the display every 2.5 seconds, up to 10x faster than most other models on the market!
Functionality wise you’re getting a rain collector, temperature and humidity sensors and an anemometer all in one package, with a cabled version also available for even greater accuracy!
- Professional and rugged weather station gives you inside/outside temperature and humidity; rain, wind, barometer, dew point, heat index, wind chill, and more
- Fast updates every 2.5 seconds with 1,000 feet (300 m) wireless transmission range
- Large backlit console with alarms, graphs, forecast
- Anemometer can be mounted separately
- Outdoor sensor suite is solar-powered with battery backup
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Super accurate
- Easy to assemble
- Good range of add-ons
Cons:
- Higher price point
Best All Rounder – ECOWITT HP3501
If you don’t need a super high level of accuracy, want some decent connectivity and a good range of functionality the ECOWITT HP3501 is the best all rounder we’ve found on the market.
With measurement functionality covering wind, rain, temperature, dew point, pressure, humidity and solar UV you have most of the bases covered out of the box with this station!
Put this together with 16 second update accuracy, a high quality colour display and connectivity to ECOWITT’s ‘WS View’ app you’ll get high quality readings wherever you happen to be!
- Professional Wifi Weather Station: allows you to monitor real time weather conditions and view the...
- Wi-Fi Capable: enables your station to publish its data wirelessly to Weather Underground/Weather...
- Solar Powered Anemometer: measures wind direction, wind speed, wind gust, UV & light data; updates...
Last update on 2021-01-25
Pros:
- Great range of measurements
- Good display
- App connectivity
Cons:
- Backup battery needs replacing every 6 months
That’s it for our roundup of the best solar-powered weather stations – whichever one you pick, we hope you have a great time keeping track of your local weather systems!