by Joshua Thomas
A caliper is a tool that is used to measure the distance between two opposite sides of an object, be it the diameter, length, height, etc., then gives the measurement on a ruled scale. It is well-known for its accuracy because jaws are used to get to the object being measured.
Digital calipers are a big improvement to the traditional ones, featuring a digital display that outputs the measurement very accurately and makes it easier to read.
Therefore, for precision measurement, a digital caliper is the way to go and because of this, we cover the best digital calipers in the market that you should consider buying.
Contents
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Vinca DCLA-0605 (Best Overall) |
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 | 2. MeasuGator Lambda |
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 | 3. EAGems Digital Caliper |
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 | 4. Mitutoyo 500-196-30 |
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 | 5. Adoric Digital Caliper |
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 | 6. iGaging HAZM044625 |
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 | 7. Clockwise Tools DCLR-0605 |
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This product stands out as the best Vernier digital caliper because it is quite reasonably priced, yet has a high accuracy of +/- 0.001 inch and provides 3 measuring modes in fraction inches, decimal inches and decimal millimeters, which are interchangeable at the push of a button.
In these modes, the unit displays in a resolution of 1/128 inch, 0.0005 inch, and 0.01 mm respectively on a relatively large 0.5 x 1.5-inch LCD display.
Stainless steel is used in the construction of this piece and it has a polished finish that looks good and provides better performance due to the smooth gliding in the depthometer's groove. However, it is not waterproof.
Other features include 0 to 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 measuring range options that are fully calibrated before shipping, a data transfer USB port for PC connection, inside and outside jaws, and 2 batteries, in which one is included as a spare accessory.
Pros
Cons
If you are looking to get the most out of your digital caliper purchase, then you should consider this product from MeasuGator because it comes with a 9-blade tester feeler gauge, 3 extra batteries, and a screwdriver, with all being safely tucked inside a protective hard case.
The caliper itself is also part of the kit and it has a sturdy hardened stainless-steel construction with an extra-large high contrast LCD screen for displaying the results.
Two measuring modes are built in for showing the length in inches or millimeters, and a well-labeled button placed above the screen is used to switch in between the two. These modes have a resolution of 0.0005 inch and 0.01 mm respectively.
More features include its whisper quiet sliding action, an anti-slip thumb grip, a locking screw and inside and outside jaws as well as a depth gauge for measuring the depth, differential, step, internal and external measurements.
On the downside, the caliper does not have a fractional measuring mode and it is not waterproof.
Pros
Cons
For an accurate caliper, EAGems' digital unit takes top spot because it gives readings to within +/- 0.0005 inch. This makes it ideal for taking measurements that must be extremely precise, then displays them either in inches, mm or fractions.
Coupled with a resolution of 0.0005 inch, 0.01 mm and 1/64 inch respectively, the result is high accuracy on a large and easy to read LCD screen.
To make it even better, this caliper is rated IP54, which means that it has a good level of water and dust resistance and therefore, you should be worried about these elements making contact with the unit. It also has a stainless-steel construction for strength and durability.
A set screw is built-in for locking the slider or adjusting its movement while inside and outside jaws as well as a depth bar take the actual measurements.
However, no batteries are included in the kit and the caliper does not have a USB port for data transfer.
Pros
Cons
Though expensive, this 500-196-30 is the top-rated digital caliper in this review because of a number of reasons. First, it is produced by a well-known brand in the measuring instruments segment, which is Mitutoyo.
The caliper is also very durable due to its water, dust, and oil resistant construction. Basically, it has an Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) electromagnetic inductive sensor that resists these elements, ensuring that the electrical components function uninterrupted.
Other than this, a stainless-steel construction gives the unit the structural strength required for resisting rough handling and minor collisions, making it very durable.
A large digital readout LCD screen is used to display the results from 0 to 6 inches or 0 to 150 mm with 0.0005 inch or 0.01 mm increments. This is after the inside jaws, outside jaws or depth gauge measure the actual depth, step, inside or outside measurements.
Pros
Cons
Adoric's digital caliper is the most affordable product in this review and it still has the 0 - 6-inch range as the rest, a large and easy to read LCD screen, inner and outer jaws for taking inside and outside diameter measurements and a depth probe for depth measurement.
However, the unit is a bit less accurate than the others, giving you measurements that are perfect to 0.01 inch (0.2 mm). It also has a lower resolution of 0.01 inch (0.1 mm), which means it can go as far as 2 decimal points on the inch scale and 1 decimal place in the mm scale.
A zero-setting function is built-in to let you begin new measurements at any point in the scale for differential measurements while an auto shutdown function automatically powers off the caliper after 5 minutes without operation for battery conservation.
Pros
Cons
With an IP54 rating, iGaging's Absolute digital caliper is quite safe to use around water sprays and dust because it is designed to keep these elements from penetrating through to the electrical components inside.
The product also has a high accuracy of ±0.001 inch or ±0.02mm, giving its output on a resolution of 0.0005 when using the inch scale and 0.01 on the mm scale. Switching between these two is done simply at the press of a button for easy use.
Once readings are taken, they can be transferred to a PC through the caliper's USB port, though the connecting USB cable must be bought separately.
Other features include a strong and durable stainless steel construction with a high-quality surface finish for smooth slider movement and 2 batteries as accessories, one being the spare.
Pros
Cons
Clockwise Tools' electronic caliper features inner and outer jaws as well as a depth probe for taking all round measurements, after which they are displayed on a large LCD screen.
These results are transferrable to a PC through an in-built USB port, and a DTCR-02 Data cable is included in the pack for this purpose. This makes it very easy to capture data for further analysis.
Apart from that, the unit has a water and dust resistant body that is IP54 rated for durability by protecting the electrical components inside from these elements.
This durability is enhanced by a polished stainless-steel construction that is very sturdy and improves performance by allowing smooth movement along the depthometer groove.
Other features include a locking screw for holding the slider and 3 measuring modes or conversions between inches, metrics, and fractions. However, there is no zero-setting function for differential measurements.
Pros
Cons
A zero button is one of the best features in a digital caliper because it makes the process of recalibration much easier and allows you to reset the reading to zero at any point. This resetting allows for some sort of differential measurement, just like in the dial calipers.
The result of this is a more versatile unit and therefore, this feature should be highly considered.
These are the most essential parts of any digital caliper because they are used to measure the inner and outer dimensions of an object.
All calipers have these jaws and it is important to handle them with care (especially the inner jaws) because once they break, your caliper is useless.
Apart from the jaws, a depth gauge, also known as a depth probe or bar, is similarly important for measuring thickness and hole depth.
A step gauge is also good to have so as to measure the length from an edge to a point on the object.
Basically, all these make the digital caliper more versatile because they give more functionality in one.
A locking screw is a necessary convenience feature that locks the calipers jaws and slider in place so that the parts do not move or slip as you take the measurements.
Without it, you might have a difficult time taking accurate measurements because the jaws will move slightly as you take the caliper out of the object, causing the readings to change a bit.
Different calipers are equipped with differently-sized LCD screens and the larger it is, the easier it will be to view the displayed readings.
Also, for the highest accuracy, ensure that the caliper displays a big number of decimal places in what is otherwise known as the resolution. Basically, the lower the resolution (more decimal places), the better.
Smooth jaw movements and highly sensitive machined thumb wheels are just but a few features that make any digital caliper easy to use.
Other desirable features that you should look for include a large display (as described above) and clearly marked push buttons for easy operation.
Some digital calipers have an IP54 rating, which basically means that they are resistant to dust and water sprays. Even though such units may be more expensive, this is a good feature to have because it raises the durability factor.
This product is very easy to use, but if you don't follow the right steps, then you can get a lot of inaccuracies in the measurement process. To avoid this, use the tips below.
Digital Caliper, MOOCK 0-6 inches Caliper Measuring Tool, Electronic Digital Micrometer - Walmart Link
Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0 to - Walmart Link
Digital Vernier Caliper Measuring Tool : a Durable Stainless Steel Fractional Electronic - Walmart Link
iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-12" Digital Electronic Caliper - IP54 Protection/Extreme - Walmart Link
NEIKO 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper | 0-6 Inches | Stainless Steel Construction with - Walmart Link
MeasuGator Lambda Digital Caliper, 2 Addons, Verifiable Accuracy, Automatic Off/On, 6 - Walmart Link
REXBETI Digital Caliper 6 Inch Measuring Tool Stainless Steel Inch/MM/Fractions, - Walmart Link
VINCA DCLA-0605 Electronic Digital Vernier Micrometer Caliper Measuring Tool Stainless - Walmart Link
RCBS Electronic Digital Caliper - Walmart Link
RUBEDER Digital Caliper 8 inch/200 mm Electronic Vernier Calipers IP54 Water Resistant - Walmart Link
OEM 25363 6-Inch Digital Caliper - Walmart Link
Digital Caliper, MOOCK 0-6 inches Caliper Measuring Tool, Electronic Digital Micrometer - eBay Link
Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0 to - eBay Link
Digital Vernier Caliper Measuring Tool : a Durable Stainless Steel Fractional Electronic - eBay Link
iGaging ABSOLUTE ORIGIN 0-12" Digital Electronic Caliper - IP54 Protection/Extreme - eBay Link
NEIKO 01407A Electronic Digital Caliper | 0-6 Inches | Stainless Steel Construction with - eBay Link
MeasuGator Lambda Digital Caliper, 2 Addons, Verifiable Accuracy, Automatic Off/On, 6 - eBay Link
REXBETI Digital Caliper 6 Inch Measuring Tool Stainless Steel Inch/MM/Fractions, - eBay Link
VINCA DCLA-0605 Electronic Digital Vernier Micrometer Caliper Measuring Tool Stainless - eBay Link
RCBS Electronic Digital Caliper - eBay Link
RUBEDER Digital Caliper 8 inch/200 mm Electronic Vernier Calipers IP54 Water Resistant - eBay Link
OEM 25363 6-Inch Digital Caliper - eBay Link
There is quite a lot about digital calipers than what meets the eye. For this reason, it is important to be well informed about the different features that these products have before purchasing one.
This article is very resourceful and it explains all these features. After reading through, you should have a much easier time picking the best digital caliper that suits your needs.
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About Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas just simply loves cars and willing to work on them whenever there's chance... sometimes for free.
He started CarCareTotal back in 2017 from the advices of total strangers who witnessed his amazing skills in car repairs here and there.
His goal with this creation is to help car owners better learn how to maintain and repair their cars; as such, the site would cover alot of areas: troubleshooting, product recommendations, tips & tricks.
Joshua received Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University.
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