How To Pick a Benchtop Multimeter

Picking a multimeter can be an intimidating task. The humble multimeter is likely the first piece of test equipment you ever used. They are used to make fundamental electrical measurements like voltage, current and resistance. Think Ohm's Law, but in the form of a piece of test equipment.

There is a reason multimeters are the most widely used and fundamental pieces of equipment in any electronics lab! But deciding on the best multimeter can be a difficult task. Multimeters come in two basic form-factors: portable or benchtop. For this post, we'll focus on benchtop multimeters like the ones found in a normal electronics lab. The kind that would be right at home next to a DC power supply or a signal generator.

If your new to multimeters, check out this guide that explains every measurement a multimeter can make! It's a great resource to bookmark when you're just getting started.

How to pick a Multimeter?

There are a few critical considerations when choosing the best benchtop multimeter for your lab.

Price of benchtop multimeters

Prices for multimeters can be drastically different. Some of the most basic handheld multimeters can be picked up for around $20 or less. Benchtop multimeters, the focus of this article, tend to cost more than their handheld counterparts. It's important to look at the other considerations listed in this article and not just price alone when picking the best multimeter. Higher-end benchtop multimeters can easily cost more than $200, but they'll come with some advanced features, precision, and math functions. Try to strike a balance between features and price point when picking your benchtop multimeter. There are great multimeters for every budget and price point.

Automatic or manual multimeter ranging

Ranging on multimeters is the range of measurement the multimeter is able to make. For example, if the multimeter has a maximum voltage range of 50V, then the multimeter will only be able to accurately measure voltages less than 50V. Most multimeters have adjustable ranges that allow for more precise measurement of smaller values. For example, if you set your multimeter voltage range to 2V and make a measurement of 1.2V, you'll have more precision (more digits) on the measurement than you would if you had the range set to 20V.

Multimeter ranges can be either auto-ranging, where they automatically detect the value of the measurement and adjust the range accordingly, or manual ranging, where the user must tune the range to the appropriate setting manually. Autoranging is more convenient, especially when many different circuits are being measured. This would be particularly useful for prototype labs that have a high diversity of devices under test. Manual ranging is usually a cheaper option, but even today's inexpensive modern digital multimeters tend to offer the auto-ranging capability.

Multimeter measurement functions

All multimeters can make the most fundamental electrical measurements. Think Ohm's Law... current, voltage, and resistance. More feature-rich multimeters offer more advanced measurements like diode drop, continuity, frequency, transistor measurements, etc. If you only need to take basic measurements, buying a digital multimeter with these additional capabilities will cost extra for no reason. These additional features could be especially important if you’re working on complex hardware like high-speed analogue circuits or software-defined radios (SDRs). (174-7945)

Ability to recalibrate your multimeter

Digital multimeters are shipped from their manufacturer calibrated for making accurate measurements. Higher-end digital multimeters can be recalibrated after some amount of time or usage has passed. The ability to recalibrate is important especially for companies that are using the multimeters to make measurements on deliverable hardware. If you're looking for a multimeter for a hobby lab or prototype lab, having the ability to recalibrate is likely not that critical.

Precision of the multimeter

Measurement precision is another factor that should be considered when deciding on a multimeter. Precision describes the number of significant digits that are displayed on the DMM's display. It should be noted though unless you're taking very critical measurements, even the lowest end multimeters probably have enough precision for your application.

Multimeter maximum ratings

The last important consideration when picking a multimeter is the maximum ratings that it can measure. If your planning on making high voltage or high current measurements it will be important to ensure the multimeter you choose has max ratings that exceed the expected measured values that you will be making. One shouldn't overspec their multimeter in this regard either, doing so may lead to less fidelity in your measurements.

Ready to pick up the perfect multimeter?

After reviewing this list of all the important considerations, picking the best multimeter for your lab should be a bit less daunting. If you're looking for a few great options for any budget, check out this post that has 5 great multimeter options!