TFA Dostmann 45.2033 Thermo-Hygrometer, Multi-colour, 0.8 x 13.5 x 3.8 cm

My primary reason for purchasing this hygrometer is I have an acoustic guitar in a centrally heated home. Central heating tends to dry out the indoor atmosphere and that can damage a guitar - though I don't have to worry too much as my guitar is laminate rather than solid wood. As there are health hazards to an over dry air quality, I combat this by drying my washing on the radiators but that can have the opposite effect of making the air too damp too and that is also bad for the guitar and in the long term bad for health too.I don't need precision for my task, I just need to see trends and an approximate idea of how dry or damp the air is. When the hygrometer arrived, it claimed that the air was perpetually damp and I was suspicious of its claim. However, in the box is a piece of paper that gives calibration details. I followed them and discovered that the hygrometer was way out of calibration so used the adjustment screw on the back to correct it as per instructions. It now gives a read out I can trust.The important point here is that I expected the hygrometer to gradually be less accurate over time but it has been a reliable device (I have had it for about six months now), the variations between having the heating on and drying the washing on the radiators etc have remained consistent so I am pleased with the purchase.The hygrometer is easy to read from a distance and that is what I had in mind when choosing between this one or digital one. Also, there are no batteries to throw away so it is environmentally friendly too.

it works well. I've used it in different houses and the reading changed to the conditions. I would suggest to place it in a smart position. If you place it above a heated shelf or near a window with cold air entering from the corners, the readings will be affected by that.

Large clear gauge, readings seem similar what ever room , rain or shine. Base fiddly to fit, but stable

I am very pleased with this purchase.I was surprised at quite how big it is - but that is not a problem, the dial is 10cm (4 inches) in diameter.There is a "keyhole slot" on the back to allow the circular body to be mounted on a wall. There is also a separate stand - it has a lug that clicks easily into one of the slots on the lower edge of the circular body (there are 9 slots so the obvious choice is the 5th slot, ie the centre one).The hygrometer can then be stood anywhere you want.It is nice and light, when attached to the stand it is very stable.To remove the dial from the stand, just hold the stand on a flat surface and tilt the dial forwards gently and it will come free with very little effort. Do not try to just pull the dial free.It is primarily a Hygrometer, so the humidity scale is the largest and the temperature is shown on the smaller dial. As shown on the product photos the text on the dial is mostly in German, but numbers are numbers - so there is no confusion.I have a couple of electronic/digital thermometer/hygrometers. The temperatures match within 0.5 degC, and the hygrometer on this agrees with the others to within 2% humidity at 40%.There are instructions in English, although I did not need to try and recalibrate mine, it arrived reading correctly once I left it in the room for about 20-25 minutes.

Very light, mainly plastic construction. Gauge doesn't sit brilliantly on stand, but is functional and accurate

I am very happy with this hygrometer. It has a large clear face with different coloured zones. Even although the labels on the face are in German, it's obvious what they mean.Calibration - if required - can be tricky as it is very sensitive. It may be best to use a non-metallic screwdriver for this task since the dial pointer reacts to the presence of metal. A small plastic knitting needle with the point altered to a blade would be ideal.According to the instructions, the hygrometer should be wrapped in a damp towel for 30 minutes before recalibrating. This will take the dial pointer to maximum deflection. It should then be set to between 95% and 98% RH, after which it will fall automatically to the correct humidity level for the room.Although the instrument itself is sensitive and accurate, the optional stand is not very secure or robust. Nevertheless, in its price range, this is the best and most accurate hygrometer I have owned - and I have had several different brands over the years. It also has a thermometer in the lower segment of the display, which is very useful.

This product is useless, it does not fit on the stand, so continually fallling down and is completely useless for measuring humidity. When calibrating with other hygrometers the actaul humity was around 70% but this devise showed a reading off the scale, i.e. > 100%. Dial is in German too. It says made in Germany on the product label, but quality is more pre-1990 E. German that 21st century unified German. Worse than useless.

Very good built quality. You can tell it was built in Germany. Can be calibrated. It has good size easy to read from the distance. Responds quickly to changes in temperature and humidity. Words describing humidity are in German but that is no problem as you also have colours indicating if the humidity is right or not. Well worth the extra money.