The Best Digital Multimeters: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter

The 87V is the only meter here that combines a CAT IV 600 V rating with a published UL listing and plus or minus (0.05 % + 1) DC accuracy, which is why it stays the industrial default. The MM720 gets you the same category rating and a ghost voltage mode for much less, and gives up only measurement precision.

See why it wins Compare all

A multimeter is the rare tool where the most important specification is not on the front of the box. The number that decides whether a meter survives a fault is its IEC 61010 measurement category, and that number is widely printed on cases that no independent laboratory has ever tested. We picked four meters that sit at very different points on that scale: two we would put in a working toolbag, one that suits a specific kind of electrician and nobody else, and one that is fine for batteries and wrong for a breaker panel.

RBE top pick

Fluke

Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter

Buy it

The industrial reference: CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, UL listed and TUV licensed, with the tightest DC accuracy in this group.

Best for: Industrial and commercial technicians who need CAT IV capability, a low pass filter for motor drives and near bench-grade DC accuracy in one instrument.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Rated CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, and the manual states it is UL listed to UL 61010-1 and licensed by TUV to EN 61010-1.
• DC volts accuracy of plus or minus (0.05 % + 1), with a 19,999 count high resolution mode on top of the standard 6000 counts.
• Both current inputs are fused at 1000 V (11 A and 440 mA fast-blow) and an input alert warns audibly when a lead is in a current jack on the wrong function.

Know before buying

• No low impedance mode, so ghost voltage on long unloaded conductors has to be dealt with another way.
• The supplied TL75 leads are rated CAT II 1000 V on their own and only reach CAT III 1000 V / CAT IV 600 V with the protective caps fitted.
• IP30 ingress rating, so it is not a meter for wet or heavily contaminated environments.
• Large and heavy at about 355 g bare, with no backlit keypad, and priced at the top of the category.

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Klein Tools

Klein Tools MM720

Buy it

CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V, true RMS, 6000 counts and a low impedance mode, at a price a working electrician will actually pay.

Best for: Electricians and maintenance technicians who want a CAT IV rated, independently certified true RMS meter with ghost voltage handling and no premium price.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Carries a CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V rating, and the manual states it conforms to UL 61010-1, 61010-2-030 and 61010-2-033 and is certified to CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1.
• LoZ mode drops input impedance to above about 3 kilohms, which collapses ghost voltage instead of displaying it as a live reading.
• Both current inputs use ceramic fast-blow 1000 V fuses (10 A and 800 mA) and the supplied leads come with CAT III / CAT IV safety caps.

Know before buying

• DC accuracy of plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) on the 6 V range is field-grade, not bench-grade.
• Klein does not publish an interrupt rating in kA for the fuses, so you cannot compare that figure against meters that do publish it.
• Resistance at plus or minus (1.2 % + 5) and capacitance at plus or minus (3.0 % + 5) are ordinary, so this is a power meter rather than an electronics meter.
• IP42 and a 2 m drop rating are solid but it is not a sealed instrument.

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Fluke

Fluke 117 Electrician's Multimeter

It depends

A tightly focused electrician's meter with a low impedance mode and a built-in non-contact detector, but it stops at CAT III 600 V.

Best for: Commercial and residential electricians working on branch circuits and feeders inside a building, where ghost voltage is a daily nuisance and CAT IV is not needed.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Auto-V LoZ at roughly 3 kilohms input impedance removes ghost voltage automatically, and VoltAlert gives a non-contact check without reaching for a second tool.
• The 11 A, 1000 V amps fuse has a published 17 kA interrupt rating, which is the number that actually matters when a fault current arrives.
• The detailed specification sheet lists CE, CSA and RCM, so the safety claim is backed by third-party certification.

Know before buying

• Rated CAT III 600 V with a 600 V maximum between any terminal and earth ground, so it is the wrong meter for a service entrance or a 1000 V system.
• The specification sheet lists temperature and microamps for the sibling 116, not for the 117, so it is not the HVAC or flame-sensor choice.
• The product page lists a 4 mm silicone test lead set without publishing a category rating for the leads themselves.
• DC accuracy of plus or minus (0.5 % + 2) is unremarkable for what it costs.

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

AstroAI

AstroAI DM6000AR Digital Multimeter

Skip it

A capable-looking 6000 count meter whose maker publishes no measurement category, no accuracy figures and no independent safety listing.

Best for: Low energy work only: batteries, automotive 12 V systems and bench electronics, well away from a distribution panel or a service entrance.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• 6000 counts with both auto and manual ranging, plus capacitance, frequency, duty cycle and temperature, is a lot of function for very little money.
• Genuinely useful for low energy work such as battery packs, 12 V automotive circuits and hobby electronics.
• Sold as a kit with leads, clips and a pouch, so a first-time buyer has everything needed to start measuring.

Know before buying

• AstroAI's own product page states no measurement category, no accuracy specification, no input impedance and no fuse ratings.
• The only safety marking visible in AstroAI's own product photograph is a CE mark, which is a manufacturer self-declaration rather than evidence of third-party testing.
• The case is printed EN 61010-1, CAT III 600 V, CAT II 1000 V, but nothing published with the product lets a buyer confirm that a recognised laboratory tested it to those categories.
• Fluke's guidance is that a test instrument should be labelled to show certification by at least one independent testing agency, and there is no such listing mark to look up here.

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

Five things decide whether a multimeter is worth owning, and only one of them is about measurement. First is the measurement category: IEC 61010 sorts circuits by how much energy is waiting behind them, and Fluke’s own guidance puts CAT II under 10 kA of available short circuit current, CAT III under 50 kA, and CAT IV above that. Second is whether an independent laboratory ever confirmed that rating, because a category printed on plastic costs the manufacturer nothing. Third is fusing: the classic accident is leaving the leads in the amps jacks and probing a live circuit, and the fuse is the only thing between that mistake and an arc inside your hand. Fourth is how the meter reads AC: a true RMS meter handles the pulsed, distorted current drawn by drives, ballasts and switch-mode supplies, while an averaging meter can read up to 40 % low or 10 % high on those waveforms according to Fluke. Fifth is input impedance, including whether the meter offers a low impedance mode that makes induced ghost voltage collapse instead of reading as live.

The field splits cleanly along the certification line rather than along price. On one side are meters whose makers publish the category, the standards, the fuse ratings, the input impedance and the accuracy tables, and whose manuals name a testing laboratory. On the other are meters that print a category on the case and publish almost nothing else. We took the Fluke 87V as the industrial reference, the Klein Tools MM720 as the value case for a CAT IV rated meter with a low impedance mode, the Fluke 117 as the example of a very good meter that is deliberately limited to CAT III 600 V, and the AstroAI DM6000AR as the honest representative of the enormous budget category that most first-time buyers actually reach for.

Two of the four are Fluke, so it is worth saying plainly why, because unexplained repetition looks like brand loyalty. The 87V and the 117 are aimed at different people and barely overlap. The 87V is an industrial and bench instrument: CAT III 1000 V with CAT IV 600 V, which clears it for service entrances and supply-side work, plus a 19,999 count high resolution mode, a low pass filter for variable frequency drives, microamp ranges for flame sensors and peak capture, and no low impedance mode. The 117 is an in-building electrician’s meter: CAT III 600 V with a 600 V ceiling between any terminal and earth, which rules out the service entrance, but with Auto-V LoZ that collapses ghost voltage and a built-in non-contact detector, neither of which the 87V has. One is for measuring precisely in harsh places, the other for moving fast through branch circuits and feeders. The other reason both are here is itself useful information: at these price points Fluke dominates the part of the market that publishes a verifiable independent listing, which is the standard an unlisted meter has to be judged against rather than against its own printed markings.

Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter - buy

The Fluke 87V is what the rest of the category is measured against, for reasons of documentation as much as hardware. It is rated CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, and the Getting Started manual states plainly that it is UL listed to UL 61010-1 and licensed by TUV to EN 61010-1, a claim you can verify. Measurement is a step above the rest here: DC volts at plus or minus (0.05 % + 1), 6000 counts with a 19,999 count high resolution mode, true RMS AC at plus or minus (0.7 % + 2) from 45 to 65 Hz, and a low pass filter for variable frequency drive outputs. Both current inputs are fused for 1000 V, at 11 A and 440 mA, and the meter warns audibly if a lead sits in a current jack while the dial says volts. The trade-off is no low impedance mode for ghost voltage, an IP30 rating rather than a sealed one, and the highest price here by a wide margin. It is for the technician whose work spans switchgear, motor drives and bench-level precision.

Klein Tools MM720 - buy

The Klein Tools MM720 is the meter most working electricians should buy, because it carries the rating that matters at a fraction of the cost. It is marked CAT IV 600 V and CAT III 1000 V, and the manual states conformity to UL 61010-1, 61010-2-030 and 61010-2-033 with certification to CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1, which is the wording that indicates a recognised laboratory was involved rather than a self-declaration. It is true RMS with a 6000 count reverse contrast display, 10 megohm input impedance, and a LoZ mode above roughly 3 kilohms that makes induced ghost voltage disappear. Both current paths use ceramic fast-blow 1000 V fuses at 10 A and 800 mA, and the supplied leads ship with CAT III / CAT IV safety caps, which closes the gap that catches most buyers. What you give up is precision: DC accuracy is plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) on the 6 V range, resistance is plus or minus (1.2 % + 5), and Klein does not publish a kA interrupt rating for the fuses. For building electrical work that is a fair trade.

Fluke 117 Electrician’s Multimeter - it depends

The Fluke 117 is an excellent meter with a deliberately narrow brief, which is exactly why it lands as a depends rather than a buy. Everything about it is aimed at an electrician inside a building: Auto-V LoZ drops input impedance to about 3 kilohms so stray induced voltage collapses, VoltAlert puts a non-contact detector in the same hand as the meter, and the amps input uses an 11 A, 1000 V fuse with a published 17 kA interrupt rating. The detailed specification sheet lists CE, CSA and RCM, so the safety claim is third-party backed. The limit is right there in the specification: IEC 61010-2-033 CAT III 600 V, with a 600 V maximum between any terminal and earth ground. That covers a 480 V feeder panel comfortably, and it does not cover a service entrance, an outdoor supply conductor or a 1000 V system. The spec sheet also assigns temperature and microamps to the sibling 116 rather than the 117. Buy it if your work stays inside that box, and buy something CAT IV if it does not.

AstroAI DM6000AR Digital Multimeter - skip

The AstroAI DM6000AR is the meter this comparison exists to talk about, and the problem is not that it is inexpensive. It is a 6000 count true RMS style instrument with auto and manual ranging, capacitance, frequency, duty cycle and temperature, and for checking a battery pack or a hobby board it works. The problem is what is missing from the page: AstroAI publishes no measurement category, no accuracy figures, no input impedance and no fuse ratings for it, and no safety listing at all. In AstroAI’s own product photograph the case reads EN 61010-1, CAT III 600 V, CAT II 1000 V, next to a CE mark and nothing else, and CE is a manufacturer’s own declaration rather than proof that a laboratory tested anything. Fluke’s guidance is that any test instrument should be labelled to show certification by at least one independent testing agency, and there is no such mark to look up here. Use it on low energy circuits, and use a listed meter anywhere fault current is real.

Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter vs Klein Tools MM720: which should you buy?

The Fluke 87V and the Klein Tools MM720 carry the same pair of category ratings, CAT III 1000 V and CAT IV 600 V, and both name a recognised standard and laboratory route in their manuals. From there they diverge on purpose. The 87V is a measurement instrument first: plus or minus (0.05 % + 1) on DC volts, a 19,999 count high resolution mode, a low pass filter for drive outputs, peak capture down to 250 microseconds and microamp ranges for flame sensors. The MM720 is a field instrument first: 6000 counts, plus or minus (0.5 % + 5) DC on the 6 V range, a reverse contrast display with an ambient light sensor, IP42, a 2 m drop rating and a LoZ mode the 87V simply does not have.

Choose on what you actually measure. If your day involves variable frequency drives, control circuits, thermocouples or anything where a half-percent error changes a decision, the 87V earns its price and you should plan on a set of CAT IV rated leads to go with it. If your day is panels, feeders, receptacles and troubleshooting dead legs, the MM720 gives you the same safety envelope, a better answer to ghost voltage, and leads that already ship with the right safety caps. A useful tiebreaker: if you have ever chased a phantom reading on a long unloaded run and cursed at it, the LoZ mode alone will make the MM720 the meter you reach for. Neither of these two is the Fluke 117, which sits in a different bracket entirely: same LoZ trick as the MM720 and a non-contact detector on top, but capped at CAT III 600 V, so it is an inside-the-building meter rather than an alternative to the CAT IV pair.

What to look for

• Category before voltage: find the CAT marking first and match it to the worst place you might ever connect the probes, because the category describes available fault energy while the voltage number only describes steady working voltage.
• A named laboratory, not a printed claim: the datasheet or manual should say UL listed, certified to CSA, licensed by TUV or ETL/Intertek listed, since Fluke’s guidance is that a test instrument should be labelled as certified by at least one independent testing agency.
• Published fuse specifications: a serious meter states the fuse size, voltage and ideally an interrupt rating in kA, because a high interrupt capacity ceramic fuse is what contains the fault if you probe voltage with the leads in the amps jacks.
• True RMS if anything electronic is in the circuit: averaging meters track pure sine waves only, and Fluke states they can read up to 40 % low or 10 % high on the distorted waveforms produced by drives, ballasts, computers and HVAC equipment.
• A low impedance mode if you troubleshoot buildings: LoZ drops input impedance to roughly 3 kilohms so capacitively coupled ghost voltage collapses, which saves you from chasing a reading that is not really there.
• Leads rated to the same category as the meter: the lowest rated component sets the rating of the whole system, and Fluke warns against using probes in CAT III or CAT IV environments without the cap that keeps exposed metal under 4 mm.

Our final take

Buy the Klein Tools MM720 if you want one meter for building electrical work: it is rated CAT IV 600 V and CAT III 1000 V, its manual names UL and CSA standards, its fuses are ceramic 1000 V parts, and its LoZ mode kills ghost voltage. Step up to the Fluke 87V if your work also demands precision, drive measurement and microamp ranges, and budget for CAT IV leads while you are at it. Take the Fluke 117 only if your work genuinely stays inside CAT III 600 V. And treat any meter whose maker will not publish a category, an accuracy table and a laboratory listing as a battery and hobby tool, because on a panel the printed number is the only thing protecting you.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Fluke 87V Industrial Multimeter vs Klein Tools MM720.

More Tech & Gadgets reviews

The Best NAS Hard Drives: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Network Switches: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Non-Contact Voltage Testers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Outdoor Security Cameras: Wide Coverage Without the Monthly Trap The Best Outlet Testers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Ethernet Patch Panels: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)