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What’s the best multimeter for professionals in the UK?
Written by Millie LancasterPublished on 13 October 26
By the Rapid technical team · Updated October 2026
The best multimeter in the UK depends on the job you do. For engineering, automotive and EV diagnostics, Gossen Metrawatt's METRAHIT multimeters are the stand-out choice. For dependable industrial fault-finding, Fluke is the trusted benchmark, and for electricians maintaining installations, Chauvin Arnoux is built for the task.
In short
Best for engineering, automotive and EV work:Gossen Metrawatt - German-made METRAHIT meters, with models that combine multimeter, insulation and low-resistance testing. For electric drives and EVs, the METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT adds winding testing and data logging in a single instrument.
Best for industrial wear and tear:Fluke - rugged, recognised on every site, and durable enough to withstand even the harshest of environments.
Best for installation maintenance:Chauvin Arnoux - French-made meters designed to avoid misleading readings on installation work.
All three brands offer true RMS meters rated for CAT III and CAT IV work.
For professionals, the real question is which meter is right for the work you do, the places you work and the results you need to record. This guide compares three of the best rated multimeter brands in UK industry - Gossen Metrawatt, Fluke and Chauvin Arnoux - and shows what each one does best.
What makes a good multimeter for professional use?
A good multimeter for professional work keeps you safe on live systems and gives readings you can trust. These are the features worth paying for:
CAT safety rating - CAT III covers distribution boards and fixed installations; CAT IV covers the origin of the supply. Professional meters carry both.
True RMS - accurate readings on the distorted waveforms produced by drives, LED drivers and switch-mode power supplies.
Auto-ranging - the meter selects the measurement range for you, so readings are quicker and there's less chance of a mistake.
Input protection - high-energy fuses or blocking sockets, so a lead in the wrong input doesn't become a dangerous fault.
Warranty and calibration - how long you're covered, and whether the meter arrives with a traceable calibration certificate.
Which is the best multimeter for engineering and automotive work?
Best for: engineers and EV or automotive technicians - Gossen Metrawatt.
Engineering and automotive diagnostics rarely stop at voltage. On motors, drives, EV battery systems and vehicle wiring, you often need to check insulation, bonding and connection resistance as well. Gossen Metrawatt's METRAHIT range is built for exactly this kind of work, which makes it one of the strongest automotive multimeter brands for professional use.
METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT: one instrument for electric drives and vehicles. The METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT is a multimeter, milliohmmeter, insulation tester, winding tester and data logger in one. It is designed for servicing and diagnosing electrical machines and systems, particularly in the automotive industry, electrical engineering and aerospace.
A range that grows with the job - from everyday professional multimeters to specialist models that add insulation and low-resistance testing.
Fewer instruments to carry - combined models such as the METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT replace a separate multimeter, milliohmmeter, insulation tester, winding tester and data logger.
Results you can record - Bluetooth-enabled models log readings to memory and the METRALOG app, ready for reports and audits.
Built for high-energy circuits - professional models are rated up to CAT IV 600 V, with protected current inputs.
German engineering - designed and made in Germany, with accredited calibration available.
Whichever METRAHIT model suits your budget, the brand's strength is the same: precise, traceable measurement for engineering work that has to stand up to an audit or a customer sign-off.
Where is Gossen Metrawatt based?
Gossen Metrawatt is one of Germany's best-known test brands. The company traces its roots to 1906 in Nuremberg, and in 1923 produced what it describes as the first instrument for measuring in the millivolt range. Its parent group, GMC-Instruments, also owns UK test brand Seaward and manufactures in Peterlee and Skelmersdale, so its engineering heritage is closer to home than many people realise.
Is Fluke the best multimeter for fault-finding?
Best for: field service and maintenance engineers - Fluke.
When the priority is confident, repeatable fault-finding on industrial plant, Fluke is the brand most engineers reach for. Many trained on a Fluke meter, and its industrial range is built around chasing faults on running equipment:
Fault-capture features - industrial models such as the 87V record intermittent events and filter out noise from variable frequency drives.
Built for hard daily use - rugged, drop-tested designs made for site work.
Clear safety ratings - industrial models are rated CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V.
Long-term cover - a lifetime warranty on flagship industrial meters.
Recognised everywhere - a meter your team, contractors and customers already know.
If your day is spent moving between sites and machines, diagnosing faults rather than certifying them, Fluke is a proven choice.
Which multimeter is best for electricians maintaining installations?
Best for: electricians maintaining installations and small machines - Chauvin Arnoux.
Chauvin Arnoux is a French measurement specialist with more than a century of experience, and its multimeters are designed and made in France with electrical maintenance in mind. A stand-out feature on models such as the C.A 5273 is VLowZ, a low-impedance voltage mode. It stops "ghost" voltages on unused or long cable runs from giving you a false reading, a common frustration on installation work.
Clear dual displays and bar graphs on maintenance models.
True RMS with automatic AC/DC selection.
CAT IV 600 V / CAT III 1000 V ratings across the professional range.
Sealed, data-recording models for harsher sites.
Working somewhere wet or dusty? The Chauvin Arnoux ASYC IV range adds an IP67 sealed case for tougher environments.
The best multimeters in the UK compared
Gossen Metrawatt
Fluke
Chauvin Arnoux
Best for
Engineering, automotive and EV diagnostics
Industrial fault-finding and field service
Installation and building maintenance
Known for
Combined multimeter, milliohm, insulation and winding testing
Fault-capture features and site-proven durability
Low-impedance mode that avoids ghost voltages
Professional range
METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT for electric drives and EVs
Industrial range, including the 87V
C.A 52xx and ASYC IV
Safety (professional models)
Up to CAT IV 600 V
Up to CAT IV 600 V
Up to CAT IV 600 V
True RMS
Yes
Yes
Yes
Data logging
Bluetooth and app on BT models
Min/max on industrial models
Recording on ASYC IV models
Made in
Germany
USA
France
Which multimeter should you buy?
Start with the work, not the brand:
You work on engineering, automotive or EV systems and test more than voltage: choose Gossen Metrawatt. Its METRAHIT range covers everyday professional meters through to combined insulation and low-resistance testers. For electric drives and EVs, choose the METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT.
You troubleshoot running plant, drives and controls: choose Fluke for its fault-capture features and long-term cover.
You maintain electrical installations and want to avoid false readings: choose Chauvin Arnoux, with its ASYC IV range for harsh sites.
Whichever you choose, pair it with test leads rated to the same category as the meter, because a CAT IV meter is only as safe as the leads plugged into it. To measure higher currents without breaking the circuit, add a meter from our clamps and current measurement range.
Equipping a training lab or classroom? Students rarely need CAT IV or insulation testing. Our wider hand-held multimeters range includes robust, affordable meters suited to learning.
For professional automotive and EV work, look for a meter that can test insulation and low resistance as well as voltage and current. Gossen Metrawatt's METRAHIT IM E-DRIVE BT is a strong choice: a multimeter, milliohmmeter, insulation tester, winding tester and data logger in one, built for servicing and diagnosing electrical machines and systems in vehicles, with Bluetooth for recording results.
Is Fluke a trusted brand?
Yes. Fluke is one of the most trusted names in test and measurement, and its 87V is the reference meter for industrial fault-finding. Gossen Metrawatt and Chauvin Arnoux are equally respected European makers, each with strengths in different types of work.
Why do Fluke multimeters have a higher price point?
You're paying for safety engineering, independent safety testing, durability and, on models like the 87V, a lifetime warranty. Professional meters from Gossen Metrawatt and Chauvin Arnoux are priced in a similar bracket for the same reasons: they're built to protect you on high-energy circuits.
Is Gossen Metrawatt a trusted brand?
Yes. Gossen Metrawatt is a German quality test and measurement manufacturer with roots going back to 1906. Its METRAHIT multimeters are made in Germany, carry CAT IV safety ratings and come with DAkkS calibration certificates. The brand is widely used across European industry and energy sectors.
Do I need an auto-ranging multimeter?
For professional work, yes. An auto-ranging multimeter selects the correct range automatically, so you get readings faster and avoid errors from choosing the wrong range. Most professional meters auto-range and still let you lock a range manually when you need to.
What is the best multimeter for electronics?
For electronics work, look for high resolution, low-current ranges and accurate capacitance and frequency measurement. On a workbench, a bench multimeter gives more resolution than a hand-held meter. For field and installation work, a CAT-rated hand-held meter is the better choice.
Do I need a CAT IV multimeter?
You need CAT IV if you work at the origin of a supply, such as meter tails, incoming cables or outdoor distribution. For distribution boards and fixed installations, CAT III is the minimum. Professional meters carry both ratings, so one instrument covers the whole installation safely.
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