Major Tape Measure Brands Ranked Worst To Best

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It is a reasonable assertion that every household should have a tape measure somewhere. They are useful for so many things that we could write a whole other article to list them all off, and we would probably still miss a few. The humble tape measure began as a tool made from leftover flat wire from hoop skirts in the early 1800s. It was iterated upon in 1868 when spring action was added to allow the tape measure to lock into place and later retract with a button press. That was the beginning of the tape measure as we know it today. 

The good news is that if you're out shopping for one, you have so many options these days that it'll make your head spin. Very nearly every major tool brand has at least a few tape measures in its product arsenal, from the budget-friendly Ryobi to the bigger brands like DeWalt, Craftsman, Stanley, and others. Since tape measures are useful in other industries like tailoring and non-construction work, there are brands from those industries that make them as well. 

So, provided that the tape measure is accurate, you can really go with any of them. After all, the best tape measure is the one you have on you. However, if you want to pick something from the cream of the crop, we can help with that, too. The brands below are all useful tape measures, but some clearly stand out above the rest.

Starting out our list today are Ryobi, Kobalt, and Husky. We paired these three together because they all have comparably priced and performing tape measures. You can buy Ryobi and Husky at Home Depot; Kobalt is a brand that you can exclusively buy at Lowe's. Of the three, Ryobi has the fewest number of options. The brand has a single 25-foot compact tape measure that you can buy in one or two packs. Husky has three options, including 12-foot, 16-foot, and 25-foot options. Finally, Kobalt has the most interesting lineup with a 12-foot, 25-foot, a 25-foot magnetic version, and a 25-foot self-locking tape measure, along with a couple of others. 

In general, these tape measures aren't bad. They're exactly the sort of measures you'd buy for DIY homeowner stuff where you need your measurements to be reasonably accurate but not necessarily exact. I personally own a similar budget tape measure that I recently used to measure office chair armrest heights at my local Office Max to make sure the chair I was buying had enough clearance to push under my desk at home. Reviewers for all three products agree that these are reasonable for the price but arguably not the best in the segment. 

Those who do pro-level work may want to get something with a few more features and ruggedness. That isn't to say that these three brands don't make good tape measures. However, they are fairly basic in their feature set and construction, and other brands have more options. 

Harbor Freight's brands are right up there with Ryobi, Husky, and Kobalt. Many of Harbor Freight's brands are sold exclusively at Harbor Freight, and they are generally worth buying, especially at their price point. Some of the brands that sell tape measures include Pittsburgh, Bauer, and Hercules. While it may seem counterproductive to have three house brands sell the exact same tool, Harbor Freight avoids this since each brand has its own set of features and looks. In short, there is actually a difference between tape measures sold by Harbor Freight's house brands, albeit not a huge one. 

Thus, you can shop around based on what you need. The Pittsburgh brand tends to have the most basic options. You can buy them for $4.99 for a 25-foot tape, and it's marked mostly for carpentry work. Bauer's tape measures go for around $9.99 and include self-locking as a feature. Finally, Hercules tapes are the most expensive at around $15.99 for a 25-footer but come with a double hook and printing on both sides of the tape. Of the three, we think Hercules is the most versatile, but if all you need is a basic tape, the Pittsburgh one works beautifully as well.

In all, Harbor Freight is in the same boat as Home Depot and Lowe's house brands. You can get something a step above average for not that much money, and it'll do for light to medium-duty tasks. 

Milwaukee is the first big-name brand on the list and one of the most conservative when it comes to tape measures. Most bigger brands have a ton of tape measures to choose from. Milwaukee has less than a dozen. They are broken up into three main categories, including the brand's wide blade tape measures, the STUD tape measures, and the others, which include a keychain tape measure and an auto-locking tape measure. Fortunately, the brand makes up for their lack of choice by being available virtually everywhere, so they're very easy to find.

In terms of quality and features, there isn't much here that Ryobi, Kobalt, or the Harbor Freight brands don't also have. The big news for Milwaukee is that it has a bunch of size options ranging from six feet to 40 feet, and both SAE and metric versions are available. All of them also boast various blade coatings to resist tearing. The main model, the wide blade, features a bi-directional hook, six size options, and double-sided printing. That's not a bad feature set for its price tag. The STUD model adds 16 feet of reach and extra measurements for studs.

When it comes to reviews, Milwaukee is all over the place. Most people consider wide blade models to be pretty decent. However, the STUD model had some disappointing reviews, keeping Milwaukee from climbing up the ladder here. If you go with this brand, opt for the keychain or the wide blade models. 

Lee Valley is an interesting tool brand. Most of the brand's products are designed for specific use cases, so you can find some types of tape measures you can't typically find elsewhere. The brand has its standard model, which comes in both right and left-handed models. There are also several niche tapes that you can get for various types of work. For example, Lee Valley's Tape for Carpenters has red markers for studs, while the Tapes for Cabinetmakers is very light at just 2.5 ounces and is made for keeping in an apron. 

The standard tape measure is roughly equal in quality to the others on the list so far, with the defining feature that it comes in both right-handed and left-handed variants. There is also the Blindman's Tapes, which includes much larger numbers for easier reading. One of the more unique products is the Story Tape, which is completely blank. You can mark your measurements as needed, and if you use erasable writing mediums, you can wash and reuse the tape over and over. The Center-Finder is also neat in that it includes the half measurements with the regular ones. For example, if you measure something out to 15 inches, it'll also be marked as 7.5 inches since that's the halfway point.

In terms of quality, Lee Valley tools are at least as good as the others on the list. However, the fact that no other brand sells unique items like washable tape measures means that Lee Valley doesn't really have direct competitors.

Crescent Lufkin is a sub-brand under the Crescent Tools name. For the unfamiliar, Crescent Tools is the mastermind behind the Crescent Wrench, the original adjustable wrench. In any case, the brand also makes tape measures under its Crescent Lufkin name. It's apropos, as Lufkin has been making tape measures for a very long time. In fact, my own Lufkin is an antique that still works today. It's not really worth anything, but it still functions perfectly. 

Unlike other major tool brands, Crescent Lufkin only makes three tape measures, all of which exist under the brand's Nite Eye series. All three variants have black tape and neon green numbering, which Crescent says helps improve legibility. From there, you have the Controltouch Nite Eye, which includes a 360-degree rotating hook and a nylon-coated blade. The Workhorse Nite Eye is virtually identical, except it boasts a 15-foot standout, meaning it has a thicker blade. Finally, the Shockforce Nite Eye tops the lineup with all of the above, plus an incredible 17-foot standout along with a flatter blade for more stability.

The Nite Eye series is quite good overall. Its customer reviews were mostly positive everywhere we checked, and it currently has the highest customer rating on Lowe's website for tape measures, with over 100 reviews. For the most part, this is best for folks who want something different, like the black tape with high contrast numbering, which may work better in some work environments. That 17-foot standout measurement is also among the highest of the tape measures we found.

Spec Ops Tools are where things start to get serious. The brand has two styles of tape measure: the standard tape measure and the Elite series tape measure. The standard comes in 16-foot and 25-foot offerings, while the Elite series has 25-foot and 35-foot variants. Of those, you can choose between regular measurements and a more granular fractional tape measure printing for more precise work. You can also buy Elite series models with and without magnetic tips. In all, we counted 10 total tape measures to choose from that range from $15.99 all the way up to $44.99.

Here's what you get if you choose Spec Ops. The brand boasts a MIL-X coating and white backgrounds on all of its tape measures, which the brand says helps with durability. The standard tape measures are otherwise fairly basic in terms of features. Step up to the Elite model and you add double-sided tape printing, a more robust casing, and 12 feet of standout versus 10 feet of standout on the base model. The magnetic version of the Elite adds a double-sided, magnetic hook. Finally, the fractional version adds more granular measurements on top of the prior features.

In addition, all of the tape measures come with a limited lifetime warranty, and 3% of the brand's sales go to veterans and first responders. These are reviewed highly on sites where they're available, but Spec Ops Tools isn't as popular as other big-name brands, so there was less data for us to work with. 

Craftsman is the next big-name tool brand on the list so far, and the company's product lineup is fairly typical of what you'll see with big-name brands. The brand has several product lineups that come in varying lengths, ranging from a six-foot keychain tape measure to a 100-foot tape measure for those of you who need to measure the distance between home plate and first base on a baseball field. In general, Craftsman has four total lineups for tape measures. They include the standard models, a Hi-Vis series, a Chromelock series, and the Proreach series. The standard and Pro-Reach options also have auto-locking variants.

Let's break this down. The standard models are decent and compete with Ryobi, Kobalt, Harbor Freight, and similar tape measures. They're not bad, but they're not amazing, either. The Hi-Vis series is similar to the standard models but has a neon green casing to make it easier to find on job sites. Chromelock variants have auto-locking and a metal case. Pro-Reach models include an extra coating on the blade for durability and boast 14 feet of standout, along with the optional auto-locking feature. 

Given the features, wide availability, limited lifetime warranty, and positive reviews, Craftsman is definitely worthy to be on the list. They don't have all the fancy features of some other brands, but that's the only real knock we have on Craftsman here. They sell good, simple tape measures, and the 14-feet of standout on the Pro-Reach models are legitimately excellent.

DeWalt is a name most people know, so we won't bore you with the history and the details. Along with its massive number of hand and power tools, DeWalt has a healthy selection of tape measures. The brand has two main models. They are the Compact series and the ToughSeries. These are broken up as you would expect. The compact models are more standard, while the ToughSeries brings the fun stuff, like the option to include both SAE and metric measurements on the tape. 

Of all the brands, DeWalt might have the best base tape measures. They are fairly basic in terms of features. However, it includes 13 feet of standout, which outpaces most other tape measures in its price range. It also comes with double-sided printing on the tape, which is also not always included in base model tape measures. In short, it's a good tape measure regardless of its length. Step up to the ToughSeries, and you get some more stuff. It boasts either 16 feet or 17 feet of total reach, depending on which model you opt for. The ToughSeries also includes magnetic options, which you can find with most competitors as well. DeWalt's claim to fame is its lighted tape measure, which has an LED light that lasts for three hours between charges. 

In terms of reviews, DeWalt does better than most. It brings up the base with stronger tapes on its base models, and its inclusion of a light on its higher-end model is something you don't see every day.

Tajima isn't the biggest brand on the list here in the U.S., but they are a heavy hitter in Japan, where they've been selling pro-level hand tools since 1909. As a big brand, Tajima has a metric ton of tape measures for your consideration. They include the Sigma Stop series, the G-Series and G-Plus series, and the Hi-Lock series. Each series also has two main variants. One is with SAE measurements, and the other includes both SAE and metric measurements on the tape. The G-Series also has metric-only tapes if you need them.

Let's work through the product order. The Hi-Lock is the brand's most basic tape measure. It is as good as the standard models from the above brands and nothing too special. The Sigma Stop model includes a lever-style button that lets you retract or lock the tape as needed, along with measurement printing on both sides. The G-Series adds a shock-resistant case and the brand's Hyper-Acry-Coat blade coating for extra durability and reduced reflections. You can step up to the G-Plus series and get an even stronger case and a tempered steel hook.

In all, people love these things. Reviews are widely positive everywhere we looked, with few complaints. In all, the only reason Tajima isn't higher up on the list is a lack of data. They aren't super popular in the U.S., and most sites that sell Tajima tape measures don't have a ton of user reviews for us to sift through. They are also more expensive than most brands. 

Of all the brands on the list, we saw Stanley tape measures recommended more than any other brand. That makes sense because Stanley also sells more tape measure styles than most other brands. The main models include the venerable Fatmax series, Control-Lock, LeverLock series, DualLock series, and PowerLock series, and each of those has subvariants. For example, the Fatmax has regular and auto-locking versions, while the LeverLock comes in regular and high-visibility variants.

So, let's get into these. The PowerLock appears to be the base model here. It's a basic tape measure with metal housing and up to eight feet of blade standout. Every model comes with a reinforced first three inches to help prevent tears. LeverLock is also a fairly basic model that includes a self-locking mechanism. The high visibility models come with a red case instead of a yellow case but are otherwise identical. DualLock models have a button lock mechanism that is labeled but is otherwise quite simple. Finally, the Fatmax bypasses all the fancy features to include a 17-foot total reach with standout and a simple thumb break control.

While most of the rest of the brands have some extras — like DeWalt's lighted model or Crescent Lufkin's black tape with neon green printing — Stanley tends to keep it simple, and people have shown their appreciation. If you need something fancy, most brands have something unique that might help. However, if you just need a solid, regular tape measure, Stanley seems to be the place to go.

Ranking tape measures is no easy task. By and large, the best tape measure is the one you have on hand, so as long as the spring action isn't broken and the locking mechanism functions, you have a tape measure that you can use. So, for this list, the first thing we did was look at variety. From there, we looked at customer and professional reviews where we could find them while also scouring Reddit for recommendations. This methodology is reflected in the final ranking. Ryobi was rarely recommended and sells exactly one tape measure, so it's at the bottom of the list. Stanley's Fatmax was the king of recommendations with good reviews, so it's at the top. Easy!

Once we got the list, we ordered them based on the above factors. However, the ranking is very loose here, and you can swap almost any two or three names here and still get an accurate list. For the most part, unless you need something specifically for your job or project, almost any tape measure — even the cheap off-brand ones on Amazon — will do the job just fine. Tape measure quality is a game of inches, pun squarely intended.