Best Stud Finder: We Tested the Most Popular Models

Stud finders can be a big help for locating the studs behind your walls. Grabbing one can help eliminate some of the frustration and repainting that comes from less modern methods, but which is the best stud finder?

We’ll help you answer that question. With a focus on residential and light commercial construction, our team uses stud finders all the time once the drywall is up. Even when we’re not using them professionally, there are always pictures and mirrors to hang, shelves to mount, and any number of projects going on around our homes.

We’ve used plenty of different models, but for this test, we got our hands on the top-selling models we found at retailers like Home Depot, Acme Tools, and Amazon. Just for kicks, I threw in the one I use most often to see how it stacks up against the others.

Best Stud Finders

Best Stud Finder According to Kenny

Highlighted Features

• Center Indicator: Middle light turns green to indicate the center
• Whole Stud Detection: LEDs bracket the full stud width so you can see the center and edges
• No Calibration Required: You can start detecting anywhere, even over a stud

In most of our head-to-head testing, Tom and I agree on who the winner is. But after his initial tests, I wanted to see how the Franklin M70/X700 performed since it’s the stud finder I usually buy. So, I got the whole group out and dove deeper. Lo and behold, the $22 M70/X700 was the most accurate in my tests.

None of the models we tested is perfect. However, when I looked at the final data, this model had the highest percentage of on-center detections and the lowest percentage of false stud detections. It was perfect in our single-layer drywall tests and had good performance on double-layer drywall and plaster.

The only real downside to this model is that it doesn’t have AC detection. That’s okay with me. I naturally look for outlets, switches, and other indicators that AC is nearby when I’m looking for a stud.

With a reasonable price tag and ready availability online and in retail stores, it’s easy to get your hands on one when you need it. Plus, it’s Made in the USA.

* Note: The M70 and the X700 are essentially the same. The M70 is sold at Home Depot and Amazon, and the X700 is sold at Lowe’s.

Best Stud Finder According to Tom

Highlighted Features

• Two Scanning Modes: Shallow and deep modes to match the wall conditions
• Center Indicator: Red arrow illuminates to indicate the center
• Edge Sensing: See where the stud edges are
• Backlit LED Screen: Offers more comprehensive information than LED lights alone
• Auto Correction: Calibrates on the fly, so you can start detecting anywhere, even over a stud
• V-Groove: Makes marking the center easier

Tom’s choice as the best stud finder is Zircon’s HD70. Based on his testing (which didn’t include my top pick), it edged out the DeWalt DW0150 by a single point.

We both noted excellent performance on the single-layer drywall, though it drifted off-center in its detection when AC was present. Double-layer drywall was more of a struggle, as false positive stud detections popped up. I had more missed studs and AC readings, but Tom was getting steady indications.

This brings up an important point: technique matters. Even though Tom and I have both used stud finders extensively over the years, our techniques are varied enough that we got different results with the same models on the same rig. That’s actually very common, as things like speed and calibration frequency can affect the results.

Moving back to the results, the HD70 recovered on plaster, and while it wasn’t as accurate as it was on the single layer of drywall, it found the studs at a higher rate than the double-layer drywall section.

Best Stud Finder for Plaster

Highlighted Features

• Center Indicator: Middle light turns green to indicate the center
• Whole Stud Detection: LEDs bracket the full stud width so you can see the center and edges
• No Calibration Required: You can start detecting anywhere, even over a stud
• Pencil Holder: No need to hold it in your mouth while you detect studs
• Bubble Level: Ensures you can make a level mark across the stud

If we’d have bet before we started testing, I would have put money on the Franklin M210/X2100 and its 13 sensors as the favorite. While it didn’t land as the best overall for Tom or me, it definitely is worth considering.

The biggest issue was the number of false positive stud indications. Many stud finders will show you that something is behind the wall that’s not a stud. That’s helpful, even if you don’t know exactly what it is. But we were getting centered stud detections, and that’s not what you want when it’s actually your water line back there.

As the material got thicker, the false positive rate dropped. In the double-layer drywall and plaster, the only one it tripped on was the EMT with live AC running.

Detection in plaster is where the M210 absolutely rocked. Its stud and AC detection was perfect in my tests, though Tom didn’t have as much success. The only chink in its armor was the aforementioned false positives over the EMT.

The size is something you should consider as well. It’s not as easy to manage with one hand as the others I tested. However, if you’re dealing with plaster and lath, it’s worth the extra effort.

* Note: The M210 and the X2100 are essentially the same. The M210 is sold at Home Depot and Amazon, and the X2100 is sold at Lowe’s.

Other Stud Finders We Tested

Highlighted Features

• Constant Calibration: Automatically calibrates as you work, even if you start over a stud
• Center Detection: Indicates when you reach the center of a stud, even at an angle
• Directional Arrows: Guide you toward the stud center
• Center Marking Channel: Makes marking the center easier
• Slim Profile: Stores easily in shallow drawers

DeWalt shook things up a bit when it launched a uniquely shaped stud finder. We were skeptical at the time, but once we got our hands on them, we really liked the ergonomics and ability to glide easily across walls.

From a performance standpoint, DeWalt has a couple of things going for it. For one, its AC detection was better than the rest, and it started picking it up from further away. It also did a fine job on plaster, and Tom preferred this model for that over the Franklin M210 that was my plaster pick.

Like some of the others, the double-layer drywall presented a challenge, and I picked up a higher rate of stud false positives than most of the group. However, with good technique (I’ll share some tips below) and a little patience, this is certainly a solid choice.

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Highlighted Features

• Integrated Cross Line Laser: Makes marking above, below, or to either side of the stud easier
• Whole Stud Detection: LEDs bracket the full stud width so you can see the center and edges
• Ergonomics Pistol Grip: More comfortable for your hands than traditional designs
• Bubble Level: Ensures you can make a level mark across the stud

This was a rough test for Klein, as both Tom and I had highly inconsistent results across all three of our wall setups. Its unusual, yet comfortable design may play a part in that.

I dug deeper after a disappointing set of initial results. It seems that whenever you lift part of the sensor pad up, it throws off the calibration. I also noticed that when I pressed in more firmly along the top edge, it seemed to be more consistent. However, the pistol grip makes it easy to lift the pad slightly, especially on textured walls.

There are some genuinely good things about the design, but unfortunately, I can’t recommend this model with how much trouble we had getting good readings. That’s totally uncharacteristic for Klein, though. Their meters are typically rock solid, and our crew relies heavily on their voltage testers and multimeters.

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Highlighted Features

• Multiple Scanning Modes: Shallow, deep, and metal modes to match the wall conditions
• Center Indicator: Clearly indicate when you find the stud center
• Edge Sensing: See where the stud edges are
• Backlit LED Screen: Offers more comprehensive information than LED lights alone
• V-Groove: Makes marking the center easier

JAXWQ (how did they come up with that name?) was the #1 stud finder on Amazon when we built our list, and frankly, it was surprisingly effective. In terms of style, it mimics several design elements of the Zircon D70, but is less refined.

It’s a little quirky, having three depth modes plus a metal-specific mode. It also diverts from the norm of holding down a button to simply pressing once and letting go while the unit continues working.

Shifting to actual performance, it did a genuinely good job on the single-layer drywall and kept up with some of the name brands on plaster. Like most of the others, its performance dropped a bit on the double-layer drywall, but it actually matched DeWalt’s success rates on those tests.

The brightest spot is AC detection. It had the second-highest success rate there, second only to Franklin’s M210. However, it also tied for the second-highest stud false positive rate, so take that into consideration.

More Stud Finder Reviews

• Franklin T13 Stud Finder Review
• Ryobi Whole Stud Detector Review
• Franklin Prosensor T6 Stud Finder Review
• StudPop Magnetic Stud Finder Review

How We Test Stud Finders

The Rig

We designed and built a mock wall specifically for the purpose of testing stud finders. There are three sections:

• Single-layer Drywall: Mimics a typical residential setting
• Double-layer Drywall: Often used for sound dampening and/or firewall
• Plaster and Lath: Found in older homes and notoriously difficult for stud finder accuracy

Between each section, there’s a gap so we can see exactly where the studs are and how accurately the stud finder identifies them.

We not only want to see how well our stud finders detect studs, but we also want to see how they react to other objects behind the wall. So, we set up a series of six objects in our rig:

• 2×4 Pine Stud: The most basic and common stud for residential buildings
• 2×4 Pine Stud w/ Live AC: Helps us see how accurately stud finders detect AC presence and whether it throws off their stud center-finding accuracy
• Metal Stud: Common in the design of commercial buildings
• EMT w/ Live AC: Helps us see how accurately stud finders detect AC presence and whether it falsely indicates a metal stud
• PVC Pipe: Helps us see whether stud finders falsely indicate a stud around common plumbing pipes
• Copper Pipe Filled w/ Water: Helps us see whether stud finders falsely indicate a stud around common water lines

The Method

Once properly calibrated, we give each stud finder five opportunities to locate studs, their centers, and see how they react to EMT, PVC, and copper pipe.

As we do on real-world applications, we swipe to find the stud, and then continue moving left and right until the stud finder indicates the center. After each run, we start from the opposite side and adjust the vertical position in that section.

Once the first section is complete, we move to the second, and then the third.

Results

Interpreting the results:

• On-Center Detection: The percentage of times the center was successfully detected
• Off-Center Detection: The percentage of times the edge was indicated as the center
• Missed Stud: The percentage of times a center was not indicated
• AC Detection: The percentage of times AC was successfully detected
• False Stud Detection: The percentage of times the EMT, PVC, or copper pipe was indicated as a stud center

Note: Many stud finders indicate the presence of something behind the wall by lighting up their LEDs or screen graphs, but won’t settle in and indicate a center. We only consider it a false positive when it indicates a stud center.

Single-Layer Drywall

	On-Center Detection	Off-Center Detection	Missed Stud
DeWalt	87%	7%	7%
Franklin M70	100%	0%	0%
Franklin M210	93%	7%	0%
JAXWQ	67%	27%	7%
Klein	33%	13%	53%
Zircon	53%	40%	7%

	AC Detection	False Stud Detection
DeWalt	70%	67%
Franklin M70	Not Applicable	0%
Franklin M210	100%	67%
JAXWQ	100%	33%
Klein	Not Applicable	0%
Zircon	0%	0%

Double-Layer Drywall

	On-Center Detection	Off-Center Detection	Missed Stud
DeWalt	33%	27%	40%
Franklin M70	67%	33%	0%
Franklin M210	53%	20%	27%
JAXWQ	33%	27%	40%
Klein	13%	13%	73%
Zircon	0%	27%	73%

	AC Detection	False Stud Detection
DeWalt	100%	53%
Franklin M70	Not Applicable	20%
Franklin M210	60%	33%
JAXWQ	100%	67%
Klein	Not Applicable	0%
Zircon	0%	33%

Plaster and Lath

	On-Center Detection	Off-Center Detection	Missed Stud
DeWalt	67%	7%	27%
Franklin M70	67%	33%	0%
Franklin M210	100%	0%	0%
JAXWQ	60%	33%	7%
Klein	0%	7%	93%
Zircon	67%	27%	7%

	AC Detection	False Stud Detection
DeWalt	50%	33%
Franklin M70	Not Applicable	0%
Franklin M210	100%	33%
JAXWQ	50%	33%
Klein	Not Applicable	0%
Zircon	50%	47%

Total Accuracy (All Three Sections Combined)

	On-Center Detection	Off-Center Detection	Missed Stud
DeWalt	62%	13%	24%
Franklin M70	78%	22%	0%
Franklin M210	82%	9%	9%
JAXWQ	53%	29%	18%
Klein	16%	11%	73%
Zircon	40%	31%	29%

	AC Detection	False Stud Detection
DeWalt	73%	51%
Franklin M70	Not Applicable	7%
Franklin M210	87%	44%
JAXWQ	83%	44%
Klein	Not Applicable	0%
Zircon	17%	27%

Tips for Using a Stud Finder

• Make sure you know if your model needs calibration and how to do it.
• Keep your stud finder flat against the wall while you’re detecting.
• Keep your hands off of the wall to avoid interference.
• Mark your position from several directions to ensure the best accuracy. Use a piece of painter’s tape on the wall if you want to avoid marking directly on the paint.
• Combine a stud finder with a cross-line laser to mark the entire length of the stud or to hit the same height across multiple studs.
• Stud finders also work great on the ceiling for finding joists.
• Studs are typically 16 inches apart (walls) and occasionally 24 inches (ceilings). If you’re having trouble finding one, get a good reading on another part of the wall and measure over.
• Keep an extra set of batteries in your toolbox for electronic stud finders.

When a Stud Finder Isn’t Accurate Enough

There are other types of tools designed to detect objects beneath the surface of a wall. Advancing beyond the types of stud finders we recommend, you encounter wall scanners. These radar-like tools are more often used by professionals to “see” what’s behind the wall beyond just studs.

When you need to be 100% sure whether you’re seeing a stud, plumbing, conduit, or other objects in the wall cavity, wall scanners are the way to go. They’re significantly more expensive than stud finders, but they help prevent far more costly accidents.

A Note About Stud Finder Apps

With the evolution of technology, you can find stud finding apps for both iPhone and Android smartphones. They use the phone’s magnetometer (the sensor that drives the compass) to detect metal nails or screws behind the drywall. Presumably, those nails or screws will be in the middle of that stud you’re attempting to locate. In our experience, they’re not accurate enough to rely on.

Related Content

• Do Stud Finders Work?
• How to Use a Stud Finder
• Essential Tools for New Homeowners

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