Start Your Weather Journey With These Three Indoor Home Weather Stations Under $50

I get it, believe me. You get interested in a subject like the weather and want to get your feet wet, but all you can find are reviews and tests of "the best" or "the most popular" products in the field. And all you wanted was something simple to get your feet wet and get some experience. 

Been there, got the t-shirt. (Probably one of a few reasons it took me so long to really get hooked or enthusiastic about any specific interest or hobby.)

If you find yourself in this position when it comes to all things weather-related, you may have just stumbled across the right article for you.

If you read any of my other articles or pages, you will know that I am quite passionate about the weather and would love for everyone else to get interested and involved with it as well.

This is one of the main reasons I put this article together. With a budget of $50 or below, I had a look at three weather stations that do not have countless measurements and readings, or an array of outside sensors.

What they do have, however, is the ability to provide you with simple and straight-forward measurements and displays. Just enough to keep you easily informed, let you compare your readings with the actual weather you are experiencing, and in the process hopefully grow your knowledge and interest in this surprisingly fascinating world of weather. 

Let's take a look at my pick of the three indoor weather stations one at a time.

ThermoPro TP55 Indoor Thermometer

The first thing that jumps out after unpacking and starting up this weather station, is the large and easy-to-read display. It may come with a small price-tag, but definitely makes sure you take notice of it.

And that is one thing I immediately liked about this "budget" weather station. Especially when you start out with your first weather station, you don't want to be confused a by a barrage of meter readings fighting for your attention.

The ThermoPro TP55 keeps things very simple. Although many criticize it for not being able to show you the time, the two most important measurements are prominently displayed. Those two measurements are humidity and temperature.

(Honestly, with everything from your cell phone to your microwave telling you the time, do you really need another device telling you the time?)

Smaller readings like minimum/maximum readings and the ability to change between units (Fahrenheit/Celsius) is very handy and easy to access.

The 4 inch touchscreen display has a pleasant blue backlight that lights up for 15 seconds with a simple touch of a finger. (Very handy when on your bed stand and you want to take quick reading in low lighting conditions.)  

It also has a foldout stand at the back to place on any flat surface, or you can use the magnet to place it against any metal surface. It is these small attention to detail that I found very handy and practical.  

The only thing I would have liked to see added is a barometric (air) pressure reading. On a starter weather station, this is really not necessary though.

Here is a brief summary of some of the benefits:

• Very affordable
• Large and easy-to-read display
• Simple and easy to use
• Quality build and feel
• Fairly accurate humidity and temperature measurements
• Humidity and temperature trend indicators

Here is a brief summary of a few drawbacks:

• No AC adapter
• No barometric (air) pressure measurement and reading
• No custom measurement calibration

As you can see, I find it hard to fault this little indoor weather station, especially for the price. Yes, it may lack a few features, but I find it really unnecessary for anyone who just want a simple system to start with.

You can find more information and pricing on the ThermoPro TP55 Digital Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer here.

FanJu FJ3365W Wireless Weather Station

If you are looking for something unique that will immediately grabs someone's attention, look no further than the FJ3365W. From the moment you lay your eyes on it, you will see what I am referring to.

It's not often that you find a weather station housed in an attractive wood textured casing. (Yes, it also comes in black and grey, but the wood textured casing is by far the most popular choice and the one I opted for as well).

The display is also bright and easy to read, although like many other weather stations, its viewing angle is limited. The wider your viewing angle the more difficult it will become to read the display.

(Luckily most of the time when you want to have a good look at the readings, you will be standing or sitting right in front of the device. I certainly did not find it to be a problem at all.)

But obviously looks aren't everything, so let's concentrate on the device's features. Unlike the ThermoPro TP55, the FanJu FJ3365W comes standard with the added benefit of an external sensor unit. Although not a requirement for the purpose of this article, it definitely does have its benefits.

Like the ThermoPro, it comes with temperature and humidity settings. What set it aparts however, is the fact that it shows outdoor humidity & temperature readings on the left, and indoor humidity & temperature readings on the right of the device.

It also includes additional functions like displaying the moon phase, date and time.  The fact that it also comes with a daily alarm and snooze function, makes it ideal to be used as an alarm clock on your bed stand. (Yes, it can be very bright in the dark, but you have 5 backlight settings to choose from to adjust the display to your level of comfort. The display can even be switched off completely.)

Another welcome feature is the inclusion of a barometric pressure reading. As already mentioned, I find this feature unnecessary for a beginner weather station. Having said that, it is welcome addition and will help you to better understand the weather.

One last feature that needs to be highlighted is the FanJu's forecasting ability through icons displayed in the centre of the display. (And the forecasting is surprisingly accurate for a device in this price bracket.)

I feel obliged to mention that while researching this weather station, I came across some reviews where users experienced some device failures after their purchase. In most cases though, they were resolved quickly by the supplier and I haven't experienced any of these problems myself.

Here is a brief summary of some of the benefits:

• Attractive design and housing
• Bright and logically laid-out display 
• Outdoor sensor adds additional functionality to the weather station
• Build-in date, time and alarm
• Moon phase indicator
• Barometric (air) pressure measurement and reading
• Both outdoor and indoor humidity & temperature displayed
• Weather forecasting function
• AC Adapter 

Here is a brief summary of some drawbacks:

• Limited viewing angle
• Instruction manual not very clear
• Reported potential reliability issues (not personally experienced)

Like I said, the FanJu is quite the attention grabber, but luckily there is much more to it than just good looks. The  feature set and ease-of-use make it  a very attractive proposition as a starter indoor weather station.

You can find more information and pricing on the FanJu FJ3365W Weather Station here.

La Crosse Technology C85845 Color Wireless Forecast Station

To use a cliche, I saved the best for last. (And yes, it is also the most expensive of the 3 weather stations, but still real bargain for what it has to offer.)

As far as functions and appearance go, the La Crosse very closely mimics the FanJu FJ3365W weather station. It offers the majority features that the Fanju device offer, and even the display have a very similar layout. 

(Like the FanJu, the outdoor humidity & temperature readings can be find on the left, while the indoor humidity & temperature readings are displayed on the right. The forecast outlook, date and time are displayed in the centre of the display.) 

This is where the similarities end however. These two weather stations are two completely different beasts. It is hard to explain from just looking at photos, but in the flesh you can clearly see and feel the difference.

First of all, the La Crosse weather station is a bigger device. (At 9 x 5.4 inches in width and height, it is actually the biggest of all three weather stations.) It also has a solid look and feel to it, giving the impression of high-quality device.  

These impressions are reinforced by the more accurate readings I managed to get from La Crosse, compared to the readings observed from the other two weather stations. (My Ambient Weather WS-2902A Osprey weather station, as well as local professional weather services were used as reference sources.)

Please note, these observations are not meant to put the FanJu FJ3365W and ThermoPro TP55 in a negative light at all. They are both great beginner stations that will provide any prospective weather enthusiast with months or years of weather observation enjoyment.

For a slightly higher price tag though, you get a higher quality product with more accurate weather measurement capabilities. (These differences can be seen as negligible and the margins aren't that big.) You can decide for yourself if you prefer a more budget friendly, or slightly higher quality product.

Some advanced features include an atomic clock and self-calibrating functionality features. It also includes comfort level indicators which use the temperature and humidity settings to give users a more practical reflection of how weather conditions will be perceived.

I can only really point to one feature I found lacking on the the La Crosse, and that is the absence of any barometric pressure display. I know I said that this is a feature I don't consider necessary for a beginner weather station, and I definitely don't consider it a deal breaker. (Still, it would have been a very welcome addition to a weather station considered to be the most advanced of the three devices discussed in this article.)

With that said, let's take a quick look at some of the specific advantages and disadvantages of La Crosse Technology C85845 Color Wireless Forecast Station.   

Here is a brief summary of some of the benefits:

• High-quality design and housing
• Bright and logically laid-out display 
• Outdoor sensor with accurate measurements
• Build-in date, time and alarm
• Adjustable brightness settings for display
• Weather trend indicators (for both temperature and humidity)
• Both outdoor and indoor humidity & temperature displayed
• Accurate weather forecasting function
• Atomic clock
• Self calibration functionality
• AC Adapter 

Here is a brief summary of some drawbacks:

• Reported limited viewing angle (not personally experienced)
• No barometric (air) pressure reading

The La Crosse Technology C85845 can be viewed as a device serving a dual purpose. On the one hand, it can be seen as a very well equipped beginner weather station. With it's more advanced functions and accurate weather measurements, it can also be seen as a budget entry into the field of more advanced home weather stations.  

You can find more information and pricing on the La Crosse Technology C85845 Color Wireless Forecast Station here.

Conclusion

You just got a quick overview of three very capable entry-level indoor weather stations that will be ideal for starting out when you venture into the world of all things weather related.

Whether you choose the simplicity and large display of the affordable ThermoPro TP55 Indoor Thermometer, or the more advanced and slightly more expensive La Crosse Technology C85845, you really can't go wrong.

(If you are looking for a more advanced weather station that will serve you well for years to come and have the budget, take a look at my article on my Ambient Weather WS-2902A Osprey Weather Station. Yes I am biased, but I am one very happy owner. If you are interested, you can read the article here.)

Whichever you choose (if you decide on picking any of these indoor weather stations), I just hope I managed to spark enough curiosity to take the first step in what will hopefully be a long interest and passion for the weather and climate. 

If I managed to achieve that, then mission accomplished.

Feel free to leave me any comments, questions or suggestions, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Until next time, keep your eye on the weather!

Wessel

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