I’ll level with you, until I was commissioned to cover these now central components of the construction industry, I’d never actually used a laser level before. Spirit levels, countless times in the course of my distinctly amateur carpentry, yes, but the world of laser levels was a whole new one to me; and now I’ve seen the light.
So, laser levels have been knocking around the pro-construction industry for some time, but it’s only now those of us with a degree of DIY about us are seeing the bountiful benefits of beaming a laser around for all manner of projects around the house, from tiling with confidence to hanging doors without all the sweating normally associated to simply sticking up some shelves that won’t be on the wonk.
Capable of letting you align with ease, both horizontally and vertically, across multiple surfaces simultaneously, laser levels project lines of light at exactly the right position you need them, leaving your hands free to get on with the task of aligning whatever it is you’re working on, safe in the knowledge that you’re perfectly positioned.
Available in red or green laser flavours, red has been the standard for many years, while green is brighter, making it easier to see in daylight conditions and over greater distances, indoors and outdoors. Green laser levels also tend to be more expensive than their red counterparts, but with supply and demand doing its thing, prices have fallen in recent years, meaning you can pick up a green laser level for anything from a fistful of tenners to well over £300, depending on your demands.
Which is exactly what I’ve put together here in this special editorial package: a quintet of vibrantly verdant laser levels that run the greenbacks gamut from just a handful of pounds to absolute hundreds. So, if you want your construction stars to align with pin-point perfection, get in line…
Best laser levels at a glance:
- Best for simple set-up, easy operation: Ryobi 360° Cross Line - £148, Amazon
- Best for full set-up flexibility: DeWalt DW088CG-XJ Cross Line - £150, ToolStation
- Best for low-cost high-function levelling: Huepar 901CG - £86, Amazon
- Best for chips cheap levelling: Amazon Basics Horizontal/Vertical and Cross Line - £24, Amazon
- Best for made-of-money pros: Bosch Professional GLL 3-80 CG - £ 650.79, Amazon
Ryobi 360° Cross Line
Best for: Simple set-up, easy operation
Powered by 4x AA batteries, Ryobi’s 360° Green Line Laser makes levelling around the home utter child’s play, thanks to its 360-degree laser (all in the name) firing out either horizontally, vertically, or both (cross line) combined, at up to 25-metre in range, with a 2- to 4-second automatic self-levelling function thrown in for good measure.
Compact and robust, made from metal with a rubber over-mould and an IP65 rating that means it can take all the dust and low-pressure water you can throw at it and still beam bright, operation comes via just two buttons, one on/off switch on the side and one ‘mode’ button on the top that lets you switch through the three aforementioned level options, keeping set-up as simple as possible.
Capable of being mounted on any tripod thanks to a ¼-inch thread on the bottom, the Ryobi gives incredible accuracy at 0.5mm/m, transforming otherwise tedious, time-consuming and tricky tasks into a few minutes of near-fun and ensuring you never hear the dreaded “It’s not straight…” from your other half ever again.
- Material: Metal with rubber over-mould
- Type: Cross Line
- Laser projection: 1x 360° Horizontal Line Laser, 1x Vertical Line Laser, 1x Cross Line
- Range: 25m
- Battery size: AA
- IP Rating: IP65
- Batteries included: Yes
Buy now £148.00, Ryobi
DeWalt DW088CG-XJ Cross Line
Best for: Full set-up flexibility
A similar prospect to the Ryobi above, at a very similar price point, but without the all-round 360-degree ability, the DeWalt offers absolute ease of use, via two buttons to simply switch the horizontal or vertical beams on or off, or both on to form that oft essential cross line.
Self-levelling up to 4° with auto out-of-level indication, with a visibility range of up to 20 metres and an accuracy of +/-3mm at 10 metres, the IP564-tough DeWalt also comes with a very handy pivoting backplate bracket complete with strong magnets that let you attach it to metal surfaces for stick-it and go set-up. But failing any suitable attractive surface options, the ¼-inch thread on the bottom takes its place on any standard tripod too.
Running on 3x AA batteries and featuring a power indicator to warn when conk-out is imminent, you’ll never be left in the levelling dark, while a full-time pulse mode also allows you to use the DW088CG-XJ in conjunction with a compatible detector, such as the DeWalt DE0892G-XJ to extend the range to 50-metres.
Coming with its own rugged kit box to help maintain calibration when stored or lugged around, complete with an additional mounting bracket inside, the DeWalt is an essential tool for builders both ambitious amateur and paid professionals alike.
- Material: Metal and over-moulded plastic
- Type: Cross Line
- Laser projection: 1x Horizontal Line Laser, 1x Vertical Line Laser, 1x Cross Line
- Range: 20m
- Battery size: AA
- IP Rating: IP54
- Batteries included: Yes
Buy now £150.00, ToolStation
Huepar 901CG
Best for: Low-cost high-function levelling
Dropping us into the sub-£100 range, Huepar may not be a name you’re overly familiar with, but its 901CG delivers a lot of laser levelling goodness for a very low price.
Built from metal with a rubber over-mould that takes it to an IP54 rating for toughness and resistance to water and dust, the Huepar is capable of full 360-degree projection, vertical, horizontal and cross-line, beaming its green at a range of up to 40 metres, making it ideal for a whole plethora of DIY projects around the house.
Self-levelling with an auto out-of-level indicator and featuring a pulse mode, it’s certainly fully featured, while one-button operation means it’s nothing if not child’s play to use.
Boasting a 180-degree pivoting magnetic base with ¼-inch tripod thread, the Huepar has the lot and all for a tenner under a ton. So, in what areas is it found level-lacking? Well, none, actually, it’s as good as it sounds, earning its place in every tool kit across the capital whether you DIY daily or only engage when absolutely necessary.
Coming bundled with a target plate card, carry pouch and batteries, the Huepar 901CG represents incredible value – a lot of laser level for very little money.
- Material: Metal and rubber
- Type: Cross Line
- Laser projection: 1x 360° Horizontal Line Laser, 1x Vertical Line Laser, 1x Cross Line
- Range: 40m
- Battery size: AA
- IP Rating: IP54
- Batteries included: Yes
Buy now £85.99, Amazon
Amazon Basics Horizontal/Vertical and Cross Line
Best for: Chips cheap levelling
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more low-cost than the Huepar, along comes Amazon and whips out a whole new even fewer pennies proposition from its Basics line.
Yes, it’s a cross-line capable green laser leveller with a range of 18 meters. Yes, it features auto-levelling. Yes, it’s made of sturdy metal and plastic with a durable rubber exterior. Yes, it costs a ridiculous £24.
With Automatic and Manual modes, for smaller projects, it does pretty much all you need, whether hanging a picture or tiling a floor or wall, all without the expense. Plus, while it doesn’t come with batteries, as that would be silly at this price, once you’ve secured your AA rechargeables of choice, you can fill ‘em up when necessary via the handy USB-C port (charging cable included).
Compatible with standard ¼-inch thread tripods, you might now be asking what more you could possibly need. And the answer, Basically, is nothing.
- Material: Plastic
- Type: Cross Line
- Laser projection: 1x Vertical Line, 1x Horizontal Line, 1x Cross Line
- Range: 18m
- Battery size: AA
- IP Rating: N/A
- Batteries included: No
Buy now £24.00, Amazon
Bosch Professional GLL 3-80 CG
Best for: Made of money pros
If money is no object and you need to project as precisely as possible, in 360 degrees, at a range of up to 30 metres with the option of adding in a receiver to extend that to 120 metres, then the GLL 3-80 CG from Bosch has your name all over it.
Firing out at 360 and powered via either 12V Li-ion battery and/or standard AA alkaline batteries, auto-levelling is achieved in 4 seconds and an accuracy of ± 0.2mm/m guarantees pinpoint accuracy, while an IP54 rating and seriously solid construction make the Bosch tank-like in its toughness and, therefore, ideal on site.
But what escalates this level to, well, another level is the fact that it can connect over Bluetooth to a smartphone app that then lets you control it remotely and make adjustments without having to handle it manually – a real help when working on bigger, more complex projects.
Also inside is CAL Guard, a tech that warns if anything has gone wrong with calibrations, such as shock from a fall, exposure to extremes of temperature or if the calibration interval period has transpired, so you can always be sure of precision.
Okay, it’s very expensive. And, I suppose, most people won’t really require a Bluetooth-connected laser level in their day-to-day lives, but for construction professionals and those who demand unerring accuracy in their DIY feats, the Bosch Professional GL 3-80 CG could well be an absolute game-changer.
- Material: Metal (aluminium)
- Type: Cross Line
- Laser projection: 3x 360°, Vertical Line, Horizontal Line, Cross Line
- Range: 30m
- Battery size: AA
- IP Rating: IP54
- Batteries included: Yes
Buy now £650.79, Amazon
