Stud finders are great for when you need to hang something in your home, like mounting TVs, shelving, or mirrors.
Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? If you're hanging or mounting heavy items on your walls, such as mirrors or flat-screen TVs , you need to attach them to a stud—the wooden or metal beams that make up your home's framing. Since these studs are hidden behind your drywall or plaster, a stud finder saves you a ton of time (and potential wall damage) by ensuring you drill right into the sturdy support every time. Some stud finders feature other helpful tools like deep scanning and live wire detection. These prevent you from hitting a pipe or wire when hanging something up—expensive mistakes when you make them. That doesn't mean stud finders work like X-ray vision, though. There's a lot going on in walls, and it's hard, despite advances in technology, for any device to determine what's a pipe and what's a wire with 100 percent accuracy, for instance. In order to appropriately rate and review the best stud finders and confidently recommend certain models for specific use cases, I put seven stud finders through a comprehensive, hands-on testing process. I evaluated their capabilities on a variety of wall surfaces and home types, eventually landing on the as the best overall option. Continue reading for more about what to consider when you're purchasing a stud finder, as well as other top choices among the best stud finders we tested. The Best Stud Finders Best Overall: Best Budget: Best Magnetic: Best for Drywall: Best Splurge: What to Consider Go electric for hanging anything heavy. Magnetic stud finders catch on the fasteners that attach drywall to studs as you wave a magnet along the wall. Since fasteners often sit over a foot apart on a single stud, locating one with a magnetic stud finder may take longer, but this option is affordable and quite simple to use. The and are effective and affordable magnetic options. Accuracy is not a magnetic stud finder's best attribute,…