Quick verdict
A handheld sighting clinometer that reads angles through a lens so tree height can be worked out from a measured distance, and slopes read directly in degrees or percent. Arborists use one to know whether a tree can reach the house if it falls, foresters to estimate timber, and gardeners to measure a tree for a removal quote. It is a generic version of the Suunto pattern at a fraction of the cost, with scales in inch and millimetre units and a waterproof body.
Strengths
- Measures tree height from the ground with simple trigonometry
- Reads slope in degrees and percent directly
- Waterproof body for field use
- Pocket sized and no batteries
- Fraction of the cost of a branded clinometer
Weaknesses
- Generic optics; the scale is harder to read than a Suunto
- Accuracy depends on measuring the distance to the tree correctly
- Needs practice to sight and read at once
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
How Tall Is That Tree, Really
Every homeowner with a big tree near the house has wondered whether it would reach, and every removal quote depends on the answer. A clinometer measures it from the ground. Sight the top, sight the base, read two angles and multiply by a paced distance. This generic handheld is the pocket sighting type foresters carry, with degree and percent scales, a waterproof body and no batteries.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how sighting clinometers are used in forestry and arboriculture generally. We have not used this instrument ourselves and the product is unbranded.
The Method
Stand a measured distance from the trunk on ground roughly level with its base, far enough that the top is visible at a comfortable angle, often 50 or 100 feet. Sight the top and read the percent scale, sight the base and read it again. If the base reads below zero, add the two numbers; if above, subtract. Multiply the result by the distance and divide by 100. A reading of 72 percent to the top and minus 5 to the base at 100 feet gives a 77 foot tree.
Optics
You look through the lens with one eye and at the tree with the other, and the scale floats on the view. Branded clinometers from Suunto have brighter optics and crisper scales; this one is dimmer and takes a few tries to read steadily. For occasional use the difference is patience, not result.
Accuracy
The angle is the easy part. The distance is what people get wrong; pace it or tape it, and measure to the trunk, not the edge of the canopy. Done properly the height is within a few percent, which is more than enough to know if a tree can reach a roof.
Other Uses
Slopes read directly in percent for drainage falls and driveways. Roof pitch, retaining wall batter and the lean of a tree in degrees are the same reading.
Who Should Buy It
- Homeowners with large trees near buildings.
- Anyone getting removal or pruning quotes who wants the facts.
- Students, hikers and field workers who need slope and height.
Common Owner Complaints
A dim scale and a learning curve. Practise on a known height such as a house.
Alternatives to Consider
Suunto PM-5 is the professional standard with excellent optics. A smartphone clinometer app is free and less precise. A laser rangefinder with height mode does distance and angle together.
Verdict
For measuring tree height and slope from the ground, this budget clinometer does the job once you learn to read it. Measure the distance carefully and the result is as good as a quote needs.
Full specifications
Handheld Waterproof Forestry Clinometer and Sighting Altimeter for Tree Height and Slope FAQs
Pace or tape a known distance from the trunk on level ground, sight the top and read the percent scale, then sight the base and read again. Height equals distance times the difference of the two percent readings divided by 100.
A tree taller than its distance from the house can hit the house. Knowing the height to within a few feet tells you whether a lean is a worry and what a removal will involve.
To within a few percent if the distance is measured, not guessed. Pace carefully or use a tape.
Slope of a drive or a drainage run, roof pitch, the angle of a retaining wall batter.
