Praise the sun! You will never have that awkward situation where your caliper battery dies just when you need to take a measurement. Sure, if you have the budget, we recommend these near-indestructible high-end Mitutoyo calipers. But these are very fine calipers as well. The jaws are plastic, so not good for hot metal measurements or when you need perfectly flat jaws.

In particular, these caught our eye since they are solar-powered and have a battery backup. Perfect for sustainable measuring in the hot desert. Or just when you keep coin batteries stocked at all times. If you're in a lit area (where the lux rating is over 200), the solar panel will power the calipers. Alternatively, if you're in darker surroundings (like in your secret underground lair and the power just went out), the 3V battery will take over. One button converts the measurement from millimeters to inches, and they're perfect for measuring components.

One thing to note is that you will need to zero the calipers when turning them on. It's no big deal - just close the jaws after turning on, and press the Zero button.

Check out our calipers tutorial here. While these aren't as fancy as the Mitutoyo Digital Calipers, many of the same instructions apply!

Note: Color of calipers may vary!