Editor's note: April 29, 2026 – We continue to monitor our previous selections to ensure these picks are the best out there. The Bosch Wall Scanner and Stud Finder remains our top choice for its unique design, impressive display, and superior accuracy during our hands-on testing. Our next update will feature more detail on what makes this model stand out among others, and we intend to continue testing newer stud finders to ensure Bosch remains best in class.

If you’ve got something heavy, like a mirror or 4K TV to hang on the wall, they need to be anchored securely. To do that, you’ll need to find a stud, which is a structural component of most walls that’s used to support the drywall or plaster wall covering. In many cases, they also support the weight of the floors above, but because they’re inside the wall, locating studs is often a challenge—which is why you need a stud finder.

There are a wide variety of stud finders available, from simple magnets to electronic devices with LED lights and LCD screens. Since walls may also contain wiring and plumbing, many stud finders also come with advanced features, like deep scanning or live AC wire and metal detection. Consequently, these stud finders can help prevent you from making expensive mistakes.

To test and review stud finders I built a section of wall with live AC wiring, black pipe, copper pipe, plastic pipe, and of course, studs. Knowing the exact locations of these things helped me assess how well each of these stud finders actually performs in specific use cases. I also tested them in actual homes, with traditional plaster and lath walls, as well as drywall. Ultimately, we arrived at the Bosch GMS120 Stud Finder as the best overall option.

Continue reading for more information about the models we tested and what to consider when you’re shopping for a stud finder. Plus, check our expert tips on how to use a stud finder once you've picked out the model that's best for you.

• Best Overall: Bosch Wall Scanner and Stud Finder​
• Best Budget: Craftsman Hi-Vis Stud Sensor​
• Easiest to Use: Zircon Multiscanner A250​
• Best for Drywall: The StudBuddy Magnetic Stud Finder​
• Best for Hanging Pictures: Klein Tools Electronic Stud Finder​

Aside from detecting wooden and metal studs, the Bosch Wall Scanner also detects live AC wiring and other metal objects in the wall. With multiple functions, it wasn’t as straightforward to use as others, but the learning curve was relatively short.

The color display features an illuminated ring, concentric arcs, arrows, and an audible tone to guide you to the stud’s center, plus icons for when metal or live AC wires are detected.

Turning the unit on, it self-calibrates, and the center ring lights up green, signaling that you can start scanning. As you approach a stud, the green ring turns red, and concentric arcs radiate from below the center ring—when they all light up you’ve reached the center of the stud, with an audible alert confirming this. The illuminated ring surrounds a hole, where you can insert a pencil, to mark the stud. Among the models I tested, this feature is unique to the Bosch Wall Scanner.

Its ability to find wood studs was accurate on both drywall and plaster walls in our test home, where it also did well identifying live AC wiring behind both surfaces. We tested for metal studs in a commercial office space which also yielded consistent results.

Considering its low price and the lightweight, somewhat flimsy feel of this electric stud finder, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it performed during my tests. Its straightforward indicator light and audible tone did a great job of locating and alerting me to wood studs in my drywall testing house.

The small cutout on the top of the unit allowed me to easily mark the edges of a stud, increasing the chances of hitting the center with a mounting screw. It’s also simple to use, as long as you follow the simple calibration instructions before every use.

Although it had the strength to penetrate the plaster test walls and accurately located the studs, the LED and tone also went off while over other areas of the wall, which makes it unreliable for non-drywall use.

Zircon’s Multiscanner A250 is about as straightforward to use as stud finders get. Using it on drywall, the four scan modes worked nearly flawlessly. In StudScan mode, when the scanner starts passing over a stud, the screen lights up, indicating the “center” with a red arrow projected on the wall. Using DeepScan mode, I was able to identify objects deeper in the wall, and the screen displayed a depth gauge to help me determine how deep in the wall the object might be. Knowing which areas to avoid, even if you can’t determine exactly what is in the wall, is very helpful when you’re mounting something.

Metal Scan mode is helpful for pipes in the wall. Iron pipes gave the strongest signal during my testing, but the device picks up copper as well. Alerts are displayed in much the same way as StudScan, so you can determine the width of the pipe. Finally, AC Scan will help you locate live wires inside walls. In this mode, I found the A250 was indicating the presence of cables in areas that were significantly wider than cables used in typical residential construction. While you might not be able to pinpoint the cable’s exact location, you can also scan for a stud and assume it will be running along one side—at least on newer construction. (Note: A live AC icon will display when scanning in any mode if you pass over wires in the wall.)

On plaster walls, the A250 worked well, but was a little less accurate, and occasionally gave false alerts. However, going over an area a second time, higher or lower on the wall, I was generally able to confirm the locations of studs or other objects in the wall.

For finding studs behind drywall, things don’t get much simpler than the StudBuddy. Using it, we effortlessly located nails, screws, and metal studs by sliding it in an “S” pattern, back and forth, on a wall. Two strong neodymium magnets caused the StudBuddy to snap to ferrous fasteners or studs when we got within about three-quarters of an inch of them.

Sliding it up or down quickly confirmed additional hits and the location and direction of studs. I also found that the narrow design, when oriented vertically, provided a clearer picture of the stud location versus smaller, more circular magnetic options. We found it worked even better on metal studs because fewer confirmation “hits” were required. The StudBuddy also responds to other ferrous metals in the wall, like ductwork or electrical boxes, so scanning to confirm stud orientation is important.

Just like the other magnetic options we tested, the StudBuddy lacked the strength to penetrate plaster walls, but single-layer drywall proved to be no issue. If you just want a basic, no-frills stud finder that you can carry around in your pocket or toss in a junk drawer until you need it again, you can’t go wrong with the StudBuddy.

Klein’s Electronic Stud finder is perhaps one of the most unusual models I’ve tested. It works more or less like you’d expect, but its pistol grip configuration is pretty unique. While I thought it seemed strange at first, I fairly quickly became accustomed to it, especially as I observed it in action. Not only did the grip style not affect the tool’s functionality, but it became apparent that holding this way was necessary to keep my hands out of the way of the tool’s projected horizontal and vertical lines.

Aside from simply finding studs, the red vertical lines that project when you hold the tool level are useful for indicating stud locations both above and below. If you’re hanging multiple pictures, the horizontal laser lines can be used to ensure they’re on the same level. You could also use the horizontal laser lines for installing molding like chair rail.

As far as the tool’s stud-finding function goes, it uses a series of LEDs that light up and stay lit as they pass over studs in the wall. This gives you a visual indication of how wide the stud is, and it gives you an audible alert when it finds the center.

During testing, I found it reliably located wood and metal studs behind drywall. On plaster and lath, I occasionally got false alerts, but these were easily confirmed or eliminated with scans above or below the original alert location.

The ProSensor M210’s uses 13 sensors that are spread over 7 inches to create a wide scanning area that accurately locates studs. LEDs light up red to show the full width of the studs that are found, and one turns green to indicate the center. The display, meanwhile, is wide enough to show doubled up studs that might be inside your wall.

I found the M210 very easy to use and it reliably found wood and metal studs under both 1/2- and 3/4-inch drywall. It also features a group of yellow LEDs that light up when you scan over live wires in the wall. While it is not designed to locate pipes in the wall, copper pipe seemed to get a momentary hit, lighting one LED when I passed the stud finder over it.

Magnetic stud finders are only as accurate as your construction is.

Magnetic stud finders don’t actually find studs—they find the screws or nails that fasten the drywall or lath to the studs. Most of the time magnetic stud finders are accurate enough, but they’re only as reliable as the person who installed the screws or nails.

If you’re hanging something heavy, you should really get an electronic stud finder, such as the Bosch GMS120 Stud Finder. Many models like this one, also identify metal pipes and electrical wires, which can prevent catastrophes beyond something pulling out of the wall.

To learn more about their differences, including which model is best for which types of projects, check out our breakdown of magnetic vs. electric stud finders.

Plastic models won’t withstand getting wet.

Most stud finders are made of plastic with magnets or electronic components inside. While plastic is lightweight and reasonably durable, plastic stud finders with electronics are vulnerable to moisture and impact damage if they get rained on or dropped accidentally.

If you do plan on using an electric model in wet conditions, look for one with a robust IP-rating, which indicates the ability of casing that houses electrical components to withstand damage from solids like dust (the first number) and liquids (the second number). The IP54-rated Bosch GMS120 Stud Finder, for example, withstands both dust and water splashes from any direction.

More expensive stud finders offer more functionality.

Most of the time, the more expensive a stud finder is, the more features it offers. (That’s definitely the case with models like the Franklin Sensors ProSensor MAX Stud Finder.) So it’s important to determine what features you actually need.

Some electronic stud finders have multiple depth detection settings, which allow you to match the sensor strength to your task. Lower depth modes may be suitable for drywall or newer walls, while deeper scan modes may be needed for older, plaster walls. Other stud finders may have modes for detecting metal or live AC wires. Some of these models are also called wall scanners for this reason.

Models with advanced features may be more complicated to use, like our top overall pick, but the benefits typically outweigh the expense and complication, as long as these are features you’ll use.

In most modern construction, studs are located at 16-inch intervals—find one, and the next one in either direction should be a little more than a foot to either side. That spacing usually only changes near ends of the walls or near doors and windows. If your stud finder seems to be picking up things between the studs, it could be detecting metal or plastic plumbing components, electrical boxes or wiring, or metal ductwork.

Electrical wires usually run up or down the side of a stud and sometimes horizontally between outlets. Keep this in mind, and if there are light fixtures, switches, and outlets on a wall, you can make an educated guess where the wires might be.

In order to test stud finders, I built a 4x8-foot wall, complete with studs, drywall, copper pipe, black pipe, pex, PVC pipe, and live AC cables. With known locations for each of these wall components, we could positively confirm when detections were accurate (and when they weren’t). After testing each of the stud finders on this wall, I moved on to testing them on walls in an existing house.

Practical testing was done in an old farmhouse that has had renovations and repairs over the years. So the stud finders were used on lath and plaster, drywall, and tongue and groove paneling. Due to the age of the home, stud spacing was inconsistent, and live AC wires were not in predictable locations. This gave me a broad range of real-world situations for testing.

As I tested, I noted how well each model alerted me to known components in the walls. I also checked how accurate and predictable detections were, comparing a given stud finder on the same location multiple times. Stud finders were also assessed based on their features and how well they performed their various functions.