Apera Instruments Premium-Series PH60S Food pH Pocket Tester Kit, Swiss Spear pH Electrode, ±0.01 pH Accuracy, -2.00-16.00 pH Range (AI313)

Apera makes a good PH60 pH probe that has a nice display, good accuracy and good repeatability. Kit comes with calibration standards for 4.00, 7.00 and 10.01 pH as well as some KCl probe storage solution so you can use it right away. Overfill the storage cap a bit to keep probe tip covered when storing probe horizontally. This probe seems to work fine on 4 x AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Bough the pH tester for use in making probiotics fermented fruit juice. The included instructions were detailed & clear and calibrating the device before first use with the included calibration solutions was quick & easy. The device is easy to use and well made. Would highly recommend it anyone who is serious about testing food samples quickly & accurately.

This is the second PH60 that I have purchased recently, one direct from Apera and one via Amazon. To address some concerns some have had of receiving returned, or outdated product this does not at all seem to be the case. This one was dated within several months of the unit that I purchased direct (both later half of 2025) with no signs of being a return. The unit arrived with the typical amount of moisture droplets in the cap, was near perfectly calibrated after an overnight soak in KCL solution and performs equally to the other that I received approximately one month ago. My only complaint is that on the new unit, the storage cap does not fit quite as securely. I checked with my other cap and it fits better so this must be a manufacturing tolerance thing with the process used to make the caps. I do have minor concerns of the integrity of the seal connecting the sensor tip to the body. If the threaded part were to become at all loose, I see that as being a potential for moisture to seep in. I chose to wrap a thin layer of teflon thread tape starting just below the connection and continuing up the threaded area as an extra layer of confidence. So far, based on my experiences with both PH60's and excellent results with another product that I have ordered from Apera, as well as receiving outstanding support for when I had issues relating to international shipping, I am confident that Apera is an outstanding brand.

I wanted to check the accuracy of the pH sensor our pool had. I also hate using those tester strips which require identifying if the colour is light yellow or pale amber... I mean, really? Plus those strips are calibrated for a specific temperature, so any result you get with them will likely be wrong if your water temp is outside the norm. Anyhow, I hunted around and this seemed to be the one a lot of people recommended. It came in a neat little kit that included everything you needed in a hard shell case - although I'd recommend also buying some extra storage solution as the included amount will not last long. Use is super easy, and it automatically adjusts for temperature. You can also modify the settings so the backlight changes colour if the reading is outside the ideal numbers. I wondered why the case had an empty spot, then I realised that was so you could stand the tester up with the cap filled with storage solution. A really nice touch. If you want to keep it in the case with the lid closed, you just need to remember to store it on the side so there is less chance of leakage from the cap. Keep in mind that if you store it in tap, pool, or distilled water that could damage and permanently impact the accuracy of the tester. They do say that if it is stored dry, then that will also impact the accuracy of the sensor, but this can be fixed by soaking it in storage solution for a few days. Personally, I'd just get the storage solution - it's not expensive, the cap only requires a small amount, and you don't have to replace it after every use so a bottle will last a while. As for accuracy - I don't have a lab quality reference device to test it against, but it definitely appears to be more than accurate enough at least for testing a pool at home. I can't say anything about longevity as I've only had it now for a few weeks, but the sensor is replaceable plus it appears to be well made - so I think it should last well if treated with the care something like this deserves. They do have a newer version of this that has bluetooth and a "new improved sensor". For me this is more than good enough I think, I don't really have any need to track the readings over time, and as much as I am a geek the additional cost didn't really seem to justify it. Overall, very happy with this tester.

I've had this meter for about 3 months. It's a high quality pH pen that's mostly easy to use and read. The calibration process is *relatively* easy. Get in calibration mode, set in the pH 7 solution, wait for the check mark, then do the same with the 4 & 10.01. Once you have it calibrated, use is easy. I notice that the design of the tip allows air bubbles to get stuck, which can be frustrating when you're trying to get an accurate reading. I'm unsure if it affects the reading negatively at all. When I try to shake the bubbles out, I notice that sometimes the battery connection stops working for a moment, then I have to turn the meter back on. That happens somewhat regularly. I'm a bit disappointed that a $70 pen has finicky battery terminal integrity, but if you're careful with it you won't have the issue. I wish I bought the pH & TDS combo meter, but in the meantime this one works well. I would recommend it.

Awesome. It looks intimidating for me and my home canned tomato sauce but the instructions are super easy and it works perfectly. I’m glad I made the purchase of a quality tool for peace of mind. Accuracy is spot on! Worth the cost for me.

Summary I was debating between this brand and one of the more popular brands but ultimately went with this due to the "replaceable" tip. I'm glad I did! Pros - Storage case is substantial - made me feel like I bought a true 'scientific instrument' - Came with all the accessories I need! I guess I didn't read the description carefully, but came with calibration fluid as well as storage fluid. There was also a lanyard. - Easy to use! Right off the bat, the device was already calibrated at the factory using all 3 PH values for reference. There is even a certificate certifying the same. I did my own calibration, though, and it was easy to do! (The drawback to doing your own calibration is you'll need the PH 10 reference fluid to complete the trio of calibration. Out of the factory all 3 were done and you'll see an icon L, M, H indicating this. If you do the PH 4 and PH 7 calibrations, you'll get L & M but no H. I'm OK with this but if you need super precision, something to keep in mind.) - Seems accurate based on my drop tester readings (which aren't as accurate because I have to compare color codings). I don't have another reference point so this is my opinion. Cons - As someone else mentioned, the backlight doesn't stay on very long. Not really a true Con for me as I don't need it under the conditions I operate in, but it would be nice to have a setting to adjust how long it stays on. - The storage solution is nice! I ended up using the entire bottle pretty quickly. 2x the size might be nice. It apparently lengthens (or cleans) the probe so I always store it in the solution. The solution seems to rapidly dissipate for whatever reason. More can be bought on its own, however. All in all I am very pleased with this tester. It fits my requirements for hydroponics and nutrient measurements. It was a great price and came with all you need to get started.

Update: Taking 2 stars away from my initial rating. Manufacturer claims "IP67 waterproof and dustproof, floating on water so you don’t have to worry if it falls into water by accident." Well, that simply isn't true. I accidentally dropped mine in the hot tub and it floated straight to the bottom. It hasn't worked since. I purchased this meter to test the ph of my hot tub water. I initially wasted money on those cheap yellow $15 ph meters. The first one stopped giving stable readings after a couple months, and I never really trusted it. The second one died after it fell in the hot tub water. I was glad to see this ph meter floats and is waterproof. I really appreciated that Apera includes 7.0 and 4.0 calibration solution which is at least a $10 cost savings. It also comes with calibration test bottles with caps so you can store and re-use the poured solution for as long as you trust it. After a month or so, I am very satisfied with it for my intended usage. I could never read hot tub test strips with confidence and after comparing to this meter I found it wouldn't have mattered, as the test strips were woefully inaccurate. The test strips of one brand (purchased from 2 different sources on amazon) actually indicated the ph of my water was in the 6.8 - 7.0 range while my calibrated ph meter indicated a perfect 7.5! Similarly for water drop test kits, I found them almost as hard to read, albeit my ph meter confirmed them to be much more accurate than ph strips Using this meter is so much faster, accurate and more convenient. It was well worth the $75 investment, even if it might be overkill. A few minor quibbles: 1) I'm not sure why they advertise this meter as having +/-0.01 accuracy. After calibration in 7.0 it might read 7.02, so I wonder how can it have 0.01 accuracy? Also, while waiting for readings it may continue to drift in one direction (despite the smiley face), then just when you think it's settled, might reverse by 0.05. I suspect +/- 0.05 is a more realistic depiction of accuracy. 2) There are 2 different backlights, blue for readings and green when calibrating. My blue backlight died on the first day of usage and it was really frustrating that I couldn't use the functioning green backlight for readings, only for calibration. Why doesn't Apera provide the option to select blue or green backlight in case one or the other burns out? Amazon replaced my faulty backlight meter promptly. So far so good with the new one and I sure hope it stays that way is it was the primary reason I chose this meter over the cheaper version that Apera sells. 3) I wish the calibration test bottles had screw on tops for storage like the calibration solution. I'm a little hesitant to store them in the case on their side. If you want to store them upright in the case the ph meter would need to be stored on its side and the storage solution in the cap won't keep the probe wet (and would also leak if stored that way). Despite these quibbles, I wouldn't feel right giving this ph meter less than a 5 star rating. The case and the extras provided are a nice touch coming with everything you need to get started. I've found the meter is reasonably accurate, easy to calibrate, and well worth the investment.