A reader wrote in with a tough question, and a post about Bosch’s Blaze GLM100-23 laser distance measuring tool seemed like the best way to answer them.
Here’s their question (thanks, Scott!):
I’ve had a few Bosch blaze LDMs on my Amazon wishlist for a while, but haven’t bought one because I haven’t really had a need.
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I’d like to get one now because I want to take a lot of longer measurements for a few house projects we’re planning – seems like the safest option for getting accurate readings of multi story outdoor walls and such.
It seems like several brands (DeWalt, Craftsman) make comparable devices – 1) is that accurate? 2) do you think the more expensive Bosch that can give area readings is worth it or are these features complex to use easily? I plan to look closely for a prime day deal, but I can probably wait until the holiday season if it’s worth doing so.
A number of tool brands do offer laser distance measuring tools, and at competitive price points.
Bosch came out with a new model last year and couldn’t get a test sample quickly to me, so I bought one on sale.
I have tested and used several generations of Bosch laser distance measuring tools, and they’ve all been pretty good.
To be frank, I prefer their simpler one-button measurers most of all, because they offer speed and compact carrying that benefits maybe 90% of my longer range distant measuring needs.
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(Technically this one has two buttons, but I still consider it a one-button tool. It’s been difficult for the self-correction to stick.)
I’ve used other brands of laser distance tools before, and many of them were very good, too.
For my own use, it’s got to have AAA (or maybe AA) batteries. I don’t like built-in rechargeable batteries, which can be found in the most compact laser measuring tools.
I don’t need more stuff in my tool kit to have to charge.
I guess that the next step up might be the Bosch GLM165-22, which can add and subtract or calculate square footage and volume. Above that, you get longer range and sometimes more features.
At least 90% of my needs are point-to-point measurements, and for that I like simplicity and portability.
Bosch has had a great track record in my book, and I’ve found that their “basic” laser is a great buy when it goes on sale for a few dollars less than usual. I hope it’ll be priced at $40 again this year.
My local Home Depot store is reporting that they have dozens in stock, and so it’s safe to assume it’ll be discounted for the holidays again this year.
The more complex features of Bosch and other brands’ more advanced lasers are fairly easy to use.
I’ll have to revisit some of Bosch’s more sophisticated laser distance measuring tools.
In the meantime, I can absolutely recommend their GLM100-23 laser measuring tool so far. Mine hasn’t seen heavy use in the past year, but I’ll likely use it for the next decade – unless Bosch updates the design again, which doesn’t seem very likely.
If you need longer range, that could make a difference too.
With respect to accuracy, the GLM100-23 is rated at ±1/16″ with a range of up to 100 feet.
The GLM165-22 is also rated at ±1/16″, with a range of up to 165 feet. The GLM165-22 model looks to have overly negative reviews on their website. It might be worth looking at other models. Still, if you want features such as area and volume calculations, it’s going to cost you a lot more, regardless as to the brand.
Klein also has a one-button laser distance measuring tool, and for less than Bosch’s, but I’d still go BLUE for something like this. Many years of reliability really cemented in my brand preference, and I think their GLM100-23 model is the best yet.
There’s still plenty of time to think things over. There usually aren’t many multi-featured lasers on sale for holiday promos, but there could be some coupon offers.
It’s been on my list to try a Leica Distro. I passed on the opportunity a few years ago – not intentionally, it just took me too long to respond – and I haven’t heard from anyone there since then.
When I tested other brands’ lasers, they’ve been usable, but I have an unshakable preference for Bosch. They’ve done it well, and every couple of years they launch slight improvements. Not all of their lasers have suited my needs or preferences, but that’s how things go.
There are all sorts of gimmicks on sale for the holidays as well. Honestly, I’d still skip all those and stick with the one or two button models with simple interfaces.
Lastly, I should mention that Bosch has a “MeasureOn” app for Android and iOS devices. I only looked at its features really quick, but it seems like it can handle quick calculations and record-keeping features. It’s a free app – you might want to download it and see if its calculation features can help extend the functionality of theirs or other brands’ more basic laser distance measuring tools.
I’ll give this some more thought. I wanted to get an answer to Scott quickly, hence the stream-of-consciousness flow of the post. I’m also racing to get things ready for Prime Day deal coverage, which I consider to be the effective start of the holiday shopping season.
Andy
I use Leica Distro’s at work – we have a couple older ones and a pair of newer E7100i that work very nicely. They’re primarily used indoors for field-verifying measurements from a distance or to take measurements for as-built plans.
They all have far more functionality than I typically use, but they work with a single button – on and measure are all it takes.
The older ones have aiming sights and levels built in, which often aren’t necessary indoors, but can be very helpful outside over greater distances where a very small adjustment at the tool can lead to very large adjustments on the laser beam location. The E7100s don’t have either of those features, but they do work with Lieca Distro’s app via BT which offers some pretty cool features.
Been thinking about a Bosch one for personal use, but haven’t pulled the trigger.
John Barnhill
All the pro’s from floor guys to outdoor painters who have come to quote at my house use the Disto, and have it tied into an app on the iPad that captures the surface area in a plan. Very slick system. I’m sure the learning curve is non-trivial. Overkill if you need to pull a couple of long measurements a couple times a year.
Doesn’t stop me from wanting it.
Andy
The app is actually pretty easy to use. You basically draw the shape of the room or object you are measuring, and then take each of the measurements on the laser, and it scales the sketch as you measure.
fred
I’ve had a Leica Disto 810 for 8 years now. When I bought it in 2016 – I was looking at only 2 brands – Bosch and Leica. I wanted an instrument to use in landscape projects. The Leica had the ability to do the math to correct for angled measurement (point and shoot over top of foundation plantings etc.) and use a built-in camera with crosshairs to pinpoint the exact spot to measure to – without trying to see a laser dot.
They claimed it was the easiest to use – but I found that it did have a learning curve. It was way pricier than I would have expected – and it has been discontinued. I’m not sure that their current X6 offers all the same features – or if there is a comparable Bosch model. But outdoor use in bright sunlight, sloping terrain and interfering objects are a consideration. The Leica X6-P2P system is extraordinarily pricey for a casual on infrequent user – so I would not recommend it – and NOS Disto 810’s have asking prices (highway robbery IMO) of $500 more than what I paid for mine in 2016. They also seem to be selling of remaining stock of the 910 – but at even higher prices.
https://www.globaltestsupply.com/product/leica-disto-d810-touch-pro-pack
Champs
I got the (Bosch sister brand) Dremel láser distance tool on clearance and measurements within the margin of error you’d get measuring a window or a room with a tape. Trust, but verify!
Ken
I bought a GLM165-25G (green laser) for $69 during a late November sale in 2022 from Amazon. I’ve owned several Bosch laser distance tool and this one is definitely the best yet. I didn’t plan on using the calculation type features and haven’t. The little bit of extra cost for the green laser and the larger display were worth it to me.
Mike McFalls
I have used several of the Bosch major measures over the year and always found them to be as accurate as they are described. One annoyance I did have with them was models that measured to the 32nd or even 64th of an inch. Impracticality I didn’t have not needed that level of precision and so about 18 months ago, I picked up the GLM100-23 Which enables that capability but allows with the press of a button to round to the dimension I see fit for my application.
Jared
I have and enjoy using my one-button Bosch. I don’t recall the model anymore, it’s an older one. I thought about buying a “nicer” one at the time, but it seemed to me that I wouldn’t be using it a whole lot – in which case I want to remember how, not have to consult the manual.
If I were using it regularly I imagine the other functions could be useful.
JustinGT
I bought a Fluke laser distance meter back when these things were first coming on the market, maybe 12-15 years or so ago. I’ve used it almost every work day since and it’s still going strong. Wasn’t cheap, though.
The Leica Disto lasers integrate with our estimating software’s companion iPad app, which is nice. The measurements from the Disto populate directly into the sketch via Bluetooth as I go. That model is about ~$350.
aaron+s
For construction estimating and remodeling floor plan projects I really enjoyed the Bluetooth feature on some of Bosch’s higher end stuff. Being able to draw a room, click a wall on the drawing, push a button on the laser measure and it’s dimensioned means that in 20 minutes I can get a decent layout done. Not clean enough to order cabinets off of unless you do a couple passes of cleanup, but good enough for general layout and ideas.
Jim Felt
I’ve used many brands (all German?) since the early 21st century and each succeeding version has just gotten smaller and simpler. Obviously I’m using them for primarily personal use. My wife too.
Stuart. I too agree with AA or AAA batteries being a must if they aren’t in daily use.
Al
I carry a Bosch DLR130 around in my bag. It’s far better than counting ceiling tiles or using calibrated eyeballs.
The square footage feature is good for figuring out paint. Measure the walls, add to memory. Measure the windows and doors, subtract from memory. Check the paint can label for sq.ft. or m^2 coverage.
If you carry around a clipboard or notepad as a target, shooting distances outdoors works better.
It does the math faster than I can on scratch paper.
Scott K
I really like when questions are answered in post form. As a teacher, I appreciate the “someone else might have the same question” mentality that a post addresses. All of the comments are an added bonus. Fingers crossed for a good deal on the Bosch Blaze you recommended!
Stuart
That’s part of it.
Sometimes a reader will ask a question via the contact form, I’ll go through the work in giving them a detailed answer – if I can – and then… it’ll bounce back because the email address they provided doesn’t work.
In a similar sense, getting this type of answer to you might have taken me awhile. If it can also be a post, I can take my time and not be rushed, or avoid putting it off until I have a little more time.
And as you said, the question and answer will usually be of broader interest and benefit, so why not turn it into a post.
Reader question and answer posts go back nearly to the beginning – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/category/reader-question/%3C/a%3E !
My teaching experience is limited to being a lab instructor in college and then a GA in grad school. I definitely lack the patience to make a career of it. Lots of good stuff came from those experiences, but my favorite has been realizing the power of analogies. In my junior year I had a physics lab class of pre-med students (that was the best group from over the years), and one of them had trouble visualizing the relationship between temperature and pressure. I had them imagine a group of kindergarteners in a room being given an abundance of candy, and that helped them understand thermodynamics.
Sorry – that’s my tangent for the day.
Anyway, the Bosch is now down to $45 and change. It’s looking like $40 could be the holiday deal price again.
JP454
I just happened to get a Bosch about 12 years ago and it’s been awesome. I don’t do enough estimating to justify the software or Bluetooth at this point. The Bosch is more accurate than I’d get with a tape in areas where you have to bend the tape in or it’s over 30′. I had several years where the older guys would give me grief for taking fine measurements with it but it always worked perfectly and they started to like it. The only thing I had to get used to is when I use it outside, sometimes I have to start the laser close to me and follow it with my eye as I move it to where I want to measure. If I start on say the wall I’m measuring 70′ away in the sun I can’t pick it out unless I find it close to me and watch it as I move it over. it’s always read accurately though, sun, rain, or inside.
I also agree with Al that the sq ft and addition features comes in handy when you’re trying to get a quick total for ceilings, drywall, base, paint, floor… Anything where a little extra doesn’t hurt.
I’ve had a couple DeWalts and had nothing but bad luck. I don’t even trust them as door stops after the first month. which is sad since pretty much every other tool I have is DeWalt and I’m happy with them. They all lost accuracy after the first few weeks in much gentler conditions than my Bosch had gone through for years. the DeWalt plastic button cover felt like it would crack in a short time, the Bosch rubber has the color worn off the buttons but they still feel the same as when I bought it.
Honestly I will always go Bosch unless I need the pairing with a specific software. To me they’re well worth the little extra money and the couple extra features come in handy enough every so often I would definitely get them again.
WB
This is one of, perhaps the only non networking related tool, that I actually prefer…sigh…the one with the app. I couldn’t go back to the non-bluetooth variety, I confess.
There’s a solid reason though: this is a data gathering tool. If you are just using it for single distance measurements of a single room, I mean, get a tape measurer, they are a lot cheaper. If I have this out, it’s because I need to know a a list of measurements of many walls, ceilings, etc… of multiple rooms. And having all of that logged so I can have it saved for spreadsheetification later, that’s what an app should do for you: provide you with functionality you couldn’t otherwise have. If all it does is move functionality you have always had from the tool to your phone, shove it.