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Tool School: Ditch Your Notepad, and Say Hello to the Bosch Laser Measure

by on Aug 29, 2018

This post is sponsored by the Home Depot

Every once in a while I discover a gadget that does a lot more than I expected it to do. And the Bosch Laser Measure is definitely one of those. When I received a sample to review, my first thought was, “Great. I have thirteen tape measures on my workbench. What do I need this for?” But after trying it out, I’ve completely changed my mind. Now I’m thinking, “I have this thing. What do I need thirteen tape measures for?!”

The Bosch 165-ft. electronic laser measure surprised me by doing everything I needed it to do better than my existing tools, and by doing a few things I didn’t know I needed (but I did)! 

Tool School: Bosch Laser Measure

What is a Laser Measure, and What is it Good For?

A laser measure uses a concentrated beam of light (a laser!) to figure out the distance between itself (the tool) and whatever surface the laser bounces off. Since the laser travels at the speed of light, the tool just runs a timer, starting when the beam goes out, and stopping when it returns, and then just does simple math to get the distance (distance = speed x time, and in this case speed is the speed of light!). 

How lasers work
How lasers work. A.K.A. silly math pictures…

Because light moves FAST (300,000 km per second), the timer has to be really accurate. Fortunately, it is! And that means a laser measure is a lot more accurate than a manual measuring tool (1.5mm or 1/16 of an inch). 

Measuring distance with the Bosch Laser Measure

So why would you want to use a laser measure instead of your trusty (rusty) tape?

I hear you. I like my old school tools as much as the next guy. But seriously, after trying this thing out, I can firmly argue that it’s a way smarter tool to keep in your toolbox:

 

  • It’s super accurate, quick, and dead simple to use
  • The laser never sags, twists, breaks, or unhooks and comes flying back at your face like a banshee (although: you do need to keep from pointing it at your eyeballs)
  • You can measure long distances without having to mark and reset the tape. Need to figure out the exact length of your backyard? The laser can do it in 2 seconds.
  •  The measurement readout it large, easy to read, and back lit. You can switch units easily, and you’ll never have to talk yourself through reading fractional units on a tape again (wait, the medium-short line is 16ths, right?)
  • It stores your data as you go. So you can grab a bunch of measurements, and not have to worry that you wrote one down wrong. THE COMPUTER REMEMBERS!
Finding the area of a room with the Bosch Laser Measure
Measuring the area of a room takes three seconds and one arm (and no body, if you go by this weird triptych)

But Wait – There’s More!

Sorry for the infomercial voice. But really. There is more. 

Have you ever wanted to measure the height of something, but there was no way to get to the top?

Well, I have. 

And the Bosch Laser Measure has a solution for that! It’s called an indirect measure, and it’s super cool. You just point the laser at the top of the tall thing (a tree in your yard, a neighbor’s house, a basketball player), and then at the bottom, and then the tool does some fancy math to give you the height.

Here are some other features I didn’t know I needed (but found really cool):

 

  • It’s a level, too! You can set it on any surface to find its angle (inclinometer)
  • It can measure areas/volumes, and add them up for you. Great for doing floor plans.
  • It can mount to a tripod for extra stability
  • It’s really small (it takes up less room in my toolbox than a tape measure does). And it fits in your pocket.

Tripod-mounted Bosch Laser Measure

 

Using the level feature of the Bosch Laser Measure

 

And here’s the final feature I really liked: it works with your phone. You can sync the measurements directly to an app (free) on your phone, and even annotate photos. Very useful.

Bosch Laser Measure paired with iPhone

So what do you think? Can you see yourself swapping our your measuring tapes for a high-tech gizmo like this one?


 This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. All opinions are mine alone. Thanks for reading, and for supporting the brands that make Curbly possible.

I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the ProSpective 2018 Campaign. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

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