10 Best Soil Test Kits of 2023

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All soils are not made equal and it’s only a soil test kit that will let you know the type of soil that you’ve got, so you’ll know if you should and how you should, improve on it.

Some soils can lack major nutrients like Nitrogen or Phosphorus and this will lead to poor growth or flower development. It could also be over-fertilized, which will bring its problems, or simply be too acidic or alkaline for what you intend to plant.

With the right soil conditions, however, you can create the ideal environment for your plants to thrive, blossom, and fruit abundantly.

That’s why this soil test kits review focuses on providing you all the information that you need to succeed, including a list of the top kits on the market and a buying guide to help you make the right choice.

10 Best Soil Test Kits – Review

IMAGE	​PRODUCT	​FEATURES
	1. Soil Savvy SSLG (Mail-in Professional Service)	Dependable mail-in professional soil test service Includes a pH and 14-nutrient tests Provides accurate results with fertilizer recommendations
	2. Veroyi ST02 (3-in-1 Digital)	A 3-in-1 soil test kit Checks moisture, sunlight, and pH levels Offered at an attractive price
	3. Sonkir MS-X1 (Compact 3-in-1)	Easy to use soil tester with a large dial Improved design and sensitivity Backed by a 12-month warranty
	4. Yoyomax (Stylish 3-in-1 Digital Kit)	A stylish 3-in-1 soil tester Needs no batteries to work Backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty
	5. Whitetail Institute (For Laboratory)	Professional soil testing to maximize your crops Saves you fertilizer and lime money The service pays for itself because of higher yields
	6. Dr. Meter S10 (For Moisture)	Designed to perfectly check for moisture Needs no battery to work Easy to read 10-scale dial
	7. Sonkir MS02 (Accurate 3-in-1 Digital Kit)	A versatile 3-in-1 soil test kit Comes at an attractive price Backed by a 1-year warranty
	8. Ssawcasa TRTD1305 (Highly Accurate)	An accurate 3-in-1 soil test kit Works without batteries The cheapest kit in this review
	9. Luster Leaf 1605 (Digital 4-in-1)	An easy-to-use multi soil tester Tests for pH, and NPK The package comes backed by a 1-year warranty
	10. Gain Express ZD-06 (Moisture & pH)	A high-precision soul test kit Features an extra-long and waterproof electrode Works without batteries

1. Soil Savvy SSLG – Mail-in Professional Service Soil Test Kit

Photo: Soil Savvy

• Soil Tester Type: Professional service
• Types of Test: pH, NPK, & 13 more

For those who want complete convenience with professional results, this kit from Soil Savvy offers you a professional soil test kit such as professional gardeners use.

The system is very simple and easy to understand and use. Just buy the kit, fill the included jar with the soil that you need to test, and ship it in the provided pre-paid and addressed postage envelope.

You’ll get your results in about 7 to 10 days and this result includes a detailed analysis of the soil, including pH, NPK analysis, aluminum, sodium, manganese, and other nutrients’ analysis.

Although you’ll wait over a week and spend more than with other soil test kits, the report you get here is very detailed and shows you exactly what’s needed in your soil to get any desired result.

Pros:

• Easy mail-in professional soil test service
• Includes a pH and 14-nutrient tests
• Provides accurate results with fertilizer recommendations
• Very simple and easy to follow instructions

Cons:

• You’ll have to wait for over a week for the results
• The service costs more than most other kits

2. Veroyi ST02 – 3-in-1 Digital Soil Test Kit

Photo: Veroyi

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: pH, sunlight, moisture

The Veroyi kit here is a 3-in-1 system which combines pH testing, moisture, and sunlight levels testing to make it one of the best digital soil test kits in the market.

It’s easy to use and needs no batteries, just shift the switch to whatever you want to test (pH, moisture, light), then stick its probes into the soil for about 3 to 5 inches until you get a swing of the dial, then wait for 10 minutes to get a reading.

The system is also nicely calibrated to make the dial easy to read and the probes work in a range of soils, except very hard ones.

For its downsides, you can’t test nutrients like NPK with this one, but it’s a great device for checking all the basic stuff that plants need.

Pros:

• A 3-in-1 soil test kit
• Checks for moisture, sunlight, and pH levels
• Compact, lightweight, and needs no batteries
• Offered at an attractive price

Cons:

• It has a small learning curve
• You can’t test for nutrients with it

3. Sonkir MS-X1 – Compact 3-in-1 Digital Soil Test Kit

Photo: Sonkir

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Light, moisture, pH

This Sonkir MS-X1 is also a 3-in-1 digital soil tester as the Veroyi ST02 above. It comes with a large dial and two probes to stick into the soil.

As with the Veroyi kit, this one also tests for pH, moisture, and light. Usage is also the same, select the desired switch first, then stick the probes into the soil.

Asides from its large dial, it also comes with a higher price than the Veroyi kit, so you’ll need to consider if the larger dial is worth the higher price. Sonkir backs it with a 1-year warranty.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use soil tester
• Upgraded version features a larger dial
• Improved probes with better sensitivity
• Sonkir backs it with a 12-month warranty

Cons:

• It doesn’t test nutrients
• The price is higher than the Veroyi above

4. Yoyomax – Stylish 3-in-1 Digital Soil Test Kit

Photo: Yoyomax

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Moisture, pH, light

Yoyomax also has an offer here for those who want a compact and stylish soil test kit. It’s simple and compact like the previous two digital meters.

This kit measures moisture, light, and the soil’s pH level, plus it doesn’t need any batteries at all, making it one of the best home soil test kits.

Usage is the same as the others. First, switch to what you want to test for, insert the probes about 2 to 4 inches into the soil and adjust their position until the pointer moves, then let it be for 10 minutes before taking your reading.

As with the two previous kits, this one also can’t test for nutrients, and it comes with a small learning curve. It’s, however, cheaper than the other two digital kits and a good choice for anyone on a budget.

Pros:

• A stylish 3-in-1 soil tester
• Gives a readout in 10 minutes
• Needs no batteries to work
• Backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty

Cons:

• It can’t test for nutrients
• The tester has a small learning curve

5. Whitetail Institute – Laboratory Soil Test Kit

Photo: Whitetail Institute

• Soil Tester Type: Professional service
• Types of Test: pH, NPK, Mg, CEC

Here’s another professional service that makes it easy to test your garden or farm soil. Used by farmers to maximize crop production, this service also guarantees you increased crop production, which means it’ll pay for itself.

The package includes everything you need. Just scoop the soil sample and send it off to the laboratory, then wait for about a week for the result.

You’ll get a detailed report that also shows you how to maximize your yields. The service even includes a free telephone consultation, making it one of the best garden soil test kits for serious gardeners.

One downside is that you’ll need to pay postage for the sample, a cost that’s included in the Soil Savvy package, but when you consider this kit’s lower price, then it won’t matter much.

Pros:

• Offers professional soil testing to maximize your yields
• Saves you money on fertilizer and lime
• Service gets used by professional farmers alike
• The service pays for itself due to higher yields

Cons:

• You have to pay for shipping the sample
• The entire process takes about a week

6. Dr. Meter S10 – Simple Soil Test Kit for Moisture

Photo: Dr. Meter

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Moisture

Dr. Meter’s S10 is specifically designed for moisture measurements and this makes it better suited and more accurate than other 3-in-1 kits, which often have crowded dials.

The dial here is clean and well laid out, plus it offers a color-coded 10-grade scale. This makes it easy to know exactly how good your soil is and how well the plants are doing, using the included instructions.

Although it only measures for moisture, its scale is in three zones: Dry, moist, and very moist. Each of these zones is best suited to certain plants and the package includes these instructions.

Dr. Meter also backs it with a lifetime warranty, making it the best soil test kit for those who want a quality tool to keep an eye on moisture levels.

Pros:

• Designed to perfectly check for moisture
• Needs no battery to work
• Easy to read color-coded 10-scale dial
• Works indoors and outdoors

Cons:

• It only measures for moisture
• Relatively expensive for its single test

7. Sonkir MS02 – Accurate 3-in-1 Digital soil Test Kit

Photo: Sonkir

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Moisture, light, pH

Here’s another good offer for those who want the best electronic soil test kit. It’s a well-made and reliable 3-in-1 meter for moisture, light, and pH level.

It works like the other 3-in-1 test kits, just stick it into the soil, toggle the switch to select what you want to test (moisture, light, pH), then wait a few minutes till the pointer stops swinging, and you’ve got your result.

When you compare this meter with Dr. Meter’s S10 above, then you’ll agree that the dial is somewhat crowded. But asides from that, it’s an accurate and reliable meter, that’s also backed by a 1-year warranty.

Pros:

• A versatile 3-in-1 soil test kit
• Easy to use and needs no batteries
• Offered at a low and attractive price
• Sonkir backs it with a 1-year warranty

Cons:

• The dial looks crowded
• It can’t measure nutrients

8. Ssawcasa TRTD1305 – Highly Accurate Soil Test Kit

Photo: Ssawcasa

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Moisture, light, pH

This soil test kit is nearly identical to the Sonkir MS02 offer above. Both are green, similarly shaped, and offer pH, moisture, and light testing.

It also works in the same way and offers pH readings from 3.5 to 8, as well as moisture readings on a 1 to 10 scale, with light from 0 to 2,000.

One outstanding feature of this particular test kit, however, is that it’s cheaper than the MS02, and in fact, it’s the cheapest meter in this review.

Pros:

• An accurate 3-in-1 soil test kit
• Works without batteries
• Easy to use and read
• The cheapest kit in this review

Cons:

• It can’t measure nutrients
• The dial looks crowded

9. Luster Leaf 1605 – Digital 4-in-1 Soil Test Kit

Photo: Luster Leaf

• Soil Tester Type: Chemical
• Types of Test: pH, N, P, K

This Luster Leaf 1605 is the digital version of Luster Leaf’s 1601 soil test kit, but this one offers you a faster and more reliable method of reading the values.

It comes with four tubes for testing pH, N, P, and K. Each nutrient has a color-coded tube and color-coded reagents as well. Simply fill the tube with the soil and water, add the reagent, and insert it into the reader.

The reader offers different buttons, depending on what you want to test. Just press the corresponding button, and it will display the result precisely.

You also get complete instructions with this package, as well as charts and tips to help you out. It’s backed by a 1-year warranty.

Pros:

• An easy-to-use multi soil tester
• Tests for pH, and NPK
• The package comes backed by a 1-year warranty
• Also pH and fertilizer tips

Cons:

• It performs a maximum of 25 tests
• Replacement capsules cost extra

10. Gain Express ZD-06 – Moisture & pH Soil Test Kit

Photo: Gain Express

• Soil Tester Type: Digital
• Types of Test: Moisture and pH

With this Gain Express ZD-06, you get a highly accurate soil tester for moisture and pH levels. It also comes with a waterproof and 11.6-inch extra long probe, giving you more flexibility.

It offers a +/- 0.2 pH accuracy reading, measures pH levels from 3 to 8, and moisture levels from 1 to 8. Furthermore, it also needs no batteries to work, durable, and works well indoors and outdoors.

If you’re looking for the best soil test kit with high accuracy for moisture and pH, then this is probably what you need. The only issue here is its high price, but remember that quality and accuracy come at a price.

Pros:

• A high-precision soil test kit
• Measures soil moisture content or pH level
• Features an extra-long and waterproof electrode
• Works without batteries

Cons:

• It’s comparably expensive
• You can’t test macro-nutrients with it

How to Buy the Best Soil Test Kit

Photo: Yoyomax

Testing your garden’s soil is the only way to know exactly what it can offer your plants, but there are so many soil tests available that the newcomer easily gets overwhelmed.

You need to understand the major goals of soil testing, which is to check the pH balance and macro-nutrient availability of any soil. With this in mind, you can keep an eye on the following important factors when making your choice for the best soil nutrient test kit.

1. Type of Soil Tester

The first thing you need to understand about soil testers is that there are three major types that you can use. They are chemical tests, digital tests, and professional testing services.

Each type of soil test has its advantages and disadvantages, so it’s left for you to first consider what you need to test for in the soil, and to then choose the most proper testing method for it.

Following is a closer look at each type of soil test.

Chemical Tests. This type of soil testing requires you to place a small amount of the soil in a vial and add water to it. You’ll also need to drop a reagent into the solution and wait for a certain period before checking the solution’s color against a chart provided by the manufacturer.Chemical tests are ideal for macro-nutrient testing of a soil, which aims to find the levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.

Digital Testers. With a digital tester, you get a system that relies on an electric charge to test soil, as opposed to chemical reactions above. They usually come with a probe that you’ll need to stick into the soil to get a reading.Although they are easy to use, digital soil testers need a battery to run on, and they’re often not as accurate as chemical testers. They’re, however, limited to tests for water and pH levels in the soil, an area in which they shine.

Professional Services. Another major approach to testing any soil is to use a professional service. All you need to do in this situation is to scoop the garden soil according to the lab’s instructions, and then send it in.The lab will then use its many lab equipments to test for the range of features that you requested. One downside of this method is that it’s costlier, but the upside is that it gives the best soil testing results.

2. Accuracy

Some soil test kits measure one or more factors, while other kits measure multiple nutrients, the important thing, however, is to get a soil test kit that accurately measures whatever it is that you want to measure.

The only way to do this is to check out the product and probably read some reviews to see how well it works. Many manufacturers will make claims about their kits, but only a proven kit is worth your money.

3. Ease of Use

Whether you are reading moisture levels, pH, temperature, or light with your soil test kit, the process has to be as easy to use as possible.

Read More: The Best Soil Moisture Meter

Many digital test kits just need you to stick their probe into the soil and read their output, while chemical kits need you to mix a certain amount of soil with a certain volume of water before comparing the resulting color with a chart.

For some folks though, the easiest way to test their garden soil is to simply scoop the soil and post it to a professional soil testing service, so it’s left for you to decide your desired level of convenience here.

4. Budget Considerations

Soil test kits come at different prices, ranging from less than $10 to hundreds of dollars. The price, will, of course, depend on the complexity and accuracy of the kit, with the cost of professional services also depending on the lab and on how much testing you want.

As you can imagine, you need to set your budget here and try to work within it by only spending on kits or testing that you can easily afford.

Conclusion

We’ve come to the end of this soil test kits review and you’ve seen all the great offers out there, including the simple 3-in-1 devices and the more elaborate laboratory services.

It’s left for you at this point to make your choice because it’s only you that knows what you need exactly and how much you are willing to spend.