Ambient Weather WS-5000 vs WeatherFlow Tempest Weather Station

Buy the WS-5000 if you want a full station with a dedicated LCD console, an SD-card data archive and a rain cup that measures rainfall by weight and volume. Buy the Tempest if you want a single compact all-in-one unit with no moving parts, solar power and lightning alerts, and you are happy to read everything on your phone. The WS-5000 has the more traditional build and the better display; the Tempest has the simpler install and the cleaner app. Owners of both praise the quick wind response, and the WS-5000's ultrasonic anemometer is the faster of the two on gusts.

• Choose the Ambient Weather WS-5000 if you want a desk or wall console, on-board history you can export, and a rain collector that handles heavy rain well.
• Choose the WeatherFlow Tempest if you want one small solar-powered unit on a pole and all your readings on a phone, with lightning alerts thrown in.