I’m a Tape Measure Guy. But This Laser Measuring Tool is Testing My Loyalty.

4 min readLook, I’m a tape measure guy. Always have been. Always will be. That red Milwaukee 25-footer rides on my hip like Wyatt Earp’s six-shooter, ready to draw when I need fast dimensions across a 2x4 or sheet of plywood. I ask a lot of it, and it always delivers. That is, until I ask it to stretch across a long wall and maintain its rigidity.But I got my hands on Mileseey’s S50C Laser Measure and it has me reconsidering how often I reach for my trusty tape—especially when my foe is notably larger than normal and physically out of my league. No one ever said I had to fight fair, so lately I find myself reaching for a more technologically advanced weapon of choice. And in that moment before I grab, I always have the same thought: Why am I working so hard?ProsFast, accurate measurements without wrestling with a tapeBuilt-in calculations simplify estimating floor and wall coverageCamera with 8x zoom helps target distant measuring pointsConsAdvanced modes require a bit of a learning curveA Little Less WrestlingWhat’s won me over about the S50C is how easily it takes over the measurements I least enjoy making with a tape. Long distances. Wall-to-wall dimensions. Floor-to-ceiling heights. The sort of thing that usually has me looking around for another person to whom I need to say “Hey, could you hold this for a second?” Aim, press the button, read the measurement. Nobody has to put down what they’re doing and walk over.The S50C has been impressively accurate and simple to operate. It’s also handy as heck, which matters to me more than a long list of functions. A tool can have enough computing power to figure out a Mars landing, but if taking basic measurements becomes a small administrative project, I’m going straight back to the tape. With this one, I’ve found myself grabbing it as soon as a measurement starts feeling like it’s going to give me a fight, which is exactly how any new tool tends to earn a home in my usual routine.This Thing Does a Lot of MathThe S50C also goes way beyond telling you how far away the opposite wall is. You can easily toggle through its measurement modes on the touch screen display to select area, volume, and wall area calculations, along with more specialized functions for awkward dimensions. For something like a basement renovation, that means you can gather room dimensions and calculate floor area without balancing a notebook on your knee or pulling up the calculator app on your phone. For painting, wall-area calculations give you a useful starting point for estimating coverage. You still have to account for multiple coats, product coverage, and waste—I mean, this device isn’t going to manage your entire renovation. But it can take a welcome chunk of arithmetic off your plate.Trevor RaabA push of a single button lets you point-and-shoot measurements up to 670 feet away, with amazing accuracy.The trick is choosing the proper mode and taking the measurements it requests. It isn’t one magical button that automatically understands your basement. You supply the dimensions by placing the green laser dot on the opposing wall or ceiling, press the button, and record the measurement. The S50C handles the rest of the calculations.It Has a Camera, TooThe S50C has a built-in camera with up to 8x zoom—but it’s for helping you aim at distant targets. A 2.4-inch AMOLED touch screen displays the targeting view, measurements, and menus. That gives the camera a practical reason to exist. Finding a little laser dot at a distance—especially outdoors measuring distances for a fence installation—can become its own project and a huge source of frustration. The camera is there to help you see where you’re aiming, which is great for me and my ever-flagging eyesight.Trevor RaabFor training the laser across longer distances, a built-in camera assists in sighting measurement subjects the average user’s eye has trouble tracking.Mileseey lists a maximum measuring range of 670 feet. I’ve yet to verify that distance without putting the laser on my neighbor’s home five houses away from me, but it does give you some semblance of the work this device is designed to accommodate. It also charges through USB-C and carries an IP65 dust- and water-resistance rating.My Tape Still Keeps Its JobThere are plenty of measurements for which I’ll keep pulling my tape. Most, come to think of it. Marking a board for a miter saw cut, checking a short dimension, laying something out directly on a workpiece. That familiar steel blade is like an extension of my hand most times.But the S50C is worth grabbing when distance, access, or a shortage of available hands suddenly turns that tape measure into a nuisance. Its more advanced functions expand the possibilities, I suppose, but its quick convenience is what brings me back in those moments of need. On that note, if you think your measuring needs are more basic in nature, Mileseey’s S50 PrecisionX model is an ideal alternative to all of those extra features of the S50C.I really didn’t expect to become attached to a laser measure, let alone one with so many bells and whistles. But then my tape buckled halfway across my ceiling, and the S50C gadget was sitting right there waiting.Shop the Mileseey S50C Laser MeasureOther Laser Devices We RecommendPaul Russell Smith is a former NYC ironworker turned screenwriter (Grace Point) and home renovation specialist. He lives in a crooked old farmhouse in Stockton, NJ, where he’s just as likely to be clearing a clogged pipe as rewriting a third act. When he’s not working, he enjoys hiking, pedestrian beer, and cooking over a live fire. His self-proclaimed spirit animal is the English Bulldog.