The pick · Best Tape Measure
Stanley FatMax 25-Foot
Eleven feet of standout, a magnetic hook, and the only tape that doesn't humiliate you on the second floor.
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Stanley
FatMax 25-Foot
The verdict
Why Stanley wins this category
The Stanley FatMax is the contractor-default tape measure for a reason: 11 feet of horizontal standout means you can measure a doorway by yourself, from the floor, without the tape collapsing in the middle.
The blade is wider than a normal tape, the markings are easy to read at arm's length, and the hook is magnetic so it grabs the head of a screw or a steel stud without help. The case takes drops onto concrete and shrugs.
There are tape measures with screens, lasers, and Bluetooth. None of them have replaced this one on a job site.
The pick
Stanley FatMax 25-Foot
$28
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