Best Metal Detectors 2026: 10 Ranked, and the Coil Spec That Says 12cm

This sits first because its specification table is the most complete in the group. The search coil size is given as 30.48 Centimetres, the International Protection Rating as IP68, the operating frequency as 93 KHz, the item weight as 1.27 kg. Those are numbers you can check without opening the box, and that is why it ranks above the best metal detectors here with far bigger review bases.

In practice, Multi-IQ runs several frequencies at once, and the bullets list 2 x Park, 2 x Field and 2 x Beach pre-programmed modes plus 30 discrimination segments — more than any other model on this page. Minelab quotes a packed length of 25 inches and a weight of 2.9 lb in those bullets, while the spec table gives 1.27 kg, which is 2.80 lb. Worth noting, that 2.9 lb figure is written for the X-TERRA PRO, not the Elite.

That said, at £479 this is not where a beginner should start. With 85 ratings it has the second-smallest review base of the ten, and if you want a cheap metal detector for occasional park use you are paying for Multi-IQ and IP68 you may never test in water. The spec table also lists no battery type and no runtime, despite answering "Are Batteries Required: Yes".

Second place goes on the water rating and the coil. The listing gives IP68 and states the detector is fully submersible to 16 ft, with a V10X 10" x 7" Double-D coil that the specification table records as 25.4 Centimetres. For a metal detector for the beach, that combination is the point.

Meanwhile, the built-in lithium-ion battery is quoted at up to 10 hours of continuous runtime, and the item weight is 1.18 kg — lighter than the X-Terra Elite's 1.27 kg, and light enough to swing for a long session. Park, Beach and All Metal modes cover most ground you will meet, and Multi-IQ means no frequency to choose before you start.

The catch is the review base: 26 ratings. A 4.7 average from 26 people tells you far less than 4.4 from 4,527, which means you are buying on specification and brand rather than on evidence. Even so, this is the one to look at if you want a best metal detector for beginners that will survive a wet afternoon.

This is the most-reviewed of the best metal detectors on this page by a wide margin: 9,252 ratings at 4.5, against 4,527 for the next best. The specification table backs the basics too — a 25 Centimetres search coil, a 12-hour battery average, an item weight of 907 g and an adjustable stem from 108 cm to 136 cm.

In practice, the five modes are All Metal, Discrimination, Memory, Jewellery and Pinpoint, with a Memory mode that locks onto a target metal and filters junk signals. Five sensitivity levels adapt to ground conditions, and the kit arrives with noise-reducing headphones, a digging shovel and a carry bag, so nothing else needs buying before your first trip.

However, the listing is careful in one place and less so in another. It states plainly that the control box is not waterproof, so this is a waterproof metal detector only at the coil. At 907 g it is also light because the build is aluminium and plastic, which is worth knowing on stony ground. No manufacturer part number is listed either.

Crucially, this is the listing where the numbers disagree most. The title says "30cm Waterproof Coil". One bullet says "The 12-inch search coil with an IP68 waterproof rating". The specification table on the same page says the search coil size is 12 Centimetres. That is a 2.5x spread between two claims about one coil, and three different coils by the numbers. The manufacturer part number, OT-MD14, does not match the model number, OT-MD17, either.

What is consistent: five detection modes, 4,527 ratings at 4.4, a twin backlit LCD, a quick-lock spiral shaft and an item weight of 1 kg. The bullets also quote a 10-inch detection depth and an adjustable length of 19 to 59 inches.

That said, the coil you actually receive cannot be known from the page. The model number OT-MD17 also appears on the cheaper SUNPOW at £63.97, which offers four modes rather than five. As a result, if you need a specific coil size for a metal detector for the beach, buy this one accepting you may have to measure it on arrival and send it back.

The battery field on this listing answers "Are Batteries Required: No". Its own bullets say "2 × free batteries included", and the specification table gives the battery type as 9V. Two readings of one listing, on the same page. In theory the answer might mean batteries are not sold separately; in practice the buyer cannot tell which.

Elsewhere the figures hold together. Five detection modes, five sensitivity adjustments and three volume levels. An IP68 search coil recorded at 30.48 Centimetres, with the item highlight calling it a 12" IP68 Waterproof Search Coil — those two agree. Item weight is 2.63 kg and the kit includes a large backpack, over-ear headphones and a manganese steel digger.

That said, 2.63 kg is the second-heaviest weight here, beaten only by the GreenRex at 2.78 kg. And the listing says outright that the controller is not waterproof, so the IP68 rating applies to the coil alone. If you intend to swing this for three hours, factor the weight in.

Here is the cheaper half of a pair. It costs £63.97 and its model number is OT-MD17 — the same model number as the £79.98 SUNPOW above. The differences are in the details: four detection modes against that model's five, and 479 ratings against 4,527. Meanwhile its manufacturer part number is OTMD13-UK, which does not match its own model number either.

What you get for the money is reasonable. An IP68 waterproof coil, a large LCD screen, an adjustable stem for adults and children, and a kit that includes a digger shovel, headphones and two batteries. Item weight is 1.2 kg, so a metal detector for kids and adults can share it without much strain.

Worth noting for anyone comparing the two: the specification table here lists no search coil size at all. That is one way to avoid the contradiction its more expensive sibling carries. Either way, if you want a cheap metal detector to test whether the hobby sticks, this is where the least money is at risk.

The specification table records a unit count of "1.0 gram". The item weight on the same page is 2.78 kg. Both fields sit in the same table, and they cannot both describe the same object. The model number is recorded as "/", so there is nothing to cross-check against either.

The rest reads sensibly. Five detection modes, five sensitivity levels, a 25.4 Centimetres IP68 waterproof coil, an adjustable length up to 132 cm that compresses to 48 cm for travel, and a kit with premium headphones, a foldable shovel, two batteries and a carry bag. It holds 649 ratings at 4.4.

Even so, weight is the practical issue. At 2.78 kg this is nearly a kilo heavier than the DR.ÖTEK MTXR at 907 g, and roughly 1.6 kg heavier than the Vanquish 360. If you detect for two hours at a stretch, that difference shows up in your arm long before it shows up in the finds.

Six detection modes, of which three are terrain presets — Pasture, Park and Sand — plus one-click auto-calibration that DR.ÖTEK says cuts 90% of manual setup time. That is a specific claim you can test on your first outing, which is more than most marketing copy offers.

In practice the numbers line up. The 9.8-inch IP68 waterproof coil is listed as 24.89 Centimetres, and the bullets quote coin-sized targets up to 10 inches deep. Item weight is 980 g, the second-lightest here, and the stem adjusts from 39.2 to 53.1 inches. For rivers, streams and beaches that pairing of low weight and a sealed coil makes sense.

However, the "40% boost in accuracy" in the bullets is not measurable from anything on the page, and the review base is thin: 155 ratings at 4.3. If you want a lightweight waterproof metal detector with a large body of evidence behind it, the £85.99 DR.ÖTEK MTXR above has 9,252.

This has the highest average rating on the page at 4.9. It also has, at 14 ratings, the second-smallest review base here. Both statements come from the same listing, and the second one is the more useful of the two when you are deciding where to spend £129.99.

The hardware looks right on paper. A 10-inch Double-D IP68 coil listed at 25 Centimetres, five modes including All Metal, Disc, Jewellery, Memory and Pinpoint, 6-metal identification, a colour LCD quoted as twice the size of standard, an item weight of 1.15 kg and a shaft adjustable from 53 to 132 cm. Two 9V batteries and a foldable shovel are in the kit.

That said, several bullet claims — "60% faster response", "50% better grip" — cannot be verified from the specification table or from 14 reviewers. In short, buy this for the colour LCD and the Double-D coil if you want them, not because of the star score.