Stanley Tylon Pocket Tape 3m/10ft Carded

Honestly, wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by a tape measure, but the STANLEY 0-30-686 really is a cracking bit of kit. It’s small enough to chuck in your pocket or drawer, but still feels solid and well-made. The measurements are really clear and easy to read, and the tape doesn’t do that annoying floppiness some cheaper ones do. It snaps back smoothly and the lock holds it in place properly when you need it to. Great for little jobs around the house – measuring up furniture, shelves, whatever you’ve got going on. Just a proper no-nonsense tool that does what it says on the tin. Would definitely buy again if I ever lose it (which I probably will!).

Bought this for measuring paracord. Amazing quality and a great size will fit into pockets easily without being overly bulky. The tape tention and retractability are very good. Really impressed for the price. Definitely great value for money.

Strong and reliable

Good product - compact and robust tape measure - but the packaging is very difficult to remove from the clasp on the back of the tape - took me 10 minutes with a sharp pair of scissors. Really needs to be simplified.

Excellent product, easy to use, value for money, ideal

Stanley is something of a household name in the field of all kinds of tools, and I've found their instantly recognisable yellow and black colour scheme has become an indicator of a certain standard of quality. I'm happy to say that this extendable metal tape measure lives up to that reputation. Sporting the traditional yellow & black Stanley livery this item has a very robust and durable plastic and rubber casing held together with metal screws, and measuring 8cm x 8cm x a surprisingly hefty 4.5cm width. It is also rather weighty - in fact it has about the same dimensions as my dual steel tape & laser measure and weighs even more. This I assume to be the result not only of the superior and more robust build materials, but also of the length and width of the metal tape, extending as it does to 8 metres (26 feet). It has the same width as my laser measure because of the Metres and Feet/Inches measures marked on either edge of the tape. The tape itself is Tylon coated for protection, though I can't imagine this contributes much to the weight. The markings are clear and precise, and it is accurate; indeed over longer distances it is more accurate than my laser measure, albeit only marginally. The terminating metal tab is configured so as to allow it to be used to measure externally or internally, taking the width of the tab into account for more precise measurements. It extends freely and smoothly It also features the standard belt clip on the back. At only 3.5cm long it won't clip fully onto wide belts but the clip is stiff enough to secure it nonetheless, and while the clip is held by a central screw, it won't accidentally and annoyingly rotate around it if it loosens, as it is cleverly recessed to prevent that occurring. Having said all that, it does fall a little short of perfection; a minor irritation for me is the lack of carrying strap/loop or even a suitable hole to utilise one of one's own, but the major irritation is the stiffness of the locking tab, which requires undue pressure to lock and release, and when it does release it does so very suddenly with a jerk, thus exposing the user to the danger of having fingers caught by the metal tape as it spring-zooms back into the case. To be fair, this is all too often a property of spring loaded retractable metal tapes in general and not specific to this particular brand or model There is however a halfway position on the switch that allows one to keep the tape in position without actually being locked, just by keeping one's thumb held in position as a kind of brake, and this I find particularly useful for making fast, smaller measurements which don't require the tape to be greatly extended. Overall, I have to say that this product is as well built and efficient as I have come to expect from Stanley, and at the currently advertised price of £7.90 I deem it particularly good value for money.

Good product

Good! I just moved in so needed this type of ruler to measure before buying furniture and appliances. And it helped me a lot.