The Best Metal Detector of 2023

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The dream of finding buried treasure is compelling, but the reality of metal detecting is that you mostly find trash—and you spend a lot of time doing it.

This may be the sort of repetitive, mainly solitary activity you intrinsically enjoy … or it may bore you to tears.

It's best to figure that out before dropping a not-insignificant chunk of change on a metal detector of your own. So before you buy one, try to find a local club or store that will help you go on a trial hunt or two with an experienced detectorist. If the bug catches you, you’ll know it. And at that point, we’d say the Nokta Makro Simplex+ is the absolute best metal detector for a newcomer to the sport.

The Simplex+ has versatile features that veteran detectorists prize on pricier machines, yet its affordability and ease of use make it an accessible device that newcomers will enjoy learning on.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $254.

Though it was introduced only in early 2020, the Nokta Makro Simplex+ has already developed a stellar reputation among detectorists—and for good reason. It boasts features that no other detector in its price range offers, and these features make the Simplex+ easier to use and more versatile. So first-timers will find this detector simpler to master and less frustrating to work with. Among those features: The Simplex+ is fully waterproof, so it's safe to use on the beach, in the surf, and even underwater. Several mode settings (for a beach, park, or field) help filter out background noise; we found no other similarly equipped detectors in this price range. Its display—essentially the command center—is larger and more readable than most, and it can be backlit for legibility at dusk or on nighttime hunts. The Simplex+ is more comfortable to hold than many others, which is a big advantage on hours-long detecting trips. And its user manual is thorough, instructing not only how to use the machine but also how to fine-tune it—to maximize performance in varying conditions. The art of metal detecting takes a fair bit of time to learn, but (as its name suggests) the Simplex+ makes it easier than the other machines we tested.

I am a novice detectorist myself. And this guide reflects the expertise of about a dozen sources, including company reps from Garrett, Nokta, First Texas (maker of the Bounty Hunter), specialist retailers like Kellyco and metaldetector.com, as well as input from a whole bunch of dedicated hobbyists.

This guide owes much of its authority to the generosity of Alan and Sandy Sadwin, who took me under their wing and into their world to help me understand the technology, techniques, and ethics of metal detecting. Both are passionate detectorists and longtime members of the Atlantic Treasure Club, Long Island's oldest metal-detecting club (of which Alan is a former president). They spent hours of their time sharing their knowledge and helping me begin to get a grasp on the hobby as a whole as well as on the specific machines we selected for testing. Many other members of the club also welcomed me when I attended a monthly meeting in February 2020, and they similarly shared their advice and opinions.

For every story like the one about the guy who found an Anglo-Saxon hoard important enough to rewrite history, there are thousands of folks who spend years finding nothing but bottle caps. The actual process of treasure hunting is, quite frankly, time-consuming, monotonous, and rarely rewarded with truly special or valuable finds. That doesn't mean it's not fun. And who knows—you just might find some gold in them thar hills. But before you lay out the cash it takes to get started, you’ll want to know whether treasure hunting is right for you.

That's why our first bit of "buying advice" isn't about buying anything—not yet, anyway. Contact a local club or store, and ask if you can attend a meeting or be put in touch with a committed detectorist who might take you out for a trial hunt. Many clubs also hold occasional public events to encourage the curious to give detecting a try. If you’re friendly, patient, open about your interest, and willing to learn, you'll likely find someone to give you some hands-on guidance. And be honest with yourself: If the bug doesn't grab you after a trial hunt or two, metal detecting may not be your thing. If it does grab you, you can look forward to many adventures, including specialized detecting trips—there are specialist tour operators in the US and UK who secure the rights to search farms and other private land. On the night I joined a meeting, one couple at the Atlantic Treasure Club had just returned from England, where they’d found a medieval gold coin and a silver one from the British Roman era.

It's probably more accurate to describe detecting as a sport rather than a hobby, in that mastering it means mastering the equipment, techniques, and rules. There's a fairly steep learning curve to the machines themselves, which are complex and fallible electronic devices. It takes time to understand how they work, where and why they can fail, and how to coax the best performance out of them. And though the techniques aren't terribly complex, you do have to get them right to make your detector work well.

But there's another way metal detecting is like a sport. The great writer John McPhee once wanted a synonym for the word sport and found this definition in an early-20th-century edition of Webster's Dictionary: "a diversion of the field." Metal detecting is certainly that.

There's also a general mindset we witnessed when talking to happy detectorists: that they were in it as much for the act of searching as they were for finding something amazing. Alan and Sandy usually search Long Island's Jones Beach, where not much of great monetary value ever shows up. (Though Alan did once reunite a high schooler with her lost class ring, a discovery that also busted her to her mom—she’d been strictly forbidden from going to the beach.) But instead, they regularly see porpoises, dolphins, and sharks in the waves, as well as the endangered piping plover nesting in the dunes. I loved watching sandpipers darting in and out as they followed the surf, showing intrigued youngsters what I was up to, and simply escaping my apartment's walls. I once apologized to Alan for taking up so much of his time, and he said, "Don't. You’re my excuse to get out there and have fun." No matter what you find—or whether you find anything, period—enjoying the outdoors is an intrinsic pleasure of metal detecting, and not one to discount.

When I began working on this guide, in January 2020, I did the usual Wirecutter thing: I started with basic research. How do these things work? Who makes them? Who uses them? What do they cost? What features matter? The first three questions were fairly easy to answer, but the last two proved thorny. There are metal detectors that cost under $100 and metal detectors that cost $2,000 or more. As the prices increase, so do the features—a bewildering array of them. We wanted to find a machine with features a first-timer would benefit from, but nothing extraneous, for the best value possible. By "value" we mean we wanted to find a machine that included some of those features at a better price than that of its similarly equipped competition.

Calls to manufacturers and store retailers helped me identify a decent handful of promising contenders. But even though I found the people I spoke with candid, I wanted unvarnished advice. So I looked for local enthusiasts and discovered the Atlantic Treasure Club, "Long Island's oldest metal detecting club." We got in touch, and soon after I booked train tickets to join the club's next meeting.

The club members helped me eliminate one detector manufacturer entirely. They also helped me refine my options from another manufacturer. Several independently recommended that I strongly consider a then-new entry from a third manufacturer—a model I’d previously eliminated for its dearth of reviews. In looking for an affordable machine that a novice could handle and also grow into as their skills developed, a few key features came into focus: water resistance or waterproof design, the versatility to adjust the machine for different settings or for the types of materials sought (or excluded), the design of the ground-reading coils, a clear display visible in bright sunlight, and an ergonomic build that's comfortable to carry for extended periods, among other factors. All of this gets abstract without the ability to compare specific machines, and we’ll go into further detail on how well our pick delivered on these features, compared with the other options available.

All of this reporting, interviewing, and shopping helped us narrow the field to just three models to test: a new model, a veteran model from a different company (both of them in the high sub-$300 range), and the most popular detector on Amazon (which costs under $100).

I began by going hands-on with all three machines in the park across from my apartment. This was technically illegal (more on that below), but because I wasn't actually digging anything up, just working out the machines’ controls and displays, I figured I was okay. I brought a handful of small objects made of different metals and scattered them on the ground, to see how or even if the machines could differentiate between them—for example, if they could "see" the difference between a steel bolt and a silver coin.

Once I was familiar enough with the detectors, I later did what's called a seeded hunt. I filled a large food-storage container with sand about a foot deep, buried different objects in it at a depth of about 8 inches, and ran the detectors over the sand's surface to see whether they would pick up the presence of the objects. This also let me try out each machine's "discrimination" features: Either using pre-set "modes" or by manually adjusting a detector, you can make it ignore certain metals. That can be useful if you’re hunting in an area with, say, a lot of aluminum pull tabs, but you want to find stuff made only of brass or gold. (I buried my gold wedding ring—tied to a long string—alongside a steel bolt for this test. Found it!)

As a complete novice, I also wanted to spend some time detecting with experts. So—after a 15-month pandemic pause—I reconnected with Alan and Sandy Sadwin, who generously took me on a pair of morning-long outings at Jones Beach on Long Island. They taught me the proper techniques for searching and digging, as well as a dozen other valuable tips from their decades of experience. This guide owes a great deal to their open and giving spirits.

The Simplex+ has versatile features that veteran detectorists prize on pricier machines, yet its affordability and ease of use make it an accessible device that newcomers will enjoy learning on.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $254.

If you’ve decided to take up metal detecting, the Nokta Makro Simplex+ is our pick for a great first machine. Usually selling for about $250, it has features normally found on more expensive machines, including one that makes it unique in this price range: It's fully waterproof. That means it's safe to use at the surf's edge, and it can even be submerged in shallow water. By contrast, other similarly priced machines’ electronics are vulnerable even to stray splashes. The Simplex+'s preset search modes allow you to quickly adjust it to the type of site you’re hunting in (fields, parks, and beaches present different challenges to detectors). Or you can customize the settings manually to tailor the machine to screen out or ping only on specific metals (which is handy if you’re searching for an item of known composition, like a lost earring). This model has a large LCD screen that's easy to read even in bright sun. And it has a large search coil—the ring-shaped component at the end of the shaft—which helps it search deeper in the ground than machines with smaller coils can. Also, the Simplex+ is comfortable to carry for hours at a time, with a rubberized handle and generous forearm rest. The built-in battery lasts about 12 hours on a full charge, and you can extend that by plugging it into a portable power bank. When I told Alan Sadwin that the Simplex+ was going to be our pick, he said, "Good choice. It's got a great reputation, and I know a lot of people who use one."

During our testing, the Simplex+'s direct competitor was the Garrett Ace 300—another well-regarded and popular detector, from one of the oldest companies in the business—and they’re priced about the same. But time and again, in a head-to-head comparison, the Simplex+ came out on top.

Not all detectorists strictly need a completely waterproof detector: Not everyone lives near a beach or wants to get into the subculture of river-bottom hunting. But since the Simplex+ offers waterproofness for the same price as the Garrett Ace 300 (which is waterproof only to the top of the shaft), it adds a lot more options for where you can hunt without worrying about ruining your machine. (Specifically, the Simplex+ is rated IP68, meaning it can survive 30 minutes underwater at 3 meters, or 10 feet. So it's not meant for scuba detecting.) Machines that are partially waterproof, like the Garrett Ace 300, can be used carefully at the water's edge, but Alan and Sandy both recommended against it. "You lay your detector down to dig a hole and a wave comes up and fries the control box," Alan said by way of example.

And when it comes to beach hunting, the Simplex+ offers another huge advantage over the Garrett Ace 300: The Simplex+ has an automatic "beach mode" setting. The saltwater and (very often) iron-rich "black sand" found at the seashore can create a huge amount of background interference for detectors, since they work by using electromagnetism to find metal objects. The salt ions and black sand react to the electromagnetic waves, too, and essentially create a wall of static that masks legitimate findings. The Simplex+'s beach mode automatically filters out this static; I had no trouble finding coins, bottle caps, and lead fishing weights, even right in the surf. It's a really useful feature—one that the Garrett Ace 300 lacks.

The ground-scanning search coil of the Simplex+ is an 11-inch circle; the Ace 300's is a 10-by-7-inch oval. In general, the electromagnetic pulses from larger coils can penetrate more deeply than those from smaller coils. And larger coils also help you cover ground more quickly, since every sweep of the detector goes over a larger area. As well, the Simplex+'s coil is what's known as a "double D": It's formed of two subcoils, shaped like a pair of capital Ds set back to back. The Ace 300's is the more-common concentric design, shaped like a capital O with a lowercase o inside it. Double D coils produce a wide electromagnetic field, again permitting more ground to be covered in a given amount of time, while concentric coils produce a narrow field. That can allow more-precise pinpointing of the location of a find. But for first-timers, we think the double D's advantages in depth of search and breadth of coverage will produce more finds and fewer frustrations. (If you’d like to know more, check out this efficient, articulate summary of coil types and their strengths and weaknesses, from detector manufacturer Minelab.)

One of the most important parts of a detector is its display screen. It's where you toggle between modes (on the Simplex+, these are beach, all-metal, field, and park). It's where the machine shows you the frequency of an object that's been detected—a clue to what type of metal it's made of. And it's where you get a readout of the target's approximate depth, adjust the detector's sensitivity (sometimes lower is better, such as in an area where the soil is iron-rich and tends to produce "static" or false readings), and do things like manually discriminate against certain metals you don't want the machine to pick up. It's the dashboard, basically—and the Simplex+'s is far superior to the Ace 300's. For one thing, the Simplex+'s display screen is about twice as large, so everything's bigger and easier to read. And it can be set to various levels of backlighting, from zero to bright, allowing the display to be read in varying light conditions. The Simplex+'s control buttons can also be backlit, and it has a built-in flashlight to help you see objects when hunting in the dark. The Garrett Ace 300 has no backlighting on its screen or buttons, and it lacks a flashlight.

Another important aspect of any detector is how comfortable it is to use—you may be carrying it, constantly sweeping the ground in wide arcs, for hours at a time on a hunt. I found the Simplex+ considerably more comfortable to hold, due to the combination of an ergonomic rubberized handle and a long forearm rest; this provides a counterbalance to the weight of the shaft and coil. The Ace 300's simple, cylindrical rubberized handle took more hand strength to grip, and its shorter forearm rest gave less leverage. That meant the Simplex+ was less tiring to use, especially after some time.

Both machines can be used with headphones, and these make it easier to hear the beeps and whines that indicate a discovery—especially at the beach, where the noise of the waves can drown out quiet signals. Alan and Sandy (and many dedicated hobbyists) prefer wired headsets for their reliability; the Simplex+ comes with an adapter cable for that purpose, or it can be used with wireless headphones (purchased separately). The Garrett Ace 300 comes with a wired headset and has a built-in ¼-inch jack.

Both also have a useful pinpointing feature: Once an object is detected, you press the pinpointer button and move the coil in a cross-shaped pattern over the approximate location. And by sound and/or display, the machine tells you when you’re more or less centered over the object. The Simplex+, which both rises in pitch and shows a narrowing bullseye on its display as you approach the spot, was more intuitive. (Dedicated hobbyists usually buy a separate pinpointing tool, which does the job even better, but it's more than a newcomer needs.)

Handily, the Simplex+ comes with a coil cover—essentially a sacrificial plastic shroud—that protects the detector coil itself from abrasion. (The Ace 300 comes with one, as well.) The Sadwins emphasized the importance of a coil cover: "You want to wear it out," Sandy said, meaning that if you’re hunting properly, you’re almost dragging the coil across the surface of the ground. Over time you’ll wear away its housing and expose the wiring—not good. (Alan also said you should regularly remove and rinse out your coil cover—salt and black sand can get in behind it and mess up the detector's readings.)

Finally, the user manual that comes with the Simplex+ is exceptional. It's long, detailed, and clearly written. And it provides lots of tips not only on how to use the various settings but why and when to use them. It's so long, in truth, that it's initially intimidating. But as you become more familiar with the machine, and as you gain experience, all that detail will help you get the very most out of the Nokta. The Garrett Ace 300's manual is considerably more basic; you’ll need to learn a lot of its tricks on your own.

When we began working on this guide, the Nokta Makro Simplex+ was brand new to the market, but multiple members of the Atlantic Beach Club encouraged us to put it on our list of detectors to test. It now has over 700 reviews on Amazon and a 4.7-star rating, many from experienced detectorists. Between that and our own experience, we’re confident this is a great choice for an affordable first machine.

A small number of the Nokta Makro Simplex+ Amazon reviewers said they received clearly used machines—some of them arrived with bits of grass and sand in the box. A few other reviewers reported that the speaker (which beeps and whines when an object is detected) crapped out within a short period of time. And Nokta's customer service does not get great reviews.

The wireless headphones don't come with a charging cable. Any spare micro-USB cable will do the job, but it would be easy for Nokta to provide one.

This is not so much a flaw as a statement of the model's context in the wider world of detectors. It's not the finest machine money can buy. Higher-end detectors usually offer additional features, such as even greater waterproofness, multiple coil options, and multifrequency detection (which makes them even better able to find and identify relics). But as features are added, prices also rise—in most cases, significantly. You could claim the Simplex+ is "missing" these finer touches, but we don't think a first-time detectorist needs them. (And it's worth noting that serious detectorists usually have multiple detectors in their arsenal, choosing among them to finely match the terrain they’ll be hunting in—but that's a really advanced skill.) We think the Simplex+'s versatility and accessibility outweigh this drawback.

All three detectors we tested are of the VLF (very low frequency) type. It is the most common, works well in most ground conditions, and is used on both the cheapest and some of the most expensive machines. (The other main type, pulse induction, is strictly high-end.) A VLF detector works by generating oscillating electromagnetic fields via the coil. The field penetrates the ground and then reverses polarity, and, in a sense, echoes back to the coil. If the field encounters a metal object in the ground, it induces an electromagnetic field in the object. That, in turn, alters the nature of the echo, and the electronics in the control box can interpret the change and indicate the likely identity of the metal—they all respond differently to the electromagnetic field, yielding different echoes. (That said, the interpretation is far from exact: The depth, size, and orientation of an object can all change how the machine "reads" it. In my experience, aluminum pull tabs often registered at frequencies that could have indicated silver or copper. Alan, with 30 years of experience under his hat, said, "I just dig everything" the machine picks up.)

To generate the response from a metal object, however, the coil needs to be in motion. That's why you see detectorists constantly swinging their machines in wide arcs. There's a technique to doing it right: You have to keep the coil parallel to the ground and close to it throughout the swing. I found that it takes more of a torso action than an arm one: You twist the hips and spine, keeping your arm and wrist in roughly fixed position. If you use your arm, it forces the detector to swing like a pendulum, rising off the ground at either end of the swing. That means you’re actually getting readings only in the center of the swing, when the coil approaches the ground; if do that, you’ll miss wide swathes, and lots of potential targets.

It takes practice. I heard Alan and Sandy calling out to me time and time again when I was just starting out: "Lower!" "Closer!" "Near the ground!" But I got better quickly.

You also need a tool to dig with, so you can bring up your finds. On beaches, that means a scoop: a cylinder of metal or plastic, pierced with holes to allow sand and water to drain out. Dedicated hobbyists usually opt for fairly expensive ones made of sturdy metal, often with a waist-height handle so they don't have to stoop to dig. But when you’re starting out, a short-handled plastic scoop will work fine and cost a lot less. This one from National Geographic is $20 and has a 4.6-star rating on more than 3,600 Amazon reviews.

When hunting in fields, parks, and open grounds, most detectorists use a digger like the SE Prospector's Choice. You can find similar tools in most garden stores (they’re also used by landscapers), but the orange handle on the SE Prospector is easier to find if you lay it down somewhere grassy or twilit. The narrow blade pierces soil easily, and the serrated edges help cut through sod and roots.

One of the chief rules in the detectorist's code of ethics is: Don't leave a mark behind. That means filling the holes you dig, including on the beach. In grassy areas, you should preserve the grass as well as filling the hole. Alan's advice is to make a semicircular cut through the sod, slice horizontally through the roots underneath, and fold the semicircle back like a flap. After you’ve dug (and refilled) the hole underneath, pull the flap of sod back into position and gently tamp it down.

Other parts of the code are just good sense and common decency: Don't destroy property. Don't trespass. Do ask for permission to dig on private property (farm fields are popular hunting spots). If you dig up trash (bottlecaps, beer cans), pack it out and dispose of it properly.

Also, be aware of and follow existing laws. There are laws against metal detector use on federal property, so national parks, monuments, wilderness areas, and other enticing places are a complete no-go. (Technically, it's a felony to even possess a detector on federal property, unless it's been broken down into its component parts and thus rendered temporarily unusable.)

Most states and municipalities also have restrictions on where you can hunt on public land, like parks and beaches. Try calling the state and local parks departments to find out the rules in your area. You may need to get a license—and sometimes pay for it. (The actual process is rarely more than filling out a form with your name and address—it's not an FBI background check.)

There are laws against metal detector use on federal property, so national parks, monuments, wilderness areas, and other enticing places are a complete no-go.

Generally, you are required by the terms of these licenses to turn in to local authorities any find worth more than a few tens of dollars. In practice, "we don't know anybody who does," Alan said. But most detectorists will make a good-faith effort to reconnect a valuable with its owner. A member of the Atlantic Treasure Club once returned a pair of platinum-and-diamond rings to their owner—a story that made the BBC.

The Garrett Ace 300 is a well-regarded, well-priced metal detector, as evidenced by its strong reviews. It was recommended by several shop owners, and by Garrett itself, when we explained our criteria: the best value under $300 for someone new to the hobby. But, as our tests alongside the Nokta Makro Simplex+ proved, the Ace 300 simply doesn't have a comparable set of features, design, interface, and ergonomics. Since the two detectors cost the same, there's really no reason not to go with the Simplex+.

The Bounty Hunter Tracker IV is the best-selling, most-reviewed detector on Amazon. It typically sells for $100 or less. For that you get a very basic machine, one we found extremely frustrating to use, both on its face and even more so in comparison with the Nokta Makro Simplex+ and the Garrett Ace 300. Most frustrating is the fact that the Bounty Hunter model doesn't have an electronic display to help identify objects in the ground. Instead, it has an analog display: a needle that moves along a dial, like a speedometer, to indicate the frequency of the signal the machine detected. It is almost impossible to read, because the needle moves too quickly for the eye to follow. Worse, in our testing it registered every metal object (steel bolt, silver quarter, gold ring, copper penny) exactly the same: a wild, off-the-charts reading. Basically, it’ll tell you it's found something, but not what. And because the needle jumps so fast from zero to off the charts and back, it's difficult to pinpoint where the object actually is—you’re sweeping the coil at the same time as the readings are taken, so by the time you see the needle jump, you’ve moved the coil another foot or more. As one shop owner told us, "People use it once and put it away in a closet forever." We think it would turn more first-timers off the hobby of detecting than it would turn on.

We considered but did not test the Minelab Vanquish 440. Although it's a very well-regarded machine from a company that many members of the Atlantic Treasure Club consider to be one of the best in terms of technology, almost to a one they also noted that customer service is very slow to respond. As well, we did not get a response after calling the company several times. However, as of 2023 it appears that this issue has been addressed. The company has expanded its customer service arm, and gives its agents training in metal-detector use to help them better answer customer questions and troubleshoot technical problems. This testimony from a detector retailer is frank about how bad it was—and how good it has become. If we test metal detectors again, we’ll confidently include Minelab.

We dismissed any other metal detector we found that, like the Bounty Hunter, used an analog dial rather than an LCD screen; they are simply not helpful. We also stayed away from brands lacking an extensive history of making metal detectors—Sunpow, Pancky, Ricomax, and Ommo are examples that show up in Amazon's most-popular list. After speaking with the companies of ones we did test, we decided to dismiss their most basic models and move one or two steps up: A small increase in price meant significant increases in performance and user-friendly features.

That was also Alan Sadwin's advice. In one of our first email exchanges, he wrote of his first purchase, back in the 1980s: "When picking out what I should buy, I tried to figure out the minimum requirements I wanted for a metal detector. I then figured out what model I should look at. However, before I bought one, I figured out the cost of the next better model. Since the cost was not a quantum leap up, that is the one I bought. My theory is that you don't always understand your needs until you realize why you needed more."

Tim Heffernan

Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter and a former writer-editor for The Atlantic, Esquire, and others. He has anchored our unequaled coverage of air purifiers and water filters since 2015. In 2018, he established Wirecutter's ongoing collaboration with The New York Times's Smarter Living. When he's not here, he's on his bike.

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