⭐ Best Picks
Our top-rated detectors and detecting gear, head to head.
Best XP Metal Detectors 2026: Deus II vs ORX vs ADX150 Ranked
The best XP metal detectors of 2026 — Deus II, ORX, and ADX150 ranked by role, plus how the French brand that built the first fully wireless detector keeps every coil in its lineup hot-swappable.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector for Meteorites 2026: True All-Metal PI & VLF Ranked
The best metal detectors for meteorite hunting in 2026 — Garrett ATX, Fisher Impulse AQ, Minelab GPX 6000, Gold Monster 1000, and Garrett AT Pro — ranked for true all-metal detection instead of discrimination.
Best PicksBest Fisher Metal Detectors 2026: F75 vs F44 vs F22 vs Gold Bug Pro Ranked
The best Fisher metal detectors of 2026 — F75, F44, F22, Gold Bug Pro and the Impulse AQ Limited ranked by role, plus why the brand that invented the hobby in 1931 still backs every consumer machine with a 5-year warranty.
Best PicksBest Gold Panning Kit 2026: Complete Prospecting Sets Ranked
The best gold panning kits of 2026 ranked — Garrett Deluxe Gold Pan Kit, VEVOR folding sluice box, VEVOR mini sluice kit, and the Estwing steel pan — by what actually recovers gold, not piece count.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector for Relic Hunting 2026: Iron-Tone & Deep-Ground Ranked
The best metal detectors for relic hunting in 2026 — Garrett AT Pro, Minelab Equinox 900, Nokta Legend 2, Garrett ACE 400 and more — ranked for ground balance, iron audio, and confirming ferrous targets instead of rejecting them.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector for Silver 2026: Low-Frequency Depth Ranked
The best metal detectors for finding silver coins and relics in 2026 — Minelab Equinox 900, Garrett AT Pro, Nokta Legend 2, X-TERRA PRO and more — ranked by low-frequency depth and iron handling for old, deep silver, with manufacturer-verified prices.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector for Jewelry 2026: Gold-Range Discrimination Ranked
The best metal detectors for finding jewelry in 2026 — Minelab Equinox 900, Garrett ACE 200, X-TERRA PRO, AT Pro and more — ranked by low-conductivity target ID and jewelry-mode discrimination, with manufacturer-verified prices.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector Accessories 2026: The Four You Actually Need, Ranked
The best metal detector accessories of 2026 — pinpointer, digging tool, headphones and sand scoop — one top pick per category, with real prices and a full starter-kit cost breakdown.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector for Coins 2026: Target ID, Iron Audio & Small Coils Ranked
The best metal detectors for coin hunting in 2026 — Minelab Equinox 900, Nokta Double Score, X-TERRA PRO, Garrett ACE 400 and more — ranked by target ID resolution, iron discrimination and small-coil options, with manufacturer-verified prices.
Best PicksBest Sand Scoop for Metal Detecting 2026: Hole Size, Steel Grade & Handles Decoded
The best sand scoops for metal detecting in 2026 — CKG 11x8, CKG Pro stainless, Hex-7, the diving scoop and the RTG aluminum hand scoop — ranked by hole size, steel grade and handle fit, with manufacturer-published dimensions and prices.
Best PicksBest Metal Detector Headphones 2026: Wireless, Wired & Waterproof Ranked
The best metal detector headphones of 2026 — Minelab ML 105, Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk, Nokta 2.4 GHz, Gray Ghost Amphibian II and budget wired picks — ranked by latency, jack type, and waterproofing.
Best PicksBest Nokta Metal Detectors 2026: The Legend 2, Score Series & Simplex Ranked
The best Nokta metal detectors of 2026 — Legend 2, Double Score, Simplex ULTRA and the rest of the lineup ranked by role, plus why every Nokta, from the $249 model to the $999 flagship, is submersible to the same 5 m.
Best PicksBest Minelab Metal Detectors 2026: Multi-IQ, Gold & Dive Lines Ranked
The best Minelab metal detectors of 2026 — Equinox 900, Manticore, Vanquish 540, X-Terra Pro and the gold machines — ranked by role, with Minelab's Multi-IQ, BBS and gold-PI tech decoded.
Best PicksBest Waterproof Metal Detectors 2026: Submersible & Underwater Picks Ranked
The best waterproof metal detectors of 2026 — Minelab Equinox 900, Nokta Simplex Ultra, Garrett AT Max, Excalibur II — ranked by real depth rating, from rainproof to 200 ft dive machines.
Best PicksBest Garrett Metal Detectors 2026: Every Line Ranked, ACE to Vortex
The best Garrett metal detectors of 2026 — AT Max, Vortex VX9, AT Pro, ACE 400 and more — ranked by line, with Garrett's confusing ACE/AT/Apex/Vortex naming decoded.
Best PicksBest Metal Detecting Shovels 2026: Digging Tools Ranked & Tested
The best metal detecting shovels and digging tools of 2026 — Lesche Sampson, Predator Piranha, Lesche hand digger, Root Slayer, and budget picks — ranked for steel, serrations, and back-saving length.
Best PicksBest Cheap Metal Detectors 2026: The Budget Machines Actually Worth Buying
The best cheap metal detectors of 2026 under $200 — Garrett ACE 200, Fisher F11, Bounty Hunter Tracker IV and more — plus why the Nokta Simplex Lite no longer qualifies, and the toy detectors to avoid.
Best PicksBest Metal Detectors for Beginners 2026: Start Finding, Not Fiddling
The best beginner metal detectors of 2026, ranked by real ease of use and finds-per-hour — Nokta Simplex Ultra, Minelab X-Terra Pro, Garrett ACE 300 and more.
Best PicksBest Metal Detectors for Gold 2026: Nugget Machines Ranked
The best gold metal detectors of 2026 ranked — Minelab Gold Monster 1000, Garrett AT Gold, Nokta Gold Kruzer, and the GPX 6000 — for nuggets, flakes, and gold country.
Best PicksBest Metal Detectors for the Beach 2026: Salt, Surf & Sand Ranked
The best beach metal detectors of 2026 — Minelab Equinox 900, Nokta Legend 2, Excalibur II, Garrett Sea Hunter — ranked for dry sand, wet salt sand, and surf hunting.
Best PicksBest Metal Detectors 2026: Field-Tested for Coins, Relics & More
We ranked the best metal detectors of 2026 — from the Nokta Simplex Ultra to the Minelab Manticore — for coins, relics, beach, and gold, at every budget.
Best PicksBest Pinpointer Metal Detectors 2026: The Garrett Carrot & Its Rivals
The best pinpointer metal detectors of 2026 ranked — Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, Nokta AccuPoint, Minelab Pro-Find 35, and budget picks — tested for speed, depth, and waterproofing.