Higher-resolution thermal camera for your phone

The Thermal Master P1 is a small thermal camera that plugs into your phone via USB-C. It turns the phone into a device that shows surface temperatures as a colour image. You can see where it is warm and where it is cold, even where the naked eye sees nothing.

What it finds at home

• Heat loss: leaky windows and doors, thermal bridges at lintels and balconies, weak insulation in the attic.
• Underfloor heating: the pipe layout and the spot where you must not drill. It also shows a circuit that heats less.
• Electrics: an overheating breaker, terminal in the consumer unit or extension lead under load.
• Water and damp: cold spots on a wall where mould may grow, or the route of a hot water pipe.
• Car: brakes, bearings and, on an EV, the charging cable and socket.

Why the P1

The sensor has 320 × 240 pixels, more than the better-known P2 and P2 Pro (256 × 192). For checking a house that matters, because a wide shot of a facade or wall shows more detail. The frame rate is 25 Hz, so the image stays smooth as you pan around a room. It measures up to 600 °C.

How to use it

Plug the camera into the phone’s USB-C port and open the maker’s app. There you pick the colour palette, measuring point, hottest and coldest spot, and save photos and videos. It draws power from the phone and has no battery of its own.

What to watch

• Temperature difference: on facades and windows it works best in winter, when it is at least 10 °C colder outside than inside.
• Shiny surfaces (glass, stainless steel, tiles) reflect surrounding heat and fool the reading. Measure matte surfaces instead.
• Phone: the P1 uses USB-C. Check that your phone has it too.

Who it is for

Home and flat owners, DIY fans and anyone dealing with heating, insulation or wiring. For circuit board repair, the P2 Pro with its macro lens is the better pick.