Photometers Lovibond

Lovibond Photometers for Swimming Pools: The European Standard for Water Analysis

If you walk into the equipment room of any public swimming pool in Spain and open the logbook cabinet, there’s a very high probability that you’ll see a Lovibond photometer right next to the logbook. The German company Tintometer GmbH, owner of Lovibond, has been manufacturing colorimetric water measurement equipment for over a century—since 1885, to be exact—and at Espa, it has become the de facto standard for the analysis required by Royal Decree 742/2013 and equivalent regional regulations.

On this page, you’ll find the Lovibond line of pool testing equipment distributed by Quimipool, ranging from the pocket-sized Scuba 3s to the desktop MD200 6-in-1, including the Bluetooth-enabled MD150, the Turbicheck TB 211 IR turbidimeter, and the SD series of electronic meters. The difference from other brands isn’t in the technology (the photometry is based on the same physics); it lies in document traceability and adoption within the professional sector.

Why Lovibond and for whom

Three features set Lovibond apart from Hanna or PrimeLab:

• Traceability and regulatory compliance. Lovibond photometers are factory-calibrated using DIN/ISO standards and issue calibration certificates accepted by regional health authorities. It’s the go-to brand when an inspector asks to see documentation.
• Lovibond test tablets. DPD No. 1, DPD No. 3, Phenol Red, and the like are generic names in the industry: any pool maintenance professional with five years of experience knows them by heart. That means universal compatibility and a steady supply—you can find Lovibond test tablets at any pool supply dealer in the country.
• Field-Proven Durability. The IP68-sealed housings of the MD200 series, the one-handed Scuba models, and the durability of the SD models are designed for 200 pools a year—not just a single private pool. If you use them daily, you’ll notice the difference within two summers.

Lovibond It’s the natural choice for professional pool maintenance providers, large homeowners’ associations, hotels, hospitals, sports facilities, and public pools. It’s also suitable for private pools, but in that case, Hanna and PrimeLab offer better value for money for home users.

How a Photometer Works Lovibond

The physics are the same as in any chemical photometer: the device emits light at a specific wavelength (typically 530 nm for DPD chlorine, 560 nm for pH Phenol Red, 590–660 nm for other parameters), the light passes through a cuvette containing the water sample treated with the reagent, and a sensor measures how much light is absorbed by the developed color. Beer-Lambert’s law relates absorbance to concentration, and the display shows the result directly in ppm or mg/L.

Where Lovibond makes a difference is in the optical stability of the LED and the light source —the MD200 models maintain calibration for years without noticeable drift—and in the traceability of the reagent: each batch of Lovibond tablets comes with a batch number and expiration date printed on the packaging, information required for health inspections.

Compared to test strips and visual disc-type tablet comparators, the advantages are the same as with any photometer: repeatability, resolution (0.01 ppm for chlorine), and the absence of operator bias. You’ll find more details on the photometric mechanism in the general section on pool water analysis.

Lovibond ’s pool product line: which model to choose

Scuba 3s: the pocket photometer

Small, lightweight, single-button operation. The Scuba 3s measures three basic parameters (free chlorine, total chlorine, and pH) using DPD and Phenol Red test strips. It’s the natural replacement for the visual disc-type comparator that pool maintenance technicians have carried in their pockets for years. It costs around €109, making it the most affordable entry point into photometry from a reputable brand.

It’s chosen by pool maintenance pros who want a backup unit in their van, discerning homeowners switching from test strips, and technical service providers for small pools where an MD200 isn’t justified.

MD150: Portable with Bluetooth

This is the latest model, designed for pool maintenance professionals who already use a mobile app. The 6-in-1 MD150 with Bluetooth measures free chlorine, total chlorine, pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, and a sixth configurable parameter, and transmits each reading via Bluetooth to the AquaLX app at Lovibond, where they are logged with the date, time, and geolocation. It costs around €719. If your workflow is mobile-first and you need automatic reporting for clients, this model or a PrimeLab are your two options.

MD200: The Workhorse of Public Pools

It is , without a doubt , the best-selling Lovibond photometer on Espa. It can be used as either a benchtop or portable unit, features a rugged IP68-rated housing, a backlit display, battery power, and recalibratable calibration using reference standards. Three configurations based on parameters:

• MD200 3-in-1 (~€619): free chlorine, total chlorine, pH. The basic configuration for the logbook. Top seller.
• MD200 5-in-1 (~€899): adds alkalinity and cyanuric acid.
• MD200 6-in-1 (~€949): adds a sixth parameter of your choice (typically calcium hardness or bromine).

For public neighborhood pools, large residential complexes, hotels, and most facilities that need to comply with regulations, the MD200 5-in-1 is the standard choice. Choose the 6-in-1 only if you regularly measure calcium hardness or use bromine.

Turbicheck TB 211 IR: Regulatory Turbidity Meter

The Turbicheck TB 211 IR measures turbidity using the infrared nephelometric method, in accordance with ISO 7027 and equivalent DIN standards. It is the mandatory complement to the MD200 when the facility is subject to public health oversight in Espa: turbidity is a parameter required by Royal Decree 742/2013, and a conventional chemical photometer does not measure it. ~€895.

Model-specific T-CAL standards ranging from 0.1 to 800 NTU are used for calibration; these are also available at Quimipool.

SD Series: Portable Electronic Meters (Non-Photometric)

Please note this important distinction: the SD series from Lovibond are not photometers; they are electronic meters with electrodes. They serve a different purpose and are complementary. They are useful when you need continuous or very frequent measurements of a specific parameter without using up reagent tablets for each analysis.

• SD10 pH (~€239): electronic pH meter with electrode, continuous reading, accuracy ±0.01.
• SD20 ORP (~€279): oxidation-reduction potential (redox) meter—a useful parameter for validating the disinfecting activity of chlorine.
• SD30 EC (~€229): electrical conductivity, salinity, TDS, and temperature. Essential if you work with salt chlorinators.
• SD40 Multi (~€329): multiparameter meter; swap out the electrode as needed.

When should you use an SD meter instead of a photometer? When you’re going to measure the same parameter dozens of times a day (online process monitoring, chlorinator calibration, comparative analysis). A photometer uses one test strip per test; an SD meter only requires electrode electrolyte and periodic calibration.

Parameters covered by the product line Lovibond

With the combination of MD200 + Turbicheck + SD30, you cover virtually all parameters required in Spanish public swimming pools:

• Disinfectants: free chlorine, total chlorine (and, by default, combined chlorine), bromine, ozone
• Chemical balance: pH, total alkalinity, cyanuric acid/stabilizer, calcium hardness
• Salt electrolysis: conductivity (EC), salinity, TDS
• Sanitary quality: turbidity (Turbicheck), ORP (oxidation-reduction potential)
• Support: water temperature, iron, copper, phosphates (with advanced MD200 multiparameter meters)

Reagents, test strips, and standards: the ecosystem Lovibond

The equipment is half the analysis. The other half consists of Lovibond test tablets and calibration standards. At Quimipool, you’ll find the entire ecosystem:

• Lovibond photometer reagents: complete catalog of test strips (DPD No. 1, DPD No. 3, Phenol Red, Calcium, CYA-Test, Alkalinity-M, and the rest of the line), powders, and liquid reagents for all MD150, MD200, and Scuba models.
• Standard reference kits for recalibrating the MD100 and MD200 for chlorine and pH. These allow you to verify that the equipment is still reading correctly after a shock or a long period of inactivity.
• Calibration standards: pH, chlorine, and T-CAL for turbidity. Essential for maintaining documentary traceability.
• Replacement cuvettes specifically for photometers and turbidimeters (those for the Turbicheck are different and not interchangeable).
• Plasticstirring rod to prevent sample contamination when dissolving the tablets.

Golden rule: an original Lovibond tablet costs what it costs (cents per test) and is what guarantees the reading. Generic tablets from other brands provide plausible readings but are not traceable; during a health inspection, they can invalidate the entire record.

Lovibond Hanna vs. PrimeLab

All three brands are reliable and provide accurate measurements when used correctly. The differences lie in their positioning:

• Lovibond It is the professional option with regulatory compliance and documented traceability. Long-standing, robust, and ubiquitous in Spanish public swimming pools. Test strips are available from any distributor.
• Hanna Instruments offers the best low-cost line (Checker HC) and excellent value for money in multiparameter testers. More geared toward home and semi-professional use.
• PrimeLab is the most modern option in terms of connectivity: Bluetooth to an app, automatic logging—ideal for maintenance technicians with large fleets who report to clients via mobile. Lovibond has responded to this with the MD150 BT, but PrimeLab was born mobile-first.

If your end customer is a public facility or a homeowners’ association with a demanding president, Lovibond is the safe bet. If it’s a private individual with a family pool, Hanna probably offers more value for the money. If you’re a modern pool maintenance professional and want automatic reporting to the customer, compare the MD150 BT and PrimeLab.

Quimipool Astralpool also distributes photometers and other digital pool meters if you’d like to explore alternatives.

Maintenance and Common Mistakes

Four tips from technical support:

• Test cells: Always keep them clean and free of scratches. The MD200’s test cells are square, and the optical surface will get scratched if you load them with the tablets inside and stir with a metal rod. Use the original plastic stirring rod.
• Make surethe tablet is completely dissolved before taking a reading. Crush the tablet with the stirrer, wait for the time indicated in the instructions (typically 1 minute for DPD chlorine, 2 minutes for CYA), and only then press “read.”
• Perform the zero/blank calibration using a sample from the pool itself, not distilled water. The MD200 correctsfor the water’s natural color if you perform the blank calibration with the sample before adding the reagent. This is what distinguishes a good reading from an approximate one.
• Recalibrate every 12 months using the standard reference kits. In public pools with a logbook, it is mandatory to keep a written record of the calibration.

And if the reading seems impossible: do not add any product before repeating the test with a tablet from another box. Nine times out of ten, it’s due to an old or improperly stored reagent.

Find your photometer at Lovibond in the list above and filter by number of parameters or equipment type. Free shipping on orders over €150, with standard delivery within 24–48 hours on the Spanish mainland. If your system has a logbook and you’d like advice on the required configuration for your autonomous community, call 91 128 55 90 or contact us via the contact form: our technical team is available Monday through Friday during business hours.