These handheld or pocket-sized surface roughness testers, also known as surface testers, are built with an onboard probe and digital display. The entire unit can be placed directly on the surface of a feature or workpiece. The retractable probe extends from the body in multiple orientations. They have a simple digital display that can cycle through standard measurements such as Ra and Rz of a surface.

Portable surface roughness testers, also known as surface testers, are built with a probe that can extend from the body and digital display to reach large workpieces, hard-to-reach features, and take other measurements in complex positions. They can cycle through standard measurements such as Ra and Rz of a surface.

These portable surface roughness testers, also known as surface testers, are built with the probe separate from the display body with no connecting cables needed. The display body has output options, memory options, and interface options, and shows multiple parameters at once as well as more data output interface options. They can cycle through standard measurements such as Ra and Rz of a surface.