We've a fairly wide variety of tools in this house from the basic tape measure, screwdriver and hammer to some much fancier power tools such as circular saw, router etc. In fact when it comes to tape measures we've got a few - most of which I can never get my hands on when I need to measure something. This Rolson Tape Measure however is the one which I can normally find when I need it as it's officially MINE. There's a bit of a story behind it being mine which I'm sure you don't really care about, but it ended with me demanding my own tape measure, being laughed at by my husband and then finding one packaged up for me for Christmas a couple of years ago.

So... my tape measure - well, being made by Rolson means it's a pretty sturdy brand in the world of tools, and I can safely say that this tape measure is pretty sturdy too.

It's a 5 metre long steel tape wound inside a spring loaded black plastic case designed so that when you pull the tape measure out you can either hold it in place and then let it spring back inside it's casing, or you can push down the latching button on the side and the tape will stay locked out at whatever position you had it in when you pushed down the button.

Having been given this I don't know what exactly was paid for it, but I've seen these around for well under a fiver on the high street and on the internet the best price I can currently see it for is £1.49 in Halfords.

In terms of use, this is a nice easy to use tape measure with a good sturdy bent end so you can hook it nicely over one edge of whatever you're measuring and then pull back on the case to extend the measure to where you need it. Reading the measurements is simple, and they're very clearly marked on the 2cm wide tape in both centimetres and inches.

This isn't the sort of measure you'll want if you're making clothing or measuring body parts because being metal, it's only designed for straight use. This does however make it much more suited to measuring spaces around the house or lengths of pieces of furniture etc.

This has a belt clip on the back so you could clip it on a belt or pocket, however I have to admit I normally just pop this in my pocket as it's small enough to fit easily and I find it more comfortable to carry around this way. Having said that, when I'm actually in the middle of measuring things and writing the measurements down the wrist strap that is attached to one corner of the case is much easier to use.

I have to say I like the fact that this is my own tape measure and therefore hubby dearest doesn't stick it back in the shed or his tool box where I can't find it. I'm sure if you were carrying it around in a toolbox on the job then it would be really useful that the case of this is impact resistant rubber, but for me it's not really a factor as my little tool collection lives in a corner of a drawer in the dining room and doesn't often leave the house.

So far I've had this for about 18mths now and it looks the same as when it was given to me. I'd recommend if you want a sturdy tape measure at a good low price this is a worthwhile one to pick up.