Ideally, there are two types of pool thermometers, digital and analog. These can be further divided into floating, hanging, and handheld.  Of these, the digital models are the most effective and provide an accurate reading. Besides, they also have more additional features. However, they are a tad bit more pricey than the other units.  The analog models though cheaper than the digital counterparts and easy to use, are not accurate.  The same applies to the floating and handheld models. In comparison, floating thermometers are less accurate than hanging pool thermometers. Since the latter is not submerged in the pool like the hanging models, they often fail to provide the correct accuracy. Handheld ones are better than floating and hanging thermometers.