The great anchor test: these are the best anchors for your boat
1. Our test winner
ULTRA-MARINE anchor, stainless steel
The plough anchor from ULTRA MARINE is clearly one of the highlights in our range and is therefore our boat anchor test winner. The 316 stainless steel anchor boasts excellent workmanship and high-quality material in every respect. The heaviest version of this anchor is also suitable for large boats with a length of more than 22 metres and with a maximum weight of 69 tonnes, it also holds the heaviest boats in place. This anchor is also ideal for anyone wanting a beautiful looking anchor. The hand-polished 316 stainless steel is not only resistant to rust and robust against wear and tear, but still looks elegant and high-quality even after use in salt and fresh water. However, the biggest advantage of this anchor is its maximum flexibility. The anchor can be used in almost all sea beds. All typical marine bottoms such as sand, mud, rubble or rock as well as algae and weed are no problem for this anchor in terms of bedding-in ability. Furthermore, its clever design ensures optimum weight distribution so that the anchor always rotates into the right position and can dig in quickly - probably the most important feature of an anchor for optimum hold in the seabed.
Taking all this into consideration, we were able to say with confidence that this anchor earns its spot on the winner's podium and can be declared the overall winner of our boat anchor test. The comparatively high price of the anchor is ultimately justified by the high-quality workmanship and the robust yet optically striking material. This is an anchor for life!
2. Our top seller
ROCNA Anchor, galvanised
Our top-seller, the bracket anchor or plough anchor from manufacturer ROCNA is a real all- rounder. The hot-dip galvanised steel design is robust and resistant to rust and wear, and can therefore be used in both fresh and salt water. Overall, this anchor features exemplary workmanship. For a price starting at € 199.95 for the smallest model and € 2139.95 for the heaviest model, this anchor can do it all. The smallest version of the anchor is suitable for boats with a length of 7 metres, while the 55-kilogram version is suitable for boats with a maximum boat length of 26 metres and a maximum weight of 60 tonnes. Furthermore, the anchor is best suited for use in a variety of marine beds, including soft mud, tough clay, hard sand, grass or seaweed. Whatever you use it with, this anchor sits and holds. All in all, this anchor covers a broad range of applications.
Due to its flexibility and robustness, this anchor is our bestseller. The high-quality workmanship also ensures a long service life. What's more, the price of less than 200 euros for the smallest version makes it very affordable. Price-performance ratio is right, considering the quality of workmanship and its possible uses. It's an anchor that won't let you down.
3. Our price-performance winner
M-Anchor, stainless steel
No such thing as a reliable anchor, made to the highest quality standards and at a low price? That's not true, because our price-performance winner in the test, the M anchor made of high-quality stainless steel, fulfils precisely these requirements. The anchor is available in five different weight versions from 5 to 20 kilograms and is suitable for boats from 7.5 to 15 metres. Its price of less than 160 euros for the smallest version with a weight of 5 kilograms, puts the M anchor made of stainless steel in the lower mid-range in terms of cost in the SVB shop - despite its high-quality stainless steel design. The M-anchor is particularly stable as it is cast in one piece and ground and polished at the factory. Due to its design, it is ideal for centre-mounted bow rollers. And because of the polished stainless steel finish, the anchor looks fantastic. Not only that, the material also makes it rustproof - an essential quality feature for an anchor that spends a good part of its ‘life’ in the water. Thanks to its characteristic design, the anchor delivers good hold on soft surfaces such as sand and silt.
Our anchor test proves that a good anchor doesn't have to be expensive! If you also consider the high-quality workmanship and material used for this anchor, it is a real alternative to other high- priced models from well-known manufacturers. A top quality anchor at a great price, make this anchor a worthy winner of our price/performance category.
Why a good anchor is crucial
An anchor is more than just a piece of auxiliary equipment, it's a crucial safety component on board. Choosing the right anchor depends on various factors: the specific conditions of the sailing area, such as seabed and current, as well as the characteristics of your boat, including size and weight. A well-chosen anchor not only ensures safety in adverse weather conditions, but also provides comfort and peace of mind when you drop anchor. The right anchor is therefore essential for any sailing trip.
You can find a precise description of how the individual anchor types differ in our detailed Anchor Guide. The guide provides in-depth information on the properties, advantages and disadvantages of different anchor types as well as helpful tips for choosing the anchor that is best suited to your boat.
The most important anchor types tested in direct comparison
Choosing the right anchor is crucial for the safety and stability of a boat. Different anchor types provide different advantages depending on the type of bottom and area of application.
Here is an overview of the most common anchor types that were compared with each other in our boat anchor test.
Plate anchors: These anchors, also known as fluke anchors, are characterised by their lateral flukes, which dig effectively into soft beds such as sand or mud. They are extremely lightweight yet still provide high holding strength..
Ploughshare anchors: Shaped like a plough, they are versatile and suitable for a variety of marine beds, including seaweed and pebbles. Due to their higher weight and special shape, they dig in deeply and provide reliable hold.
Bracket anchors: These anchors have a characteristic bracket that enables quick digging into the bottom. They are particularly effective in sandy and silty conditions and provide a high holding strength.
M-anchors: The M-anchor is characterised by its claw-like shape, which allows it to dig quickly into soft surfaces such as sand or silt. It features high holding strength and is easy to work with. Thanks to its design, it fits perfectly into bow rollers and is available in materials such as galvanised steel or stainless steel, making it durable and corrosion-resistant.
Wing anchors: Designed as a combination of plate and ploughshare anchors, they are characterised by a high weight in the tip of the anchor, which allows them to dig quickly into soft surfaces. The hot-dip galvanised wing anchor is a typical example.
Why not all anchor types were included in the test
Note: We designed this test to be a comparison of different types of anchors and not a comparison of anchors of the same type, i.e. not test to find the best plough anchor, or the best fluke anchor. We wanted our test to be a comparison of as many different types as possible and make sure the types included were all similar in purpose and use, so that it would make sense. In this way, we were really able to say which anchor was the test winner and deserved to be called the best anchor.
Some anchor types were not included in the test, such as sea anchors, folding anchors or wedge anchors, as they are special anchors designed for particular applications or conditions such as drifting, mooring to rocks or as an emergency back up anchor. We therefore decided to focus our test on all-round, commonly used anchors that can be easily compared with each other due to their similar properties and areas of application.
Test setup: These criteria were important in our boat anchor test
We tested various models as part of our great anchor test and considered several factors that characterise a high-quality anchor. Not all assessment factors are listed separately in the assessment, but are included in the overall assessment. The following factors were important for our anchor evaluation:
Anchor type: What kind of anchor was tested?
Holding strength on soft bottoms: How well does the anchor hold on soft beds such as weed, silt or loose sand?
Holding strength on hard surfaces: How well does the anchor hold on rock, pebbles, hard sand, clay or silt?
Versatility: Can the anchor be used on different surfaces? For example, does it hold in soft sand as well as in pebbles or weed?
Workmanship quality: Is the anchor of a high quality, i.e. well welded and evenly galvanised?
Material: What material is the anchor made of? Is it made of aluminium, galvanised steel or stainless steel?
Corrosion resistance: Is the anchor made of corrosion-resistant material or is the anchor additionally refined to a high quality and therefore corrosion-resistant?
Note: For the most objective comparison possible, only anchors with approximately the same weight were compared. By comparing anchor types, we were able to clearly identify their strengths and weaknesses. We tested various anchor models from the brands ULTRA MARINE, ROCNA, PLASTIMO, LEWMAR, WASI and FORTRESS in our Anchors and Accessories category.
The table clearly lists the test results so that you can quickly find the right anchor for your needs.
Conclusion: The best anchors for your boat
We believe that with this test, in which we compared different anchors of different types but with similar properties, we hope to have provided a comprehensive overview of the best anchors available to buy from us at SVB.
Which anchor is the best for your boat?
No one anchor alone is perfectly optimised to suit all uses and bottom surfaces. Some anchors are more suited to certain beds than others and so there will always be limitations in this respect. However, there are some anchors that are very good all-rounders, and some solutions do come very close to being a multi-purpose, universally suitable anchor. We hope that by taking a look at our test, you are one step closer to finding an answer to the questions, which anchor is best for my boat?, which anchor for sandy seabeds?, and which anchor to use for which boat? The test also showed that a good boat anchor must fulfil several criteria. Ideally, it should be reliable and versatile to hold the boat securely in place. Holding strength and bottom surface suitability are particularly important. Anchors such as ploughshare anchors or M anchors are suitable for various bottoms such as sand or mud, while other anchors have been developed for rocky bottoms or seaweed. The weight also plays an important role and should match the size and type of boat. A robust construction made of corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel or galvanised steel ensures durability. All in all, these test criteria are also quality features and reflect the optimum characteristics of a good anchor.
Good anchor = expensive anchor? The cost of a good anchor
It's not easy to say generally whether high-priced anchors are automatically the better anchors and what an anchor should cost accordingly. All anchors tested in our anchor test have their place and purpose and all of them do what they are supposed to do well. However, the results of the test show that higher- priced anchors tend to perform better than cheaper anchor models. This is confirmed by our boat anchor test winner,, which is one of the more expensive anchor models in the SVB range, but is also available in many different weight classes and is therefore suitable for many different sized boats. At the same time, this anchor is indeed extremely versatile, as it guarantees a reliable hold on almost all sea beds. Our top seller tells a similar story. This anchor is in the upper-mid price range and features similar if not virtually the same characteristics as our anchor test winner. However, the exception that tests the rule can be said of our price/performance winner, which although is made of high-quality stainless steel, the M Anchor is in the lower mid-range in terms of purchase price. So if you are prepared to make compromises in terms of application options, you can get a high-quality anchor for comparatively little money.