VL53L1X (ToF, 4 m)
Also known as: VL53L1X · VL53L4CD · Distance & level
The water-tank sensor of the ToF era: 4 m of silent ranging pointed down a cistern, without the ultrasonic blind zone or transducer corrosion.
As an Amazon Associate and an affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are set by the retailer.
At a glance
⚑ flag an error| Measures | distance |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | Laser ToF to ~4 m with configurable field of view |
| Interface | I2C @ 0x29 |
| Supply | 3.3 V |
| Battery-viable | Yes (deep-sleep friendly) |
| ESPHome | External/community component |
| Typical price | $3-5 (street, varies) |
Compare all sensor modules in one table →
Which one do I buy?
vs JSN-SR04T ultrasonic: ToF has no 25 cm blind zone and no corroding transducer; ultrasonic tolerates dirtier optics.
Clone check
Medium clone risk. Boards sold as 'L1X' sometimes carry a VL53L4CD (different register map, 1.3 m) — if range tops out short, that's why.
Good for
Gotchas to know
- No native ESPHome component (a long-open feature request) — use the community external component.
- Condensation on the lens is the enemy in tanks; add a vented shroud.
- Verify you got an L1X, not an L4CD (see clone risk).
Wiring it up
It's I2C, so it shares two pins with every other I2C sensor you own — chain your climate/light/CO2 stack on one bus and mind the address clashes (this one lives at 0x29). Any ESP32 dev board works.