One of the best ways you can determine if your spouse or child has come down with the flu or has an infection is to take their temperature with a thermometer. The best thermometers give the user a quick and easy-to-use diagnostic tool that can be used to keep tabs on a loved one’s health and well being. And these devices work extremely well if they are well made and are properly used.
Although most people are well aware of how to use these devices, not only knows what they should look for when they are going to buy a new one. Fortunately, we are here to provide that important information and tell everyone not only which models are currently the best thermometers but also give them the information they need to buy a quality model.
Best Thermometers – Reviews
9Metene Medical Infrared Digital
This high-quality digital thermometer can be used in either ear or forehead mode and is able to display the temperature in either Fahrenheit or Celsius readings. This unit can store up to twenty different readings, so the child’s temperature can be easily tracked over time. This product can provide an accurate reading within a second, and it issues a loud beep that tells the user that it has finished taking the temperature. A great feature found on this unit is a fever alert which turns the ordinarily green LCD screen red when the temperature is above normal human body temperature ranges. It’s an easy-to-use model that is really useful to have around the home.
8Temperature Wizard Forehead & Ear Thermometer
There’s a good reason why this particular digital thermometer is used by hospitals and health clinics all over the world. It’s because it’s a high-quality model that has a number of features which make it easy to use and extremely accurate. This model was engineered by some Mayo Clinic personnel who consulted with Wizard Research consultants to create the best thermometer possible. This product has 99.9% accuracy, and with one touch it can provide results within just one second. It’s a product that can be used as either a forehead or ear thermometer and can be used on children and adults of all ages.
7Vive Precision Oral Digital
This digital thermometer not only has a unique design that separates it from some of the more traditional models available, but it also has a number of interesting features. This product is able to capture a person’s oral temperature in 8-seconds or less and is one of the more accurate thermometers currently available. This product also has a flexible tip that safe-to-use and comes with a protective case for storage. This unit can display temperature readings in both Fahrenheit and Celsius and can be used orally, rectally or by inserting it in the armpit. It’s also one of the more inexpensive models currently available.
6Equinox Infrared Baby Thermometer
This infrared model can be used to accurately and quickly capture the temperatures of adults or children. This unit has a built-in memory that can hold up to 32 temperature readings at one time, and this allows it to be used as a tool for tracking a child’s temperature over time. This unit can display temperatures in either Fahrenheit or Celsius and can take a person’s body temperature from up to 5 centimeters away. Not only is this product quick and easy to use, but it also delivers temperature readings that are extremely accurate. This unit comes with 2 AA batteries and a convenient carrying pouch, too.
5QQCute Digital Infrared Forehead
With just a push of a button, this thermometer is capable of quickly and efficiently taking a person’s temperature. This product can be used on babies, children or adults with equally good results and it not only accurately records a person’s temperature but displays it in a digital format so it’s easy to read. This product can also store up to 20 different temperature readings, so it can be used to track a child’s or an adult’s temperatures over time. And it also has a fever alarm that turns the backlit display red and sounds 10 beeps, so that the user knows if the patient is running a fever immediately.
4Braun Digital Ear Thermoscan
The Braun Digital Ear Thermoscan combines the ease of use of an ear thermometer with the accuracy of an infrared thermometer. This combination allows it to accurately and quickly capture the patient’s temperature every time it’s used. This product can be used on babies, children, and adults, and is designed to provide complete accuracy. A major problem with most ear thermometers is proper alignment, and the Thermoscan has solved this problem by using a flashing light and a short beep to confirm the thermometer’s proper position. This unit has an on/off button that’s easy to use, and the unit can store up to 8-different temperatures for temperature tracking purposes.
3iProven Digital Ear Thermometer
This digital thermometer can be used as a temporal forehead thermometer or as an ear thermometer depending on how it’s used. This unit can also capture a forehead measurement in 3-seconds or less and an ear measurement in just a second. It can store and recall up to 20 different temperature readings, so it can be used for fever tracking, and it has color temperature indicator that lets the user know visually if they’re running a fever or not. Other features found on this unit include optimized calibration technology built into it, the ability to display temperature readings in either Fahrenheit or Celsius and a backlight display.
2Kinsa Digital Quick Care
Like other thermometers, the Kinsa Quick Care is a thermometer that can accurately capture a child’s temperature. However, it is also capable of doing a whole lot more. It’s designed to be used with a smartphone and can deliver results to the phone via an app quickly and accurately. Within 8-seconds or less, this thermometer can record the child’s temperature. This product can be used either as an underarm thermometer or used as an oral or rectal thermometer. Using Kinsa’s free App, the parent can receive recommendations on what to do next based upon the child’s temperature reading, so the parents are always prepared to handle their child’s temperature easily.
1iProven Medical Thermometer

This digital thermometer has a number of interesting features which makes it handy for parents or anyone else who is trying to get an accurate temperature reading. It has an easy-to-use design with a large display, and a flexible tip that’s very safe to use. This product can be used either as an oral or a rectal thermometer, and it provides very accurate results each and every time. This thermometer displays its temperature reading in only a few seconds, and it is even equipped with a fever indicator that lets the user know a fever is present. Other features found on this unit include a waterproof design, an audible alarm and the capability of switching to give readings in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
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Thermometer Buying Guide
When it comes to buying a thermometer, you want to make sure that you buy the best one possible. A model that’s not only easy-to-use and has the features you need it to have, but one that’s also extremely accurate. To help you find the best thermometer available, we included some of the things that you should look for when buying one of these models. To make things a bit easier, we will begin this guide with the best thermometer types according to age.
Best Thermometers By Age
Children 3-Years & Younger
Most doctors will agree that parents with children under the age of 3-years old should use a rectal thermometer for best results. Rectal thermometers are also officially recommended for children in this age range by the American Academy of Pediatrics or AAP. That’s because these thermometers are the most accurate and provide the best results. However, some parents like to take the child’s initial temperature with an armpit thermometer, which is one of the least accurate thermometers available, and if the temperature reading is 100-degrees Fahrenheit or higher, then double check the results using a rectal thermometer.
Children Above the Age of 3-Years Old
When children are 3-years of age or older, then parents have a few options available as far as thermometers are concerned. Parents can choose to use either an oral thermometer or an ear thermometer. Although most children older than 3-years old can tolerate an oral thermometer, some of them don’t cooperate during use, so ear thermometers have to be used. However, even these thermometers can present problems, especially if the child refuses to sit still, so some parents have begun to migrate to temporal artery thermometers instead. These are easy to use and provide the parent with a quick reading, but once again, if the temperature is high, then it may be necessary to recheck the temperature using a rectal thermometer.
Teenagers & Adults
Most teenagers and adults prefer not to use rectal thermometers to take their temperatures for obvious readings, but they do have a few options available to them. They can choose to use an armpit thermometer, but they should keep in mind that these thermometers are the least accurate. They can also choose to use ear thermometers, but these can also be difficult to get a good reading from because they have to be placed precisely in the ear, although most doctor’s offices prefer this method of obtaining a temperature. This leaves oral thermometers and infrared thermometers, both of which are good options for obtaining an accurate temperature.
Best Thermometers by Design
To give our readers a good overview of all of the thermometers which may be currently available, we decided to group the thermometer types by design so we can provide the pros and cons of each available type.
Digital Thermometers
Pros:
- Records temperatures quickly
- Can be used via the armpit, mouth or rectum
Cons:
- Uncomfortable for rectal use
- The person can’t eat or drink before having temperature taken orally
- Children may not keep it in their mouths to record their temperature accurately.
Analog Glass Thermometers
Pros:
- They’re generally inexpensive
Cons:
- They tend to break
- Mercury filled ones can leak and be poisonous
- They’re difficult to read
Infrared and Temporal Artery Thermometers
Pros:
- Temperature can be recorded quickly
- They’re pretty accurate
- Appropriate for young children
Cons:
- May cost more than other thermometers
Tips for Taking a Child’s Temperature
- Clean the thermometer’s tip with rubbing alcohol and rinse with cool water
- If used rectally, be sure to apply a lubricant to the end of the thermometer
- If used orally, wait for 15-minutes after the child had his or her last drink to take their temperature
- Be sure to clean the thermometer after each use
- Always read all the directions included with your thermometer
- Never rinse a thermometer’s tip with hot water
- Store the thermometer with its protective covering on it