10 Best Baby Thermometers In 2020

As a parent, when your little one is sick, you want to do everything in your power to make them feel better again. When your child has a fever, part of the healing process is to know her exact temperature so that you can take necessary precautions. 

Therefore, baby thermometers are the indispensable items of a baby nursery to give your baby the right type of relief she needs. Does she need a medicine OR a quick lukewarm bath will suffice? 

In the past, many parents used unsafe glass, mercury filled thermometers. However, technology has taken thermometers into the 21st century and now you have a lot of options with different features. 

But how do you know which baby thermometer on the market is the best one for your child?

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the 10 Best Baby Thermometers of 2020 to help give you some options while shopping.

Our hope is that with our recommendations, we can make the process much easier for you.

How To Choose A Baby Thermometer – Buying Guide 

When it comes time to buy a baby thermometer for your little one, going to the store and buying the first one you see is not an option as thermometers for adults aren’t necessarily the best item for a baby. When we decided which thermometers to feature on our list, we wanted to choose those, which met certain criteria first. Our criteria included:

Age appropriate

When you choose a baby thermometer, you want to make sure that the one you select will be appropriate for the age of your child. Certain types will work on a child of any age, while for specific age types; a rectal device is the best option to get the most accurate result.   

Ease of use

Finding a thermometer that is easy to use is very beneficial when you have a sick baby. Parents do not have the time or patience for spending time reading complicated or confusing instructions and struggling to get the item to work especially when they are already feeling stressed. Ease of use will give you a more practical approach during times of sickness.  

Accuracy

Some thermometers can be better than others when it comes to accurate results. Some can have limitations like pacifier thermometers that babies can take or spit out while you are trying to get an accurate reading. It is important to choose one that will provide you with the right reading each and every time is vital.

Consistency

A good baby thermometer should provide you with an accurate temperature every single time. There are no exceptions to this and not getting consistent readings could cause you to misdiagnose your child, therefore you might not be able to treat her in the right way.

Safety

When we were children, the baby thermometers that were used were the ones where the temperature level was gauged by a silver liquid inside a glass tube. That silver liquid though, was mercury. Yes, the same mercury that can be a very dangerous neurotoxin was being used in fragile glass thermometers that were very easy to break for years. Thankfully, with digital thermometers, that risk is totally gone.

Response Time

When your child is sick, you want to make sure that you get the information you need right away. Most digital thermometers will display a temperature anywhere between 10 and 80 seconds, depending on the model. Infrared thermometers, on the other hand have the fastest response time at 2 to 3 seconds.

Different types of Baby Thermometers

On the market today, there are many different variations of thermometers available for parents. By getting to know the types in more detail, you can determine the best product for your family and make your shopping experience smoother.

Multi-Use

A multi-use thermometer reads your child’s body temperature with a sensor that is typically located in a small metal tip at one end of the thermometer. This type of thermometer allows a parent to take their child’s fever orally, rectally or under the arm (axillary).

These tend to be the least expensive thermometers and also the most common in households. Although simple to use, they give the most accurate reading when used rectally and this way might disturb your child even when he is sleeping.

Rectal

A rectal thermometer consistently gives a parent accurate results of their child’s temperature. These relatively inexpensive thermometers can be found in any drug or grocery store. They can require a bit of time to get the reading that which can make a sick or even sleeping child cranky. Some parents have trepidation about using these thermometers in fear of injuring their child. However, current designs are manufactured to keep that from happening. It is very important to disinfect the item after each usage to prevent infections.

Forehead

Forehead thermometers, also known as temporal-artery thermometers, are relatively new on the market and can be on the pricier end of the spectrum. While traditionally used in hospitals, manufacturers have recently started creating home versions. Recent research shows that forehead thermometers are perfectly safe to use at any age, but if your child is under 3 months, you may want to confirm the temperature with a rectal thermometer, as well.

Ear

Otherwise known as a tympanic thermometer, this device uses an infrared ray to measure the temperature inside your little one’s ear. A big benefit with this type is that they are relatively quick, safe to use and not uncomfortable at all. Getting an accurate reading can be a bit trickier at times because the device needs to be at the correct position to work correctly. These types of thermometers are generally recommended for children 6 months and older.

Oral

Generally recommended for children ages 4 and older, an oral thermometer is held under your child’s tongue to achieve a reading. Even though using this type of thermometer is recommended for children of at least 4 years old, ensuring proper use is also very important.

Axillary

Designed to use under your child’s arm, axillary thermometers are easy to use, convenient and safe. While nowhere near as accurate as other thermometers on the market, these types of thermometers can be used with children of any age.

Smart

The newest type of thermometer available on the market is the one designed to integrate with your smartphone or tablet. Some include a patch that you can place under your child’s arm to read and transmit their temperature to your phone letting you keep track of their health not only digitally, but wirelessly as well.

FAQ

Q: What are the benefits of thermometer?

A: A thermometer provides you with immediate result, accuracy, portability, safety, and durability.  

A must-have item your nursery, a thermometer is one of the first things you should be getting while getting prepared for your newborn. The benefits that come from owning a baby thermometer pay for itself time after time even you have paid a high price tag for it. These benefits include: 

• Immediate results:When we used the old fashioned mercury filled, glass thermometers, sometimes it felt like we would sit there forever waiting for a result. With the baby thermometers on the market today, getting a reading is much quicker than in the past, helping parents determine whether or not their little one has a fever so that they can help them feel better faster.
• Accuracy: Let’s face facts. It was always tough to tell on the old glass thermometers whether the temperature was 98.6 and 98.8 degrees. With a digital baby thermometer, the temperature is displayed much more accurately than in the past. 
• Portability:Checking your baby’s temperature is easy as can be. Many baby thermometers are extremely portable and have no issue being carried in your purse or their bag. Many come with carry cases or even covers to help them keep from dirt and other messes off that might affect their performance.
• Safety:Modern thermometers are much safer than they were in the past. With many thermometers being digital, the risk of ingestion or even touching of a dangerous chemical has been dramatically reduced, and in turn making them much safer to use for any member of your family. Even a toddler can be taught how to measure her fever with the right instructions.
• Long Lasting: One of the most amazing benefits of a baby thermometer is the long life span that it can have. Obviously, your little one is going to grow up quickly. But unlike other products that you may buy for your child, a baby thermometer, depending on the model, can be used not only as they get older, but by other members of your family as well. This makes the value of owning a baby thermometer more worthy than the price paid.

Q: Which type of thermometer is most accurate for babies?

A: As is suggested by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Rectal thermometer is the most suitable type of thermometer for measuring accurate temperature for babies. 

They come with a security bulb design which enable them to provide quick readings on body’s internal temperature in a safe manner. As rectal thermometers are required to be placed in baby’s anus, the placement must be done in a careful and correct manner.

Q: Can you use a forehead thermometer on a newborn?

A: No, you shouldn’t use a forehead thermometer on a newborn. Although forehead thermometers provide a comfortable way of measuring temperature of a baby’s body, yet they are not recommended for their usage on a new born. 

This is because they do not provide readings as accurate as a rectal thermometers.While, rectal thermometer must be the first choice in case of a newborn, forehead thermometers are recommended for babies with age more than 3 months. 

Q: Do I need baby thermometer?

A: Yes. A baby thermometer is a quite useful instrument in order to keep an eye on a temperature of your baby.

A baby’s body is different from adult and requires precautionary measures as much as possible. Monitoring baby temperature on regular intervals is helpful in noticing any abnormality in baby’s health, thus making it easy for parents to take counter measure in time. 

Q: What are the 4 types of thermometers?

A: Digital, forehead, ear thermometers, and mercury thermometers are the main four different types of thermometers. 

Digital thermometers measure and provide temperature readings in quick and accurate manner. Electronic ear thermometer use infrared technology to measure and provide the reading. Forehead thermometers are placed on temporal artery to sense the heat and measure the temperature. Mercury thermometers are placed under the tongue and allow the user to notice the temperature by noticing rise in mercury level. 

All of them are used for different purpose, but digital thermometers are considered to be the most accurate ones. Please have a look our buying guide for more information in detail.   

Q: Which thermometer is more accurate digital or mercury?

A: Digital thermometers are more accurate than a mercury based ones. 

As digital thermometer display the temperature in less time than a traditional mercury based one and they are quick and easy to use. Moreover, a glass is a fragile material and a thermometer based on it can break while its usage which can result in fatal results. As digital thermometers do not use glass, they are much safer than a glass and mercury based thermometer.

Q: How do you take a newborn’s temperature?

A: In general, place the newborn on a flat surface or a suitable place as suggested by the thermometer guidelines. Then clean the thermometer and place it on the body of newborn. If it is a rectal thermometer, make sure you put the jelly and insert is no more then 1/2 inch inside the anus. 

In other cases, place them under the armpit or on forehead depending on the type of thermometer in use. After placing in correctly, wait until the thermometer gives you a signal that temperature is ready to be read. Use the readings as required. 

My Babies Planet Overview

Taking a child’s temperature can be akin to a workout for some parents. While trying to keep their child calm enough to place the thermometer in their ear or under their arm, things can get difficult in an already unpleasant time. 

While choosing the best baby thermometer for your little one, focusing on the benefits that a thermometer can bring, not only to your little one, but to your family is definitely something to consider.

Our hope is that with our list of the 10 Best Baby Thermometers in 2020, our recommendations have given you an idea of what to look, though we wish you use them as seldom as possible. 

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Do you have a Baby Thermometer on our list? Let us know how you like it in the comment section below.