No one likes to have a sick kid. There’s of course the fact that your child doesn’t feel well, but then there’s also the stress of what to do: do you go to the doctor straightaway, call and see what Doc suggests, or try to wait it out at home? One of the main variables that parents use to make this decision is to get their child’s temperature. And an accurate reading is absolutely essential when speaking to your medical professional; that’s the first thing that our pediatrician wants to know! We have had such bad luck with thermometer after thermometer – and we’ve accumulated quite a few over the years! – that it only made sense to do a comparison of all our thermometers. Look for photos, manufacturer information, and a demonstration video at the end of the article which goes through all of them and how they’re used! This is the official Real Simple Mama Ultimate Thermometer Comparison Review.
I do have affiliate links in this article. If you make a purchase, I will get a small percentage, though there is no additional cost to you. I appreciate you helping to keep RSM up and running! The Amazon prices are accurate as of February 2018, so please excuse future changes in price and availability.
I have five thermometers which are marketed for children, and then a generic one which is normally marketed for adults. For each thermometer, I’ll give you photos, as well as how to use the thermometer, a comparison reading (same kid at the same time for all of them), our personal thoughts on the thermometer, and the manufacturer’s website. At the end, look for a video showing you how to use all six!
SmartGlow Exergen Thermal Scanner
Amazon Price: $26.09
Mode: Forehead, or behind ear on neck.
Ease of Use: Tricky to use especially swiping across forehead; button use is not intuitive to me. See video at end of article.
Ease of Cleaning: Wipe probe lens and cone with alcohol; use cap when in storage.
Battery Type: One 9V battery.
Manufacturer Website: Exergen SmartGlow
Look familiar? This is the home version of the one your pediatrician probably uses. The most popular way to use this thermometer is to scan across the forehead, but you must keep the entire ring on the skin at all times. Alternatively, you can hold it to the skin behind the child’s ear.
This is the one that my beautiful followers on Twitter and Facebook recommended (thanks, guys!). The “forehead scanning” part makes me nervous because it won’t read unless it remains in contact with the skin the whole time, but reading the manual taught us about the other way.
This thermometer boasts an eight-reading memory, and can also switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius. It’s also very quiet, which is good if you’re a worrier when your kid is sick like I am.
What I don’t like is that the whole thermometer is huge (to the point that it feels cumbersome in my hands) and the screen is very small.
The screen does, however, have a backlight; this makes it invaluable on those late night fever checks. Additionally, the instructions are printed in a secure sticker on the back, so there’s no need to get the manual like we did. Oops.
Kinsa
Amazon Price: $31.99
Mode: In ear.
Ease of Use: Very inconsistent depending on positioning.
Ease of Cleaning: Rubbing alcohol and water, or wipe.
Battery Type: 2 AAA batteries (included).
Manufacturer Website: Kinsa Health
I had such high hopes for the Kinsa! It’s a great concept – a digital thermometer that’s easy to hold, easy to read, and has an app that it syncs to! Whaaat?! Yes! In concept, you create a profile on the free Kinsa Health app, and then select which kid you’re checking. The Kinsa Health app also can track medications and other information. What a fabulous idea, whether you’re a paranoid first-time parent or a parent with multiple children.
Except we had so many problems with it. The app wouldn’t sync, then the thermometer wouldn’t work, then it was super inconsistent (we take temperature two or three times back to back to get a stable average). Well, damn.
We were in communication with Kinsa when this thermometer first came out; we were given the usual “Turn it off then back on again; delete and reinstall the app” but it made me so nervous when I was alone with the kids that I just abandoned it. Maybe one day I’ll bust it out and try using it again as my main thermometer.
Braun ThermoScan
Amazon Price: $32.85
Mode: In ear.
Ease of Use: For me, very inconsistent. I get the “POS” error all the time, as seen in the video.
Ease of Cleaning: Has disposable covers, and a base to hold thermometer and covers. (Comes with protective case and 21 covers.)
Battery Type: Requires 2 AA batteries.
Manufacturer Website: Braun thermometers
This thermometer has a one-reading memory, and claims to have a pre-warmed tip for increased accuracy.
In concept, there are a lot of things I like about the Braun. The case is nice; I appreciate the disposable tips and how the box of them fits within the case. I love the large display, the simple buttons, and the light while a reading is being taken.
But as you can see in the video below, I just have too many issues getting it to be in a favorable position. My four year old kid’s ear gives this thermometer enough trouble – I can’t imagine struggling with a feverish baby ear!
As far as the ear thermometers go, I do think that this one has the best design. The disposable tips are a great idea, and the shape of the tip itself is narrower than the Graco or the Kinsa. So you’d probably have better luck with this Braun than those others. I just feel that there’s too much room for error (or inconsistencies) so we’ve used other thermometers instead.
Graco 1 Second Thermometer
Amazon Price: Unavailable until further notice.
Mode: In ear.
Ease of Use: Fairly straightforward.
Ease of Cleaning: Extremely difficult due to two-part tip design.
Battery Type: Takes one CR 2032 disc battery. Seems to go through batteries quite quickly.
Manufacturer Website: None found (?!?) but here’s the closest thing I could find here.
This was a thermometer that we bought early on so that we would honestly have a non-rectal option. (When you’ve got a baby, sometimes the risk of waking them up makes you doubt the need to take their temperature.) We’ve always had luck with Graco products and this thermometer seemed small and easy to use.
I like the size of this little thermometer, and the screen is quite large, though it’s not backlit. It runs through it’s card battery very quickly. It does have the capability to switch modes and has the other usual attributes you’d find in a basic digital thermometer. As you can see by now, I just don’t use ear thermometers that much since they tend to be finicky on position and angle.
I cannot find much information at all either on Graco’s main website, or on Amazon. So this is probably an older item that they do not manufacture anymore. But it’s here just in case you’ve been gifted one, or have one in the abyss of the diaper drawer.
Vicks ComfortFlex
Amazon Price: $9.68
Mode: Oral, rectal, under arm (just don’t get those mixed up without cleaning first, ha!)
Ease of Use: Very easy! My top pick for in-the-dark reading.
Ease of Cleaning: Water resistant, easy to clean with soap and water. Comes with snap-on cover.
Battery Type: One CR 1225. Very hard-to-find battery, so be warned!
Manufacturer Website: Vicks thermometer
This is my inexpensive, basic “Old Faithful” when it comes to our thermometers. There’s nothing fancy about it, and it’s quite reliable. We always checked our kids rectally since it seemed to be a hell of a lot more accurate than underarm, and I actually ended up with two of these in my home just so I’d always have one handy. My kids love to get a fever out of nowhere!
This thermometer will read the temperature in less than eight seconds, so you may feel like you have to wait a while. It has a one-reading memory, and will shut off on its own after a few minutes.
While my kids aren’t thrilled with the prospect of “Hey, Mama notices you might be getting sick: let’s put something in your butt to check!”, they do actually like seeing what color they are on this thermometer. If the temperature is within normal range, the display will light up green along with the reading; if it’s a slight fever, then it’ll be yellow; and for a fever it will be red.
I was surprised when I found the manufacturer website and saw the horrible ratings for this thermometer. I’m not sure if maybe newer ones are weaker, or there was a bad batch, or what. Remember that I paid for all of these products so Vicks isn’t buying a good review from me. I have never had to replace the batteries in mine yet; honestly if the CR 1225 is as hard to find as the reviews say, I’d just get rid of the thermometer and buy another. I’m sure that’s a horrible plan, but there’s my two cents on that issue.
I will also let you know that a rectally taken temperature will usually be about one degree higher than the same reading taken orally or under the arm. So keep that in mind when speaking to your doctor or putting readings into your records.
CVS Rigid Tip Digital Thermometer
Amazon Price: $20.00 (I’m suuure you can find it cheaper somewhere else, like at CVS directly.)
Mode: Can be used orally, rectally, or under the arm.
Ease of Use: Easy! Reading within 30 seconds so it does take longer than most others.
Ease of Cleaning: Easy. Warm water and soap.
Battery Type: Requires one 1.55V DC battery.
Manufacturer Website: CVS Rigid Tip Thermometer
Tah-dah! Here’s the good old “Stick it under your tongue and don’t move” thermometer from our childhood. It has a one-reading memory, and can switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius. It’s cheap, and it serves its purpose.
You’ll find that these take a bit longer to get a reading than some of the others, but that’s ok.
I personally won’t use these with little kids because the underarm method is really inconsistent to me, and I don’t trust them to be still long enough to hold this under their tongue when they don’t feel well. It could be used rectally, but I prefer one that has a bit of bend to it like the Vicks.
Is your head spinning? Ours sure are! You can see that this has been a trial-and-error of the worst kind. We just want a reliable, affordable, simple thermometer to use on a sick squirmy toddler, damnit!
Let me know which thermometer you love in the comments. And feel free to share this out so that we can help all parents make the best choices for their kids.
Finally, as promised, here’s the YouTube video of Kiddo and I demonstrating all six of the thermometers, plus what we like or don’t like. Remember that we paid for all of these ourselves so the opinions are honest and come with 4+ years of experience! Enjoy and thanks for watching!
Yes I agree the rectal is the best I’m a little older than your kids way older than a child age and I still take rectal is an adult cuz it’s more accurate to begin with regardless of the methods they use today. What age do you feel is appropriate for a child to have rectal or would you continue rectal on an older child if it’s needed.
Hello – this is only my opinion as I’m not a medical professional, so this is not advice you should take without your own research and consultation. I would stop using rectal by age 4 or once the child has the motor skills to hold a thermometer in their mouth; however it may be possible if a child is really ill and not responsive to take a temp rectally. We personally use an oral thermometer for adults and a forehead scanning thermometer for our children.