The 10 Best Baby Thermometers

There are a lot of good thermometers. Pick one that is easy to use on a squirmy baby or toddler.

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• Oral thermometers should not be used for children until they are at least 4 or 5 years old.
• Don’t use a mercury thermometer because, if the glass breaks, the mercury can be toxic for you and your little one.
• If you have a rectal thermometer, never use it on other areas of your baby’s body.
• If you have more than one thermometer at home and one is used rectally, label each one carefully so that you don’t accidentally use the rectal thermometer orally, for example.
• Although most baby thermometers can be used on adults, too, a standard “adult” thermometer may not be as easy to use with children. A baby thermometer, which is specially designed for children, may have special features like a flexible tip and a smaller size.

Things to Consider When Buying a Baby Thermometer

I considered ease of use, ability to use on a difficult baby, ability to use without disturbing a sleeping child, and, lastly, price when shopping for a thermometer.

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• Safety. Ensure that the thermometer you pick is safe to use for your child’s age. For example, some thermometers aren’t recommended for children under 3 months old. Before buying a thermometer, check that the product hasn’t been recalled. Once you have your thermometer at home, ensure that any small parts like storage bags, batteries, and probe covers, which can be choking hazards—as well as the thermometer itself—are kept out of reach of children.
• Accuracy. This is very important when it comes to a thermometer. Rectal baby thermometers are most accurate. If you’re in any doubt about the accuracy of the thermometer you’re considering buying, ask your baby’s healthcare provider for a recommendation on the most accurate baby thermometer.
• Ease of use. It’s a good idea to choose a thermometer that’s easy to use when your baby is sick and fussy. Some Pampers Parents prefer the forehead reader for this reason, while others prefer the digital ear or rectum baby thermometers. The easier you find the thermometer is to use and the less discomfort it causes your little one, the higher the chance you’ll be able to get a more accurate reading faster.
• Speed. With a fussy baby it’s great to be able to take the reading quickly. You don’t want to disturb your little one for too long, especially while they’re feeling sick and cranky. Some thermometers can take the reading in just a second while others may take up to 30 seconds.
• Comfort. Overall, an infrared thermometer that simply glides along your little one’s forehead may be most comfortable for your baby. A stick thermometer with a soft, flexible tip may be more comfortable than a rigid probe. Just keep in mind that not all flexible tip models can be used rectally, so double check the product guidelines.
• Extra features. Consider which bells and whistles, if any, you’d like from your thermometer:
  • Colored lights indicating the severity of the temperature
  • Smiley faces indicating whether the temperature is normal, mild, or high
  • Beeps that signal when a reading has been taken (some but not all models let you mute sound)
  • A fever alarm that goes off when there is an elevated temperature reading
  • A night light or backlit display for easier middle-of-the-night reads
  • A pre-warmed tip offered by some ear thermometers
  • App connectivity to help you track things like temperature and symptoms so you can easily show the data to your baby’s healthcare provider.
• Reliability. You want your thermometer to work when you need it to, and to not run out of battery power or malfunction just when you’d like to check your little one’s temperature in the middle of the night. Most of the thermometers on our list come with just one set of batteries, so it might be useful to have some spare batteries at home. You might also like to buy two thermometers so that you have a spare should one break down, or so that you can take a second reading if you’re unsure about the accuracy of the first.
• Additional supplies. Some models require you to buy additional probe covers and won’t work unless you have placed one on. Consider whether this additional purchase is a deal breaker for you.
• Price. Some thermometers are under $10 while others are almost $50. More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better or more accurate, but it may be an indicator of the quality of materials and the number of extra features. Infrared thermometers are among the more expensive, for example, but not necessarily any more accurate than a more affordable digital stick thermometer.

How to Use a Baby Thermometer

The 10 Best Thermometers for Your Baby or Toddler

This thermometer is more accurate and reliable on temperatures than the forehead thermometer we had initially purchased. It’s small and fits in our travel size bag of necessities for our baby daughter.

Pampers Parent

It’s short so you don’t have to worry about pushing it in too deep (helps especially when your little one is a wiggler) and the flexibility and rubber material ensure that there is no chance of the tip breaking.

Pampers Parent

• a light and beep alert that lets you know when it’s in the right position
• a night light for easier readings at nighttime
• a pre-warmed tip the manufacturer claims makes for more accurate readings
• a light indicator that pulses while the temperature reading is in progress, and remains on solidly for three seconds once the reading has been successfully taken
• a color display that changes between green, yellow, and red depending on your little one’s age and temperature. If you input your little one’s age, the thermometer will indicate whether the temperature is considered normal, elevated, or high for your child’s specific age.
• a log of the last nine temperature readings, which helps you track your little one’s temperature over time.

This is such a great thermometer. Not only is it quick and easy to use, but it also helps little ones learn it’s okay to have their ears touched. Since using this with my second child, he now allows his doctor to look inside his ears far easier than my first child ever did.

Pampers Parent

• Green when no fever is detected
• Yellow for a slightly elevated temperature
• Red for a high temperature.

• Green if the thermometer doesn’t measure a fever
• Yellow for a mild fever
• Red for a high fever.

I can use this under my baby’s armpit and get as good of a reading as the hospital thermometer. I have tried the forehead thermometers and spent a lot of money on them and they read two to three degrees lower than others.

Pampers Parent

• Green means no fever
• Orange and three beeps means a mild fever
• Red and five beeps means a high fever.

This thermometer is easy to use. I like that it doesn't wake up my baby if I check her temperature while she's sleeping.

Pampers Parent

I love the vibration notification feature! Instead of a beep when the temperature is captured, the thermometer vibrates. This is so helpful to us as dog owners whose pet goes bonkers when things chime and beep. No middle-of-the-night barking and wake-ups!

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I can get my baby’s temperature without having to stick the thermometer in his mouth, underarm, or you know where! When a baby is sick, they are already super uncomfortable. This is the best thermometer for everyone.

Pampers Parent

I love this thermometer because it’s just simple and I don’t really like the new forehead thermometers. This one is easy to stick under your baby’s arms or in his rectum. The tip of it is very flexible and soft so you can wiggle it or tilt it without harming the baby.

Pampers Parents

The Bottom Line