The thermometer is one of those elements that should not be missing in any home medicine cabinet, especially if there are babies in the home. In fact, during the first months of life babies have a fever quite often as they are very vulnerable to pathogens that are in the environment because their immune system is still immature and does not have enough antibodies.

Fever appears as a response of the immune system to these pathogens and, although in most cases it is due to a mild condition, it can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious illness. Therefore, it is important that parents can control the increase in body temperature in babies at all times, especially when it is accompanied by symptoms such as irritability, continuous crying or restlessness.

In these cases, keeping a record of body temperature at home can help in the early detection of a condition in the baby, while also facilitating the diagnosis task for the pediatrician. However, for this information to be really useful, it is essential to have a good infant thermometer.

What should you consider when choosing a baby thermometer?

For a long time, mercury thermometers were used in the home to take the temperature of babies. However, because they contain mercury, a heavy metal that is very dangerous to health, for some years the European Union has not only banned the use of these devices but also their marketing. Today there are many other types of thermometers, from gallium and alcohol thermometers to digital thermometers, ear thermometers or, more recently, infrared.

The latter have gained popularity in recent years as they are very easy to use with babies. In fact, they give accurate readings even if the baby moves, so it is not necessary for the little one to be calm to take their temperature. They work by measuring the infrared heat radiation that emanates from the body, so they do not require direct contact with the skin and reduce the risk of infections in the smallest of the house. In addition, they usually offer a fairly fast and accurate measurement.

Its practicality and reliability varies from one model to another, so it is important to take into account some aspects before choosing the most suitable infrared thermometer for your baby. One of the key details that you should not overlook is that it has a high-performance sensor capable of offering results with a very low margin of error, preferably between +/- 0.1ºC and +/- 0.3ºC. Also, you should keep in mind:

1. Design. When choosing an infrared thermometer it is important to consider its design. Ideally, it should be a practical and ergonomic design, such as those that are shaped like a pistol, since they are very easy to hold and manipulate. In the same way, it is recommended that the LCD screen is large enough to show the digits clearly and if it has lighting, much better since it will allow you to use it even at night with the light off.
2. Reading. Another detail to consider is the reading time of the infrared thermometer. As a general rule, the reading of these thermometers is usually very fast, but in any case it is recommended that it does not exceed 3 seconds. Likewise, it is convenient to make sure that the reading is shown in degrees centigrade, which is the scale with which we are most familiar in Spain.
3. Features. Choosing an infrared thermometer with a large memory to store the evolution of the baby’s feverish process will allow you to keep a more reliable and comfortable record. Also, it is convenient that it has an option to create several profiles, so that you can use the thermometer with the other members of the house. And if it allows you to measure the temperature on other surfaces much better since you will be able to know, for example, if the temperature of the baby’s bottle is adequate or if his food is already hot enough.

The five best baby thermometers on the market

1. Idoit Infrared Thermometer

Thanks to its high-precision infrared sensor, this Idoit thermometer performs safe and precise non-contact temperature measurements, both on the forehead and in food, water or the environment. The thermometer only needs 1 second to measure the temperature with an accuracy range of +/- 0.5ºC at a distance of between 3 and 5 centimeters. It also has a night vision system and a silent mode so as not to wake up the little one, it can store up to 99 body temperature measurements and it has an automatic shutdown system.

One of its greatest advantages is that it consists of an easy-to-read LCD screen that changes color and emits a slight beep depending on the temperature: below 37.5ºC the screen lights up green, when the temperature fluctuates between 37, 5ºC and 37.9ºC lights up orange to alert that the baby has a slight fever that needs attention and when the temperature is higher than 38ºC it lights up in flashing red and emits an audible alarm to alert that the baby has a fever .

2. iHealth PT3 Infrared Thermometer

If you are looking for a comfortable, practical and reliable infrared forehead thermometer, this iHealth alternative is perfect. It has an accuracy of +/- 0.3ºC for the range from 34ºC to 42ºC, which decreases to +/- 0.2ºC for the range below 33ºC, which makes it a fairly reliable model. Although it is not your typical pistol model, it has an ergonomic design that makes it easy to use, while it has an illuminated display that is very easy to read and offers readings in both degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit.

In addition, it is very fast since it takes only 1 second to perform the measurement from a distance of 2 to 3 centimeters, while it has an automatic shutdown system that saves battery life. Designed for any age, it also allows you to measure the temperature of the environment, food and different materials, making it a very versatile model.

3. Joysky Infrared Thermometer

This model of non-contact forehead thermometer is equipped with advanced infrared technology that shows the exact reading in just 1 second. It includes two modes to measure the temperature “body mode” that allows you to take the same measurement on the forehead as on the wrist and “surface mode”, with which you can know the temperature of the environment, water or food. In addition, it offers the possibility of adapting the measurement system to degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

It also has a backlit and easy-to-read screen that has an integrated color code, according to which the color of the screen changes according to the temperature measurement. When the temperature is normal, the display lights up green, when it ranges between 37.5ºC and 37.9ºC it lights up orange, and if it exceeds 38ºC it lights up red and emits an audible alarm. In addition, it includes a silent mode to take the baby’s temperature during the night without waking him up and allows you to store up to 40 readings.

4. Wawech infrared thermometer

If you are looking for a versatile and safe thermometer, this is an excellent bet. As it has a gun-shaped design it is very easy to handle while being quite light you can take it with you everywhere to take your little one’s temperature when necessary. You will only need 1 second to obtain the measurement from a distance of between 3 and 5 centimeters. And in addition, it allows you to measure the temperature both in degrees Celsius and in Fahrenheit, the same in the body as in objects, food or the environment.

One of its biggest advantages is that it has a high-quality LED screen that allows you to see the results clearly even in the dark. The screen also has a system of color codes that facilitates data interpretation: if the temperature is normal the screen lights up green, between 37.5ºC and 37.9ºC it lights up orange and if the temperature exceeds 38ºC lights up red and an alarm sounds. It is worth noting that it also has an automatic shutdown system after 15 seconds of inactivity to save energy.

5. Konjac Infrared Thermometer

Versatile, practical and reliable, this Konjac model is one of the options you should consider when choosing an infrared thermometer for your home. The device allows you to read the temperature with an accuracy of +/- 0.2ºC in just 1 second and at a distance of up to 3 centimeters. Another point in your favor? It has 4 measurement modes: for the forehead of adults, for the forehead of babies and children, for the ear and for surfaces. In addition, it offers the option to change the measurement system from Celsius to Fahrenheit.

This thermometer allows you to save up to 40 readings in memory to keep an exact record of changes in the baby’s temperature and has an automatic shutdown system if it is not used for 10 seconds to save energy. In addition, it has a screen with a very intuitive color system: white indicates that it is on standby, green indicates a normal temperature, yellow a temperature between 37.4ºC and 37.9ºC and red a temperature higher than 38ºC.