Choosing the best digital thermometer

As any parent, or healthcare professional knows only too well, getting an accurate temperature reading on an infant or small child can present quite the challenge. Whether they are stressed or happy, young children can be notorious wrigglers, and getting an ear or mouth thermometer in place long enough to take a reading is often tricky.

Fortunately, an entire range of digital thermometers – including 100% contactless thermometers – have made the process so much easier to conduct for GPs, nurses, and parents alike.

So, how do you go about choosing the best?

Digital ear thermometers

Ear thermometers (or tympanic thermometers, as they’re known) are developed to take the temperature readings of adults, children and infants. Using infrared technology to determine the heat inside the ear canal, they normally produce an accurate reading within a couple of seconds.

Some qualities to consider are a one-touch operation so you have a hand free for cradling the child’s head, if necessary. For home use, backlit models are useful, as you can operate it and read the results without turning the light on.

Models such as the Omron GT521 Thermometer include both of these features as well as surface and room temperature reading options. 

Contactless thermometers

An even more modern innovation, infrared contactless thermometers allow you to take a child’s temperature from a distance of as little as 5cm. Using the same technology as the tympanic thermometer, these devices allow you to measure the heat of a child’s forehead without disturbing them or causing undue distress.

As with the ear thermometers, a good contactless thermometer should be simple to operate with the push of a button, produce a fast and accurate reading and – if bought for private use – should include a backlight for reading the measurements in the dark.

The Omron Gentle Temp 720 and the Braun NTF 3000 are both great examples of these sorts of thermometer.

Here at Four Square Healthcare, we stock a wide range of medical equipment, that includes all of the digital thermometers linked to above, and more. All our products are available for purchase through our online store, and all benefit from fast delivery across the UK.