Every parent wants the best for their kids, and nothing can send you into a panic and break your heart faster than seeing your child sick. Everyone knows when you’re sick you need to keep a close eye on your temperature, and that goes double for babies and young children.
While a fever for you and me might start around 101.5, for babies under 3 months 100.4 is considered a fever and is a serious problem. For babies and children, the use of forehead and ear thermometers are on the rise in hospitals and doctors’ offices for a multitude of reasons.
But what’s the best forehead thermometer for baby? I’ve reviewed several of the best rated forehead thermometers and broken each one down for you, as well as picked one that I thought was the best.
Our Top Pick
If you don’t want to read the reviews and just want to buy the best forehead thermometer, this one is our top pick:Â Dr. Madre Non-contact infrared thermometer.
The 5 Best Forehead Thermometers
Benefits of Buying a Forehead Thermometer
The first, and one of the biggest advantages of using a forehead thermometer would be hygiene. Forehead thermometers come in contact with far less germs than your traditional oral thermometer. You don’t have to worry about sterilizing the thermometer between uses or spreading germs.
Another huge benefit of using forehead thermometers is how easy they are to use on a squirmy baby or child. With a digital oral thermometer it can take a while to get a good reading and an old school mercury thermometer will take even longer, which can be nearly impossible with a baby screaming and kicking.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Forehead Thermometer
The main thing to consider before buying a forehead thermometer is how fancy you want it.
Some manufacturers stick with simple, tried and true models, while other manufacturers go all out with the cool features and bells and whistles. If you want a thermometer with more features, they’re going to be a little more expensive than a basic thermometer, but they are almost always considered a good choice.
It is also important to know that forehead thermometers, while still very accurate, are not as accurate as rectal thermometers (usually about .5 degrees cooler than rectal). But you can forget about getting your baby to let you poke them with that thing, making forehead thermometers the better and easier option.
Tips for Buying the Right Forehead Thermometer
- Find one that you know you can operate: the last thing you want is to be trying to remember how to use it every time your baby is sick.
- Select one from a reputable company with good reviews: when it comes to your child’s health, you want to make sure you can count on the company you’re buying from to provide you with a quality product.
- Don’t settle: If you can’t find a thermometer with all the features you want, don’t settle for a subpar one. Keep looking until you find one that you’re completely satisfied with.
Forehead Thermometer Reviews
Innovo INV-EF100 Medical Forehead and Ear Thermometer
Dual Mode
The INV-EF100 can take your baby’s temperature two different ways. It can be used by swiping it across the forehead, which is safe for all ages, or it can be used by inserting the tip into the ear, which is recommended for babies over the age of 1.
This is useful because you can double check your readings. Just be careful because a temporal (forehead) temperature is typically 1 to 2 degrees cooler than a tympanic (ear) temperature.
Reading Retrieval
When your baby is sick and you’re taking his temperature every few hours, the numbers start to melt together. With everything else you have to worry about it can be hard to remember what baby’s temperature was last time you took it.
What’s so great about the INV-EF100 is that you don’t have to try to remember what their last temperature was. It can retrieve up to 20 readings, which is the most I’ve seen a thermometer be able to retrieve. With that information at your fingertips you can keep a closer eye on baby and make sure he’s getting better.
Easy to Use
You can easily operate the INV-EF100 with the push of a single button. It is also ergonomically designed so it can be held comfortably. Lastly, it features an advanced LCD display screen which is super easy to read.
Reliable
The infrared lens has been upgraded in the INV-EF100 and is now more reliable than ever, exceeding FDA standards. The room temperature won’t affect readings either since the INV-EF100 can filter the environmental temperature out.
The most subtle, but impressive, factor contributing to the reliability is its reflective finishing; the finishing can actually block and reflect infrared from the environment, so you get an accurate and reliable reading every time.
Things We Liked
I could go on for days about this product. It is safe, hygienic, reliable, and simple yet elegant. One of my favorite parts of the INV-EF100 is its fever indicator. The thermometer will beep and flicker if the temperature is above 99.5. All around it’s a really great and reliable thermometer.
Things We Didn’t Like
The worst part about it is how sensitive the sensor is. The sensor is extremely sensitive, so you have to make sure to keep it clean because even a small amount of dirt or oil can throw off a reading. When you think about it though, you want it to be sensitive so you can get accurate readings.
Dr. Madre Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer
Quick
The Dr. Madre thermometer can give you an accurate reading faster than most thermometers I’ve tried. In just 2 blinks of an eye, literally, Dr. Madre can give you an accurate reading of your child’s temperature.
Non-Contact
The Dr. Madre thermometer’s genius lies in the fact that it is a non-contact thermometer, meaning it doesn’t come in contact with your child at all. You don’t have to struggle and fight with your kid to get them to sit still, which can be nearly impossible for even just a few seconds.
This is especially useful for moms who might be a little overly cautious since it allows them to measure their child’s temperature as often as they’d like.
Talks to You
What makes Dr. Madre’s thermometer really unique is its ability to read the results to you. Even more impressive, it can read them to you in English and Spanish.
It’s not loud and obnoxious, however, if you don’t like it reading the results to you, it also operates in a silent mode. It really conforms to your needs and makes life easier for you and your family.
User Friendly
After using this product it is obvious that Dr. Madre cares about their customers. They made this thermometer so simple and easy to use, while still packing it full of features. It comes with very clear instructions in both English and Spanish and can be easily operated.
Things We Liked
The Dr. Madre Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer has seemingly endless features. It can display the results in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. It can also easily store up to 12 previous readings so you can recall up to 2 days’ worth of readings.
Things We Didn’t Like
While using this thermometer, I didn’t like it reading the results to me at night while I was trying to take my baby’s temperature when she was sleeping. This is an easy fix however, just put it on silent at night. It comes with an LED display so it is still easy to read in a dark room.
Simplife Dual Mode Forehead and Ear Clinical Digital Thermometer
Reading Retrieval
The Simplife Digital Thermometer can store an impressive 20 readings. If you took your baby’s thermometer every 4 hours, you could store every reading you take for over 3 days.
By storing readings, you can make sure your baby is getting better and you don’t have to try to remember what your baby’s temperature was the last time you took it.
Quick
With a sick and screaming baby time is of the essence, every second seems to drag by.
The innovative sensor in the Simplife Digital Thermometer gives you a reading in just a matter of seconds. It is one of the quickest thermometers I have tested; some others can take up to a whopping 80 seconds, which can feel like an eternity.
Fever Indicator
When a fever is detected, the screen turns red and the thermometer emits 10 short beeps. This is useful is there a low-grade fever and you’re unsure whether or not to be worried.
Fever Indicator
When a fever is detected, the screen turns red and the thermometer emits 10 short beeps. This is useful is there a low-grade fever and you’re unsure whether or not to be worried.
Backlit Display Screen
The large backlit display screen makes it extremely easy to read. Instead of struggling to read small numbers on a dim screen, Simplife has made it easy by lighting up the screen and enlarging it as well.
I find this extremely helpful when it is night and I am trying to get a reading without turning on the light and waking my baby up.
Things We Liked
The Simplife Dual Mode Digital Thermometer, along with being extremely easy to use, is also very reliable and won’t make you retake your child’s temperature multiple times. The biggest advantage of this one however, is its dual mode capability. It can be used on the forehead or ear and can easily switch between the two. However, hold off on using the ear thermometer until after the baby is at least 1-year-old. But this is the best ear and forehead thermometer you’ll find.
Things We Didn’t Like
The only downside of this thermometer isn’t even really a downside. It cannot display readings in Celsius, but all you really need to know is 98.6 is normal, 100.5 or higher is considered a fever and you should call your pediatrician.
Braun Forehead Thermometer
Color Coded Screen Display
My favorite part of the Braun thermometer is its color-coded screen display. If there is no fever the screen displays the temperature with a green backlight.
If there is a low-grade fever, the backlight is yellow, and if there is a full blown fever the backlight is red. This makes it extremely easy to judge how serious a fever is.
Easy to Use
With just a quick swipe across the forehead, the Braun thermometer can gauge your temperature. It doesn’t have a lot of buttons or needs to be programmed either. It is easily operated with just 2 buttons and is ready to go after you turn it on.
Safe
Unlike oral or rectal thermometers, you don’t have to use probe covers or sterilize it between uses. Although you should occasionally wipe it down with an alcohol wipe to make sure any dirt doesn’t interfere with the readings.
When I use oral thermometers, I am always worried that germs are still on it from the last time my baby was sick, no matter how I sterilize it. This thermometer gave me peace of mind knowing I’m not inadvertently making my baby sicker.
Reliable
The Braun Forehead Thermometer doesn’t drain batteries and you can count on it lasting you a very long time. The last thing you want to have to do when you have a sick baby is run out to the store in the middle of the night to hunt for batteries. I’ve heard of people using the same batteries for years before needing to replace them.
Things We Liked
The Braun Forehead Thermometer is easy to use, accurate, helpful, and hygienic. You can definitely count on Braun to give you an accurate reading, making it easier to care for your little one.
Things We Didn’t Like
Once again, the only downside is that the Braun Forehead Thermometer cannot provide readings in Celsius. But when you consider how many awesome features it has, this seems very insignificant.
Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer
Arterial Heat Balance
Exergen’s innovative, patented arterial heat balance is what really makes this thermometer stand out. The thermometer takes an astounding 1,000 readings per second and takes the most accurate one and displays it.
Fast
In a mere second you’re provided with an incredibly accurate reading. Sometimes you don’t have much more than a second to get a good reading when you’re dealing with babies.
Celsius and Fahrenheit
The Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer is great for everyone. It can display results in either Celsius or Fahrenheit which is great for our friends overseas. You don’t have to do any pesky conversions or guesstimate what the temperature is; you can choose whatever is easiest for you.
Reliable
This thermometer is used in many hospitals and doctors’ offices, so you know it’s got to be good. When I had my daughter the nurses used an Exergen thermometer, which is what initially piqued my interest in this brand. My baby was born with a fever and they closely monitored her and took great care of her, all while using the Exergen thermometer.
Things We Liked
The Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer is great because it is simple but incredibly effective. It has a sleek and easy to use design and very clear instructions. It also has red LED lights that light up when an accurate reading is reached, along with a few soft beeps.
Things We Didn’t Like
The worst thing about this thermometer is that it takes 9V batteries, which can be a little difficult to find, definitely not as easy as AA or AAA. Once you have them, though, you’re good to go and won’t have to buy more for a while.
So What is the Best Forehead Thermometer?
Out of the thermometers I’ve reviewed, the winner is Dr. Madre Non-contact infrared thermometer.
This thermometer is great day and night and I’ve had no problems with it in the several months I’ve had it. I am most impressed with its ability to talk in both English and Spanish, which is what initially sold me on it.
But after I got it I realized that it has so many other great features as well. I didn’t care much about the non-contact aspect of it at first, but I didn’t realize how incredibly helpful that really is. When my baby got sick the first time she was so uncomfortable it was impossible to get her to sit still long enough to get a reading using a regular thermometer. A forehead reading is not only easier to get than an ear reading, but it is also more reliable.
So while the dual thermometers are nice, I only found myself ever using the forehead mode. Dr. Madre’s thermometer is also great because you can use it for your baby’s entire life. Starting at birth and up through adulthood, this thermometer will give you fast accurate readings.
The final thing I noticed when I got this thermometer was its ability to store readings. I am particularly forgetful, especially when caring for a sick baby, so being able to see past readings really came in handy for me, and I’m sure it will for you too. This is by far the best forehead thermometer out there.
