Thermometer Options

TempleTouch™ vs. Other Thermometers

Compare TempleTouch brand thermometers to other common kinds of thermometers.

TempleTouch™

How it Works: Use patented R.A.T.E. (rapid, accurate, temperature, establishment) technology to measure core body temperature to when the non-invasive probe to the temple. TempleTouch stands in a category all on its own – conductive forehead thermometers. They are not be confused with temporal scanning or forehead scanning thermometers, which measure infrared heat radiating from the body, or with forehead strips.
Price: $10 and up
Invasive or Non-Invasive: Non-Invasive
Accuracy & Reliability: It measures the heat radiating from the body and produces a clinically accurate measurement of the core body temperature to give instant, accurate readings every time. Unlike other forehead type thermometers, it is not affected by local ambient conditions.
Safety: Extremely safe; gentle enough to be used on sleeping baby.
Response Time: Six (6) seconds

Phase Change Disposable Thermometers

How it Works: Commonly referred to as “strips”, these measure the infrared energy radiating from the forehead or temple area.
Price: $10 – $600 per box
Invasive or Non-Invasive: Non-Invasive
Accuracy & Reliability: A 2007 study by a research scientist at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, found that “forehead readings were unreliable indicators of core body temperature.
Safety: Safe for use on children and adults
Response Time: Varies, but takes several minutes on average.

Infrared Thermometers

How it Works: Infrared ear thermometers , or tympanic thermometers, measure the infrared energy emitted from a person’s eardrum in a calibrated length of time. A short tube with a protective sleeve is inserted into the ear, and a shutter is opened to allow radiation from the tympanic membrane to fall on an infrared detector. The device beeps when data collection is completed and results are displayed. Temporal or Forehead Scanning Thermometers give faster results than digital stick thermometers. Users press a button down and sweep the probe across forehead.
Price: $40 – $100
Invasive or Non-Invasive: Infrared Ear Thermometers are invasive while temporal or forehead scanner are non-invasive.
Accuracy & Reliability: ConsumerReports warns against using infrared ear thermometers on babies and young children reporting, “They aren’t recommended for young children because there are lots of chances for error … you have to align them in the ear canal perfectly to be accurate.” Additionally, studies have shown infrared thermometers delivered inaccurate results and in 2002, BBC reported that infrared ear thermometers “could miss a fever in a child ,and could be unreliable in many hospital settings”.
Safety: Not recommended for persons with ear infections or who have been exposed to extreme heat or cold.
Response Time: 1-10 seconds

Digital Stick Thermometers

How it Works: Digital stick thermometers are known for giving accurate results and are a common device for fever measurement.
Price: $10 and up
Invasive or Non-Invasive: Invasive
Accuracy & Reliability: The medical community agrees that digital stick thermometers are accurate.
Safety: Safe for use on infants, children and adults.
Response Time: :30 seconds and up

Mercury Thermometers

How it Works: A mercury-in-glass thermometer is a thermometer consisting of mercury in a glass tube. Calibrated marks on the tube allow the temperature to be read by the length of the mercury within the tube, which varies according to the heat given to it. To increase the sensitivity, there is usually a bulb of mercury at the end of the thermometer which contains most of the mercury; expansion and contraction of this volume of mercury is then amplified in the much narrower bore of the tube. The space above the mercury may be filled with nitrogen or it may be a vacuum. – According to Wikipedia.com
Price: n/a
Invasive or Non-Invasive: Invasive
Accuracy & Reliability: While they are reliable, they are NOT recommended for use.
Safety: NOT SAFE. If you are using a mercury thermometer to measure a fever, dispose of it immediately. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommend that alternative thermometers be used in the home. Due to toxic risks of mercury, mercury-in-glass thermometers are not commonly sold and are even outlawed in several states because of the safety hazards they pose.
Response Time: n/a