Your baby having a fever can be one of the first signs that they are feeling under the weather.
As a parent, one of the biggest challenges is when your baby is feeling unwell. When it’s warm outside, it can be hard to differentiate between your child simply feeling hot, or having a fever; the latter of which is usually a sign that your baby’s immune system is trying to fight off some form of infection.
Whilst you may be able to spot some signs of a fever in your child’s behaviour, it’s always safer and more reliable to use a baby thermometer, which can take an accurate reading of your baby’s internal body temperature.
According to the NHS, a baby’s normal body temperature averages around 36.4oC (varying slightly from one child to the next) - and a temperature of over 38 degrees is considered to be fever.
Whilst most fevers in children are a natural process that resolves itself within a few days, the NHS recommend you ring 111 and seek medical advice if your baby is less than 3 months and has a temperature of over 38, or is 3-6 months old with a temperature of over 39. You should also familiarise yourself with other signs of more serious illness here.
What should you consider when buying a baby thermometer?
Before making your choice of baby thermometer, here are some things you may want to bear in mind:
- Ease of use - With infants and babies, particularly ones that are feeling poorly, it can be challenging to get an accurate temperature reading. Whilst rectal thermometers can produce accurate results, they aren’t the preferred option for obvious reasons. Popular choices for babies that are simple and easy to use include infrared forehead thermometers (often described as ‘no contact’ thermometers), and inner-ear thermometers, many of which are used by your local GP and medical teams and for newborns. For newborns, underarm thermometers are usually the easiest and safest to administer.
- Speed of results - The easiest baby thermometers to use are those that require your baby to keep still for the shortest time possible - so you should look for thermometers that can provide an accurate reading in seconds. The good news is, the majority can these days, although some require more interpreting than others.
- Ease of reading results - Is the result displayed digitally or do you need to measure and interpret the reading yourself? Does it give a reading in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, or can you alternate between the two? If you’re worried your child is unwell, the sooner you can see the result the better.
- Does it have a backlight? - The last thing you want to do is wake your child if they’ve finally nodded off to sleep, but you may feel more comfortable checking their temperature during the night. A backlit screen can be really useful, as it allows you to quickly get peace of mind without disturbing your child.
- Trusted brands - You’ll notice that there is some consistency with the brands featured in this guide - Braun and Tommee Tippee in particular have a solid reputation for creating award-winning, accurate and high-quality baby products that are loved and trusted by many parents and have a large number of positive consumer reviews. Whilst the brand choice may be easy, there are a variety of products which you can choose from to suit your family’s needs.
Many parents use baby thermometers simply to offer peace of mind. Whether you prefer an inner-ear baby thermometer, an underarm thermometer or even bath and room thermometers to make sure your baby doesn’t overheat; here are the best baby thermometers you can buy today.
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Braun Thermoscan 7 with Age Precision
The number one brand amongst doctors and medical professionals for good reason, the Braun Thermoscarn Ear Thermometer comes with clinically proven accuracy levels. With a pre-warmed tip for comfort, you can take a reading from your child’s ear canal and get an accurate temperature reading in just three seconds.
With age precision technology, the Braun Thermoscan assesses the impact of the reading based on your child’s age and not only displays the temperature on a clear, backlit LCD, but also colour codes it with a traffic light system which is really straightforward to interpret.
Suitable for the entire family to use from newborn to adult, this less invasive inner ear thermometer requires Braun hygiene caps for each reading to ensure accuracy and avoid cross-contamination between users. A pack of 21 is supplied with the initial purchase, with replacement packs of 200 available for £8.99.
Buy now £43.58, Amazon
Braun No Touch & Touch Forehead Thermometer
Another award-winning baby thermometer from Braun is the No Touch & Touch Forehead Thermometer, which is an ideal option for taking your baby’s temperature during the night or while they are asleep.
With a super fast two-second reading, this thermometer can be used as either a forehead thermometer or a non-contact thermometer, the latter of which uses infrared technology and a proximity sensor to help you get the perfect distance for accurate results.
Using the same large, colour-coded LCD as the Braun Thermoscan, it includes a backlight for easy nighttime checks and can even have the beeps muted to avoid waking your sleeping child.
Buy now £20.81, Amazon
Tommee Tippee Digital Ear Themometer
Another feature-rich inner ear thermometer but this time from popular baby brand Tommee Tippee. This digital thermometer can provide a temperature in just one second, even sounding a fever alert alarm if the reading is too high.
With a very small tip which makes it comfortable and safe to use on even the youngest of ears, it also allows you to store a history of nine temperature readings, helping you monitor and track whether a fever is improving after administering medicine.
The Tommee Tippee thermometer only comes with eight hygiene covers, so you may want to pick up some additional ones to ensure you have a steady supply. They are available in packs of 40 for approximately £5 a pack.
Buy now £26.44, Amazon
Braun Age Precision Stick Thermometer
An alternative to an inner ear thermometer comes from the leading health gadget brand. The Braun Age Precision Stick Thermometer comes with a gentle flexible tip that when placed under the arm, can take an accurate temperature measurement in eight seconds.
Whilst this may sound significant, many parents feel more comfortable performing this type of check than using an inner ear thermometer, particularly with younger babies and newborns. For best results, you should use it when your baby is calm and comfortable and their underarm is easily accessible, such as when your baby is sitting upright on your lap.
With age-adjustable measurements that allow the thermometer screen to change colour according to the level of fever, this stick thermometer will also let out ten short sharp bursts of sounds if a high fever is detected. With internal memory, it will record the last measurement too, helping you identify any spike or trends in your child’s temperature.
Buy now £10.00, Amazon
Boots Smart Non-Contact Thermometer
Whilst it comes with a more significant price tag, the Boots Non-Contact Thermometer works via infrared, allowing you to take a safe and hygienic temperature reading with no contact aka no fuss, no trying to keep your baby still and no discomfort.
It links to your phone via a free app and Bluetooth, allowing you to record and keep a history of your baby’s fever over time - not just the last one either - with up to 60 recordings!
Clinically validated, you’ll get the results within seconds and with an illuminated display option, it can be used day and night with ease.
Buy now £36.66, Boots
Vital Baby PROTECT Healthcare Kit for Baby - 3pcs
An alternative baby thermometer that comes as part of a wider set, the Vital Baby PROTECT Healthcare Kit is complete with three useful products including a Room and Bath thermometer, body thermometer and nasal aspirator, the latter of which is ideal for helping clear stuffy noses when your baby is suffering from coughs, colds and congestion.
The flexible tip on the body thermometer can be used in a variety of ways - either orally, underarm or as a rectal thermometer to accurately measure your baby’s temperature. With a smart memory function, you can keep track of how their temperature varies too.
Babies and toddlers will love the familiar and friendly bear design of the waterproof wet or dry thermometer, with an easy-to-read digital display and LED light than will visually advise when the room or bath is too warm.
Buy now £17.57, Amazon
Tommee Tippee Groegg Digital Colour Changing Room Thermometer
If you have an older child, you may be familiar with the original GroEgg - an innovative room thermometer which changes colour from green to orange and red depending on the temperature of its surroundings. Since 2018, Gro is now part of the Tommee Tippee brand and has seen some big improvements on the original.
It now has an adjustable brightness level, allowing you to create an ambient ‘nightlight’ within your baby’s room. As a result, you can not only check on them during the night but visually see the temperature of the room without disturbing your baby as they sleep.
The Tommee Tippee Groegg thermometer can be a useful tool to help you dress your baby accordingly for bedtime, offering peace of mind that they won’t overheat or get too cold during the night.
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room thermometer
Last but not least, if you’re still using the tip of your elbow to assess whether your baby’s bath is the right temperature, it may be time to go a little more high-tech.
This star-shaped thermometer from the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature range floats in water and displays the temperature so you can be confident it’s safe and suitable for your baby to get in and splash about. Ideal for peace of mind, an LED light on the top will turn red to give you a clear indicator if the bath is too hot (warmer than 39 degrees).
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bath and Room Thermometer can also be used as a freestanding nursery thermometer, helping you ensure the room is at the adequate temperature before your baby goes to bed. With a muted green and white design, it is subtle enough to suit even the most modern of room settings.
Buy now £13.49, Amazon
Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer, Suitable for all Ages, No Contact Required
Though this option is most definitely on the pricier side, it'll provide decent bang for your buck - as it's suitable for use on all the family. A temporal thermometer which works with the help of 16 infrared sensors, the Withings Smart Temporal Thermometer is designed to provide medically-approved measurements in just two seconds.
What's more, you can sync this thermometer with a dedicated smartphone in order to track and manage fever episodes and temperature spikes.
Buy now £89.99, Very
Braun ThermoScan 3 IRT 3030 Compact Baby Thermometer
An easy-to-use option which users declare particularly helpful for those midnight check-ups, Braun's ThermoScan delivers measurements in just one second, includes a beeping fever indicator, and is suitable for newborns.
Buy now £34.99, John Lewis
Verdict
Whilst we would be perfectly comfortable using any of the products featured on this list, we feel the Braun Thermoscan deserves its place as the best baby thermometer. With over 48,000 five-star reviews from Amazon customers, we’re certainly not alone with this view.
Easy to use, fast and efficient with accurate temperature readings presented in seconds, it’s pain free and comfortable and thanks to its LED backlight, can even be used when your child’s asleep without fully waking them.
For peace of mind, convenience and reliability, the Thermoscan offers the ideal solution at a budget-friendly price.
