10 Best Thermometers of 2022 for Kids and Adults
From no-touch to forehead thermometers, these picks give fast and precise readings.
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A reliable thermometer for checking body temperature when you or your child might be sick is a household health essential. And while drugstores tend to carry some basic contact models, it can be hard to know what you’ll find where — and it’s better to have the right tools on hand before someone in your home is under the weather.
Whether you opt for a standard oral thermometer for adults and children, a rectal thermometer for infants, or a non-contact thermometer that uses readings from your forehead or inner ear, these devices can provide quick and accurate readings to alert you to a fever and help you track body temperature throughout an illness. Some women may also use thermometers to track ovulation via their basal body temperature, and many models are now equipped with smart capabilities for tracking and logging the temperatures of multiple users.
The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have spent years testing health, fitness, and smart home products across dozens of categories, from baby monitors to smartwatches and fitness trackers. To help you find the best thermometer for your needs, we evaluated models of all types on the precision and speed of their measurements, as well as how easy they were to use, read, and clean. While we previously tested accuracy against a hospital-grade thermometer, this wasn’t an option for the most recent round of testing, so we instead focused more heavily on repeatability of measurements alongside user reviews.
We found that the best thermometers could give a fast, repeatable, and easy-to-understand readout, without sacrificing the comfort of the user. These are the best thermometers you can buy, according to testing, in-home use, and online reviews:
- Best Overall Thermometer: iProven DTR-1221A Medical Thermometer
- Best Thermometer for Babies: Vicks ComfortFlex Digital Thermometer
- Best In-Ear Thermometer: Equate Infrared In-Ear Digital Thermometer
- Best Smart In-Ear Thermometer: Kinsa Ear Digital Thermometer
- Best Thermometer for Kids: iProven DMT-489 Thermometer
- Best No-Touch Thermometer: Braun No Touch Forehead Thermometer
- Best Thermometer for Groups: ThermoWorks Wand No Touch Forehead Thermometer
- Best Thermometer for Ovulation Tracking: Mira Fertility Tracking Kit
- Best Basic BBT Thermometer: iProven Basal Body Thermometer
- Best Thermometer Patch: TempTraq 48-Hour Intelligent Baby Fever Monitor
Note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve found that thermometers are cycling in and out of stock faster than usual across retailers. If your preferred thermometer is out of stock at one of the following stores, you can search for the same model at other reputable retailers, or choose from one of the other top-tested models in this roundup.
iProven DT-R1221AWG Medical Thermometer
Pros
- Best value pick
- Very reliable readings
- Flexible, extra-long tip
- Can be used for oral or rectal temperature
Cons
- Beeps too high-pitched for those hard of hearing
This flexible, affordable, and easy-to-use contact thermometer gave consistent readings time after time in our testing, making it the best thermometer for most people — and at the most affordable price point on the list. The large digital display clearly indicates body temperature after 10 to 20 seconds, with an accompanying smiling or frowning emoji that makes it simple for children to understand when they have a fever. The flexible tip of the thermometer is also longer than that of the competitors, which is more comfortable for children and particularly useful when taking rectal temperature in infants.
Vicks ComfortFlex Digital Thermometer
Pros
- Affordable
- Color-coded, reliable readings
- Flexible tip
- Can be used for oral, rectal, or underarm temperature
Cons
- Tip isn't very long
This simple stick thermometer from Vicks has a large, color-coded bulb display that makes it easy to see when your child has a fever. It can provide a reading in as little as 8 seconds, and it can be used for taking oral, rectal, or underarm temperature, making it suitable for babies. It also has a flexible tip that makes it more comfortable for children, although the tip is shorter than that of the model from iProven.
Equate Infrared In-Ear Digital Thermometer
Pros
- Disposal tips
- Comfortable to use
- Can be used for in-ear temperature
Cons
- Harder to use accurately than contact thermometers
If you have a child or infant who doesn't enjoy the discomfort of contact thermometers, or you need to take the temperatures of multiple users one after another, this non-contact in-ear thermometer from Equate is a simple and sanitary solution. Although it’s bulkier and more expensive than most contact thermometers, this device has disposal tips that can be changed out between users, with a large, bright display for quick temperature reads. Keep in mind that in-ear thermometers may take some practice to get accurate, consistent readings.
Kinsa Smart Ear Digital Thermometer
Pros
- Very fast readings
- Useful smart features
- Comfortable to use
- Can be used for in-ear temperature
Cons
- Harder to use accurately than contact thermometers
- Can get ear wax stuck inside if not cleaned properly
- Pricey
Our tester’s kids loved using the Sesame Street version of this smart in-ear thermometer from Kinsa to take their temperatures. It provides readings faster than contact thermometers, and the compatible Kinsa app can be used to log and track the temperatures of multiple users. But in-ear thermometers take some practice to use accurately, and this one doesn’t come with disposal caps, meaning ear wax can get stuck to the tip.
Pros
- Very fast readings
- Very comfortable to use
- Can be used for forehead or in-ear temperature
Cons
- Harder to use accurately than contact thermometers
- Less consistent
This dual non-contact thermometer can be used to take both forehead and in-ear temperature readings, making it suitable for users of all ages. The super fast, contactless readings are especially useful for fussy or sleeping children. Keep in mind that non-contact thermometers like this iProven are more difficult to use accurately, and we got less consistent measurements with this device than with our winning contact thermometers.
Braun Digital No-Touch Forehead Thermometer
Pros
- Very fast readings
- Color-coded readings
- Comfortable to use
- Can be used for forehead temperature
Cons
- Harder to use accurately than contact thermometers
- Pricey
This highly-rated forehead thermometer from Braun gives quick readings from up to two inches away. It has a color-coded, easy-to-read display, and it’s safe and sanitary to use with the whole family. Like with other non-contact thermometers, however, it can be difficult to get consistent results from this Braun without practice.
ThermoWorks Wand No Touch Forehead Thermometer
Pros
- Fast readings
- Comfortable to use
- Can store up to 25 readings at once
- Can be used for forehead temperature
Cons
- Harder to use accurately than contact thermometers
- Very pricey
If you’re looking for a non-contact thermometer that can be used with many people in an office, school, or other professional environment, the ThermoWorks Wand is a popular, highly-rated option. It gives near-instant readings, can store up to 25 temperatures at once, and provides results from 1.5 inches away, making it safe and sanitary for groups. It still might be less accurate in practice than most contact thermometers, and it’s the most expensive option we’ve seen.
Mira Fertility Tracking Monitor Kit
Pros
- Comprehensive fertility tracking system
- Connected app for tracking cycle
Cons
- Complicated to use
- Very pricey
This popular fertility kit is designed for women who are looking for an entire fertility tracking system that goes beyond a basal body temperature thermometer. The kit includes the Mira Analyzer and 10 LH test wands, used to track LH hormone levels, as well as a carrying pouch and charging accessories. While many users have become successfully pregnant using this kit to track ovulation, it can take a while to acclimate to using it, and it's much more expensive than a standalone BBT thermometer.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Can also be used for oral temperature
Cons
- Doesn’t connect with apps for tracking
This standard contact thermometer designed for women tracking their basal body temperature for fertility gives consistent readings and is easy to use and read. While it’s branded for use as a BBT thermometer, keep in mind that it’s just a more sensitive version of a standard oral thermometer, and it won’t connect with any apps you have for tracking your temperature — you’ll have to input your data manually.
Pros
- Tracks temperature over 48 hours
- Connected app for monitoring temperature
- Easy to use
Cons
- Single use
- Very pricey
A wearable thermometer patch like the TempTraq allows parents or caretakers to track a child’s body temperature without disturbing them. This patch continuously senses, records, and sends alerts of a child's temperature to your smartphone, which can bring a lot of peace of mind during an illness. Some users complain of the patch’s inaccuracy, however, and its adhesive and disposal design makes it a pricey single-use purchase.
What to consider when shopping for thermometers
Accuracy vs. precision: You want to look for a thermometer that is both accurate, meaning it gives you readings close to your real body temperature, and precise, meaning those readings are repeatable. While we were only able to test for precision in this round of testing at home, contact thermometers are generally going to be the most accurate when you account for human error. While non-contact thermometers can be very accurate, they are more difficult for people to use correctly, and can show inaccurate temperatures due to human error and other external factors.
Contact vs. remote: There are a wide variety of thermometers that can be used on different parts of the body, but they all fall into two major categories: Contact (touch) and non-contact (remote).
• Contact thermometers use electronic heat sensors to record body temperature. These thermometers can be used in the mouth, armpit or rectum, or on the forehead. They usually take longer to provide readings, but they are also generally more accurate than non-contact thermometers, because there are fewer factors that can affect readings. Oral and rectal measurements are also usually more accurate than armpit measurements. While they’re easy to use and read, they can cause discomfort.
• Remote thermometers or non-contact thermometers use an infrared scanner to measure the temperature of the temporal artery in the forehead or the tympanic membrane in the inner ear. These thermometers are easy to use for children or those who are uncomfortable with contact thermometers, as well as in groups where sanitation is a concern. These may be less accurate than contact thermometers because of user error and external factors like sunlight and sweat.
Age of user: Not all thermometers are right for every age group. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Rectal temperatures provide the most-accurate readings for infants, especially those 3 months or younger, as well as children up to age 3. For older children and adults, oral readings are usually accurate — as long as the mouth is closed while the thermometer is in place.” Infrared ear thermometers are appropriate for infants older than age 6 months, older children and adults, and infrared forehead thermometers are appropriate for any age.
Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years, overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems.
