Best thermometers in 2024: tested and rated | Tom's Guide

These are the best thermometers you can find right now

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Whether you’ve got young children or not, no medicine cabinet should be without one of the best thermometers. They should act as a reliable indicator of whether someone’s temperature is raised and if they require medical treatment. But, rather than buying multiple thermometers to suit every person in your household, you need a thermometer that is easy to use on babies, young children and adults. It should also give a fast and reliable reading, so you’re not distressing the patient or taking multiple readings to find an average.

To help you decide which thermometer to buy, we’ve carefully selected a range of thermometers to test. When reviewing the devices, we looked at accuracy, speed and ease of use, consistency, design, display and memory features, plus any special functions. With this insight, we’ve selected the best overall and placed them into categories matching their benefits.

Based on our extensive testing, the iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer PT3 is the best thermometer overall. It gives results in one second, is non-invasive, and is easy to use. It is perfect for taking an infant’s temperature whilst they’re sleeping. The Femometer Digital Thermometer (DMT 2032) was selected as the best budget device, retailing for under $10. However, recording a reading took much longer than the best thermometer.

We also tested smart thermometers, including the Kinsa Quickcare, which pairs with an app, making recording temperatures and symptoms easy. It’s especially handy if you need to share information with doctors. However, if you don’t want this functionality, you may prefer a basic thermometer like the Vicks ComfortFlex, without all the bells and whistles. Here's the best thermometers you can buy right now.

Best overall

This no-touch thermometer is the best we tested and delivers results quickly for babies, infants and adults, by simply placing the thermometer on a forehead.

Read more below

Best budget

The Femometer digital thermometer is a great budget purchase, plus it's compact and easy to use, although you may be waiting a while for the reading.Read more below

Best for families

This smart thermometer allows you to record multiple patients' recordings over time and can be used with an app, if desired. It makes it a good choice for families.Read more below

Best basic

The Vick ComfortFlex digital thermometer is light and compact and has a rubber probe for greater comfort. The results are color-coded, which makes results easy to interpret.

Read more below

Best multi

This digital thermometer uses infrared technology to take readings from the ear and forehead, which it delivers in two seconds, making it a good choice for infants.

Read more below

Best for infants

The Braun ThermoScan 7 uses infrared technology to take you temperature via the ear. It also has an Age Precision feature providing a color-coded reading based on different levels.

Read more below

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Our expert review:

After extensive testing, the iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer PT3 is our top choice for a no-touch thermometer — it delivers results within a second with an easy-to-read display. This thermometer uses infrared sensors to measure the temperature of the forehead, and it can be used on babies, children, and adults. Just scan the center of someone’s forehead to get a temperature reading, cued by a vibration.

This thermometer is intuitive to use — we didn’t have to rely heavily on the instruction manual. It’s the fastest by far, and it’s the one we’d choose if we needed to quickly take a temperature and report it. This thermometer would be a great for anyone who needs to quickly scan multiple people (just use an alcohol swab to clean it between uses). Because of its sound-free design with no bright lights, it’s also the best option if you want to take a child’s temperature while they’re sleeping. One con is that the thermometer only recalls the last reading, so you’d need to come up with your own system for tracking temperatures over time. Still, this is the best thermometer for its price point, ease of use, and no-touch design.

Our expert review:

The Femometer Digital Thermometer is easy enough to use, and it’s hard to beat at this price point. Simply press the power switch, place it under your tongue, wait for a beep, and your temperature is ready. The thermometer will display “Lo” if the temperature is lower than 89.6° and “Hi” if the temperature is above 107.6°, which leaves a pretty large range for a healthy temperature. This thermometer also has a waterproof tip, making it easy to clean and reuse, and a plastic cover for storage. You can also easily convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius as needed.

The biggest con of the Femometer thermometer is how long it takes to get a reading, especially when compared to other contenders. Our average temperature reading took 57 seconds, which isn’t ideal for use on someone who may not want to keep still. Its LCD screen display is clear enough to read, but there’s no backlight, making it harder to take temperatures in low light.

Overall, this thermometer is great value for money, compact, and easy to use, making it our second pick for the best thermometers.

Our expert review:

If you’re looking for a thermometer that can track multiple patients at a time, this is the one for you. The Kinda Quickcare is a Smart digital thermometer takes an average of 8 seconds to take a reading as claimed, which is a little slower than the iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer, and it can be used in the rectum (rectal), mouth (oral) or armpit (axillary). It’s pretty clever as well — if you take the thermometer out of your mouth too early, the app will tell you to try again.

The Kinsa Quickcare thermometer also pairs with the free Kinsa mobile app that’s available in the App Store or Google Play, though the app is not required to use the thermometer. We found it very easy to set up on an iPhone, as well as take a temperature, and add any symptoms we may have been feeling. You can add multiple users on the app, and it will create a timeline of all your past temperature readings, and symptoms that can be shared with caregivers or doctors as needed.

And for children that don't like having their temperature taken, the app features an 'Ellie the Elephant' animation to keep them still, ensuring an accurate reading.

Overall, this thermometer is a great choice for anyone who needs to keep track of temperature over time. While some users admitted that they didn’t feel comfortable sharing their health data with the company, Kinsa does state that the personally identifiable information of users is not used without their permission. This is a great digital thermometer for us because we appreciate the technology and ease of tracking, but not everyone needs those bells and whistles.

Our expert review:

When first using the Vicks Comfortflex, it opens with a self-assessment, similar to taring a scale, and afterwards displays the last temperature reading for two seconds — useful if you want a reference for your progress. The design is compact and reliable, and the probe’s rubber coating makes it more comfortable to use than some of the others on our list. Although it claims to provide results in “as fast as 8 seconds,” it took an average of 15 seconds when we tested it. Still, it was easy to follow the directions, and the vibration cue let us know that the temperature reading was available.

The display is color-coded based on the results (green for no fever, yellow for elevated, and red for high fever), which makes it easy to interpret the results at a glance. You can also recall the last reading using the memory feature and switch from Farenheit to Celsius, which is easy enough once you read the manual. However, other users noted that it was hard to find a battery replacement for this thermometer, which requires a CR1632 3V lithium battery. It may be worth ordering a back-up battery in advance so you can change it out when needed.

Overall, this thermometer is easy to use and great for anyone on the go, which is why it’s one of the best thermometers.

Our expert review:

The iProven thermometer can scan the forehead from temple to temple, and it can also take your temperature via the ear using the ear probe with a removable cap. It uses infrared technology to measure radiation from the eardrum or forehead and provides a reading within two seconds. Although it’s not completely contactless like the iHealth thermometer, it still takes readings quickly, which makes it a good choice for babies and children.

The forehead temperature readings were consistent and displayed within a few seconds, however we struggled to get readings with the ear probe at times and had to keep moving it around until it worked. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since we only got a reading when it was placed properly, but we would have liked more guidance on how to orient it correctly for accurate readings. If the temperature is high, the iProven thermometer beeps three times and flashes a red warning light. Otherwise, it has a green display for a normal temperature. Overall, this is a simple-to-use ear and forehead thermometer that’s worth its price, which is why it’s one of the best thermometers.

Our expert review:

The Braun ThermoScan 7 uses infrared technology to quickly take your temperature via the ear, measuring the heat generated by the eardrum and surrounding tissue. It comes with disposable lens filters which should be changed with every use; bear in mind this can quickly mount up the price. It also stores the last nine temperature readings (useful if you’re tracking your temperature over a period of time), which can be accessed by pressing the “Mem” button. The Age Precision feature provides a color-coded reading based on different levels of fever by the selected age group (0-3 months, 3-36 months or 36 months+).

Overall, this thermometer is easy to use — all we had to do was add a lens filter, select the appropriate age range, and scan our ear. The lens filters make it easy to use the same thermometer on the whole family, but we would prefer to use alcohol to clean the probe between uses instead to lower costs and waste. The color display (green, yellow, or red) quickly gave us a sense of whether our temperature was normal or high.

Expect to pay more for this thermometer, both upfront and in terms of replacing the filters, however for that you will get one of the best thermometers, which offers specific guidance for young age ranges.

To test each thermometer, we started off by reading through the manual to learn the ins and outs of the design, including how to take temperature, change the reading from Fahrenheit to Celsius, and details on how the readings will be displayed. From here, we took three temperature readings and compared the speed and consistency, assessing the memory recall feature if there was one.

We considered the display, checking for a backlight so the temperature could be easily seen at night or in a dimly lit room. We factored in visual cues as well, such as indicators for a low versus high temperature reading with a color display or warning sound. We timed how long it took to reach the temperature reading, keeping in mind that a fussy child may struggle to hold their breath for a significant period of time if someone took their temperature orally.

These thermometers vary in the location from which they can take temperature, from the ear or forehead (or both) to the mouth, armpit, or rectum. For the latter category, we considered the comfort of the probe. We considered the inclusion of additional nice-to-have features as well like a companion app, age-specific guidance, or the inclusion of lens filters. Lastly, we considered how many readings could be stored, which may be more beneficial if you’re monitoring symptoms over time. However, only the Kinsa thermometer offered a timeline to track the temperatures of multiple people, which is ideal if you live in a large household.

There are two main categories of thermometer: digital-stick and infrared. (The old glass models containing poisonous mercury have been phased out, but you can still find a few containing dyed-red alcohol.)

A digital-stick thermometer is probably what's been stashed in the back of your medicine cabinet for the last decade. It makes physical contact with the body and can take temperatures from the mouth (oral), the armpit (axillary) or the bottom (rectal).

Digital-stick thermometers are slower to give a temperature reading than their infrared counterparts and have fewer features, but they're accurate, affordable and work for all ages.

Infrared thermometers measure the heat your body emits, generally via the forehead or ear, by reading infrared light. These give results almost instantaneously and are more comfortable for young kids, though not recommended for newborns. (Readings from a rectal thermometer are more reliable, and with babies, reliable readings are key.)

Infrared thermometers tend to have more features than digital-stick models, which means they're usually also pricier. Some are specifically designed to read forehead temperatures, others are designed for ear readings, and some can handle both.

When you're looking for the best thermometer for your home, consider whose temperature you'll be taking, as well as which features — fever alerts and app integrations, for example — could make dealing with a sick kid or partner a little bit easier.

Your first step to choosing the best thermometer is to determine which method you prefer for taking temperatures. If you have a newborn — or if you're looking for an inexpensive option for the adults in your home — a digital stick thermometer that can be used for oral, rectal or axillary readings should do the trick.

If you have toddlers or children who are averse to holding their breath, a forehead, ear or dual-mode device is likely a better fit.

The thermometers which feature in our list fall into three main categories:

Oral thermometer: This list includes a few digital thermometers, which can take temperature orally, rectally, or by armpit. Some thermometers also have a companion mobile app to track temperature over time.

Ear thermometer: Tympanic thermometers are inserted into the ear canal, making it easy to get fast and accurate readings. The one drawback is that they aren’t recommended for use in infants under 6 months old and need to be positioned properly for accurate results.

Forehead thermometer: Forehead thermometers use infrared sensors to take the temperature from your forehead. We tested designs that were contactless as well as some which need to be swiped across the forehead.

Here are a few additional factors to weigh when determining which thermometer is right for your family.

Entry-level thermometers start from just $6, but the price can range up to $60 or more for premium designs. Generally speaking, the more features you get, the more you will have to spend. The cheapest designs mostly consist of oral thermometers which offer an immediate reading and little else. Whereas premium offerings have greater functionality — some can take the temperature from the ear, or even from the forehead without touching the patient. These can come with all sorts of useful features, such as smart connectivity, so you can connect the thermometer to your phone to record and track your results. Others can save multiple readings, and warn you once a fever has been reached.

While all of these added features are useful, they’re not always necessary. And, as our list shows, you don’t need to spend top dollar to get one of the best thermometers. Consider your budget and what you want from your thermometer before you start shopping. That way, you wont overspend and will only get what you will likely use.

If you’re shopping for a thermometer to suit kids, there are several factors to consider. First, you need a design which is responsive — if you’re dealing with a young, unwell child, they’re unlikely to hold still for long, so the readings need to be quick and accurate. You also want a thermometer which is comfortable for the child to use. Some may not like their temperature being taken via the ear or the mouth. To avoid contact completely, you could invest in a no-touch forehead thermometer, although these will likely cost you more.

A thermometer which you can mute may also be ideal, particularly if the child is trying to sleep while you take their temperature. Lastly, the temperature level upon reaching a fever will vary by age, and some thermometers can actually be adjusted to take account of this. This is why the Braun ThemoScan 7 was ranked as the best thermometer for kids in our tests. It offers three age settings, from 0-3 months, 3-36 months and 36 months +, so it can warn you when a fever is reached at a younger age via its red, amber and green backlight. While it is an in-ear thermometer, we like that it comes with a pre-warmed tip to limit discomfort.

Buying a thermometer for adult use isn’t as complex as buying one for a child, as you won’t need to factor in as many scenarios. While a child may dislike having their temperature taken or a reading needs to be taken while sleeping, this is unlikely to be the case for an adult. Therefore, you have a much wider choice available.

However, if you are buying an all-around thermometer for family use, investing in a thermometer most suitable for a child is the sensible option. Otherwise, it comes down to personal preference and how you find it easiest to have your temperature taken. If you dislike having an oral thermometer placed under your tongue, where it needs to be kept in place for an accurate reading, you may prefer to opt for a digital ear thermometer.

Here at Tom’s Guide our expert editors are committed to bringing you the best news, reviews and guides to help you stay informed and ahead of the curve!

Camilla Sharman has worked in publishing and marketing for over 30 years and has covered a wide range of sectors within the business and consumer industries both as a feature, content, and freelance writer.

As a business journalist, Camilla has researched articles for many different sectors from the jewellery industry to finance and tech, charities, and the arts. Whatever she’s covered, she enjoys delving deep and learning the ins and out of different topics, then conveying her research within engaging content that informs the reader. In her spare time, when she’s not in her kitchen experimenting with a new recipe, you’ll find her keeping fit at the gym. In the pool, stretching at a yoga class, or on a spin bike, exercise is her escape time. She also loves the great outdoors and if she’s not pottering about in her garden, she’ll be jumping on her bike for a gentle cycle ride.

Can a mattress cause neck pain? Yes, here's how to fix that

Skip the gym — you only need 15 minutes to build full-body strength with this bodyweight workout

Here's the Black Friday-worthy Nintendo Switch game deals I'm adding to my cart — Mario, Zelda and more