Best thermometers of 2024, tried and tested | CNN Underscored

Best thermometer: Braun Digital No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

Best budget thermometer: Vicks ComfortFlex Digital Thermometer

Best thermometer for travel: Elepho eTherm Infrared Ear and Forehead Thermometer

As mercury thermometers are a thing of the past, you no longer have to wait several minutes to read a small red line. Instead, there are now five different types of thermometers — rectal, oral, axillary (armpit), temporal (forehead) and tympanic (remote ear) — that can display a temperature reading in seconds on a digital display. Many also offer helpful features like color-coded backgrounds and fever indicators (which is a major help during cold and flu season), a log of historical readings and the ability to read surface temperatures, such as a baby’s bottle.

To gain some insights on thermometers, we spoke to two medical experts. They explained that, while readings may differ a degree or two depending on whether you’re using an oral or a forehead thermometer, all types can aptly alert you to the presence of a fever. So, aside from toddlers under 3 years old (for whom a rectal thermometer is best), it all comes down to personal preference.

To find the best thermometer, we tested 14 of the most highly rated models. All thermometers were tested on the same person several times to check for accuracy and consistency. Aside from evaluating readings, we also considered ease of use, speed of readings and any other nice-to-have options. After weeks of testing, we found three thermometers that should have a place in every medicine cabinet.

The Vicks ComfortFlex Digital Thermometer boasts a large reading display with a backlight and has three different color-coded indicators. Though readouts took longer than the no-touch options, this is still a solid option for a small (and cheap) thermometer.

The Elepho eTherm Infrared Ear and Forehead Thermometer, while not as slim as the oral/rectal/axillary thermometers, is the smallest, most durable on-the-go thermometer you'll find that doesn't require you to also pack probe covers. You also have two options to take temperature readings: in the ear canal or on the forehead.

The Braun Digital No-Touch Forehead Thermometer was by far the best we tested. This thermometer guides you through the entire temperature-taking process with directions conveniently printed right on the front. Our medical experts emphasized the importance of following directions for any particular thermometer since they all work differently.

When taking a temperature, a light casts from the thermometer to your forehead to ensure it’s pointing at the right part of your forehead (you can read more about thermometer placement below). If you’re too far away, it’ll tell you to move forward by displaying “FWD” on the large reading display, a function unique to this thermometer.

This capability allowed us to receive accurate and consistent results when we tested our forehead temperature — our results ranged between 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit and 98.3 degrees Fahrenheit. While many other models also gave us similarly consistent results (though some did vary between each reading by up to 2 degrees), this one made us feel more confident that we were receiving an accurate reading due to the positioning light, never worrying we were taking temperature readings too far from or in the wrong place on the forehead.

The Braun No-Touch also works by holding it directly on the forehead, which might be easier when taking your own temperature. This isn’t an option available on many other no-touch thermometers. If you need to take the temperatures of multiple people, the no-touch option reduces cross-contamination and lessens the risk of spreading germs.

Temperatures were easy to read on this thermometer, thanks to a backlit color-coded screen that displays three different colors based on the temperature reading — green for a normal reading, yellow for a slightly elevated fever and red for a high fever. This quick indicator can be useful when taking several readings right after another — for example, as children walk into their preschool — to quickly see if anyone is running a fever. The light-up display is also useful for taking a child’s temperature in a dark bedroom while they’re sleeping; you can silence the thermometer with a switch on the side, so there’s no beeping sound that might wake them up.

The thermometer has a protective cap to keep the display and probe clean and offers a three-year warranty, which is significantly longer than most others we tested. You’ll also be notified when the battery life has 20% left with a flashing battery symbol.

One issue with this thermometer is there’s no memory function to display past readings, something we found helpful with other thermometers. If you want something that will keep track of your readings, this is probably not the thermometer for you, as many have this functionality (the iProven No-Touch Thermometer being another favorite of ours).

While this thermometer costs more than most we tested, it’s very easy to use, offers the easiest directions to follow and provides some of the most accurate and consistent readings. It was, by far, the best forehead and non-contact thermometer we tested.

Although the Vicks ComfortFlex Digital Thermometer is one of the least expensive devices on the list, it still provides solid functionality, even some that you might not get with more expensive thermometers.

This thermometer allows you to take your temperature readings three ways — orally, rectally or under the armpit. First, we tested our temperature orally — with and without probe covers (disposable casings that go over the thermometer tip to keep the device sanitary), and we received similar readings between 98.3 degrees Fahrenheit and 98.8 degrees Fahrenheit with each method. That wasn’t the case with all of the oral thermometers we tested — such as the Femometer Infrared Thermometer, which had up to a 1.64-degree Fahrenheit difference with and without probe covers — making this thermometer much more desirable.

This positive result told us that even without probe covers, we could still receive consistent readings. You can easily wash the tip of the thermometer with soap and water or rubbing alcohol if you don’t have probe covers. Fortunately, five single-use probe covers come in the box to get you started, and it’s about $5 to order another 200 covers, keeping it squarely in the budget-conscious category.

We took our temperature under the armpit and received a slightly lower reading, averaging 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Although lower, this is expected when taking a temperature with this method. As the directions state, taking your temperature under the armpit “produces a temperature 1 degree Fahrenheit lower than a temperature taken orally.” We also consulted with the medical experts and learned the reason behind this: The axillary (armpit) is taken outside of the body (versus inside), so you’re taking the temperature of your skin versus your core. That’s why, when taking your temperature under the armpit, you’ll want to add approximately 1 degree Fahrenheit to your reading to determine whether or not you have a real fever.

We saw a 14-second average recording time for taking temperatures with this model. While this is a shorter time frame than other oral thermometers we tested (which fell between 10 and 25 seconds), 14 seconds can feel like an eternity for kids. Comparatively, most ear and forehead thermometers take a second for the reading to appear. Although we’re only talking about a difference of a few seconds, during our testing, both a 4- and 7-year-old found the forehead preferable to oral, so it’s something to consider if you have young kids.

Despite the small size of the thermometer, you’ll find a large display with a backlight that shows three different colors based on the temperature — green means no fever is present, yellow is 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit and above, and red is for fevers 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit and above — so you can quickly identify where your temperature falls.

Simply put, this was the best oral thermometer and best thermometer for babies (where a rectal temperature is recommended) of all those we tested.

Looking to get out of town but want to ensure a thermometer is packed? If so, the Elepho eTherm Infrared Ear and Forehead Thermometer is the top choice. With lots of functionality and a slim design, this thermometer can easily slide into a toiletry bag or purse.

We found the thermometer incredibly easy to move across the forehead, and it felt better than some of the other forehead thermometers that go against your skin, some of which felt a little too rigid and hard. When we tested it against a 4-year-old’s forehead, he concurred that this one was smooth and felt “nice.” He even asked for his temperature to be taken with the Elepho eTherm again … for fun.

This thermometer can also be used in the ear canal and was only one of three we tested that offers both forehead and ear canal readings. (And since it was one of the few that did not require probe covers, it was one of the best ear thermometers we tested.) Of those, the Elepho eTherm gave us significantly better readings than the other two. With the forehead readings, we received consistent and accurate results ranging between 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit and 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit — which is within the normal range for the forehead. It’s also similar to what we received with our top pick overall. Our ear canal readings were also within normal range but slightly lower: between 98 degrees Fahrenheit and 98.24 degrees Fahrenheit.

There’s a large LED display, which can be seen in the dark, and instead of a color-coded backlight, you’re notified of a fever via a beep. One beep indicates a normal temperature, two beeps if slightly elevated and four beeps if you’re showing a fever. We preferred the color-coded system featured on the Braun over beeps — especially if you have a sleeping child — but the beeps were also effective.

One component we liked about this thermometer is that it automatically shuts off after eight seconds. This will save your battery, which is important if you’re using the thermometer on the go. It also passed our durability test with flying colors, with no breakage when dropped against our hardware floor.

With its slim and durable design, this thermometer is the perfect choice to throw in your bag on your next trip — especially since you don’t have to worry about probe covers, batteries draining or the device breaking.

After scouring editorial and user reviews, we picked 14 of the most highly reviewed thermometers to put to the test. We completed multiple readings for each thermometer (within the same time frame) to determine consistency and then compared those readings to the readings of every other thermometer.

We also analyzed everything you’d want in a thermometer, including usability right out of the box (and after reading the directions), the display options, the speed of taking a temperature and any indicators to let you know if you have a fever.

Here’s how we evaluated each thermometer to find our winners.

We interviewed two medical experts — Dr. Michael Elkort, a pediatrician at Pediatrics at Newton Wellesley in Massachusetts, and Dr. Jacqueline Jossen, a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center — to better understand thermometers and how they work.

We tested five different types of thermometers: rectal, oral, axillary (armpit), temporal (forehead) and tympanic (remote ear). While individuals may have a preference for one type over another, we spoke to a medical expert to understand which type is best for which circumstance.

Elkort emphasized the importance of using the proper thermometer for different ages — especially when taking a child’s temperature. He said rectal thermometers are always the best for those younger than 3 years old since they record internal temperatures (versus the forehead). Babies and toddlers have ear canals that are too small for an ear thermometer and getting an accurate reading orally is challenging (and it’s not recommended to put a thermometer in a baby’s mouth). With a rectal thermometer, there’s simply less room for error. Clinical decisions rest on the thermometer reading, so it is important that the reading is accurate.

For all children over 3 years old, he recommends using the following — in the order listed — for accuracy: oral, armpit, forehead and ear. Elkort doesn’t recommend forehead or ear thermometers for children since they can give you a wide range of readings if you have a fever. But he admits they are accurate in alerting you if a fever is present and are still very reliable at measuring normal body temperatures.

This makes forehead and ear thermometers good for quickly and easily checking for the simple presence of a fever. Elkort also suggests that these thermometers work best when taking the temperature of a large group since they work quickly with minimal concern for cross-contamination. Additionally, when taking your temperature as a precautionary measure, you simply just need to know whether or not there is a fever present — the actual temperature reading isn’t as important.

Normal body temperature is said to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. However, some individuals run high or low, so knowing your normal body temperature is important. Before you take your temperature when feeling ill, you should determine your normal body temperature with that same thermometer — since many thermometer readings have a slight margin of error — so you compare the reading against a predetermined baseline. You can also refer to the guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics for taking children’s temperatures.

For example, if you typically have a 97.8-degree temperature with a certain thermometer, you might be more concerned when it gives you a 100.8-degree reading than if your normal temperature is 99.1. According to CNN Health’s reporting, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a person to have a fever when his or her temperature is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.

This is why your doctor will ask you how you took your or your child’s temperature, as they can add or subtract a degree to determine if the temperature reading is concerning.

Jossen gave us some tips to help ensure accurate readings. First, be consistent with where you’re taking your measurement. Temperatures taken from different parts of the body may not be comparable. For instance, there are natural variations between your right and left ears, and temperatures measured in the armpit (as done with infants) are less accurate.

Secondly, make sure to position all types of thermometers correctly. This is especially important with no-touch thermometers to ensure you’re holding the device the appropriate distance from clean, unobstructed skin. Jossen emphasizes the importance of always referring to the manufacturer’s instructions for any particular thermometer.

Finally, oral thermometers should not be used shortly after drinking something hot or cold, as it can skew readings. Give it at least 15 minutes before taking a temperature.

If you want a thermometer for every member of your family to use, then the iProven No-Touch Infrared Forehead Thermometer fits the bill. With a large number display, reading the temperature recording can be done by anyone — even a child.

This infrared forehead thermometer from iProven was one of the best models we tested, thanks to how easy it is to use. It was even tested by a 4- and 7-year-old without issue. This thermometer is comparable to our best overall, the Braun Digital No-Touch Forehead Thermometer, but it doesn’t offer the same positioning light.

However, if memory functionality is important to you, the iProven will store an impressive 50 readings, whereas the Braun doesn’t offer any storage capability. This eliminates having to write down readings — with the possibility of losing that scrap piece of paper — and having all temperatures readily available when speaking to a doctor. It’ll also help you determine whether or not your fever is going up or down over time.

Since this is a no-touch thermometer, it reads from the forehead with no physical contact. This helps keep the thermometer clean and avoids spreading germs from one person to another. This thermometer also measures room, objects and liquid temperatures — something the Braun Digital No-Touch Forehead Thermometer doesn’t offer.

Overall, the forehead guides and distance measurement on the Braun were features we found more helpful in everyday use, thus securing its place atop the field.

This no-touch forehead thermometer has a very similar look and feel as one of our favorites, the Elepho eTherm Infrared Ear and Forehead Thermometer, although it doesn’t offer ear readings. The thermometer is sleek and slim in design, and much smaller than some of the other no-touch forehead options.

The thermometer is extremely easy to use right out of the box, and there’s a one-page guide with directions to understand the basics. The unit includes a built-in infrared temperature sensor, which collects more than 100 data points per second. This technology allows for extremely consistent readings, and out of the four readings, three were the same, while one was just 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit lower.

To use this thermometer, you’ll put it an inch away from the center of a person’s forehead and within one second you’ll receive the reading. Once the temperature is recorded, the thermometer vibrates to indicate it’s complete. We liked this better than a beep, as it avoids annoying sounds but still gives you a message that the temperature recording is complete. There’s a large LED display, which can easily be seen in the dark. Unlike many other thermometers, there’s no color-coded backlight to indicate a fever.

The Braun ThermoScan 5 Digital Ear Thermometer is ideal if you’re looking for an ear-only reading. It has a prewarmed tip that helps ensure accurate readings, and our tests confirmed that to be the case.

The ThermoScan 5 from Braun is a great ear-only thermometer, though it does require disposable probe filters and won’t work if a filter isn’t in place. While this helps to keep the thermometer probe clean and germ-free, it does require you to always have clean filters on hand. It also creates extra plastic waste, if that’s something you’re concerned about. Fortunately, a box of filters is included so you can use the thermometer right away, but a refill 40-pack will cost you an extra $6.

There’s an easy storage case for the thermometer to snap into, and the probe filter box goes right inside, so you never have to worry about losing them.

At this price point, however, we would’ve liked to see a few more features, such as the capability to track more than just the last reading and a backlight to see in the dark. And while the thermometer has an on/off button — unlike most of the thermometers we tested — it does not automatically shut off for a full minute.

As the name suggests, the iProven Forehead and Ear Thermometer allows you to take your temperature two ways: a swipe across your forehead or in the ear canal. Using this thermometer right out of the box was easy, especially with the indicated “ear” and “head” buttons.

The iProven Forehead and Ear Thermometer is an easy-to-use thermometer that’s inexpensive and able to be used either in-ear or on the forehead.

We took our temperature with both methods and found about a degree difference between the two. Our ear canal readings were more accurate — and consistent — which is exactly what we expected, since the instructions state that the ear is more of an “exact measurement” and head mode is an “indicative measurement.”

We also found it easy to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit and to view the past 20 recorded readings. The thermometer also offers a color-coded fever indicator where the backlight will turn red if a fever is present (99.7 degrees Fahrenheit or above).

The one issue with this thermometer right out of the box is that no ear probe covers come with the device. While you can use generic covers — which we tested and that work fine — having to go the extra step to purchase these covers right away isn’t always the ideal situation. Jossen says, “If your thermometer requires a probe cover, be sure to use an appropriate cover and replace it between readings.”

If you’re looking for a thermometer that will provide you with the longest warranty, then the Exergen Temporal Scanner Thermometer with SmartGlow is the way to go. With a five-year warranty — when most others offer only a year — you’ll be protected with your purchase in case of malfunction.

This thermometer goes straight across your forehead and is easy to use right out of the box. It’s also one of the few thermometers that includes a quick guide right on the thermometer itself with five steps to accurately take your temperature.

A silent mode is available, there’s an eight-scan memory recording and you’ll have the option to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit. There’s also a backlight display, with a very soft yellow glow for reading in the dark. This is helpful if you’re taking a child’s temperature while they’re sleeping, as there won’t be a large color display to potentially wake them up.

On the flip side, the display is significantly smaller than most others, there aren’t any color-coded backlights to indicate a fever and the cap was hard to put on (and stay on) for kids.

This ThermoWorks thermometer is one of the more expensive options in our guide, and it didn't quite live up to that higher price. There's a bit of a learning curve, and ultimately, there are better options.

From the beginning, we were intrigued with the ThermoWorks Wand — especially since a delicious bag of jelly beans came in the box. It doesn’t look like any other thermometer we’ve seen before, and at such an expensive price point, we had high hopes.

Right out of the box, we found the ThermoWorks Wand easy to use. But that’s where it stopped. The thermometer offers many extras, but we found getting those options to work was complex. For example, the thermometer will not only take body temperatures, but it’ll also record surface temperatures (up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit). Many other no-touch thermometers will do this as well, but figuring it out was significantly easier due to multiple labeled buttons on the device. The ThermoWorks Wand has only one button that does everything, which we found troublesome.

Despite the slight difficulty, the device gives accurate and consistent readings, has the option to mute all sounds, can store up to 25 readings and offers an LED backlight.

The iProven is your standard thermometer that will take your temperature both orally and rectally. It’s small in size, easy to use and offers a few extra features but not many.

The tip on this iProven thermometer is extremely soft, and we didn’t find it annoying under the tongue, but it took between 19 and 23 seconds each time for the reading to be complete — the longest out of all of the thermometers we tested. If you’re looking for a quick read or trying to take a child’s temperature, this long reading isn’t going to cut it. The thermometer also doesn’t automatically shut off until the 10-minute mark, which is almost nine minutes longer than most of the other thermometers on the list — although there’s an on/off button that you’ll want to remember to use so you don’t waste the battery.

Although the iProven thermometer can be used orally or rectally, it comes with an “oral” and “rectal” sticker that you can put on the thermometer to know which body part the thermometer is dedicated to. No probe covers come with the thermometer, although we tested probe covers that came with another thermometer and they fit perfectly if you’d like to use them for sanitary purposes. And even when using the probe covers, the readings came out the same.

The thermometer is one of the easiest to clean, as it’s fully waterproof, meaning you can use just soap and water. It also comes with a plastic container to ensure the entire thermometer is kept clean when it’s not being used.

The Olganda No-Contact Infrared Thermometer works exactly the same way and even has a similar look as one of our favorites, the iProven No-Touch Infrared Thermometer, although the final rating didn’t do nearly as well.

This thermometer from Olangda was similar in use to other models we tested for this guide but it ultimately didn’t hold up. For starters, no batteries came in the box, even though it’s a requirement for the thermometer to turn on. And with two AAA batteries required, that’s not something you might have lying around. Of course, picking up batteries at your local convenience store is easy, but if you’re sick, the last thing you want to do is have to run out. Instead, you want the opportunity to take your temperature immediately.

We also didn’t receive the best readings, as they were almost a full degree less than some of the other noncontact thermometers we tested.

It also didn’t stay intact for our durability test. After (purposely) dropping the thermometer on the ground, the batteries fell out and the top infrared cover popped off. However, after putting the pieces back together, the thermometer worked just fine.

That said, the thermometer comes in a great storage bag — something that most thermometers don’t provide — and is easy to use without reading the full directions manual. It’ll record your last 20 temperature readings, can change the fever alert threshold based on your body temperature and offers a one-second reading.

And if using a thermometer for other objects is important, this thermometer will do it for you as well.

The Chooseen Digital Forehead and Ear Thermometer didn’t fit the bill for us. Our top priority is an accurate temperature reading, and this thermometer didn’t meet those expectations at all.

The Chooseen Digital Forehead and Ear Thermometer allows you to take your temperature two different ways: across the forehead and in the ear. It’s just not very reliable with either method.

Among the four readings when taken in our ear canal — which is considered to be more accurate than a forehead reading — we ranged anywhere between 96.9 degrees Fahrenheit and 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit. So although the readings were consistent, we didn’t feel it would do the best job of identifying a fever. On the forehead, we again saw consistent readings, but at a 99.5-degree temperature. While the directions state that “the measured forehead temperature can fluctuate up to 1 degree Fahrenheit,” we saw a significant difference between the two, which we didn’t see with our other thermometers that have multiple reading options.

Despite the accuracy issues, the thermometer includes some nice-to-have features, such as the option to take nonbody measurements, including room, object and liquid temperatures. There’s an LED light for the dark, a fever warning and color-coded blacklights. You can also see up to 35 prior temperature readings, unmute sounds and easily change between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

If you have chronic sickness that necessitates regular temperature recordings, this is the brand for you. However, if you’re looking for something a little more simplistic, the Kinsa brand might be more than what you bargained for.

A Kinsa thermometer is unlike anything else we tested. It connects to an app and will record the time and date of every temperature reading. Prior to taking your temperature, the device will pair with your phone via Bluetooth, and you’ll take your temperature in your ear canal just like any other ear thermometer. The temperature will then immediately show up in the app and you’ll indicate which family member received this particular recording. You can then also include any symptoms you have or your child has, which could be helpful when speaking to your doctor.

The app will also help guide you on what to do when you have a fever, such as when to take medication and when to see a doctor. You can also set up medication reminders if needed. There are also some animations on the app to keep kids entertained while their temperature is being taken.

While the app is free, you must have your smartphone on you or nearby when checking your temperature — or at least within range of a Bluetooth connection.

This is of course a great concept for some, but the vast majority will most likely prefer a thermometer that’s easy to use right out of the box — without the requirement of downloading an app.

The Kinsa Smart Thermometer offers the exact same app as the Kinsa Smart Ear Digital Thermometer, but it allows you to take your temperature orally, rectally or under the armpit.

This thermometer comes in a plastic pouch to keep it safe and clean — and is also helpful for travel purposes. There’s a flexible tip, and readings are recorded in approximately eight seconds. Similar to the other Kinsa brand thermometer we tested, we found readings to be accurate and consistent, but the app needs to be installed before you can take your temperature.

For this article, we consulted the following experts to gain their professional insights:

The CNN Underscored testing team takes a thorough, comprehensive approach to product testing for all buying guides. The results are unbiased, honest reviews that are authoritative yet approachable and, ultimately, trustworthy. Our team is comprised of subject matter experts who take pride in the testing process. This guide’s writer, Jennifer Yellin, has several years of product testing experience across many health-related topics. She is the original writer of this guide and was responsible for the vetting and testing of each thermometer featured. Yellin continues to test new products for future updates.