There is nothing quite so challenging as getting a squirmy 3-year old to keep an oral thermometer under their tongue long enough to get an accurate temperature reading. And while the oral and rectal thermometers (the rectal method is still recommended by physicians for babies under 1-year of age) still provide the greatest consistency in temperature readings, the latest infrared forehead thermometers now offer us a convenient blend of both accuracy and simplicity.
But with dozens and dozens of brands and models on the market, all at competitive pricing, how do you make an informed selection? With our “Best of” guide of course!
Our Best Forehead Thermometer guide provides all the information you need to understand the technology behind these medical marvels and choose the one that is right for you and your family. All of the models presented in our top 10 are fast, easy to use, non-invasive, dual-mode (meaning they can be used in the ear as well) and relatively inexpensive.
Happy shopping!
The Technology Made Easy
Don’t let “infrared” frighten you! It is a technology long-used in a variety of industrial and medical settings with complete safety. In thermometers, an infrared sensor aimed at the forehead measures the heat being given off by the skin and the temporal artery that runs underneath it. While the skin doesn’t reflect the body’s internal temperature, it is a close enough match that we can feel comfortable relying on the results.
These thermometers capture a temperature reading when they are either swiped across the forehead or pointed an inch or so away from the forehead.
Top 10 Forehead Thermometers Comparison Chart
Thermometer Types and Features
Forehead thermometers, while employing some impressive technology, are actually straightforward devices that do not vary a great deal model to model. The differences – even between the top 10 items listed in our Best Forehead Thermometers table – are quite subtle.
All of the ones in our top 10 buying guide:
- Are FDA-approved
- Have digital read-outs that are backlit for use at night
- Can be used as an ear thermometer as well as a forehead thermometer
- Use two AAA batteries (included on all models except one)
Here are the definitions of a few key words and features that you’ll see often in relation to these products:
- FDA-Approved or FDA-Cleared. Any product whose manufacturer makes health-related claims requires clearance by the FDA. FDA-approved or FDA-cleared simply means the FDA reviewed manufacturer testing to confirm that the benefits of the product outweigh any risks associated with it.
- Non-Contact. This means that the thermometer is aimed at the forehead for a few seconds to get the temperature reading and does not have to come in contact with the skin.
- Contact. Rather than aiming the thermometer at the forehead, it is swiped across the forehead or held against the skin on the temples for a few seconds to get the temperature reading.
- Dual-Mode. A dual-mode thermometer means that it will read temperature from the forehead OR the ear (there are separate instructions for ear mode in the user manuals of each of the top 10 items).
How to Choose
The most important consideration when choosing a forehead thermometer is whether it will be used on infants, children, adults or a combination of these.
- Infants. All of the top 10 items beep when the temperature reading is ready. If you’ll be using your thermometer on an infant, look for a model with a “silent” feature that allows you to turn off the beep to avoid waking an infant while taking temperatures. It will also be important to choose a non-contact model for the same reason.
- Children. The forehead thermometer makes it oh-so-easy to take temps on children, but if they are fidgety, the reading can be inaccurate. If you’ll be using your thermometer on children, look for the model that gets the reading the fastest (some produce a reading in as little 1 second). You will also want to look for a model that stores temperatures so you can compare readings over a period of time. And like with infants, non-contact models are best for children.
- Adults. When choosing a forehead thermometer that will be used only on adults, the primary considerations would be weight, ease of use and the readability of the digital screen since we adults can almost always control our fidgeting!
Other Important Facts
- The temperature readings from forehead thermometers vary a bit from oral thermometer readings. But as long as you remember that forehead readings are a degree or two lower than what you would get from an oral thermometer, you can do the math and be confident in your outcome.
- If seeing your physician, he or she will need to know which temperature-taking method you used.
- The forehead method can be inaccurate if the person or child is sweating since sweat cools the skin. If there is sweat present, switch to ear mode or use another method.
Top 3 Best Forehead Thermometer Reviews
1. Innovo Forehead and Ear Thermometer
The Innovo is currently the highest rated home-use forehead thermometer among both buyers and medical personnel. While it weighs in at 8oz – the heaviest of our top 10 – it is highly durable, has one of the most sensitive infrared sensors available and proved to be the most accurate in its clinical trials.
It includes important features like dual-modality (forehead and ear), no wait time between temp measurements, a 20-reading memory, measurements in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, and an alarm when temperatures exceed 99.5 (the fever threshold).
Other features that we particularly like are the easy visibility of the temperature – the digital screen is one of the clearest and most legible we found – and this model has a great ergonomic design. It just feels good in your hand and the functionality buttons are easily reached by your thumb when holding it and aiming it. Changing from forehead mode to ear mode is a simple touch of a button. Press F1 for forehead and F2 for ear.
The Innovo also comes with a handy little holder for easy storage in a cabinet or drawer.
We admit to being puzzled over why Innova would make this outstanding product a contact thermometer (meaning it must be touching the skin to complete a reading) when nearly every other model on the market is non-contact (point and click). But the performance, accuracy and simplicity far outweigh this one drawback. Unless you will be using the thermometer only on infants and fear waking them with the contact, this is definitely the best option for your money.
2. iProven Medical Forehead & Ear Thermometer
Rated only slightly lower than the Innovo in the #1 spot above, this iProven dual-mode thermometer is a great choice for parents since it does not require skin contact for temperature readings and has a backlit screen so readings taken at night can be easily seen without turning on the lights and waking the baby.
Weighing only 4oz, this model is comfortable in your hand and is extremely easy to use. There is no waiting for a self-test or a warm-up. It is ready to go the moment you turn it on and the temperature reading is complete in 1-2 seconds.
The iProven stores up to 20 readings and – one of our favorite features – includes an “easy care guide”. The guide is a single sheet containing a chart of temperature readings to help you understand the implications of various temperature ranges and levels of fever. And we love the instruction manual. It is written in a very
easy to understand style and has simple, clear diagrams for using the thermometer in forehead or ear mode, explains how to change batteries and illustrates how to retrieve stored readings. This is definitely the thermometer of choice for infants and small children but is equally as desirable for adults.
3. Equinox International Infrared Thermometer
You’ll need to have two AAA batteries on hand for this model, but other than that small inconvenience (the batteries are included with all other models), the Equinox dual-mode is an excellent choice providing accuracy of 0.3 degree in less than a second.
Also weighing in at 4oz, its built-in memory stores the last 20 temperature readings, you can choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius and the unit has an automatic power off to conserve battery life. This thermometer also includes a built-in intuitive guidance system to help you confirm correct positioning when aiming it at the forehead.
Switching between forehead and ear mode is ultra-easy since the two buttons on the front of the unit are labeled “forehead” and “ear” – no guesswork on which is which or remembering what F1 means! The bright digital display can be seen easily in all light settings and the readings are presented in green (for normal temp ranges) or red (as a warning about fever).
This model is perhaps the most versatile since Equinox strongly emphasizes the fact that it can be used for taking the temperature, not just of human beings, but of your surroundings, a baby bottle or even a baby’s bath water. While several of the other models can also be used for these purposes, the Equinox is best at them.
As the lowest -priced among the top 10 in our Best Forehead Thermometers guide, this thermometer provides a lot of bang for your buck.