Best Contactless Thermometer for Families: What to Look For
The short answer: the best contactless thermometer for a family is one whose accuracy is published and tested to the clinical standard, gives a reading fast enough to catch a child who will not sit still, works silently at night, and keeps a history for each person so you can see where a fever is heading. Below is what to check before you buy, and how TempBuddy measures up.
What is a contactless thermometer?
A contactless (non-contact) forehead thermometer reads the infrared heat given off by the skin over the temporal artery, in the middle of the forehead, and converts it into a body temperature. It is held a short distance away and never touches the skin. TempBuddy, for example, is held 1 to 5 cm (0.4 to 2 in) from the forehead.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says forehead (temporal artery) thermometers can be used on children of any age, and that non-contact models may help reduce the risk of passing germs. For babies under 3 months, it notes that a rectal reading is still the most reliable.1
What to look for
- Published accuracy, tested to a standard. Look for a stated accuracy figure and testing to ISO 80601-2-56, the standard for clinical thermometers. "High accuracy" with no number is not a specification.
- Speed. A toddler gives you about a second. Anything slower turns into a retake.
- Silent operation. If you check at night, a loud beep defeats the point of not touching them.
- A display you can read in the dark, ideally with a colour cue so you know where you stand at a glance.
- A history for each person. One reading tells you little. A timeline shows whether a fever is climbing or settling.
- Power. A thermometer with a flat battery at 3am is no thermometer.
- Object mode. Useful for checking a bottle or bathwater.
How TempBuddy measures up
TempBuddy plugs into your phone's USB-C port and uses the phone as its screen, its memory and its power.
- Accuracy: up to ±0.1 °C (±0.18 °F) in body mode in stable room conditions, as set out in the user manual, and ±0.2 °C (±0.36 °F) in other conditions. SGS tested to ISO 80601-2-56. Every unit is individually calibrated before it ships.
- Speed: about half a second.
- Silent Mode: turns off the scan tone so you can check a sleeping child.
- Colour-coded result on your phone screen: green, amber or red.
- Family profiles: every reading saves itself, with the time and date, to the right person. The app shows the last 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days as a graph.
- No batteries: it draws a tiny amount of power from the phone and nothing needs charging.
- Object mode: reads surfaces from 0 to 100 °C (32 to 212 °F).
| Feature | TempBuddy | Infrared handheld | Oral digital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a reading | About 0.5 seconds | 1 to 3 seconds | 1 to 3 minutes |
| Touches the skin | Never | Depends on model | Yes |
| Display | Your phone screen | Small LCD | Tiny LCD |
| Silent use at night | Yes | Depends on model | No |
| History for each family member | Yes, in the app | Usually a few readings, not per person | Last reading only |
| Batteries | None | Required | Required |
How to get an accurate reading
These steps come from the TempBuddy user manual and apply to most infrared forehead thermometers:
- Keep the thermometer and the person in the same room for about 20 minutes first, at a normal indoor temperature.
- Do not hold the thermometer in your hand for long before measuring. Body heat warms the sensor.
- Make sure the forehead is clean, dry and uncovered. Move hair, hats and sweat out of the way.
- Avoid measuring right after exercise, a bath or a hot drink, or straight after coming in from the cold.
- Aim at the centre of the forehead, 1 to 5 cm away, and hold steady for the half second it takes.
- If a reading looks unusually high or low, wait a moment and take a second one.
Forehead readings usually run a little lower than core temperature, so do not compare them one-to-one with an oral reading. When you speak to a doctor, say it was a forehead reading.
When a forehead reading is not enough
A fever is usually a temperature of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher. The AAP advises calling your paediatrician right away if a baby 2 months or younger has a rectal temperature of 100.4 °F or higher, if a fever rises above 104 °F (40 °C) repeatedly at any age, or if a child looks very ill, is unusually drowsy or very fussy.1 A thermometer helps you notice and record a fever. It does not diagnose anything.
Will it work with my phone?
The Android + iPhone version works with iPhone 15 and newer (iOS 17 or later) and any Android phone with a USB-C port (Android 7.0 or later). The Android Only version works with USB-C Android phones. Lightning iPhones are not supported. The free Zanis TempBuddy app is on the App Store and Google Play.
Keep reading
- The best thermometer for grandparents and elderly parents
- How to take a child's temperature while they sleep
- How to keep a family fever log your doctor can use
- TempBuddy support, setup video and user manual
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: How to Take a Child's Temperature.
- TempBuddy ZTP-800 Full User Manual, on our support page.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about someone's temperature or symptoms, contact a health professional. See our medical disclaimer.