Just in time for cold and flu season, Consumer Reports tested fever thermometers for accuracy. Ten families weighed in on how easy comfortable they are to use.
They tested a variety, including digital stick thermometers that are used orally and infrared thermometers used on the forehead or in the ear. Infrared thermometers are fast, but they are also pricey.
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The $80 ThermoFocus BV 1500 is a non-contact thermometer used by waving it over the forehead. Testers noted is does not beep to signal when it's ready to read. It was not as accurate as some others, either. Neither was the $50 ear thermometer from Braun, the IRT 45-20.
To test accuracy, Consumer Reports compared thermometers to professional medical-grade ones.
In the end, they did find some infrareds to recommend, including the $37 Vicks V-977. It works in three seconds and is very accurat.
Walmart's ReliOn Rigid Digital stick is just as accurate and costs far less at $3. However, it takes one minute and 20 seconds to get a reading.
Another one recommended is the CVS Flexible Tip digital. It's very accurate, costs $15 and takes 8 seconds to tell you if you are running a fever.