Best infrared thermometers for 2020

Today it is difficult to imagine a family first aid kit without a thermometer, or at home - a thermometer. Feeling unwell, we rush to the cherished cabinet, take out a glass "pencil" with a nose filled with mercury, and sit for five minutes, pinching it in the armpit to find out "how much has run up there." It is much more difficult to measure the temperature of a child who does not sit still for one minute. What if the patient fell asleep? Sleep is medicine for him. To wake him up means to deprive him of the rest, which he desperately needs for a speedy recovery. There is an exit! Modern science has provided us with a non-contact instrument for measuring body temperature - an infrared thermometer. It works without obligatory contact with the object, and gives a fairly accurate result. The medical equipment market is very saturated with such gadgets. To help users understand this diversity, the editors of the site "bestx.htgetrid.com/en/" offers visitors an overview of the best infrared thermometers for 2020, based on customer reviews and expert estimates.

The body temperature of a healthy person is constant and keeps within the range of 36 - 36.6 ° C. It can fluctuate in the morning and evening, within one degree, and this is normal. An increase in temperature above 37 ° C is a reaction of the body aimed at combating pathogens. In order not to interfere with our natural shield to fulfill its functions, doctors do not recommend taking antipyretic drugs until the thermometer heats up to 38 ° C or more.

How it all began

The Italian physician S. Santorio, who practiced at the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries, was not the first to notice the connection between an increase in body temperature and illness. Its purpose was to obtain quantitative results of physiological processes occurring in the patient's body.

Interesting! The main activity of Santorio was directed to the study of metabolic processes. He experimented on himself, studied the reactions of his body. He invented the devices necessary for his research himself. This is how his scales for monitoring the change in body weight of patients appeared, as well as a device for counting the pulse.

In 1626 he managed to finalize the invention of his friend, the great Galileo, called the thermoscope. He attached a flexible hose to the glass ball, depicting a semblance of a scale on it, and filled it with tinted water. The unit was rather bulky and did not differ in accuracy.

Subsequently, many scientists and researchers tried to refine the thermoscope. However, their work was based on the expansion of heated air. In addition, atmospheric pressure seriously affected the accuracy of the readings. The appearance of liquid thermometers dates back to 1667. However, in winter, the water froze and they collapsed. Galileo's student E. Torricelli managed to solve these problems in 1700. He turned the thermoscope over so that the ball was at the bottom and the tube at the top. The ball was filled with tinted alcohol, the tube was sealed.The influence of atmospheric pressure and cold has been eliminated.

Celsius or Fahrenheit

In 1724, the German scientist Gabriel Fahrenheit manages to develop his own scale, in which a value equal to + 96 ° F is taken as normal body temperature.

However, something about her did not suit the Swede Anders Celsius. In 1742, he presented his scale to the world, where he proposed to consider 36.6 ° C as normal body temperature. This scale is still used by almost all doctors in the world, with the exception of a small number of countries, including the United States, which in no way will part with the Fahrenheit scale.

Doctors do not use the Kelvin scale. The lowest temperature, to which the ice was frozen, is taken as "zero". Kelvin has no upper limit, since bodies can be heated to any degree. The parameters of this scale are too large to be convenient for medical purposes.

Interesting! Celsius took the boiling point of water as 0 ° C. Accordingly, in his opinion, the water froze at 100 ° C. Until now, it has not been established who came up with the idea to "turn" this scale upside down. Some consider the author of the idea to the botanist Karl Linnaeus, others call the astronomer Morten Stremmer, others are convinced that Celsius himself did it, on the advice of Stremmer.

Why do hospitals use thermometers in the morning and evening

German physician Karl Wunderlich was the first to massively apply temperature control to patients in his clinic. Together with his assistants, he made more than a million measurements in patients suffering from three dozen different ailments. They compared the results obtained with the dynamics of the development of inflammatory processes, built numerous graphs, and studied their critical points. The completion of this titanic work was the appearance in 1868 of his book "Temperature in Illness". In it, the doctor argued that measuring this parameter of the body helps to make the correct diagnosis and predict the further development of the disease.

Interesting! Thanks to the efforts of Karl Wunderlich, fever was no longer considered a disease and became a symptom. He managed to identify daily fluctuations in body temperature, after which thermometers were brought to patients in hospitals in the morning and evening.

Measurement methods

The most familiar for us is the measurement in the armpit. This is the easiest and most convenient way, but far from the most accurate. The temperature of the left and right armpits may differ by 0.5 ° or more. Other known methods are:

1. Oral. Produced in the oral cavity. To avoid distortion, do not drink or eat anything hot or cold before measuring.
2. Rectal. Produced in the rectum. The most accurate way.
3. Ear. A relatively new way. Used with the advent of infrared ear thermometers. The working tip is inserted into the auricle. The method is quite accurate, since the auricle is a closed space, less than others are exposed to factors that cause measurement distortion.
4. Frontal. The thermometer is applied to the center of the forehead. Not the best place for accurate measurements. Its advantage is absolute accessibility for patients of any age and in any condition, even during sleep.
5. Axillary.
   Most of the world's population uses the oral route. Citizens of the former USSR traditionally use the axillary. Rectal - more often used in special cases, to obtain a high-precision result.

Types of modern thermometers

Liquid

These are our old mercury and alcohol instruments. They have changed little over the past 200 years of their existence. Today they are the most affordable and most accurate instruments for such actions. They are often used as a reference when checking the accuracy of the readings of modern devices. However, these rarities have serious disadvantages:

• Glass flasks are quite fragile, and the mercury filler is extremely dangerous when a glass bulb breaks;
• the duration of the procedure is at least 5 minutes, which is extremely inconvenient, especially if the patient is a small child who will not sit quietly for a minute;
• if the patient is asleep, manipulations with him are impossible, or the patient's sleep will have to be disturbed.

Mercury thermometers are banned in many European countries. Thermometers have been developed and are already on sale, filled with non-toxic liquids, which are not inferior in accuracy to mercury analogues.

Electronic

The resistance of the conductor changes with the ambient temperature. By measuring this parameter, you can track the degree of heating of various physical objects. The obvious advantages of this type of device are:

1. Safety. No glass or mercury! Durable plastic, flexible working tip. Nothing breaks. The main thing is to change the battery in time.
2. The speed of obtaining the result. Unlike a mercury thermometer, measurement takes place within one to two minutes.
3. Informativeness. The end of the measurement is accompanied by a sound signal. The result is shown on the display screen.

Digital devices are more expensive than traditional ones, but they are quite affordable. Their average cost ranges from 150 to 200 rubles. They are equipped with a built-in memory that stores several dozen recent measurements. This is especially useful for tracking the dynamics of healing.

Interesting! A highly accurate electronic thermometer of domestic design QJack has been developed and has already gone on sale. The device is placed under the tongue, connected via an audio jack to a tablet or smartphone, and activated through a special application. The maximum error is only 0.05 ° C.

When buying an electronic thermometer, you should familiarize yourself in detail with its characteristics and functionality. Particular attention should be paid to errors. For electronic devices, this value is 0.1 ° C, not inferior in measurement accuracy to a mercury thermometer. The smallest deviations from real body temperature are given by measurements in the oral cavity under the tongue. Models of electronic nipple thermometers are especially popular with young parents, for the smallest patients.

Infrared

These devices are divided into two types: contact - ear and frontal (or temporal) and non-contact, measuring at a distance from the object. The advantages of the first type include an error of 0.1 ° C. Ear thermometers are more accurate. There are also disadvantages:

1. Obligatory immobility of the patient. If a sick child "twitches" during the session, the measurement will be inaccurate.
2. The cost of purchasing consumables (for ear models). The device itself can be inexpensive. But during its operation, special disposable nozzles are necessarily used. They are purchased separately and are decently priced.

All these shortcomings are devoid of contactless devices, which have a second name - a pyrometer. Depending on the functionality, they can be relatively cheap (within 800 rubles), average cost (1,500 - 7,000 rubles) and expensive (from 15,000 rubles and above). They have a lot of advantages:

1. Measurement is performed remotely. The patient can sleep, the operation will not disturb him.
2. Measurement time. 1 second is enough.
3. Advanced functionality. Many models can be used for both medical and household purposes, to monitor the heating of water, food, air.

How the pyrometer works

Every body "shines", that is. radiates heat. This is the basis of the principle of operation of infrared thermometers (pyrometers). The apparatus includes the following elements:

1. Thermal sensor. It senses the thermal radiation of an object, sends a signal to an electronic circuit for conversion.
2. The electronic processor receives data from the thermal sensor, converts it and sends it to the device display as the temperature of the controlled object, in Celsius or Fahrenheit, depending on the selected operating mode.
3. All elements are arranged in a convenient case with a pistol grip, a trigger button and a display on the back of the case.

For ease of use, the device is equipped with a screen backlight, a sound signal that notifies the user about the end of the measurement, and a built-in memory for the last few measurements. The error varies depending on the cost of the product and its purpose. In medical models, this value ranges from ± 0.1 ° C to 0.2 ° C. High-temperature technical pyrometers can "cheat" in the range from 1.0 ° to 3.0 ° C. When diagnosing objects heated to several hundred degrees, such an error is not critical.

Important! The accuracy of the infrared thermometer reading depends on the distance to the object. The larger it is, the more inaccurate the result will be displayed on your device. Ideally, the thermometer should be held no more than 10 mm from a point on the patient's body.

This effect is inherent in all pyrometers. To understand this, it is enough to imagine a beam from an electric flashlight. As it approaches the object, the light spot decreases in diameter. When removed, on the contrary, it increases. The thermal sensor of the pyrometer behaves in the same way as the beam of a flashlight. It picks up a lot of thermal radiation from the area it captures and gives some average value. And the larger the area of ​​the site, the more averaged the indicators will be.

Many users leave unflattering reviews about the infrared non-contact thermometers they bought. In most cases, buyers did not familiarize themselves with the technical characteristics of the device, where an error is prescribed, equal, for example, to 1.5 ° C. Such devices are not very suitable for use in medical purposes, but they have proven themselves well as household devices. In addition, the operating instructions always describe the procedure in detail and step by step. It remains to read it carefully and do as the manufacturer recommends.

How to choose an infrared thermometer

The modern market is replete with offers of this type of medical devices and finding a suitable one is not easy. Consider the main selection criteria that will help solve the problem:

1. By the age of the patient. If the device is being purchased for small children, a non-contact infrared device is the best option. For older children and adults, a forehead or ear thermometer is sufficient.
2. Expert opinion. When buying a thermometer for a child, it is better to consult with your doctor. He will probably tell you the most suitable option.
3. By price. The most important criterion. The expediency of further consideration of its merits depends on how much the device costs. If the budget is limited, it is better not to overpay, and stay on a model with less functionality: no auto shutdown, no sound signal, with less built-in memory. In this case, you should carefully read the technical characteristics, especially with the magnitude of the error. It should be remembered that frankly cheap models may not differ in quality, accuracy and durability.
4. For warranty obligations. A very important criterion. Review the manufacturer's warranty, terms and conditions of their validity.
5. Functional. A mid-price non-contact infrared device can be equipped with a significant number of useful functions: large built-in memory, object / object selection, display backlight, etc. There are models with the function of projection of a numerical value on the patient's forehead. If the budget allows, you can stop at this option.
6. Where can I buy. In specialized retail outlets and pharmacies, in well-known, highly rated, online stores.

What else to pay attention to

Please read the product description carefully before purchasing. Listen to advice from experienced users. Their advice may be helpful.Visit the websites of manufacturers, online stores. Check out customer reviews about various models, their technical characteristics: measuring speed, error, type of batteries. Buy products from well-known companies. This will save you from purchasing low-quality crafts.

Which company is the best equipment to buy

Purchasing medical equipment from firms that have long established themselves as suppliers of quality goods is the only way not to be disappointed in the choice. Check out some of them:

1. Sensitec. Netherlands. Specialization - production of medical equipment. The products comply with all international standards. The popularity of her models is explained by consistently high consumer properties and quality.
2. Medisana. Germany. More than 30 years on the medical equipment market. The traditionally high German quality of products allowed it to take one of the leading positions in this market.
3. Tecnimed. Italy. On the medical equipment market since 1976. The company's products, always innovative and high-tech, meet the requirements of international standards. Specialization - non-contact thermometers for patients of all ages, children's models. Her popular devices: VisioFocus mini, ThermoFocus, are in demand all over the world.
4. Omron. Japanese medical device developer. Electronic and thermal models of her thermometers are well-deservedly popular.
5. B. Well. An English company specializing in the production of electronic and infrared thermometers, including those for newborns (nipple thermometer).

These are far from all the best manufacturers whose products you will be satisfied with.

Rating of quality infrared thermometers

10. DT- 8836

The review is opened by the DT-8836 model of a Chinese company that produces its own budget devices. A non-contact device for patients of any age. Inexpensive, with fairly wide functionality. Universal. In a second, it measures the degree of heating of air, body and any object, in the range from 32 to 42 ° C, with an error of 0.3 ° C. The built-in memory will save the last 32 measurements. Inexpensive. The average cost will be 790 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
DT-8836 / China	Infrared thermometer for children and adults. Contactless. Distance for optimal measurement from 50 to 1560 mm. Choice: body / object temperature measurement. The built-in memory stores the 32 most recent results. The measurement range is from 32 to 42.5 ° C. The measurement error is 0.3 ° C. Power supply from the crown battery.	790 rubles

9.Medica Kids CS-88

The Russian model Medica Kids CS-88 is produced in China. Non-contact device with versatile capabilities. Within a second, it will measure, with an error of ± 0.2 ° C (minimum for devices of this type), without disturbing a sleeping or seriously ill child, it will show how warm his drink or food, bathing water. Display illumination is provided for night manipulation. The built-in memory is enough to store 24 results. A sound signal will signal the end of the operation. The automatic shutdown function conserves battery power. The average cost will be 1697 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Medica Kids CS-88 / Russia / China	Non-contact infrared thermometer. Measures the temperature of the body, liquids and other objects. The measurement is performed within 1 second, with an accuracy of ± 0.2 ° C. The built-in memory stores the last 24 measurements. Additionally equipped with display backlight and signal, automatic shutdown.	1697 rubles

8. Chicco Comfort Quick

Product of the Italian company Chicco, specializing in the production of products for babies from birth to three years old. Her ear infrared thermometer Comfort Quick is designed to determine the temperature of the child by inserting the working part of the device into the auricle. The result is given in a second, with an error of up to 0.2 ° C, in the range from 32 to 42 ° C. Additional functions: sound signal, automatic shutdown, storage in memory of the last 25 results. The complete set is supplemented with disposable removable caps for the working part, in the amount of 20 pcs. The average cost of the device is 1995 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Chicco comfort Quick / Italy	Infrared thermometer, for measuring body temperature in the auricle, within 1 second, in the range from 32 to 42 ° С, with an accuracy of 0.2 ° С. The device is equipped with automatic shutdown, sound signal, built-in memory for the last 25 results. The set includes 20 pcs of disposable tips.	1995 rubles

7.B.Well-5000

Non-contact infrared device of English design. The universal device shows the child's body temperature measured at a distance of 2-3 cm from the forehead. At the same distance, a similar parameter of liquids, food products and other objects is measured, with an error of 0.3 ° C, with the last ten inclusions recorded in the memory. The numerical results of monitoring the patient's body temperature are accompanied by the appearance of a smiley on the display, which smiles or frowns depending on the patient's condition. The device with the start button pressed should be held for some time at a distance of 3-4 cm from the forehead, until the sound signal sounds. Then the user releases the button, waits for a single "beep" and looks at the display. You should not throw away or lose the instruction, since the algorithm of actions is erased from memory over time. The average price is 2139 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
B.Well - 5000 / England	Infrared thermometer. Non-contact, frontal. Equipped with a function of choice of measurement: body / air / object, with an error of 0.3 ° C. The measurement time does not exceed one second. The device is equipped with a memory for the last 10 results, display backlighting, auto-off, sound signal, case.	2139 rubles

6.Laica SA 5900

Since 2012, the Italian company Laica has set up the production of electronic products "Baby Line", which include non-contact infrared thermometers. The Laica SA 5900 model is equipped with all the functions of a universal device that is so necessary for new mothers. Using the object selection button, you can measure the temperature of the surrounding objects, food and drink for the baby, determine the state of his health, find out if the bathing water has warmed up enough. The device is quite accurate. The error is only 0.1 ° C. A backlit display, a beep and automatic shutdown complete the list of features of the device, the average price of which is 2200 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Laica SA 5900 / Italy	Non-contact infrared thermometer. Objects for measuring temperature: water, air, baby food, body temperature. The device is equipped with a built-in memory for the last 32 measurements. The error of the results is 0.1 ° C. Additionally, it is equipped with a sound signal, auto shutdown. Power supply - two AA batteries.	2200 rubles

5.Thermoval Duo Scan

The German company Poul Hartmann AG has been specializing in the production of medical products for two hundred years. The Thermoval Duo Scan infrared thermometer model contains all the best that German goods are famous for: stylish design, high quality materials and workmanship, and accurate readings. Getting acquainted with the reviews about it, the inexperienced reader will be horrified and recoil from this product. The trouble is that the unlucky owners do not follow the recommendations for the correct use of this wonderful device:

• wipe the forehead and sensor window with a tissue moistened with alcohol;
• bring the thermometer to your temple and press the start button;
• without releasing the button, slide the device across your forehead from one temple to another until a beep sounds;
• remove the cap if you intend to manipulate the auricle;
• hair on the forehead can distort the result, so they should be removed;
• Before starting work, stay in the same room with the device for at least 20 minutes.

The conditions are simple, but obligatory, since they take into account the peculiarities of the device. By adhering to them, the user will always get accurate results, despite the rather large declared error of 1 ° C. The model is also useful for household (non-medical) manipulations, taking into account the measurement range from 32 to 42 ° C. There is built-in memory and automatic shutdown. Average price: about 2575 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Thermoval Duo Scan / Germany	Infrared thermometer, for changing the temperature of the forehead and inside the auricle. The measurement range is from 32 to 42 ° С, with an error of up to 1 ° С. Equipped with built-in memory for the last measurements, sound signaling and automatic shutdown. Measurements are performed on the Celsius scale.	2575 rubles

4.Medisana FTN

The German company Medisana is one of the world leaders in the production of medical equipment for home use. Her Medisana FTN model is a frontal infrared thermometer equipped with an object selection button. And here, inattentive users make the first mistake, choosing an icon representing a head as an object. For the device, this means measuring in the oral cavity, and it makes the appropriate adjustments to the process, which causes erroneous results. You need to select the body, which corresponds to the "body" icon (head and shoulders). Then the device will give very accurate results, not differing from the readings of the mercury standard. By the way, they can control the degree of heating of household items, food and water, store up to 30 last results in memory. There is an automatic shutdown and display backlight. The presence of a case in the kit makes it convenient to use when traveling. The average price is 2875 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Medisana FTN / Germany	Infrared thermometer for measuring in the forehead. The device is equipped with a choice: body / object, built-in memory for the last 30 results, auto power off, sound signal, backlight, case. Measurement time - 1 second.	2875 rubles

3.VisioFocus Mini

The top three leaders of the review are opened by the model of the Italian design VisioFocus Mini. A very interesting non-contact infrared device. The result, in addition to the display, is projected directly onto the patient's forehead.

The set of other functions is quite wide: the choice of the scale and the object of measurement, backlight and auto-off. In addition, the device is equipped with automatic and manual calibration of readings, has a wide range, from 1 to 80 ° C. The latter characteristic makes it an extremely valuable household appliance. The error does not exceed ± 0.2C °. This is a high figure for devices of this type.Buying it will cost 3800 rubles. This is the average price.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
VisioFocus Mini / Italy	Infrared thermometer, non-contact. The measurement results are projected directly onto the object. The device is equipped with a selection of ° C / ° F scales, body / objects, manual and automatic calibration. Temperature measurement is performed within 1 second, in the range from 1 to 80 ° С, with an accuracy of ± 0.2 ° С and a step of ± 0.1 ° С.	3800 rubles

2.Sensitek NB 401

The Dutch company Sensitek NB 401 is perhaps the fastest of the non-contact infrared thermometers. It takes only 0.5 seconds to return the result. The display backlight not only helps to view the measurement results in complete darkness, but also signals an increased temperature, changing the color of the numbers to red. The rest of the device is not much different from the advanced models of other manufacturers. Here and automatic shutdown, extensive built-in memory, sound alarm. An error of 0.3 C ° is perhaps too large, but not so much that it interferes with using the device for medical purposes. As a household item, it will also be useful for housewives. Its average price is 3990 rubles.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Sensitek NB 401 / Netherlands	Infrared thermometer, non-contact, forehead. Selectable scale Celsius / Fahrenheit. Choice of measurement object: body / other objects. For measuring, 0.5 seconds is enough, with an error of 0.3 ° C. Built-in memory stores 32 last results. The product is completed with a case, display backlighting, sound signals and auto shut-off. The backlight color changes with temperature.	3990 rubles

1.Thermofocus 1500

The first place and the best customer reviews goes to the non-contact infrared device Thermofocus 1500, the Italian company Tecnimed. This is a unique device equipped with a dual-beam positioning system on the patient's body area to obtain an accurate result. The essence of the system is that two aiming beams must converge at one point. This provides the optimum distance for accurate measurement. As long as the user sees two red dots on the body, the analysis should not be performed, since the readings will not be accurate. The aiming beams are not laser beams and are not harmful to health.

In addition, the device is equipped with a unique automatic and manual calibration, comparing the indoor temperature and the own temperature, to achieve an accurate result. During the calibration, a countdown appears on the display. The measurement should not be taken before the end, as the results will be erroneous. Thermofocus 1500 is suitable for professional and home use, meets international quality standards, and is certified as a class II medical device. Its average price is 3990 rubles, according to buyers, this is an excellent value for money.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Model name / brand name	Specifications	average price
Thermo Focus 1500 / Italy	Infrared thermometer for non-contact measurement of body temperature, liquids and other objects. Equipped with C ° / F ° scale selection, automatic and manual calibration. The measurement interval is from 1 to 50 С °, with an accuracy of ± 0.2 ° С and a reading step of 0.1 ° С. Body temperature is measured in the center of the forehead, at a distance of 30 mm. Power supply - AAA batteries - 4 pcs.	3990 rubles

The time for mercury thermometers is coming to an end. They are being replaced by smart and precise devices of the 21st century. They are distinguished by safety of use, environmental friendliness and many useful functions.Which one is better to buy is up to you. We hope that our review will give some idea of ​​what infrared thermometers are and will help you not to make mistakes when choosing.