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We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.
A thermometer is a key piece of first aid equipment to have in the home. Monitoring your temperature can help you gain a head start on treating an illness and help you track your recovery. The design of thermometers has come a long way from glass tubes filled with dangerous mercury. Today’s thermometers have digital screens that provide fast, clear readings.
The next step forward is smart thermometers. Smart thermometers can store data about your temperature readings and share it with your smartphone through a Bluetooth connection. A smart thermometer’s app will track your health data so you can refer to it while monitoring the progression of an illness. You even can share this data with your doctor to help with your diagnosis.
Our buying guide has everything you need to know before you invest in a smart thermometer. When you are ready to buy, check out our picks for the best smart thermometers on the market.
As you’re comparing different smart thermometers, the main consideration is whether you want a thermometer that measures body temperature or environmental temperature.
For measuring body temperature, think about how you’d like the smart thermometer to work as well as the level of accuracy you require.
Smart thermometers are available in any of these designs, and many are usable in more than one way.
Other types of smart thermometers are made to measure the temperature in the immediate area, such as inside a room.
Once you’ve settled on a type of smart thermometer, you will want to pay attention to the features of both the thermometer and its associated app.
The majority of smart thermometers use a Bluetooth connection to share data with an app. However, just because a thermometer calls itself “smart” does not mean it can share data with an app or has an app available. Always confirm that a smart thermometer has an app before purchasing it.
A smart thermometer’s app may provide limited health advice based on your temperature readings, too, such as whether you should try over-the-counter medication for an illness or visit a doctor.
A common use for smart thermometers is tracking ovulation for women who wish to become pregnant. The smart thermometer sends its readings to an app, which creates charts to show the user the likelihood of ovulation occurring.
Each smart thermometer is a little different, but you can expect the thermometer to save up to 20 past readings on the device itself. If you have the smart thermometer connected to your smartphone, you can keep track of an almost unlimited number of readings.
Apps should also save the date and time of readings to simplify the process of tracking temperature readings over time. With the majority of apps, you can assign a particular temperature reading to a certain family member, making the tracking process even more useful. With some apps, you can enter temperature readings manually, just in case you use a different thermometer to take a temperature.
The small display screen on a smart thermometer will give you some information but not as much information as what you’ll find on the app. The thermometer’s display screen will show the temperature reading, and it may change color to alert you to abnormal readings.
It can be extremely helpful to have a backlit display screen so you can see the temperature reading in the dark. If your little one is sick, being able to take a temperature reading in the middle of the night without turning on an overhead light is handy.
Certain smart thermometers do not have a display screen, so you must connect to the app to see the readings.
When purchasing a smart thermometer, you can expect to pay $20 to $100, depending on the smart features included. Thermometers with a greater number of smart features cost $50 to $100.
The only ongoing cost you should have with a smart thermometer is replacing the battery, which should cost just a few dollars every six months or so. The app associated with the smart thermometer should be free, although some apps may have in-app purchases available to unlock certain features.
If you find that you’re receiving inaccurate results with your smart thermometer, it may be because you’re using it incorrectly. Here are some tips for using a smart thermometer for the most accurate readings.
Q. How quickly does a smart thermometer work?
A. A smart thermometer should return an accurate reading within two to 10 seconds. Some thermometers take longer, especially for underarm readings. If you are using the thermometer incorrectly, one clue is that it may take longer than expected to return a reading.
Q. What should I do with an old mercury thermometer?
A. Glass thermometers with mercury in them used to be the only option for taking temperature readings. But because mercury is a toxic substance, such thermometers are no longer recommended for usage in the home. Do not throw away an old mercury thermometer that you’ve replaced with a smart thermometer. It needs to go to a hazardous waste collection site.
Q. Can I use one smart thermometer for my entire family?
A. You can. Just be certain you associate the reading in the app with the right family member. Always sanitize the smart thermometer after each use. Never use the thermometer for a rectal reading for a baby and then switch to an oral reading for another family member, even after sanitizing it.
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