A thermometer is one of the first things many families buy for a new baby. This guide explains the three main types, forehead, ear and underarm, using guidance from Healthdirect Australia, and then names the one thermometer we currently recommend.
From Healthdirect: If you have a baby under 3 months old with a fever above 38°C, take them to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately. Healthdirect also says a fever is "a body temperature of 38°C or higher", and "If your child with a fever is under 3 months old, seek urgent medical attention."
NestPath does not give medical advice. This is a buying guide, not a guide to what any reading means. For anything about your child's health or a fever, speak to your GP or call the Healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222, where a registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Why there is only one pick: the Origin Medical is the only thermometer from this page we could match to an ARTG entry. On Amazon Australia, the listing ships from Amazon and is sold by FrontidaHealth. Our rule is to pick only thermometers with documented ARTG coverage and Australian supply.
What is the quick answer on baby thermometers?
Our one recommendation right now is the Origin Medical Digital Forehead Thermometer. Its model, FC-IR202, is named on ARTG entry 388490, and Origin Medical is the Australian sponsor on that entry. On Amazon Australia, the listing ships from Amazon and is sold by FrontidaHealth. It reads temperature from the forehead without touching the skin, has a large LCD, runs from a single button, stores its last 35 readings and has a fever alarm.
Before you buy, know what Healthdirect says about this type. It calls infrared thermometers the easiest type to use, but warns that they can be inaccurate. It also says an underarm digital thermometer is the preferred method for babies younger than 3 months. We do not list an underarm digital thermometer yet. We will add one only when we can match it to an ARTG entry with Australian supply.
Check the live listing before you buy.
How do forehead, ear and underarm thermometers differ?
Healthdirect describes several thermometer types for home use. This is what it says about the three this guide covers.
- Forehead (infrared): an infrared scanner measures body temperature without direct contact with the skin, held a few centimetres away from the body. Healthdirect calls these the easiest type to use, but says they can be inaccurate.
- Ear (tympanic): ear thermometers take a temperature very quickly, so Healthdirect says they suit adults or children who find it hard to sit still. It notes they can be expensive, and the reading may not be accurate if the thermometer is not placed correctly in the ear. If your baby's ear canals are too small to properly insert the probe, it advises choosing another type.
- Underarm (axillary): a digital stick thermometer placed in the centre of the armpit. Healthdirect says digital thermometers used under the arm or tongue are the easiest for home use, and that an underarm digital thermometer is the preferred method for babies younger than 3 months.
Whichever type you use, Healthdirect says to follow the instructions that come with the thermometer, and when comparing measurements, to always use the same type of thermometer in the same location on the body. It also suggests asking your Maternal and Child Health Nurse, GP or pharmacist to show you how to use your thermometer.
How does NestPath choose baby thermometers?
We do not take our own measurements. We choose from public records and the Amazon Australia listing, and for a medical device our rule has two parts.
- ARTG coverage: we check that the exact model is covered by an entry on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), which the TGA publishes.
- Australian supply: we check that the offer is Australian supplied.
- Listing facts only: product details on this page come from the Amazon Australia listing and the ARTG entry, not from our own claims about accuracy.
This rule removed five thermometers that were on this page before. The Braun ThermoScan 7 is out because its current listing is sold by a third party seller in the UK, and we will bring it back only with proof the stock is Australian supplied. The Frida Baby 3 in 1 is out because it ships from and is sold by Amazon US, and we found no ARTG entry for it. The Braun ThermoScan IRT6515 is out because it ships from and is sold by Amazon US from abroad, and its model, IRT6515AM, is the US ThermoScan 6 on Braun's US website. The Momcozy thermometer is out because we found no ARTG entry for it. The BEABA Thermospeed is out because we could not match an ARTG entry to it.
Which baby thermometer do we recommend right now?
The Origin Medical Digital Forehead Thermometer is a non contact infrared thermometer. It measures body temperature without touching the skin, and it can also read the temperature of objects and surfaces. The large LCD shows the reading in Celsius or Fahrenheit, and the device runs from a single button.
