Are you hot???
That’s essentially what those infrared thermometer guns are trying to determine. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably noticed increased use of such thermal detection units at doctor’s offices, airports, and other checkpoints. The purpose of these devices is to measure body temperature quickly, easily, and at a distance.
The trouble is, it’s not clear how well all of those non-contact infrared thermometers work, or even if they’ve been tested for accuracy. For home use among your own family, you want to make sure you have something that will give accurate readings, don’t you?
Our family has a digital thermometer for oral use, but I always feel leery about getting germs from it, even after wiping it off. In fact, a medical expert stated, “People do not usually clean thermometers well, so any version that requires temperature readings from the… mouth is more likely to carry infection from previous uses.”
We also have two digital ear thermometers, but even though they were expensive I was never satisfied with them. One always read a little high and the other one always read a little low. Plus you have to buy plastic probe covers and stick it in people’s ears with perfect aim down the ear canal to get a good reading. With the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to get something that was not only accurate, but quick and easy to use.
So I was searching for the latest infrared thermometers on Amazon, and I couldn’t believe how many of them were made in China. I thought, can’t Americans even make a thermometer? A lot of the reviews were saying they’re inaccurate, too.
Most of them appeared to be copies of the laser temperature guns you get at Home Depot for measuring room surface temperatures (and which say “Not Intended for Testing Human Temperature”). So I bet they only measure the surface temperature of your forehead, not your core body temperature. It just seems to me that a medical instrument should be designed a little differently than a construction tool! Looks like the only difference between them is the color:
I was about to give up on finding the perfect thermometer when I came across the Exergen Temporal Scanner! It’s a forehead thermometer that measures the infrared energy emitted from the temporal artery, which is just beneath the surface of the skin. Basically, it’s measuring the temperature of the blood flowing directly from the heart, which of course is right in the middle of the body. You can’t get much a more accurate core temperature than that!
I’m not the only one who likes the Exergen Temporal Scanner infrared thermometer. New York Magazine recently asked nearly 50 physicians, nurses, and pharmacists about what medical essentials they recommend for their own families. Exergen was rated the #1 thermometer for its accuracy, quick ease of use, and non-invasiveness.
- Easy to use
- Recommended for all ages
- #1 preferred by nurses
- #1 preferred by pediatricians
- Soft Glow display with back light
- Eight scan memory
- Silent mode available
- Switches from Fahrenheit to Celsius
- One-button programming
Even better: this thermometer was invented, designed, assembled, tested, and packaged in the USA! The Exergen Corporation was founded in 1980 by Francesco Pompei – an MIT grad, mechanical engineer, and active scientist in cancer research in the Department of Physics at Harvard University. In fact, he’s the one who patented the world’s very first temporal artery thermometer. Not only is the Exergen Temporal Scanner made in the US, it’s supposedly the best-selling thermometer in America, so I can’t believe I never even heard of it until now!
The Exergen Temporal Scanner works a bit differently than the no-contact infrared guns, but it’s just as easy. Basically what you do is press the button, and while holding the button down, gently run the thermometer across the forehead; then let go and see what it says. So it does touch people’s foreheads briefly, but it doesn’t touch any mucous membranes and you can just wipe it off with an alcohol wipe. It’s safe, easy to use, and recommended for patients of all ages from newborn to elderly. You can do it easily on your own forehead if you’re home alone, too.
Even after the pandemic is over, with an Exergen Temporal Scanner you will be able to face cold and flu seasons with confidence, knowing that a quick forehead scan will tell you if someone has a fever or not. (Just remember: Flu = Fever.) The first time you use the Exergen thermometer, don’t be alarmed if your temperature reading is slightly high. According to the instructions, the temporal artery temperature is one degree higher than the average normal oral temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). Not to worry, Exergen’s technology has been proven accurate by more than 70 published clinical studies.
Here is the specific model that we bought (it needs a 9 volt battery, not included):
Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer Model# TAT-2000C
P.S. from Teri ~ No matter what kind of digital or battery-powered thermometer you choose, you should still keep an old-fashioned glass thermometer in your first aid kit as an emergency backup, for travel or camping. It will last forever and it will always work even if you run out of batteries.
NOTE: The above product was NOT provided for free or at a discount in exchange for a review. This item was purchased by a homeschooling family at their own expense.