I’ve been looking at all the fancy thermometers at the store thinking how nice it would be to take a temperature and not worry about the impending struggle of keeping it under my child’s armpit.   It’s not one of my favorite pastimes as a parent,  and the temperatures are incorrect half the time because you have to get it in juuust the right spot to get a correct reading.  Hard to do with an uncooperative kid. I have never tried the temporal thermometers,  as our oral thermometer has been fine for axillary use (taking temp in the arm pit)–which is our method of choice.  I was really intrigued to try the VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer.

The VeraTemp Thermometer is similar in size to the temporal thermometers in store and fits right in your hand.  It runs on 2 AAA batteries, which are also included.  The thermometer has four main controls: Mode, Celsius/Fahrenheit, Memory, and Scan.   There is a non-functioning switch on the side.    The Mode button allows you to choose what setting you are trying to take a temp on:  Body Temp, Surface Temp, and Room Temp.

The thermometer detects body temperatures between 90 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.  That is a really nice range, especially when you have children, and we all know children’s temps can sky rocket sometimes.  My oral thermometer only goes up to 104 degrees.  In Body Temp mode, the screen will display 3 different colors depending on the temperature reading.   A green back light means the temperature reading was between 97.3 and 99.1 (36.3-37.3 *C).   These are considered normal temperatures.   When the back light reads Orange, the temperature is between 99.3 and 100.2 (37.4-37.9 *C) and this would be a range to monitor.  This could be a low grade fever depending on your child or the person whose temp you are taking.   Finally, you’ll get a Red back light when the temperature is over 100.4 degrees (38*C) and you’ve entered the dreaded fever zone.  My daughter is not very cooperative with a traditional oral thermometer whether trying to take a temp via the mouth, or armpit.  With the VeraTemp, she will actually sit still and allow me to scan her.  She thinks it’s a fun little game.
The second mode is Surface Temp.   We’ve been having fun running around the house scanning all sorts of things to try it out! This mode scans the surface temperature of an item such as a glass of juice (we’ve been running around scanning our drinks from take out places and popsicle) or bath water.   I really love this option.  I tried it with our bath water and it seems pretty accurate in the tub, giving me an idea if I needed to let it cool down (and I always check myself, but it’s nice having a backup and not have to dunk your hand unnecessarily every 5 minutes.)
The third mode is Room Temp and I love this option.    Now that it’s heading into colder weather here, our heaters are on and it’s nice to have something quick at hand to know what the temp is in the room, especially since we do not have central heating and  air where we live.  Ok, I lied.  It’s mostly because I’m too lazy to get up and see what our thermostat is set to.
There is also an option to review the last 32 temperatures taken when you press the Memory Mode.  When you bring up temperatures stored in Memory Mode, it also reminds you which type of temperature (body/surface/room) it is that you are viewing.  Thirty two temperatures is ample storage if you need to go back and see past temps.   This would be particularly useful with taking temperatures late at night with a sick child.   Recalling those temperatures in the morning, or if you needed to relay that information to your doctor.   The only thing that would make this option better, would be a time stamp, especially in those situations.  It’s not a necessary feature, but it would be awesome to have.

I really appreciate the ease of taking a temperature with the VeraTemp.   Just hold the thermometer 2-3 inches from your little one’s forehead, and press scan.   No worries of waking them if they are sleeping, and as long as you follow some basic guidelines (make sure any hair is away from the face, and you are taking the temp on a dry forehead) you can get an accurate temperature without disturbing the precious sleep your child needs when they are ill.  This also helps avoid an ugly encounter when Mini McCrankypants is woken.   The thing I hate worse than being sick is the sanitizing afterwards, but the VeraTemp is an easy clean thermometer, and doesn’t actually come in contact with the sick individual.  This really helps cut down on the spreading of germs.  A quick wipe with an alcohol and it is sanitized.  Just remember NOT to touch the infrared mirror that reads the temperatures.   Touching this mirror can mess with the accuracy of your temps.

VeraTemp can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

*One lucky reader will win their very own VeraTemp Thermometer.  It comes with an instruction manual, thermometer, 2-AAA batteries, and a drawstring storage pouch.  This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents and ends on 11/8/2012.

For those who want to purchase the VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer, VeraTemp is offering a $2 rebate on your purchase.  Here is a link to the Rebate information:  http://www.veratemp.com/rebates/

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Jessica