The best forehead thermometers give you a fast, accurate and non-invasive temperature reading for sick children and adults alike. Each of our picks should give you that core functionality; any variety comes from extra perks, such as a backup ear thermometer, no-touch or silent readings, and app support. Keep close track of your family's health with any one of these reliable devices.
Best Overall: iProven DMT-511
iProven boasts top-of-the-line calibration that ensures that your temperature readings should be accurate to ±0.2ºC, and delivers these readings in just one second apiece. However, if you get a worrysome result and want to confirm with total reliability, you can use the secondary ear mode. It also features a touchless infrared "object" mode that can measure temperatures of the room or anything else, but you must hold the iProven within one to two inches of the object for it to work.
Unlike no-touch forehead thermometers, the iProven DMT-511 requires physical contact: you must slide it across your forehead from temple to temple or at least press in multiple spots for a proper reading. For context, we're primarily considering the best forehead thermometers for single households in this article, making germ transfer and cleaning before each use slightly less relevant; if you want to use this commercially, consider one of the touchless thermometers below instead.
If you're measuring a child's temperature at night and don't wish to wake them, the large mute button makes it simple to silence it. Plus, the display lights up in green, yellow or red, warning you of the severity of the fever. The iProven comes with a carry bag and is just the right size for a First Aid Kit or medicine cabinet.
Pros:
- Clinically tested accuracy of readings
- Simple to mute
- Affordably priced
- Ear and object reading modes
- Comes with carrying case
- Not touchless
- Object mode requires very close proximity
iProven DMT-511
Near-exact and versatile
Don't leave any doubt about your kid's health (or your own). Get precise readings and color-coded warnings in just one second.
Best for Speed and Silence: iHealth PT3
While many forehead thermometers let you mute them to avoid waking a kid, you must still slide the device across their forehead, and it isn't always clear when the device is finished taking a precise reading without a beeping noise. Enter the iHealth PT3, which lets you take measurements from an inch away, and vibrates gently to alert you when a reading is complete. It's a great option for quickly and silently making sure your child hasn't gotten worse during the night.
Its three sensors allegedly collect 100 data points per second, which should help the device get a reliable reading without making physical contact. Along with the primary temperature sensor, you also have a distance sensor and environmental compensation sensor that adjust the reading based on the gap from the subject and the conditions of the room you're in.
Once you get the result — typically in just one second — the device has a backlit LED screen to help you see the result in the dark. And, once you've taken a reading, you won't need to clean it before using it on someone else.
Pros:
- Contactless temperature readings
- Vibrations to indicate reading is ready
- 100 data points for reliable results
- Backlit LED screen
- No ear sensor backup
iHealth PT3
Contactless certainty
The iHealth PT3 delivers precise results without requiring contact, which will make your sick, squirming baby or toddler happy.
Best Long-Distance Contactless Thermometer: FDoc Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer
You may feel weird pointing this gun-shaped thermometer at your loved ones and pulling the power/scan trigger. Ironically, the FDoc Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer by Thermobio is less intrusive than other non-touch forehead thermometers, because it lets you hold it up to 2.5 inches away from the subject. Other models require one inch or less. You can take accurate readings without accidentally bumping into your family patient.
Despite its bulky look, the grip fits comfortably into the palm of your hand, and at a mere 3.2 ounces it's actually lighter than the first two options on this list. The one negative is that it can be more difficult to self-administer compared to other devices.
Thermobio claims a ±0.5°F test-retest rating, which isn't the best on this list but is dependable enough that you won't get wildly inaccurate results that make you panicky or complacent. It generates results in one second, shows them on the backlit LCD, saves the previous 32 measurements to track an illness's progression, and powers off automatically after 30 seconds. It allegedly will last 1000 hours on the two included AAA batteries, which stands above the competition.
Pros:
- 1000-hour battery with power saver
- 2.5-inch contactless readings
- Object measurement mode
- Light and easy to hold
- Saves previous results
- Difficult to self-administer
- No touch-based backup
FDoc Non-Contact Forehead Thermometer
Trigger temperatures fast
Quickly measure consistent results without making your kids uncomfortable or worrying about the battery dying on you.
Best Smart Thermometer with App: Comper Smart Medical Forehead Thermometer
Considering that fitness trackers like Fitbit are helpful for , it makes sense to buy a smart thermometer that ties directly into a fitness app that lets you track your symptoms over time.
A device designed for the mobile age, the Comper Smart Medical Forehead Thermometer pairs with your phone and sends its data to an . Once you take measurements, you can assign the result to different family member profiles and see a graph of health results over time. It's a steep upgrade from the other devices that require you to toggle through past results one at a time, with no context for who it applies to and when it was taken. The app also lets you pair Bluetooth devices to track other health data like weight and heart rate, though these will probably serve you better.
As for the thermometer itself, it has a ±0.2ºC accuracy rating, which matches our best overall pick. You can choose to measure using infrared at 1 inch away or less, or place it directly on the forehead — which Comper itself says is more accurate. The device shows the result on its LED screen in a second, or you can see the result appear in-app in nearly the same amount of time.
Our favorite design feature is its soft finish, which makes it more comfortable when pressed against a kid's forehead. It doesn't have a colored fever indicator, nor volume controls or Fahrenheit / Celsius on the device itself, so you're really encouraged to rely on the app.
Pros:
- Detailed temperature history in app
- Accurate margin of error
- Soft material
- Touchless and touch reading options
- Thermometer itself lacks customization buttons
Comper Smart Medical Forehead Thermometer
Bringing smarts to your health
Keep meticulous track of the temperatures of everyone in your family at once using Comper's free app and dependable sensors.
Best Dual Ear & Forehead Thermometer: GoodBaby Infrared Thermometer
Dual forehead and ear readings, stored temperature history and a mute option for silent readings all make this one of the best forehead thermometers you'll find, and for a very affordable price. Plus, it can even measure the temperature of other objects at an inch away, should you need to check baby formula or just want a fast meat thermometer. However, some misleading advertising kept this from remaining our top pick.
GoodBaby's three ultrasensitive sensors work together to give accurate readings in about a second when pressed against your forehead. After you take a reading, the thermometer stores the result. You can check the last 35 temperatures taken and see how your health is trending. Just like other thermometers, the GoodBaby model also features a color sensor for indicating high temperatures and an option to mute it.
What is disappointing about this unit is that the Amazon listing states that it is a "Touchless Forehead Thermometer" that can get "an accurate reading without touching the skin", and even includes the above ad. Once you've bought it, however, the manual makes clear you must make contact with the skin to get the most accurate reading for human temperatures, while the touchless option is only designed for objects. You'll find plenty of peeved reviews from buyers who thought it was fully contactless before purchasing, and we don't blame them for being confused.
Pros:
- Forehead, ear and object reading modes
- Can store previous temp results
- Affordably priced
- Option to mute
- Ergonomic design makes it easy to hold
- "Touchless" label is misleading
- Unreliable battery life
GoodBaby Infrared Thermometer
Check your measurements
GoodBaby pairs a forehead and ear thermometer into one device, giving you peace of mind by letting you check your results.
Bottom line
No thermometer is perfect on every measurement, whether it's touching your forehead, ear, under your tongue, in your rectum or measuring from afar with IR. says that the forehead generally measures one degree Fahrenheit colder than an oral reading, while an ear will measure a degree higher. Anticipating these discrepancies, and that you won't find a device that measures the same result every time, you can buy a dedicated and pair it with a dedicated forehead thermometer, or purchase one device that bundles both options.
The does just that. Simply measure with the forehead attachment, then remove it to expose the ear sensor underneath for a backup result. If either result lights up orange or red, you know your health is worth monitoring. It competes or outpaces the other best forehead thermometers in temperature accuracy, while others using no-touch infrared might sacrifice a little accuracy to convenience.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Jodi Owan is a freelance writer and photographer. Find her on Instagram and her .
Michael Hicks got his tech start in 2016, covering emerging tech like VR and self-driving cars before expanding to all things tech. When he's not gaming or reading SFF novels, he writes freelance for Android Central and Windows Central.