Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I love the new temporal thermometer technology. I’m an ER nurse and we are using them more and more in the hospital. They so wonderful and not invasive at all and they can be used on all ages. Research is showing that they are accurate compared to other methods. It doesn’t get any better than that. This is my second temporal thermometer, this one is solely to keep in my the kids bathroom. My other one is the Exergen temporal that I got at Costco. I will briefly talk about temporal thermometers in general, then this particular one compared to Exergen. Temporal temps versus other methods: Rectal temperatures for kids with fevers is still the gold standard. It’s considered to be the most accurate. As we all know, getting a rectal temperature on a kid is very uncomfortable and difficult, especially at home. Plus the difference of a few tenths of a degree usually isn’t enough that’s going to change what you do, whether it’s give meds or not give meds, or take to the doctor versus not take to the doctor. Temporal is a great option for home use. There’s a little variance between temperature methods though that you might want to take into account. Google it if you’re curious. Temperatures on the same person, just a few seconds apart can vary as well. I’m sure there’s some wonderful research out there about why that is, but I don’t care enough to look it up. I can easily see a temperature vary a degree or even two degrees taken back to back. The downfall to temporal is that there are a few things that can skew the results: sweaty/wet skin, wearing at hat just prior to taking temperature, doing it incorrectly or a dirty sensor. Comparison: -Readings: I used my family as a guinea pig and took a variety of temperatures with both thermometers. I will make a nice little chart at the bottom. They both seem very accurate and pretty close. The Exergen temporal was pretty consistently a tiny bit higher than the Innovo temporal. The Innovo ear was the lowest temperature on all my readings. Really though, the variance is minimal, not enough to change how I care for my kids. I’m going to give my child Tylenol or Ibuprofen based on how they appear and feel, not only based on a temperature. -Highest readings: Exergen temporal -Middle readings: Innovo temporal -Lowest readings: Innovo ear -Comfort: The Innovo is much more comfortable to hold and use. The Exergen has the button on the underside, it feels awkward when doing my kids temperature, doing my own is fine. It’s hard to hold the button, keep it flat on the forehead and run it across. The Exergen that is used in the hospital has the button on top, which is much more comfortable. The Innovo has the button on the top, where your thumb naturally sits, it’s much more comfortable to use on the kids. -Extras: I like the louder beeping of the Exergen. The Innovo has a lighter clicking. Either way it’s nice to have some noise that lets you know it’s working. I like the display of the Innovo, it’s a bonus that it lights up green or red according to their definition of a fever. -Price: The Innovo is more expensive than the Exergen. For our family I tend to spend more on products that I know I’m going to use for years. It’s less than a $15 price difference, so I think it’s absolutely worth it to get a 2-in-1 product that is more comfortable to hold and use. Overall, I am so happy I have temporal thermometers to use at home! I think both thermometers I mentioned are comparable with the Innovo being more expensive, but having the temporal and ear readings being a major bonus. It also has the red and green light depending on if there’s a fever according to their cutoff of 99.5. If a friend asked which one I recommend it would be hard to give a clear answer that one is dramatically better than the other. I’d say go based on your budget and whether or not you want the deluxe type product or a more basic one. Innovo sent me a sample of the product to test and review. Innovo temoral Innovo ear Exergen temporal 99 98.5 99.2 99.4 98.7 99.6 98.1 97.4 98.6 98.7 97.7 98.6 98.6 98.2 99.2 98.6 98.3 98.6 98.2 97.3 97.8 98.8 98.2 99.2