When I had my son just a little over two years ago, I agonised over the type of thermometer I wanted to buy. After a little online research, I settled on the Braun ThermoScan 4020 because I trust the Braun brand, and it’s seen us through a fair few fevers over the last couple of years. I’ve always struggled with a couple of things, however: the length of time it takes to register a temp (we all know time is of the essence with a wriggly youngster) and variable readings; no three were the same.

So when I got the chance to have a play with the new Braun ThermoScan 7 with my now 10 week old baby girl, the first thing I was struck by was the almost instant temp reading. I even tried it on my tantruming toddler – even though he squirmed out of my arms in a matter of moments, I still emerged triumphant with a temp!

Having experienced Braun’s thermometers in the past, I thought I would test the ThermoScan 7’s usability from the off by using it without opening the instruction booklet. I can assure you, as someone who’s easily flummoxed by tricky tech, this thermometer is very easy to use. The only thing you have to remember to do is select the appropriate age bracket, which is something of a revelation. I didn’t even realise temp brackets differ according to age, so a lesson learned there. It means the reading you get is as accurate as can possibly be, a change from the ThermoScan 4020.

Something else that’s a welcome addition is the colour reading. The screen turns green, yellow or red, depending on the reading and whether it’s in the normal, moderate or high temp bracket. This is ace, particularly in the wee hours when your head isn’t quite screwed on and your baby is having a good scream.

Useful features

For me, the instant temp reading is the standout feature. It makes this thermometer perfect for young, squirmy family members. This goes hand in hand with how gentle the product is; sticking something in your baby’s ear may not feel like the most natural thing to do, but the tip is so soft I had no fears about placing it in Ella’s delicate ear. On top of that, the tip is pre-warmed for maximum comfort (Ella actually smiled when I put it in her ear!) and it comes with a cartridge of throwaway tip covers for ultimate hygiene. The thermometer won’t actually let you use it without the tip – you get an alert icon in the bottom right of the screen – so you can’t forget.

The colour scale is also an awesome factor in helping you tell at a fast glance the temperature of your baby.

Something else the Braun ThermoScan 7 comes with that the ThermoScan 4020 does not is a cradle, which holds the thermometer and the cartridges inside. This means it’s easy to place on the bedside table and pressing any button activates a nightlight for easy location, which makes night time temp checks a breeze.

Improvements

The Braun ThermoScan 7 thermometer is a big improvement on the previous model and overall I think it’s an excellent product. The only thing I stumbled over was remembering to select the age, which you have to do before you take a temp. This tripped me up a bit when I was trying to read my toddler’s temp. I had to pull the thermometer back and recheck the machine, which gave him the chance to get away! I imagine once you’ve used it a few times, however, this becomes second nature.

One other small thing: the thermometer has a release button to quickly remove the tip protector. I found it’s got a bit of go in it and flung the tip halfway across the room first time!

 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.