Customer Reviews

Safety 1st Fever Light 1 Second Ear Thermometer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I bought this item based on a 4 star review, unfortunately this item was essentially useless as the readings varied widely. I'm wondering if any of the reviewers actually tried multiple readings to see if the item was consistent.

In trying to use this on my son I got readings that ranged from 98.2 to 100.0 in the span of only 2 minutes! This is a dangerous range when dealing with a toddler.

I thought perhaps it was just too difficult to use on a child, so I tried it on myself. Holding perfectly still and aligning the thermometer with my ear canal did not help to get a consistent reading. My 4 readings ranged from 97.9 to 99.8. A little more acceptable, but only under ideal conditions on an adult.

After my frustration with this thermometer, I checked Consumer Reports. It turns out that they don't recommend using Tympanic (Ear) Thermometers at all. From their site: ""They aren't recommended for young children because there are lots of chances for error," Paul Horowitz, M.D., a founding pediatrician at Discovery Pediatrics in Valencia, Calif., said. We've found that you have to align them in the ear canal perfectly for them to be accurate.""

Don't waste your time on this item, it will frustrate you and is potentially dangerous for your child.

I love this thermometer. It is so easy to use and so quick!! I am done taking my 9month old sons temperature before he even has time to realize what I am doing and try to squirm away. I am an RN and I took it to work with me to test how the reading I got on this thermometer related to the ones we use on the floor and it seems to be very accurate. I looked for a long time for a thermometer that was quick, easy to use, durable, and not incredibly bulky. This one has surpassed all my expectations and I love it!

This thermometer is completely inaccurate. Every time I use it it registers a different temperature, varying between 97 degrees and 99.3 degrees. Even if it is used 15 times in a row, nearly each time the temperature will vary by a whole degree, which makes this thermometer completely useless.

It is really fast at taking the temp. My son doesn't even have time to move his head and it is all done. I really like that it has 10 saved settings so I can take his temp all day and know if it is going up or down.

This was purchased for us as an easy alternative to other temperature taking methods for our son. Sadly, it isn't worth anything. There was absolutely no repeatability in the measurements and only once did it identify a fever. Even then it was almost 3 degrees low. We now use a simple thermometer under the arm which gives us what we need.

I've researched ear thermometers for a while and finally decided on this one even if some reviews say that it was inaccurate. At 2 months my son had his shots so I took out this thermometer just in case. When we came home he was fine but I took his temperature anyway and it read normal. I tried 3 more times just in case and they all turned out to the same temperature. I did this because I read a review that said they got different temperature readings when they took the temperature right after another. Later on in the day my son got fussy so I took his temperature again. It showed that he had a fever. I took his temperature 2 more times and it showed the same fever temperature again, so I gave him his medicine and he got better. I am happy with this thermometer because it is easy to use and gives you readings quickly.

I saw on a TV show...the doctor said the problem with ear thermometers is that you need to be sure you are aiming it at the child's eardrum. If not then you may get an inaccurate reading.

I can't get my 2 year old to stay still.. so this thermometer is pretty worthless for me. In order to use it you have to pull the ear up and back then stick the thermometer in the ear. You only need it there for a few seconds, but it is still a big challenge. My son won't let me get a good reading. Wish I bought a different one.

This thermometer is awful. I cannot get an accurate or consistant reading and the temps vary widely. It's easy to use and only takes a second to register, but what good is that when it's not giving the correct temperature? For example, I just took my 20 month old's temperature 6 times in a row and the temps ranged from 97.4 to 98.8. I then took her temperature rectally it it is 100.7. If the ear thermometer had been accurate, it would have read 99.7 (because you have to add one degree if not taken rectally). I can't trust it, so I will never use it again. What a waste of money.

This thermometer gives inaccurate readings for babies and adults alike. I recently had a stomach virus, and a 101 degree temp, and when I took it with this thermometer it showed 95.8. My son's temperature always comes up 5 or 6 degrees lower than if I take it rectally. If you want to be within a 10 degree range, it works fine. But for most health concerns it's not what you need.

I bought two of these. First of all, they don't come with the caps that you need to use for taking temperature. After almost a year, I am yet to find those caps so I am using it without any caps. Every now and then it gives me an error "Clean the head" (or something like it) so I usually just clean it with alcohol swab and use it. The manual that it comes with is not at all useful (actually, it doesn't come with any manual but some information on the back of the package). I wrote to customer service and they emailed me in just a day (Thanks for that).

Using this thermometer with toddlers can be a pain. The instructions tell you that it beeps once the reading is ready but it never beeps in my case so I just keep it for 20 seconds or so and check the reading, usually its not too off (compared with a mercury thermometer) I am surprised that many other reviewers complain that the reading is far off!!

Overall, I am not greatly impressed with this thermometer and won't recommend to anyone. Latest Consumer Reports recommends Vicks V977. I have neither used it nor have I read the reviews but something to look at for the new buyers.