Kidz-Med VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer {Review}

Of all of the differences between my daughters, one of the ones I noticed very early on was the way that they react at the doctor's office. Whereas Big Sister E has always sat stoically while they look in her mouth or take her temperature or even give her a shot, Little Sister B... not so much.

Now the shot, I understand. But Little Sister B has screamed even when they are doing something that doesn't remotely hurt, such as measuring her head or peeking into her ears. Let me just tell you, it makes for a long appointment when the crying lasts for nearly the entire time.

Therefore, you can bet that when it comes to taking her temperature here at home, we've always made every possible effort to make sure the experience is not nearly as traumatic. Forget oral or rectal thermometers, we made sure to have an ear thermometer so that we could get a reading quickly and easily (in theory, at least).

Unfortunately, even that has led to instances of having to hold her in place or suffer through her cries when all we're doing is holding a thermometer in her ear. You just can't win!

Or so I thought. Then I was introduced to the easiest thermometer yet and one that even my little drama queen can't complain about: the Kidz-Med VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer.

That's right, it says Non-Contact.

Kidz-Med's VeraTemp Thermometer takes the trauma out of temperature taking by giving you an accurate, instant reading with absolutely no contact with the skin. No need to touch, startle, upset or wake your child, you simply point it at them from a few inches away, press one button and it utilizes superior, non-touch technology to to give your results immediately.

Sounds too good to be true? I sure thought so.

So of course when the VeraTemp Thermometer arrived, I was ready to break into the packaging and start testing it out right away.

Coming complete with an instruction guide, a quick reference card, a convenient carrying case, and batteries, the amount of time needed to learn how to understand this thermometer was basically none.

Once I had the batteries in place, I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy the VeraTemp is to use.

Completely non-invasive and non-irritating, you simply press the °C/°F button to select which reading you would like, press Mode (to show the word Body in the display window), position the thermometer about 2 - 3" away from your child's forehead and press Scan. There's no waiting for a beep or trying to convince your child to sit still just a little while longer, instead you have the results instantly and can then decide what to do for your next step.

But, wait. There's more. By pressing the Mode button a few more times, you can switch from reading a body temperature to that of a room or a surface. That means that as well as taking the temperature of your child, you can test if it is too hot or too cold in their bedroom/nursery, whether your baby's bottle is heated to the correct temperature, the bath water, food... the list goes on and on!

Danger! Hot coffee!

The built-in memory records the last 32 readings, making it easy for you to go back and check on how your child's temperature has fluctuated and the battery saving auto-off feature ensures that you won't have to do anything more than set the VeraTemp down when you're done. Combine those with the fact that I won't have to go out and purchase any accessories (e.g. probe covers) for this and I was already thrilled!

All that leaves is the main question, right? Does it work?

At first, I wasn't so sure. Testing Big Sister E's temperature using our regular ear thermometer and comparing it to the reading I was getting from the VeraTemp, I found that I was receiving numbers that were off by around half a degree.

Looking over the instructions more carefully, I realized that I hadn't given the new batteries time to adjust after installing them (Kidz-Med suggests 10 minutes) and I also wasn't consistently pointing the thermometer in the same spot in the middle of her forehead. What kind of scientific testing was I running here?

Instead, I waited a little while and then tried again, this time being much more careful. I also took Big Sister E's temperature every 10 - 15 minutes for an hour with both thermometers and found that I received extremely consistent results with the VeraTemp: 98.1° every single time.

Receiving slightly lower readings from my ear thermometer, I actually have no way of knowing which one is correct. To be honest, I'm inclined to believe the VeraTemp, as my previous thermometer has given some fairly strange readings in the past, particularly at times when my girls were sick and not too happy that I was sticking something into their ear over and over.

For now, every test that I've done with the Kidz-Med VeraTemp Thermometer has seemed very accurate and of course having the illuminated, large display makes it easy to see in the light or dark. Best of all, of course, neither of my kids mind it at all! In fact, while I was doing my tests on Big Sister E, Little Sister B made sure that she wasn't left out as well!

Although I have no access to specialized testing equipment to confirm how well the VeraTemp works, personally I'm going to be using it in my household from now on. I love the ease and convenience - just point, click, and done!

Retailing for $39.99 at a variety of locations such as Target and Amazon, the Kidz-Med VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer would make a wonderful gift for any parent this holiday season (or a shower gift for a new mom). You just can't put a price on the peace of mind of having something so useful to turn to when your children are sick.

Find out more information about the VeraTemp Thermometer on the Kidz-Med website and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

(Other than the VeraTemp Non-Contact Thermometer that I received from Kidz-Med, I was not provided with anything or enticed to do this review in any way. This review is solely my opinion of this innovative product.)