Made with NeverWake™ Technology, because everyone knows better than to wake a sleeping baby
Every parent always jokes that babies should come with a manual and it’s always met with polite laughter. But, tell a group of parents how much you hate your thermometer and you will be met with a chorus of agreement. And for a good reason - up until recently, the standard thermometer on the market took 60 seconds. That’s 60 screeching, wiggling, wailing, kicking, back arching, ear splitting seconds, if you can get the thermometer positioned to get a temperature in the first place. All that to get one number that may or may not be compromised by said wailing, kicking, and wiggling.
Which begs the question what if your thermometer was more than a thermometer? Well, then it’s a ThermoFocus, a new 5-in-1 temperature wizard that does more than tell you when someone’s sick. It tells you just how sick, in a super fast and extremely accurate little device that requires no skin contact to get a reading. And then it tells you if you need to turn up the thermostat in your room, get some more ice for your 7-up, or wait a bit longer for your chicken noodle soup to cool. And then when hubby gets home, you can tell him just how sick his dear wife was by scrolling through the 9 memorized temperatures to garner sympathy. Just don’t mistakenly claim the chicken noodle soup reading is your own. Hubby is much, much smarter than that.
So, what is this ThermoFocus and what are the 5 ways it can make your life easier? The ThermoFocus is a “No Touch” Infrared Thermometer that measures any temperature in mere moments, all without coming into contact with the subject or item, whether that is people, ambient temperatures, food, bathwater, beverages or more. No contact means you can quickly and easily take the temperature of anything, or anyone. Having already done two around the clock temperature watches in 11 months, the first thing that came to mind was not having to wake the baby to get her readings, which I was thrilled about.
When I started thinking about the thermometer in terms of its true potential, I realized how much a no contact thermometer is a great leap forward for taking the temperature of large groups of people. The recent outbreak of Swine Flu and the public hysteria that followed is prime example of when something like this tool would be invaluable. Being able to handle groups of people in a short amount of time, all with no direct contact, is crucial towards keeping others safe. I have heard reports that these exact thermometers are being used in airports, train stations, public buildings and more as I type. Naturally, they would make a great tool in smaller applications as well, such as a daycare center or school setting and make it easier to help stop the spread of disease. I think we can all agree that not getting sick is a million times preferred to merely being able to tell how sick someone is.
So, how does it Work?
The thermometer is shaped like an arrow, with a triangular tip covered by a protective cap and a handle that has three buttons and an LCD screen. To take a temperature, you just open the protective cap and press the “face” button to activate the two infrared lights, keeping the button pressed. When the thermometer is held perpendicular to and close to the forehead (about 3 cm away), the two points of lights will converge into one spot of light. Then you just release the button and keep the thermometer still until the lights flash and the temperature will immediately be shown on the display. Sounds like a lot of step when you write it out, but the whole process takes only moments. When you are done, you just flip the protective cap back on. You can review previous temperatures by pressing the “Mem” button and viewing the last nine temperatures. Ambient and inanimate objects can be tested by pressing the “house” button and then following the steps above.
Things I’m Raving About:
No contact means no chance of waking baby and no fancy probe covers to buy.
It’s quick, easy and gives consistent readings, which means you won’t be remembering how to get an average and mean reading at 4 am
No beeping noise that could inadvertently startle or wake the baby or cause her to think she has a very cool new toy. Sorry, kiddo, this toy’s for Mama.
Can toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius, for when I’m feeling international
It even has a loop you can clip to on the base of the unit, so you could keep it around your neck and be assured you won’t lose it. Perfect for when you are using it for large groups, in the healthcare field or merely for around the clock baby care.
Uses totally harmless and safe infrared technology, of which I completely trust the FDA on. I have no infrared testing facility… yet.
Baby stays asleep, even through multiple readings.
5-in-1 is four more applications than any other thermometer, and I’ll admit its pretty fun to take the temperature readings of the entire contents of your house. Not that anyone will ever ask you what temperature you keep your kitchen towels, but if they do you will have the answer for them.
Over 10,000 readings from 4 AAA batteries, giving you plenty of opportunities to test and retest those towels.
Can take readings from forehead, armpit, or navel, which translates to a whole lot of fun, providing that person isn’t really sick.
Memory function stores 9 previous thermometer readings, so you can throw away your bedside notebook for recording around the clock readings. (Just joking, you should recycle those notebooks)
Did I mention you don’t have to wake the baby?
Things I’m not crazy about:
No backlit display means that in the middle of the night I have to turn on the light to see the reading, which could possibly wake the baby. I’m fairly certain that this is the case with most thermometers as well, but most thermometers are invasive, and therefore the lack of a lighted display is the least of my worries.
The LCD display has a toggle between Oral and Rectal settings, which doesn’t make any sense for a “no touch” thermometer. I did try doing an oral reading by shining the light in my mouth at the back of my throat and it was surprisingly accurate. Probably not recommended, but kind of fun all the same.
Moving the device between rooms means you need to let the thermometer recalibrate, which takes between 10-30 minutes (with an optional shortcut that involves getting a reading of an object 30 and 60 inches off the ground). I actually couldn’t get the thermometer to indicate it was recalibrating, even moving across our entire house, which means the temperature inside is consistent from room to room (even though I swear the movie room is colder and that’s why I require cuddles and big fluffy blankets when we watch movies). Just make sure you keep the device in the room with the sick person if your house fluctuates a lot from room to room and you won’t ever run into this.
Here are some FAQs from the ThermoFocus website:
Q. How accurate is the Thermofocus?
A. Taking the temperature at the temporal artery (forehead) is deemed as accurate as a rectal or ear thermometer.
Q. Is the Thermofocus for everyone?
A. Thermofocus can be used by people of all ages. It is used and recommended by doctors and pediatricians all over the world.
Q. How fast is the Thermofocus?
A. With each reading, Thermofocus carries out every hundredth of a second, a sequence of 125 readings which are amplified and computer by its sophisticated microprocessor, together with the value of the ambient room temperature, until the correct temperature is shown on the display. Basically, it takes less than a second!
Q. Is the Thermofocus approved by the FDA?
A. Yes, it is a Class II Medical Device and has FDA approval.
The ThermoFocus 5-in-1 is perfect for babies, active toddlers, kids, adults, food, bottles, ambient temperatures, bathwater, Fido and more. It’s quick and it’s easy (a press of a button and then release – no need to even turn off!) which makes it the perfect tool for all sorts of applications, not just for sick babies.
Price: $69.99
Looks: Doesn’t matter at all, but it is kind of cute – I especially like the smiley face.
Overall: A great tool for parents, teachers, health professionals, daycare workers, transportation officials and much, much more.
A BIG thank you to Kidz-Med® for making this review possible and for making life with a sick baby that much more bearable. No type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.
