The report card
- Accuracy & reliability30% of score8.5
An electronic underarm reading is the NHS's recommended home method; accuracy depends on holding it in place properly.
- Suitability by age20% of score9.5
The only type here that matches NICE advice for babies under 4 weeks, and suitable right up to age 5.
- Ease of use20% of score6.5
Rated at around 8 seconds, but you need to hold a baby's arm snugly against their side for the whole reading.
- Night-time use10% of score5.5
Checking a sleeping baby means getting to their armpit, so it's not a stealthy option.
- Fever guidance & memory10% of score7.0
Age Precision colour coding for three age bands, plus last-reading recall.
- Value & running costs10% of score9.5
Around a tenner, with no caps to buy.
The full review
It isn't glamorous, but a digital stick used under the arm is the method the NHS recommends for children under 5, and NICE recommends an electronic underarm thermometer for babies under 4 weeks. If you only buy one thermometer before your baby arrives, make it one of these.
Braun's version borrows the Age Precision idea from its ear thermometers: you choose an age band and the display is colour-coded to show whether the number counts as a fever at that age. It has a flexible tip, recalls the last reading and runs on a single coin battery. Mother&Baby and MadeForMums both include it in their 2026 round-ups, with testers praising the traffic-light display and the price.
The downsides are practical. You have to hold the thermometer snugly in the armpit, with your baby's arm against their side, for the full reading, which is harder with a wriggler, and it's far from stealthy at night. Testers also point out that it needs cleaning between uses. It's sold as suitable for oral and rectal use too, but NICE advises against routinely using those routes for under-5s, so keep it under the arm.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Matches NHS and NICE advice for newborns and under-5s
- Age-based colour coding
- Cheap, with no probe covers to buy
- Small enough to live in the changing bag
What I don't
- Slower than ear or forehead thermometers
- Awkward on a sleeping or wriggling child
- Needs cleaning after each use
Key specs
- Type
- Digital stick (use underarm for under-5s)
- Age settings
- 0 to 3 months, 3 to 36 months, 36 months+
- Reading time
- Around 8 seconds (quoted)
- Tip
- Flexible
- Memory
- Last reading recall
- Power
- Single coin-cell battery
Head-to-heads
What I read
This is a research-led review. These are the main sources behind the scores, alongside patterns in verified owner reviews. How I review.