The report card
- Accuracy & reliability30% of score9.0
Same ear-measuring hardware and ±0.2C laboratory accuracy as the ThermoScan 7+.
- Suitability by age20% of score8.0
Suits children from 4 weeks under NICE guidance; Braun says it isn't intended for pre-term or small-for-gestational-age babies.
- Ease of use20% of score8.5
Seconds per reading with a pre-warmed tip; pairing the app is a one-off job.
- Night-time use10% of score8.5
Night mode turns on an LED light and mutes the thermometer.
- Fever guidance & memory10% of score9.0
Age Precision colour coding plus app profiles, a reading history and medication reminders.
- Value & running costs10% of score5.5
You pay extra for the app, and caps are an ongoing cost.
The full review
This is the ThermoScan 7+ with Bluetooth. Readings sync to Braun's free Family Care app, where you can keep a profile for each child, track temperatures over time, set medication reminders and keep a family health journal. The thermometer itself shares the 7+'s pre-warmed tip, ExacTemp positioning indicator, Age Precision colour coding and night mode.
Is the app worth the extra? When a fever runs on for a few days, a timed history of readings (and of when you last gave a dose of medicine) is exactly what a GP or NHS 111 call handler will ask about, and it's easy to lose track of at 4am. If you've got two or three children passing bugs around, separate profiles help too.
The limits are the same as any ear thermometer. NICE recommends underarm readings for babies under 4 weeks, the NHS warns that a badly positioned probe can mislead, and Braun's manual says it isn't intended for pre-term or small-for-gestational-age babies. Each reading needs a fresh LF40 cap.
Owner ratings are high, averaging 4.7 stars from 43 reviews across Amazon and Boots on trolley.co.uk at the time of writing, though that's a smaller pool than the standard model has.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Everything that makes the ThermoScan 7+ good
- Free app logs readings with a profile for each child
- Medication reminders help during long nights
What I don't
- Costs more than the standard 7+ for what is essentially an app
- Disposable caps are an ongoing cost
- Newborns under 4 weeks still need an underarm stick
Key specs
- Type
- Infrared ear (tympanic) with Bluetooth
- App
- Braun Family Care
- Age settings
- 0 to 3 months, 3 to 36 months, 36 months+
- Lab accuracy
- ±0.2C between 35C and 42C
- Night mode
- LED light plus mute
- Power
- 2 x AA (Braun quotes around 350 readings)
- Caps
- Braun LF40 lens filters, one per reading
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.