People should be careful to use thermometers correctly to get an accurate body temperature reading, the Consumer Council has advised.
The council and its French equivalent, the Union Federale des Consommateurs, tested 14 types of thermometer, including seven ear thermometers, three frontal, two electronic, one multi-functional and one mercury-in-glass. They ranged in price from $10 to $698.
The tests revealed the commonly used electronic and mercury thermometers gave consistently accurate readings. But few of the ear thermometers achieved full compliance with the required standard of not deviating more than 0.2 degrees Celsius from the correct temperature.
The council said this could be caused by the improper use of the thermometer. It advised consumers to pull the earflap back while using an ear thermometer to get a more accurate reading.
While using the frontal models, the thermometer should be placed on the side of the forehead, on the temple, above the eyebrow and close to the hairline.
The council also tested the durability of the thermometers. The samples were dropped from one metre. The electronic samples were unaffected but only four of the seven ear models continued to produce accurate readings after being dropped.