As seasonal flu and H1N1 swirled through my school district earlier this month (way earlier than past flu seasons), I thought for sure I’d have more opportunity to test two new-to-me thermometers: the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer and the Vicks ComfortFlex InSight Thermometer. Miraculously, the flu fairy skipped over my house and my kids haven’t missed a day of school yet this year (knock on wood; I probably just jinxed myself). That said, I had a case of the crud, and was able to record a mild fever on both of the products.

The Braun ThermoScan for aural temperature-taking is the Porsche of all home ear thermometers. According to the manufacturer, more pediatrcians use the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer than any other brand; frankly, I had no idea they were sold for home use, as well. Indeed, the thermometer-loaded-with-features is available to anyone willing to spend $48 on Amazon.com.

I like that it delivers a reading within three seconds — perfect for squirming babies (no wonder doctors use them). In theory, the reading is accurate, too, given that the ear tip is preheated to 93 degrees, where as conventional room-temperature tips may have a cooling effect on the ear canal, resulting in an inaccurate temperatures.

Another helpful highlight: a flashing light tells you when the tip is correctly positioned in the ear and it’s ready to record. (I took my temperature in front of a mirror, using this feature.) There is also a memory function, to help track up to 8 different temperatures over time, but frankly that’s a bit high-tech for me — I’d likely just write down hourly readings if I needed to keep track for a doctor’s report or the like.

For travel, it comes in its own protective carrying case with room for storing disposable ear tip (lens filters), which retail for under $6 for a box of 40 on Amazon.com. (The thermometer comes with 21 filters to start.) I suppose that’s the only bummer with this thermometer: that you need to replace the lens filter after each use to avoid spreading germs. The thermometer runs on two AA batteries.

The Vicks ComfortFlex InSight Thermometer retails for $14.99 at drug chains like Walgreens or major big-box stores like Target. If your child is  too young to hold the probe under her tongue, you can use this under the arm or rectally (with a probe cover, for sure). It’s much more compact than the Braun (better to slide into a toiletries bag for travel) and does come with its own hard protective case. I never travel without a thermometer, and definitely think I’d be more apt to pack this small, slim one than the bulkier Braun ThermoScan (that said, I don’t have a squirmy infant).

This thermometer also has memory recall and takes a reading in as little as 8 seconds. It uses probe covers that are sold generically at most drug and grocery stores; plastic sheathes are recommended for oral and rectal temperature-taking (even better to dedicate just one single thermometer in the house to taking rectal temperatures).

I like that the display on the Vicks product is huge and round, and the numbers are large and easy to read. Even better: normal temperatures are backlit in green, mild temperatures (up to 100.9) are backlit in yellow and high fevers (101 and avoe) are backlit in red. This gague is ideal for nervous moms taking temperatures in dimly lit rooms — easy to see at a glance if they should worry or not!