Withings, maker of digital health devices, revealed two major announcements today regarding their Thermo product, a smart, WiFi-connected, temporal thermometer. First, the device has received FDA clearance in the US as a regulated medical device. This means the Thermo joins Withing’s Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor in the growing family of FDA-approved devices. Additionally, they announced immediate availability of the Thermo device at Apple stores in the US, at apple.com, and at their own site, withings.com.
The Thermo thermometer is an impressive piece of tech. It was honored with two CES Innovation Awards this year and I’ve been evaluating a sample of Thermo that Withings sent me for the past couple of days. It’s really pretty fantastic — and incredibly easy to use.
After downloading the accompanying app and going through a quick and painless setup, there’s a single button on the device; push it once and it activates the power. A simple swipe across the forehead from the center to the temple and a small vibration lets you know the reading is complete. In that swipe, 16 infrared sensors record 4,000 measurements to provide the most accurate temporal temperature possible. Because the Thermo needn’t contact a sick child’s forehead (making the device very hygenic), it means readings can be taken without waking a sick son or daughter from much-needed sleep. The feedback is instantaneous with a digital readout showing you the temperature. The Thermo takes the user’s age into account and also provides colored LEDs as feedback – green is in the normal range, orange is elevated, and red means a high temperature, all very helpful, immediate information.
And it’s not just the unit’s design that’s great. Like other Withings products, the accompanying app is awesome, easy to navigate, and provides more data (and ways to interact) than you’d think. It’s compatible with both iOS and Android, and will instantly download the temperature from the device to create a temperature timeline that you can share with your doctor later. A special tab allows you to add notes like manual (traditional) temps taken, medication given, the ability to add photos, select symptoms, set reminders, and more. The app also makes it easy to switch between users, for when you’re seemingly running a sick ward out of your house.
When you’re not sure what to do next, the app has you covered. By integrating Thermia, a fever education tool from Boston Children’s hospital, you will be assured that you’re doing the right things or be guided to your next step. It all seems very helpful and designed to put worrying parents’ minds at ease. With its simple design, wonderful presentation of information, and lots of helpful suggestions, Thermo and its app are like having a doctor standing by to help you understand your child’s fever. Thermo is available now and retails for $99.95.
Seems unnecessary — I dont understand why we feel the need to connect everything to apps these days. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve grown up in the age of technology and the internet, and of course tech can add a lot to certain things but I feel like some things are best left alone and not connected. As a dad of 3 under the age of 7, I dont think I’d have a need for this. A regular thermometer works fine and these forehead ones are the worst for accuracy I’ve found.
My brother gave me a digital thermometer a few years ago at Christmas, mainly for meats or casseroles. But when I mentioned I never know when my bread to done, he told me to take its temperature. He suggested 195 to 200 degrees. I’ve not had an over-baked or under-baked loaf or dinner roll since!