Geratherm Mercury Free Oral Glass Thermometer, 1 Count (Pack of 1)

Update: Second order APPEARED BROKEN but wasn't. My first purchase was fine: 'blue line" was visible front and center, and it "shook down" just fine. I ordered a second and couldn't see a "blue line" except from the side, and I couldn't "shake down" that side-visible line. Following another reviewer's suggestion, I took my own temperature with this 'broken" item and the proper blue line appeared, front and center. SO, for those who think their item is broken, try taking someone's temperature for 3-4 minutes to see if the blue line appears, and THEN shake it down. Orig: Unlike other reviewers, I had no more trouble shaking down this thermometer than my "old fashioned" glass mercury thermometer. It does take quite a snap, but they always did, didn't they? I put this and my mercury thermometer in two sides of my mouth at the same time and they measured within about 0.8 degrees of each other. (In other words, less than 1 degree F apart, which is good enough for me as I don't know which is more accurate or whether the two sides of my mouth were diff't.) I DO shake it over my lap with a blanket or over something soft in case it accidentally comes flying out of my fingers. It's glass according to this product site, but so lightweight I couldn't tell whether it was plastic or glass. The cap is neat - look inside it to see 'fins' that you can ease the wide end of the thermometer into such that the cap will hold it, even placing the cap upside down. I find this handy to air dry completely after washing it since I don't want to cap it with moisture inside (tho case has a hole at bottom so it's not airtight, which is good). I was thrilled to find these for my roving first aid kit since: (1) I didn't want to depend on batteries for a vital tool that may not get used for months/years at a time, esp while camping in remote areas, and (2) This item is much smaller than the typical digital thermometer, for storing in a tiny kit, and (3) I'm presuming this item is more accurate than the "average" digital thermometer, since I've researched, purchased, and used several digital thermometers and they were frequently 2 or more degrees off from each other. This brand seems high quality from the wee bit I've read about them.

SEP 28, 2020 -- I compared five medical fever thermometers, patient awake (20 minutes after waking), in bed, under a sheet and light blanket. RESULT: the range is 96.3 to 97.7 degrees --- or if the LEAST trusted is removed, the range is 96.8 to 97.7 degrees, which is a total range of 0.9 degrees, with the old classic glass mercury oral thermometer in the center of the range. The two non-digital, glass ORAL thermometers were closest to the center of the range. SORTED HIGH to LOW temperature readings: 97.7 degrees = Vicks ComfortFlex Digital ORAL Thermometer model V966US -- for Kids or Adults, for Rectal, Oral or Underarm Use (UPC code 328785509656, ASIN B00005RL5E, purchased SEP 2020). 97.6 degrees = DGFAN model FC-IR202 -- digital Touchless FOREHEAD Thermometer with Instant Accurate Reading and Fever Alarm and Memory Function- for Baby & Adults (ASIN B08CSPSX33, purchased SEP 2020) -- (same as GoodBaby Touchless Forehead Thermometer model FC-IR202. UPC code 756557935295.) (MOST TRUSTED) = 97.1 degrees = B-D Asepto model 4015 -- ORAL Fever Thermometer (a glass, mercury oral thermometer purchased in 1985) inserted under tongue for 4 minutes. (Becton, Dickinson, and Company. UPC code 382900040158. Certified, dependable accuracy since 1897.) 96.8 degrees = Geratherm Classic Clinical ORAL Thermometer -- Mercury-Free Glass Thermometer, inserted under tongue for 4 minutes. Instead of mercury, this thermometer contains Galinstan, which is a liquid metal alloy mainly composed of gallium, indium and tin. (ASIN B0006GBEKS, purchased SEP 2020, made in Germany -- ships from and sold by PISPO in Germany. UPC code 4018674454889.) Amazon.com description says: Brand/Manufacturer: R G MEDICALISES, model 20030, but neither the box nor the thermometer shows any model number, and the box and the paper insert both say the manufacturer is Geratherm Medical AG.) (LEAST TRUSTED) = 96.3 degrees = Enji Family Digital ORAL Thermometer model TH-65 -- Oral Rectal Armpit Underarm Thermometer for Adults and for Fever, Quick 10-30 Sec, Baby Infant Kid Babies and Pet (ASIN B0172N4F6C, purchased FEB 2017) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just for curiosity (this is NOT a medical or fever thermometer): 93.6 degrees on forehead = Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 non-contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer Temperature Gun (ASIN B00DMI632G, purchased June 2017.)

From the reviews, I knew going in that this old-style thermometer would be more difficult to shake down to get it ready to use. I was hoping it would be doable, tho. However, the one I got simply wouldn't come into the readable range. I tried shaking it. I tried the sock method and did a count to 30. Didn't budge, so I set a timer for 25 seconds and twirled it according to the recommendation of other reviewers (and my wrist and arm know it, too!). Didn't budge. So I put the tip into ice water for the next 9 minutes, checking it every 30 seconds to catch it before it got too cold. It didn't budge. Am returning it, and going back to digital. Also, the diameter is quite a big larger than the old-style thermometers a lot of us are used to from a decade ago. The shipping was fast, tho.

best non mercury thermometer been able to find right now. reasonably visible line. easy to see markings. made in Germany so seems good quality. even the case it fits in nice fit. reads about same as the 20 buck digital one. nice for backup. already experienced battery failure and dead display on digital one at worst time..and finding correct battery... nightmare cross reference and no local stores carried so would have needed multi pack from online..meh)...forget it. so THIS ONE WILL ALWAYS BE READY WHEN YOU NEED IT. sure top makes it bit thicker and heaver to hold in mouth but its fine. the small part goes in mouth and the big gauge lets someone see it easily and grab it. old mercury ones with good prism like magnifier were easy to see, more reactive and you could get em to go down with something cold i think. this one only goes one way (tested it) lol. so yeah i had no problem wrist snapping it down even with somewhat bad joint, but a severe arthritic or weak wrist-ed person or lack of skill might make it hard , hence the swing in a sock to bring it down. @#$! at the kids who broke all the old mercury thermometers just to look at the cool mercury lol ...maybe i can find one in antique shop.

After becoming disappointed with many digital thermometers, I set out to find a good old fashioned mercury thermometer. The problem is you can't really get a hold of mercury thermometers any more, so I found this alternative. I was hesitant based on the 3/5 star average, but am happy I went with this. I bought 2, just to check them and compare. Pros: - Reliable - Non-electric (No having to track down batteries when you need it) - Simple (shake down, take temp, done) - Low cost Cons: - Slightly difficult to read (have to twist to get right angle) - Large compared to old oral mercury thermometers, would be tougher on kids I am actually fairly happy with it (considering how hard it is to find good oral manual thermometers now). Despite the couple of negatives listed above, I would still recommend it. But as other posters have mentioned, make sure to compare it to another thermometer before relying solely on it to ensure that there weren't any manufacturing problems, and that it reads correctly. And just a hint, if you're having a tough time reading it, tilt the angle a little bit. The long blue line will have a shorter silvery line on it where the temperature reads. The blue line extends the whole length of the thermometer, and is not the temp indicator.

I thought I had a defective one as well, as when it arrived it appeared the blue line was all the way to the top and wouldn't go down no matter how hard I shook it. Decided to try taking my temp anyway. Noticed that from another angle, a shorter blue line had moved up to 98.6. As I wasn't ill, this seemed accurate. I was able to shake that line down with no more effort than you used to have to put into the mercury thermometers. I suspect that many people who are having trouble shaking down the temp are reading it wrong. I much prefer this style of thermometer to the digital ones as I 1) don't think the digital ones are very accurate. The last time I felt sick and used my digital thermometer it gave me a reading of 95.5. And 2) By the time I need a thermometer (once or twice a year) the battery in the digital thermometer is dead. As those little watch batteries cost about as much as a digital thermometer, they are basically single use for me. Total garbage products. Hopefully this one will function well for years, similar to the old mercury ones.

I grew up in the Soviet Union and used mercury thermometers that were equivalent to these. I’ve lived in the United States for years now and seem to find the digital thermometers that are so popular here are inaccurate or have dead batteries every other time I use them. I missed having the simplicity and reliable accuracy of an analog thermometer, and now I have it back! Our family of seven have been using it for the last two years and we are very happy. I use it under an armpit and it works just as intended. Shaking it down seems to be more difficult than shaking down the mercury thermometers, but I still prefer this one over the digital ones. If you are having difficulty reading it, turn it about 20-30% around the axes of symmetry and you’ll be able to see a line.

Well since they stopped making mercury thermometers for some unknown reason this mystery liquid version is really the only one being sold in America. You can buy chinese mercury thermometers for veterinarians but they are very low quality unfortunately. If you want a mercury thermometer you have to do a search for "vet thermometer" on eb*y. They're $3. My biggest issue with this thermometer is the wide shoulder that sits close to the tip. It's VERY uncomfortable to keep in your mouth for the 5-10 minutes it takes to get a reliable reading. BTW this is the same exact thermometer as the RECTAL version except they changed the color from red (rectal) to green (oral). The shape makes sense for that usage, but zero sense for oral use. The first time you have to shake the fluid down into the reservoir it's VERY difficult. I thought I was going to dislocate my shoulder. Luckily after the initial time it goes down fairly easy. I would give this 2 stars but it's unfortunately the only one on the market since I guess people started chewing on mercury thermometers and got them banned after 300 years of reliable use. I tried 4 different models of digital thermometers and they are all useless if you need accurate temperature tracking.

Still working perfectly after 4 years of use Very accurate thermometer

The product is good quality construction but I noticed a small crack in the casing—I don't mean the little rectangular box that protects the thermometer, I mean the glass of the actual thermometer. It doesn't affect the function, and there is no evidence of leakage of the liquid, but it is still a defect. I am planning to contact the seller.