best buys
The best baby room thermometers 2022
This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Worried about your baby getting too hot in bed and also the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) ?
A room thermometer is one baby product that every parent should buy for their little one's nursery, to keep them safe while they sleep.
Making sure your baby’s room isn’t too hot or cold is VERY important, with a temperature between 16 and 20 degrees ideal for their safety and comfort, whether it's during the day or night.
The chance of SIDS* is higher in babies who get too hot, so a room thermometer helps you keep an eye on the temperature in the room where they nap and sleep.
We've rounded-up a selection of room thermometers for every budget.
*sudden infant death syndrome
1. Gro Egg 2
*Best-selling baby room thermometer on Amazon
*This digital thermometer has a permanently lit LCD readout
*Has a soft-touch silicone dome
The Gro Company makes innovative nursery equipment, designed to make parent's life easier – and the Gro Egg room thermometer is no exception.
The Gro Egg might be a little more expensive than a basic room thermometer, but the extra features it has will give you peace of mind about your baby's health and sleep safety.
The original version of this best-selling baby room thermometer has an accurate digital readout so you can see the temperature instantly and it also changes colour depending on the temperature in your baby's room.
The thermometer turns blue if the room is too cold, red if it is too hot and yellow if the temperature is just right. It also has a soft and comforting light which is handy for breastfeeding or parents checking up on little ones during the night.
The Gro Egg room thermometer is USB powered and comes with a handy sleep safety manual, too.
2. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Digital Bath & Room Thermometer
*The water temperature is shown in either Fahrenheit or Celsius
*The thermometer’s design is inspired by the iconic Tommee Tippee star
*It has a handy LED warning light to show when bath water is too hot
Well-known baby brand Tommee Tippee has created a useful thermometer that does double duty for both using in the nursery and at bath time.
Featuring an easy-to-read LED screen with a fast and easy-to-read temperature reading, this thermometer can be used to check bath water temperature as well as to keep an eye on how warm your baby’s room is, so well worth the investment.
3. Brother Max Whale Bath and Room Thermometer
*Visible high temperature warning
*Has a large LCD display with temperature displayed in celsius
*Also displays ambient room temperature when displayed on a shelf
An adorably-designed room and bath thermometer, that gives fast and accurate temperature readings, so you can make sure that your baby is in a safe environment while in the bath or when asleep. It also complies with EU toy safety standards so your child can play safely with it in the bath.
4. Purflo SleepSafe Star Thermometer
*Changes colour when too cold or too warm and lets you know when the temperature is just right
*Has an easy-to-read digital display
*Rechargeable lithium battery or Micro USB port for charging
The SleepSafe Star is a stylish room thermometer that will glow blue when the room is too cold (less than 14C), green when the room is just right (15-20C), amber when the room is getting warm (21-26C) and red when the room is too hot (over 27C), so you’ll know when to take action.
It comes with a handy rechargeable lithium battery and a micro USB port for charging so you don't have to keep it plugged into the mains.
5. Clippasafe Nursery Thermometer
*A bright and colourful design to match your baby’s room
*The room temperature is shown in either Fahrenheit or Celsius
* The temperature strip changes colour as the temperature rises and falls
If you want a more budget-friendly option, this fun and bright thermometer is a good no-frills buy.
It's a simple to use, colour-coded model that lets you clearly see if the temperature is too hot, too cold or just right.
A room thermometer will help monitor the nursery's temperature and give parents peace of mind, and many models can be used to measure bath water too , so you only need to buy one thermometer to serve both purposes.
Parents can also refer to special charts that will show how much or little bedding a baby needs at certain temperatures.
Do I need to buy a baby room thermometer?
If you have a new baby, monitoring the temperature in their room is very important.
Newborns aren’t able to control their own body temperature, so your baby relies on you to monitor and keep their nursery at a constant temperature that's not too hot or cold.
If a baby gets too warm, there's an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death.
The most reliable way to accurately monitor your baby’s room temperature is with a room thermometer, so it's worth investing in one for their health and wellbeing.
A room thermometer is easy to use and usually has a clear, accurate digital display showing a room's temperature.
More expensive products also have extra features such a light, to help with night feeds and nappy changes.
You can also buy room thermometers that double up as bath thermometers to measure the temperature of babies bath water.
Bath thermometers are also really easy to use, simply add it into the bath water and check the temperature reading on the digital screen.
Many bath thermometers also double up as a bath toy for added value.
What temperature should my baby’s room be?
Although your instincts might tell you to keep your baby’s nursery warmer than the rest of the house, the safe sleep charity The Lullaby Trust recommends that the ideal temperature should be between 16°C and 20°C.
That might feel rather chilly to you, but overheating is linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or cot death, so it’s better for the nursery to be on the cooler side.
This is why investing in a room thermometer for your baby's room is such a good idea, so you can get an accurate idea of what the room temperature really is.
Always check the display before you put your baby to bed to see what temperature the room is.
Which baby room thermometer is best?
You can buy a basic room thermometer for just a couple of pounds, and some baby sleeping bags come with their own basic thermometer.
You can buy more sophisticated (and expensive) models that have other functions such as a nightlight or colour-change feature so you can see whether the room is the right temperature – even with the lights out.
You can also buy room thermometers that double up as bath thermometers, too, so you can check whether your baby's bath water is the right temperature.
Make sure that you can clearly read the temperature display, even in dim light.
This is when investing in a more expensive room thermometer can be useful as these models often have a lit digital display, so you always can see temperature readings – even in the dark.
Some products also change colour as a warning if the temperature in the room suddenly gets too warm or cold.
You can buy baby room thermometers from most retailers that sell nursery products, such as Amazon, John Lewis and Boots.
How do I check if my baby is too hot?
Feeling the nape of a baby's neck is the quickest way to see if they are too hot or cold. If it's sweaty or cold to the touch, you might need to make the room temperature warmer or colder.
Signs of an overheated baby include flushed cheeks and rapid breathing.
Want to know more about sleep safety? Read our guide here.
Need to know your baby's actual body temperature? Browse our round-up of the best contact and non-contact kids ear and forehead thermometers, here.
Read on:
• The best baby bath thermometers
• What should your newborn wear in bed?
