Do Grocery Stores Sell Thermometers?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Products

We never seem to have a thermometer on hand when we need one, and sometimes a drug store just isn’t as convenient as the neighborhood grocery store. But do grocery stores sell thermometers?

I decided to look into it and found that:

Yes. Almost all grocery stores sell thermometers. They will typically have thermometers for children and adults in the first aid section, often by the pharmacy or vitamins. Food thermometers will typically be with kitchenware or in the meat department.

But why would you spend your precious time reading this article? 

Well, because sometimes it’s not as simple as just that. Are some thermometers more accurate than others? Plus, are drug store thermometers more expensive? What’s best for babies?

So in this article, we’re looking at all that and more, including the overall best one to buy. Let’s get started!

Do I have to go to a drug store to buy a thermometer?

No, drug stores aren’t the only place that sells thermometers to check body temperature. Almost all grocery stores sell them, and they’re located in the Health and Wellness and/or Pharmacy Section. You can order them online as well for pickup or delivery.

If you use Instacart, Mercato, DoorDash, getting a thermometer should be a breeze. Simply add it to your next shopping list.

But, if you prefer to go to the grocery store, it’s helpful to know how they are laid out to not waste time.

I wrote about this in a recent article of mine: What are the different sections of a grocery store? While some stores are pretty straightforward, others can be a mystery. And almost all stores use this one trick to get you to buy more!

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Of course, if you are looking for a meat or candy thermometer, drug stores aren’t going to have those in the first place. So a grocery store or someplace like Target will be a much better bet.

For that, go to where they sell small kitchen items like spatulas, chef knives, etc.

Do grocery stores sell good thermometers?

Yes, grocery stores will likely have the top 2-3 thermometer brands that drug stores will have. You will not see a drop in quality buying a thermometer at a grocery store, but it may be less expensive.

In fact, as reported by the New York Times, at a point this year, it was as if all the thermometers available in stores were bought, so much so that it resulted in a scarcity!

If they were not good enough, this would not have happened.

It’s vital to remember that thermometers are medical gadgets. Special care is taken in their production. So, there is really no room for a thermometer that’s almost good enough.

In fact, products such as those used in the medical field must be approved before they are sold.

So while some may be a little more reliable than others, none will be terrible. The biggest choice to make is what style of thermometer you want as some work better for babies and toddlers compared to adults.

How accurate are over-the-counter thermometers?

The most accurate type of over-the-counter thermometer is a contact thermometer for the forehead, mouth, armpit, or rectum. The armpit is the least accurate and rectum is best up to age 3 months. Forehead scanners are the least accurate type of thermometer.

But all thermometers are regarded as medical devices and will provide a precise reading of one’s temperature within a small tolerance range.

They have a critical function in the health industry, and as such, have to pass certain standards before they can be sold.

So, a thermometer cannot, for example, reflect 60% accuracy and be allowed in the market; it’s just that some may be a bit slow.

In fact, all thermometers are pretty accurate. They must be! If not, they’ll easily create false alarms! 

It’s just that with the advent of technology, mercury thermometers are now out of fashion. Many thermometers are digital and are now being complemented with additional features to make them more useful.

If you still have an old mercury thermometer like grandma used, it’s time you say goodbye to it. If it breaks, the mercury in it can harm people’s health. But don’t simply throw it into the trash. Find out where you can dispose of hazardous waste in your area.

What aisle are thermometers in at Walmart?

You’ll find thermometers for body temperature in the Health and Wellness aisle at Walmart. This will be adjacent to the Pharmacy. Food thermometers will be located with small kitchenwares such as kitchen knives.

You could also simply type “thermometer” into your Walmart mobile app, and it will tell you where it is, that’s if you love going shopping. Alternatively, you could order it online.

If you’ve ever wondered if Walmart is a grocery store or a supermarket, I’ve got you covered.

In a recent article of mine, I drew from my twenty-year experience in the industry to write a detailed guide. While it sounds simple enough, there’s actually 1 huge difference between a grocery store and a supermarket.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Which is the best thermometer to buy?

The GoodBaby Forehead and Ear Thermometer is an excellent thermometer for babies, children, adults, and the elderly. So it is the best all-purpose thermometer to buy and it’s 3 sensors ensure a very small margin of error.

CLICK HERE to see it on Amazon.

One of the coolest things about it is that it’s “contact-free.” And while we know from the sections above that forehead scanners aren’t always the most accurate, the fact that this one also does ear readings is a big plus.

And let’s face it, for a sleeping baby, the forehead scanners can be a lifesaver!

The GoodBaby Thermometer is also REALLY inexpensive compared to some (currently well under $20 bucks) and has a whopping number of reviews (almost 39,000 of them). The star-rating is somehow near-perfect too, despite how many reviewers there are.

It has an auto-shutdown capability to help you conserve battery power.

Because it uses infrared, you need have no worries. After all, you won’t need to put it in anybody’s mouth or armpit! I recommend it because it has been clinically-tested and validated to be highly reliable, and you can even store up to 35 readings so that you can track your temperature in real-time.

When you’ve purchased it, what you’ll get are the thermometer itself, a pouch, 2 AAA batteries, a user manual, and a quick guide.

CLICK HERE to see it on Amazon.

Did I cover all you wanted to know about whether grocery stores sell thermometers?

In the preceding paragraphs, I covered a few important stuff about thermometers.

I explained that most grocery stores carry them and that you can walk-in and buy or place an order online. I told you the aisle where you could get them at Walmart (you could use their mobile app to find out where any item you need is located), and I also recommended the best thermometer you could buy.

I also explained that virtually all thermometers provide accurate readings; the differences that could exist is negligible.

The reason why you can be confident is that medical devices have to be pre-approved before they are allowed to be sold and used by people and on people. But to save yourself the stress, I’ll suggest you go for the one I recommended.

Jeff Campbell

Hi! I'm Jeff Campbell. I was a leader for Whole Foods Market for over 2 decades. I worked in 9 stores in 4 states, not counting the hundred-plus stores I've assisted in other ways. I was a Global All-Star, a Gold Pen Winner, and won Top-10 Store (company-wide) 3 times in addition to Best New Store (company-wide).

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