Take thermal imaging measurements from a safe distance with the our company's Infrared Thermometer.

Don't get burned by a motor, or have hot and cold air blowing in your face from your HVAC system or blowers while taking measurements. You can trust in our company's infrared thermometers to get accurate temperature readings from a safe distance.

Using a non-contact thermometer is an effective and convenient way to read the external temperature of an object or person from a distance. These types of thermometers use infrared energy to detect thermal radiation coming from the surface of an object or person, making them non-invasive tools that are easy to use if you know what you’re doing.

What Is a Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer?
A non-contact infrared thermometer is a thermometer that uses infrared technology to measure an object or person’s thermal radiation without the need for any physical contact to be made. This is incredibly useful when measuring the temperature of mechanical and electrical equipment or when dealing with sick patients.

These types of thermometers typically resemble the shape of a gun so that they can be easily pointed at an object and steadied for accurate measurement.

How Does a Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer Work?
The non-contact thermometer is simply pointed in the direction of the person or object from a distance, and a laser emitted from the thermometer helps the user find a precise target to measure. Then, the thermometer measures the thermal radiation coming off of the object it is pointed at and displays a temperature reading on the screen. It’s as simple as that!

Because a non-contact thermometer reads thermal radiation, it measures the object’s surface temperature rather than the internal temperature. It does not penetrate the surface, but rather gathers information by sensing the heat coming off of the object itself.

Using a non-contact infrared thermometer for body temperature is a safe way to handle sick patients because the thermometer will not be contaminated.

How Accurate Are Non-Contact Infrared Thermometers?
Infrared thermometers are extremely accurate when being used correctly. Not all materials give off thermal radiation in the same way, and a material’s ability to give off this type of energy is known as its emissivity. Emissivity is measured on a scale from 0.00 – 1.00.

How to Use Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer?
Non-contact infrared thermometers are incredibly simple to use when accounting for nearby objects and a particular material’s emissivity. Here is a step by step guide for how to operate a non-contact thermometer effectively for an accurate temperature reading:

Power on the thermometer gun and hold the trigger until the laser appears
Once the laser is emitted from the thermometer, point it in the direction of the object you are measuring and hold the end of the laser stable in a precise, center location
Continue holding down the thermometer’s trigger while it reads the object’s temperature
Once the temperature has been read, the thermometer will display this reading on the screen for you to record or take note of

Power off the thermometer device after use

Advantages of Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer Over Contact Thermometer
Contact and non-contact thermometers read temperatures differently and both have their uses.

The main difference is that a contact thermometer requires physical contact because it uses conduction to measure an object or person’s internal temperature. Alternatively, a non-contact thermometer using infrared technology to measure the thermal energy emitted from an object or person’s surface, reading the external temperature.

There are several advantages to using a non-contact thermometer over a contact thermometer, including:

The ability to use the thermometer from a distance, without having to make physical contact with the person or object
The ability to measure an object that is in motion or that has moving parts
There is never a risk of contamination of the thermometer because it does not touch the person or object
The ability to measure the temperature of an object that is physically inaccessible
The ability to measure temperature accurately and quickly without any wait time
We hope that this ultimate guide for non-contact infrared thermometers helped you better understand the benefits of using these tool and how to use them in a way that is accurate, safe, and incredibly simple. For the most accurate reading possible, we recommend using the our company's Digital Infrared Thermometer Gun, which features adjustable emissivity and can be used safely on just about any material or person.