What is the difference between a basal thermometer and a regular one?

Question

My hubby and I are having trouble getting pregnant. I heard that you can detect ovulation by a temperature change using a basal thermometer. I priced them at the drugstore, and they are about three times as much as a regular thermometer. What is the difference between them? Shouldn't they work the same?

Answer 1

The basal thermometer is a lot more sensitive.  So you will be able to detect even an ever so slight variation in your temperature, which will help you when you are charting ovulation.

Answer 2

If it's an old fashioned mercury thermometer, the basal ones have larger number and are easier to read. (They are broken down by .1 degree rather than .2.)

But if it's a digital one, it doesn't matter. All digital thermoters give a reading to .1 degrees -- so buy whichever is cheapest.  

Answer 3

any thermometer that can read down to 0.1 degree is okay to use

Answer 4

There is nothing special about a basal thermometer, except that you can read down to 0.1 of a degree.  Any thermometer that allows you to measure in 0.1s of degrees should work for you.