Laboratory Thermometers and Temperature Probes

A laboratory thermometer measures temperature during a reaction or process. Which one you want depends on what you are measuring. Spirit filled glass is the standard for general bench work and anything over a burner. A digital probe reads faster and copes better with solids. Min max models are for when nobody is watching the bench overnight.

Everything on this page is mercury free, with ranges from minus 10 to 250 degrees.

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Jump straight to the type of thermometer you need.

What are laboratory thermometers?

Laboratory glass thermometers are filled with dyed alcohol rather than mercury. Mercury was phased out because a broken thermometer contaminates the bench and whatever it lands in, and a spirit filling covers the same range for school and general lab work without that risk.

Immersion depth is the part people miss. A thermometer calibrated for total immersion reads correctly only when the liquid column is submerged to the marked depth. Leave most of the stem in the air and the reading drifts low.

Common uses of thermometers in the lab

Where an accurate reading matters.

  • Precise Liquid Readings

    A glass spirit filled thermometer gives a simple, reliable reading for liquids and general lab work. No batteries, no setup, just dip it in and read the scale. It's the standard choice for everyday classroom experiments and routine checks on solutions, water baths and reagents across South African school and university labs.

  • Fast Digital Checks

    A digital thermometer gives a quick, easy to read temperature check for samples and solutions, often in a fraction of the time a glass thermometer takes to settle. Pen type probes suit spot checks on the move, while a combined thermo-hygrometer adds a humidity reading for room and storage monitoring.

  • Continuous Monitoring

    A temperature probe wired to other equipment tracks a reaction's temperature continuously during a run, so you're not stuck watching a dial. This suits reflux setups, heating mantles and water baths where the temperature needs to stay within a set range for the whole experiment or process.

  • Tracking Extremes

    A min max thermometer records the highest and lowest temperatures reached over a set period, useful for checking a fridge, incubator or storage room stayed within range overnight or over a weekend. Ours comes with a calibration certificate, handy for labs and food safety settings that need records on file.

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