Keep an Eye on Your Little One With the Best Baby Monitors

Finding a Quality Baby Monitor: A Buyer's Guide

Newcomers to the baby-monitoring market may be overwhelmed by the sheer variety of products available, specifically with the technical terms used. While some features of a baby monitor are essential to help you keep a tab on your baby, others are only convenient extras. And, unfortunately, some businesses prey on the fears and doubts of well-meaning parents to increase their pricing. That’s why we’ve put together the definitive baby monitor buying guide to help you make an educated choice.

How to Pick the Right Baby Monitor

Health and safety

When selecting a baby monitor, health and safety should always come first. After all, the device you use to keep your kid safe shouldn’t be dangerous for the kid themself. A baby monitor’s health and safety rating depend on several factors. Still, the most important thing is to ensure your youngster doesn’t get tangled up in the cords and minimize the risk of electromagnetic radiation exposure.

Privacy

Have you heard the harrowing tales of parents who discovered that the camera in the little one’s room had been hacked? Just picture it: whole strangers talking to your kid while you are asleep. You should know what you’re getting into if you choose to use a Wi-Fi baby monitor and how to safeguard your family’s privacy. Many baby monitors now feature secure transmission, offering you peace of mind when it comes to the privacy of your kid. 

Range

What makes a baby monitor useful is its range. If you must remain within audible distance of your baby’s room at all times, there is no use in purchasing a monitor. Remember, range establishes how distant you can be from your kid or their nursery and still receive clear audio and video. The range of your baby monitor will be affected by factors such as the size of your home and whether or not you wish to use the monitor outside, which is why when looking for a baby monitor, you should keep these points in mind.

Video quality

The next factor you should consider is video quality. It’s important to find a video monitor with good night vision if you need to use it after dark. The ability to visually monitor your baby’s well-being, especially in the event of an emergency, will be hindered by a fuzzy image.

Remote adjustments

Remote panning and adjusting aren’t strictly required, but they can be helpful if your child doesn’t like to sleep in the same place or keeps changing positions. 

Battery life

Battery life is an important consideration. Surely, no parent wants to be away from their kid with the parent unit in their hands only to find it’s lost its battery.

Portability

Some baby monitors can easily be moved and adjusted, while others are cameras that must be mounted on the wall and cannot be relocated once set up. Think about portability when purchasing a baby monitor.

Night vision

Your baby will sleep a lot, particularly in the first several months, and ideally, most of that sleep will be at night. That’s why night vision is a very critical factor to consider. It’s important to remember that because night vision doesn’t use color, the image quality may be a little lower than during the day.

Two-way communication

You can talk to your baby using a two-way communication feature, whether you want to sing them a song or try to put them back to sleep. Not only can you hear if your child screams, but this function also allows you to speak to your partner without shouting up the stairs or hallway.

Lullabies

If you don’t want to be in the nursery or you’ve become weary of singing to your baby, a monitor that plays lullabies is a lovely extra touch. Children who listen to music have a more consistent naptime pattern, and most modern baby monitors allow you to play your child’s favorite songs. 

Temperature indicator

The temperature can differ between rooms if doors are closed since the thermostat in your home normally won’t measure the temperature in every room. That’s where a video baby monitor with a temperature indicator can help. It will help you monitor the temperature and make any required adjustments. 

Extra features

Some baby monitors have other features outside just the ability to see your child.  While some have built-in speakers or play music or provide two-way communication with your child, others go the extra mile by incorporating features such as humidity control, smart home connectivity, and text or email alerts upon motion or sound detection. Do consider whether you want to go for these extra features or not since they can impact the price. 

Different Types of Baby Monitors

Audio-only baby monitors 

One of the most fundamental baby monitor types, audio monitors only consist of a microphone and a speaker. The microphone can be placed near the crib, and sounds will be sent to the speaker, which you can then take with you wherever you go.

This type of baby monitor is user-friendly and affordable, but it has a few drawbacks. The range is typically short, so you have to be physically close to the baby to hear them. It also may be challenging to distinguish your baby’s cries from other sounds in the house if you use an audio monitor.

Non-Wi-Fi audio and video baby monitor

As an upgrade from standard audio monitors, this type of baby monitor features a camera that sends a live video feed to a receiver. Their range is typically better than that of audio-only monitors. Because these baby monitors don’t require Wi-Fi, you won’t need to download apps or worry about your phone’s memory, security, or connectivity.

Since these baby monitors come with a wide variety of options, including remote pan and tilt as well as night vision, they can cost more than audio-only monitors and consume more power. Remember, the battery needs to be charged regularly or the monitor will have to be plugged in at all times.

Wi-Fi audio and video baby monitor

Wi-Fi audio and video baby monitors often do not include a separate parent unit and are accessed through an app on a smart device. The convenience of this baby monitor allows you to keep an eye on your child even when you’re not there (the range is unlimited). There are a lot of these baby monitors out there that can also be integrated with either Alexa or Google.

That said, Wi-Fi-based monitoring systems need constant internet access and a reliable signal, and they raise more hacking issues than traditional monitors do. In addition to being more expensive, these monitors may demand a membership charge to use the full range of tracking options available within the accompanying mobile app.

Wearable device baby monitor

Many of the more expensive baby monitors are always striving to improve, and one popular way to do this is by including smart wearables, such as a sock or band, that you may place on your kid as they sleep. This allows parents to keep tabs on their infant’s breathing, heart rate, movement, and more. These monitors are recommended for worried parents because of their high-tech features and reasonable price.

If you’re shopping for a wearable device to keep tabs on your baby, it’s ideal to get one with a built-in audio/visual monitor. While it may take a little more time to get these devices up and running, once you have everything configured, you will have a wealth of information at your fingertips to better monitor and track your baby’s sleep.

Benefits of Using Baby Monitors

Peace of mind

Baby monitors help concerned parents have peace of mind. You can check on your child several times without even getting up; that’s something a new mother will greatly appreciate. This helps new parents because they can keep an eye on their baby without going to the nursery. They won’t have to worry about waking up the baby, either.

Monitor your kid when away from home

Some video monitors have Wi-Fi connections, making it possible to watch what their baby is doing on their phones. Parents who work different shifts value this option because it enables them to check on their kids.

It is also comforting if you are anxious about leaving your child for the first time with a family member or a babysitter — it doesn’t matter whether you believe in the person or not. And, let’s not forget that it’s just comforting to see and speak to your child, particularly when you are away from home.

Monitor a baby with health issues

A video monitor will relieve some of your anxiety if your child has health problems. It can help you monitor a child with physical problems, congenital diseases, and even allergies. This way, you can spot risky situations and positions by watching your baby through the camera.

It also is ideal for keeping an eye on babies who have asthma, skin allergies, or epilepsy. Using merely an audio monitor will prevent you from spotting the visible symptoms of a problem, but having the visual aid will help detect chokes and suffocations as well as seizures and breathing problems. You’ll be able to gauge how quickly you need to respond.

Record precious memories

The ability to record is a pleasantly unexpected benefit of a good video baby monitor. It enables you to capture and share priceless moments with your loved ones.  

Check on your baby without lights

Sometimes you just have to check on your infant in the middle of the night to ensure everything is well. The most advanced baby monitors feature night vision that can be used in the dark. 

Few false-alarms

When using an audio baby monitor, you may have to make extra visits upstairs to check on the infant. But, with a video baby monitor, you can check the situation without getting out of your seat.

Help train your child to sleep

Using a video baby monitor, you can see whether your child is in discomfort or not. Putting a baby to sleep will go more smoothly if you don’t feel the urge to check on them every time they make a noise.

Talk to your baby

If your baby is having problems falling asleep, a two-way speak function on a high-quality baby video monitor can be a lifesaver. You can also use two-way communication when your kid is older to tell them to put away their toys and go back to sleep if they disturb your sleep.