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The Best Baby Monitors

By Amanda Lasater

One of the first lessons you learn when you become a parent is the importance of owning reliable baby monitors. You want to make sure your baby is protected 24-7, and, when they are sleeping in their crib, you cannot be standing over them the whole time. This can make your baby’s sleep time a pretty stressful time for you – and the last thing you need is more stress!

A quality baby monitor can provide you with a solution to this issue. Baby monitors ensure that you can keep a close eye on your sleeping baby no matter what you have going on. Whether you’re watching TV down the hall or cleaning up toys, you can watch over your child and make sure that they are safe and sound. And, due to the monumental role these devices play, it is equally important to buy a quality monitor. To help you weed through the duds, we’ve researched the best four baby monitors you can use to keep watch over your baby.

Our Picks for the Best Baby Monitors

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baby monitor

Best Camera

Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

Infant Optics DXR-8 is a great option for anyone who is looking for mobility in their baby monitor. The lightweight 3.5” LCD display is highly portable and designed to accompany you as you move around the house.

The DXR-8’s camera has interchangeable lenses that allow you to customize its field of vision between normal, zoom, and wide frames within seconds. The camera also has a rotating head, an infrared night vision setting, and operates using a sound-activated lens, so anytime your baby cries you will have a visual on them, night or day. One of the most important features of this baby monitor is the rotating head, which gives the camera a substantial field of vision and allows you to see numerous angles within your child’s room. 

vtech baby monitor

Best Value

VTech DM111 Audio Baby Monitor

VTech’s DM111 Audio Baby Monitor provides parents with an easy way to keep an ear on your sleeping baby. The monitor uses Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) 6.0 to provide you with a crystal clear transmission from up to 1000 feet away.

VTech’s DM111 also uses a 5-level, LED sound indicator bar to ensure that parents recognize the volume levels of each noise – even if the parent unit is muted. In addition, the parent unit emits different alert tones for situations like low batteries or if you are going out of range. Finally, the parent unit is powered by AC power, but also offers backup power by using two AAA batteries so you don’t have to worry about losing power. 

dm221

Best Two-Way Talk

VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor

VTech’s DM221 Audio Baby Monitor is the upgraded version of the DM111. The major difference between the two models is that this upgraded DM221 model incorporates a two-way radio so you can comfort your baby by using the monitor as an intercom.

This feature may not sound important at first, but sometimes all your child needs is to hear the sound of your voice, and the DM221 gives you that ability. The upgraded unit also includes a rechargeable battery – a substantial upgrade from the AC power option of the DM111. The parent unit still offers a 5-level LED sound indicator, which can be used to inform you of the noise volumes within your child’s room even if the device is on mute.

In addition to the LED indicator bar, the DM221 now includes a vibrating alert as well. The parent unit has a belt clip, allowing you to walk around freely without having to worry about leaving the device behind. Lastly, you won’t have to worry about disconnecting from the baby unit with a range of 1000 feet outdoors and 160 feet indoors.

babysense

Best Technology

Babysense Video Baby Monitor with Digital Camera

The Babysense Video Monitor combines crystal clear sound and video with a secure, interference-free connection to help you keep a watchful eye over your baby. The 2.4” LCD display provides you with the ability to take the feed anywhere around the house within the 900-foot range.

The monitor also includes a two-way talk feature that allows you to talk to and comfort your infant at any time of the day or night. The camera has the latest in infrared night vision technology and offers a controllable 2x digital zoom as well as panning and tilting options. This monitor also includes a long list of handy extra features. One of the most significant extra features is the built-in thermometer within the camera, which means that you can check the temperature of your baby’s room via this device.

Why Do You Need a Baby Monitor?

Once you become a parent, you will quickly recognize how handy baby monitors can be. While they were originally made to keep an ear on your baby while they sleep, the technologies incorporated into modern baby monitors allow many more functions. Some of the top uses of baby monitors include – some a little less common than the others:

  • Checking the wellbeing of your infant
  • Soothing your baby to sleep with the sound of your voice
  • Monitoring activity within their room
  • Playroom monitoring
  • Checking in on your older children
  • Pet surveillance to make sure that our pets are safe and sound
  • Mild home surveillance

How to Choose the Right Baby Monitor

We all want the best for our children, so choosing the right baby monitor can feel somewhat overwhelming. There are hundreds of models on the market and they all offer different features. So, what are the most important elements of a quality baby monitor? Here is a list of the most important features you should look at when purchasing a new monitor:

Decide between audio-only or video.

Audio-only monitors will not provide you with any visuals on your child and typically include very basic features. While this may sound like a negative at first, if you feel like you can just pop your head in the room from time to time, then you may not necessarily need a video feed. Also, audio-only monitors are often the most affordable and can still provide you with quality sound monitoring as well as two-way talk capabilities. On the other hand, video models are more expensive but offer you a little more peace of mind because you can see your baby at all times as well as hear them.

Consider portability.

More than likely you will want to walk around the house with your monitor, so it is important to address the mobility of the device. The best way to go is wireless because it gives you the most freedom to get things done while you check in on your child. We recommend looking for models that have were designed with portability in mind, like a model that offers a belt clip.

Look for a sound-activated light.

You won’t be able to hear the speaker at all times of the day, so sound-activated lights can be a big help. These lights begin to flash when there is sound detected within the baby’s room, signaling you to stop what you’re doing and double-check on your child.

Conclusion

All parents worry when they are not around their child – especially when it comes to newborns. Thankfully, baby monitors are the perfect solution to a parent’s constant feelings of worry and anxiety over their baby’s well being. Purchasing a quality baby monitor will allow you to keep a watchful eye – or ear – over your child no matter what your day throws at you.

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