With the right baby monitor, you can watch your little one sleep through the night. It’s essential to find a system that works for both your family and home.
When selecting a monitor, you’ll want to take into account video and audio quality, range, app connectivity, and battery life. Some also come equipped with features like night vision or remote panning/adjusting capabilities.
Video monitors
Video monitors are one of the most sought-after baby monitors, as they offer parents an extra layer of security and peace of mind. Unfortunately, they’re relatively expensive so you need to ensure you find a model that meets both your needs and budget.
Some video monitors rely on your home Wi-Fi to broadcast a live feed of your baby’s room to an app on your smartphone or tablet. Baby Monitor Town shows that these can be useful if you want to keep an eye on your little one while at work or while traveling.
Other video monitors require a wired connection and don’t rely on your home Wi-Fi, making them ideal if you’re worried about battery life or need to see your baby in dim lighting.
Another type of monitor is a movement monitor, which attaches to your child’s cot mattress with a small sensor. These alarms alert you when your child makes tiny movements while sleeping, providing extra assurance that everything is okay.
It is worth noting that these monitors don’t provide much protection against SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), so the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests only using them for the first 6 to 12 months of your baby’s life.
In addition to video, some split monitors seen on YouTube allow you to view the baby’s room temperature, track heart rate and oxygen levels, play a lullaby or use a night light. They may even record time-lapse videos so you can watch them back the following day – an excellent way to check in on your little one!
When shopping for a video monitor, one important feature to check is its capability of displaying high-definition digital video in Rec. 709 and DCI-P3. Ideally, the display should be capable of reproducing as close to 100% of these colors for crisp images with excellent contrast.
Another useful feature is split screen, which enables you to have two or more windows open simultaneously on your PC. This functionality has become increasingly popular over the last few years due to the rise of mobile and flexible working arrangements, as it keeps productivity high even with only one monitor available.
Audio monitors
Audio baby monitors are a low-tech solution that lets you listen in on what’s going on in your child’s room without the need for streaming video systems or smartphone apps. Not only that, but this type of baby monitor also comes at an affordable price point and is easy to use.
Some audio monitors are wireless and can be taken from room to room using a portable parent unit that uses either AA or rechargeable batteries. They usually have an effective range of around 1,000 feet for reception, plus they will light up when noises are detected.
Another great feature of this type of monitor is the ability to adjust the sound volume level in the parent unit, so you can hear your baby clearly when someone visits or when trying to go to sleep without turning up the music. Having such control makes for better sleep for everyone involved–parent and baby included!
When selecting a monitor for your home and lifestyle, make sure the signal range matches what you do. For instance, if you spend much time outdoors or travel frequently, having a long signal range is essential so that you can hear your baby clearly no matter where they are in the room.
Monitors typically feature a screen that displays indicators like signal strength, battery level, mute indicator and out-of-range alerts. This can be an efficient way to check if your baby is getting enough sleep or if you need to change their diaper.
Some monitors can even detect breathing movements, keeping you informed of your baby’s activity. These are especially beneficial for parents with premature babies.
Finally, some monitors feature two-way talkback capabilities so you can communicate with your baby without having to go up their room. This can be especially handy if you need comfort before checking on them or are working on sleep training.
We found the best audio monitors have superior sound quality and range. Additionally, these products come with features to manage your baby’s sleep pattern as well as monitor their activity in the nursery.
Handheld monitors
A baby monitor is a device that lets you watch over your child in real-time. Most models come with cameras, but some advanced models also include sleep tracking and other features to help monitor sleeping patterns.
Handheld video baby monitors are ideal for new parents who are away from home and want to keep an eye on their little ones. These convenient devices come with features like night vision, two-way audio, room temperature monitoring and remote pan and tilt capabilities.
The best handheld video monitors boast a superior camera and have an operating range of at least 1,000 feet. Some even provide remote pan and tilt capabilities, as well as the option to set an alarm that sounds when your little one makes an unexpected movement.
Budget-minded parents will find handheld video monitors for under $100. For something more luxurious, invest in a baby monitor that connects to your smartphone for seamless monitoring.
For example, the Nanit baby monitor ($299) boasts a high-quality camera and advanced sleep tracking analytics. It’s user friendly, plus its data will give you peace of mind if you’re worried about your baby’s breathing or how long it takes them to fall asleep.
However, the Nanit does have some shortcomings that make it less than ideal for first-time parents. Pairing isn’t as effortless as expected and occasionally the monitor loses power due to a cord that won’t fit in its charging brick.
Another potential drawback to Nanit’s sleep-tracking analytics is that they can be quite comprehensive. Furthermore, finding the ideal settings for your baby’s room may prove challenging.
The Wyze smart baby monitor may be more expensive than some of its rivals, but it does come with some useful features. Its camera has color night vision and can be viewed from your smartphone; two-way audio and pans 330 degrees; plus, active noise reduction and support for Alexa and Google Assistant are included.
Split screen systems
Split screen monitors are devices that enable you to simultaneously view two camera feeds. They’re especially helpful for families with multiple children and for keeping an eye on active toddlers.
Split screen systems that offer wide-angle cameras with pan and tilt capabilities, as well as high sensitivity microphones, are the best choices. These features enable you to detect small noises before they become loud cries, plus you can change the angle of cameras if needed so you can view your children from all sides.
Many of these split screen baby monitors feature two-way audio, enabling you to communicate with your children from the parent unit. This makes it simpler for you to comfort your babies or engage with toddlers without having to physically visit their room.
Most of these devices will also come equipped with night vision, which will notify you if your child gets up during the night and enable you to keep an eye on them from outside their room. They may also include other features like white noise or lullabies which can help soothe children while they’re sleeping.
One of the most essential characteristics of a split screen system is video quality. Ideally, it should be 720p or higher so you can clearly view images. Low-quality pictures will be difficult to decipher and may make it challenging to keep tabs on your kids.
When shopping for a split screen baby monitor, another feature to consider is its camera capacity. Some systems can connect up to four or five cameras simultaneously, allowing you to keep an eye on multiple children simultaneously.
Some of these systems also provide automatic scan mode, which scans through all cameras in a set at regular intervals. This can be especially handy if you have a large home and need to check on multiple children at once.
Comments are closed.