A good baby monitor can be a real lifesaver for parents. Everyone knows how much attention a baby needs – they don’t even risk leaving a sleeping one for a long time, fearing that he will wake up, cry or try to get out of the crib. However, mothers and fathers are ordinary people; they sometimes need to go away to eat, clean up and do other things after all... The baby monitor takes on this task.
A close relative of the walkie-talkie
The baby monitor works on the principle of a walkie-talkie, directing sounds from a transmitter located next to the child to a receiver located in close proximity to the mother. The slightest noise – crying, whimpering, strong fussing and the whisper of an awakened baby –reaches immediately the parent's hearing and allows them to take action.
It is very convenient:
When a mother takes care of a child without assistants, and she has to leave him from time to time;
- In large houses, where the baby can cry for a long time in his crib on the second floor, while his parents are on the ground;
- At night, if the baby sleeps in a separate room (the American Academy of Pediatrics advises to move the baby out of the parent's bedroom no earlier than 6 months after birth).
The best baby monitors do not only have sound transmission. They can control the rhythm of the baby's breathing, report on the state of the temperature in the room; use two transmitters at once, so that mom and dad, who are in different rooms of the house, remain aware of what is happening.
Which of these functions are really useful, and which are not worth spending money on?
Criteria of choice
To make a bargain, you need to understand clearly for what purposes you need a baby monitor and in what conditions you plan to use it.
Pay attention to:
Radius of action. It can be 150 feet, which is quite enough for a city apartment, and more than 1500 feet, which is convenient for a private house with a large adjacent territory.
- Type of communication between transmitters. With one-way communication, only the mother hears what is happening with the child, with two-way communication, the baby is able to answer her, let her know about his mood or problem.
- Source of power. Power supply, batteries and accumulator have their advantages and disadvantages. Well, if the device provides the ability to use at least a couple of them as needed.
- Audio or video baby monitor. The presence of a monitor with a good resolution camera allows you not only to listen to the child, but also to observe him. If a window opens in the room, a cat climbs into the bed, or a baby's leg gets stuck between the bars of the crib, this will be instantly known. Today some of the top baby monitors include models with color touch screens, the ability to change remotely the camera angle, pan the room and switch to night vision mode.
- Connect to Wi-Fi. On the one hand, an Internet connection greatly expands the capabilities of the baby monitor and does not actually limit its range; on the other hand, there is a small chance of it being hacked by intruders. In addition, the use of Wi-Fi usually involves an additional fee.
Other useful but less significant features:
Low battery signal;
- Signal about the exit of the parent from the range of the baby monitor;
- A timer that will not allow you to forget about this or that procedure for the baby;
- Night light;
- Lullaby songs.
TOP 5 best baby monitors
Based on the reviews from parents and the recommendations of specialists, we have compiled a rating of baby monitors; which proved to be the best last year.
The best baby monitors of 2021 and their approximate cost:
Infant Optics DXR-8 – $199
- Ramili Baby RV900 – $187
- Miku Pro – $99
- Luvion Prestige Touch 2 – $278
- AngelCare AC1100 – $274
- Nanit Pro – $303
- Motorola MBP43S – $192
- Eufy Security Spaceview Pro – $159
- Lollipop Baby Monitor – $149
- Samsung SEW-3043WP – $244
What can replace the baby monitor over time?
Children are growing. As soon as the baby stands on its feet confidently and begins to move around the house, walkie-talkies with a monitor become practically useless, because you are unlikely to persuade a child to carry a transmitter everywhere. With age, when the baby has his own hobbies, circles, friends, the need to be aware of his whereabouts only increases and the phone does not always help to keep in constant touch.
GPS watches come to help. It is necessary to fix them on the wrist, and you will always know where the child is and where he is going. In addition, the watch can be set to receive and make calls to specific numbers or send SOS signals in case of danger. This is a great gadget, but it also has many disadvantages. For example, it loses quickly its charge and cannot use its full potential without a separate SIM card.
The Kidsfinder parental control app will become a more reliable assistant for keeping your child safe.
Downloaded to a smartphone, it is always:
Tell you where your child is currently;
- Report which routes HE has traveled during the last 5 days;
- Will let you know if a son or daughter leaves the safe geofence.
And at the same time will allow:
- Find out how much time children spend in the Internet and what websites they visit;
- Listen to the child's surroundings to make sure they are safe.
It is especially nice that you can connect up to 5 children's gadgets to Kidsfinder. A large family does not have to spend money on buying a separate application for each child.
