Monitors Product Summary Score
Editor choice
Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor Review 2017
Hello Baby Wireless Video Baby Monitor Review 2017
VTech DM111 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Baby Monitor Review 2017
VTech DM221 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Baby Monitor Review 2017
Summer Infant Wide View Digital Color Video Baby Monitor Review 2017
The moment you learn that you’re about to become a parent, you begin preparing for every contingency raising a child can invoke. Among the necessary equipment, you will certainly want to have a baby monitor. Baby monitors are small but essential devices for any new parent, as they allow you to keep track of your child at all times.
Many offer an audio feed, but the best ones give you video with a wide angle coverage and night vision so you can keep an eye on your precious bundle of joy at all times. With a baby monitor, you will always be aware of what’s happening in your child’s room, making it a paramount piece of equipment for all new parents.
And if you’re in the market for one, we’ve got five superb baby monitors for you. Also, besides the reviews, we’ll include a little guide for you, so you can keep track of what are we saying in the reviews and compare, plus you’ll know exactly what to look for on a monitor. Time to compare these bad boys!
Things to consider…
Before we start with our individual best product reviews, we would like to present you with a little guide. This section will hopefully teach you some fundamentals about baby monitors, and allow you to compare them one to another, and pick out the one most suitable for you.
What is a baby monitor?
Compared to other gizmos, a baby monitor is one of the most important gadgets in your parental arsenal. It is the lifeline to your child while you’re away from them, ultimately allowing you to quickly respond to any contingencies that might arise. A baby monitor is a device that lets you keep an eye on your child at all times.
Types of monitors
There are two categories of monitors with two subcategories each.
Digital vs. Analogue
The first difference between devices of this kind is their operating mode. Some monitors operate on an analog principle, while others do so on the digital principle. Compared to digital baby monitors, analog devices are considerably cheaper. However, they are prone to interference, and anyone can tune into their frequency and eavesdrop. Digital devices have a much more stable connection, along with encrypted signals. Some that use video have a digital encryption on video feed as well.
Nowadays, analog baby monitors are dying out when compared to digital models, simply because they are outdated. The benefits that digital devices provide compared to the old-school approach are much greater than a few bucks you will save by getting an analog device. Of all the products we’ve reviewed, all are digital.
Audio vs. Video
Baby monitors also differentiate in what kind of signal they transmit. Audio devices only transmit an audio feed. They are also highly reliable and often feature background noise-eliminating options. Video monitors have a camera as the baby unit, and offer a high-quality video feed as well as an audio feed. These can often be converted into audio monitors by turning off the LCD monitor, demonstrated by the products we reviewed.
The advantage of audio baby monitors over video baby monitors is that they are cheaper. Their batteries also last longer and are more compact as compared to their video counterparts. Video monitors are more expensive, but let you see what’s going on with your child.
Additional features
Some baby monitors , both audio and video, offer additional features that might come in handy. High-end products include various parameters that let you monitor the baby more closely. Many have wide angled cameras and zooms. Some include temperature monitors, and the best of the best baby monitors have features that track your child’s vitals. Audio monitors have two-way intercoms that let you speak to your child, and video monitors often can connect more cameras to one parent unit. These things are not crucial, but are definitely something that should be mentioned in the reviews.
Volume control
Both audio and video baby monitors have the ability to control the volume on the receiving end. Most can turn off audio signals of various kinds, and can alert you through vibrating. This is convenient when you’re sleeping, as it offers a gentler way of alerting you to changes. Caution is advised, however, as you might not feel the vibrations well enough.
Connectivity
Some reviewed monitors offer you multiple connections. Like we said, some video baby monitors offer you the ability to connect more than one camera to one receiving unit. However, some offer you an option to connect more receivers to a single camera. There are monitors that allow connection to your smartphone, or can connect to your DVD recorder and to your TV. Ultimately, you can compare a few champions in the reviews section below.
Night vision
One of the most sought after features when it comes to baby monitors is night vision. Since your child will spend most of the time during the day with you, the majority of monitoring will be done during night. That’s why many of the products include night vision so you can keep an eye on your baby during nighttime. This is definitely a crucial factor to be added into the whole comparison review.
Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens
Our first and top review for a baby monitor is the Infant Optics DXR-8 monitor with interchangeable optical lenses. This is a superb monitor, a top of the line product as compared to its competition. It comes with wide array of superb features making this the best, or one of the best, baby monitors on the market. Get this device, and you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you always have an eye on your child.
Like we said, this baby monitor is top of the line, and it has a feature to boot. First and foremost, the monitor sports interchangeable lenses. These allow you to customize the width of the viewing angle, giving you a more encompassing view of the room your child’s in when compared to other products on the market. The baby monitor also has a powerful zoom that is perfect for close ups. This is very beneficial in situations where you want to track your baby’s breathing more closely.
On the receiving end, the monitor is very has a fairly large 3.5 inch LCD color display. The display is activated by sound, so any changes in your child’s room will immediately alert you. The monitor is rechargeable and can last from 6 to 10 hours on a single charge, depending on whether you’re using the power saving option or not.
The baby monitor also features a two-way talk option so you can talk to your baby if you are away. The product also features night vision and room temperature sensor.
All in all, this is one of the best products we’ve reviewed so far. It is very good at its job and has all the things you need to monitor your child very closely. The only bad thing about it is that you’ll have to buy the wide angle lens separately. Other than that, the device is just about perfect in all aspects.
VTech DM111 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Baby Monitor with One Parent Unit
Our second review is that of VTech DM111 Safe&Sound digital baby monitor. This device isn’t a high tech as compared to the DRX8 baby monitor, but it’s high enough level to provide you decent monitoring capability over your child. This is a simple audio monitor, but it is very well made and is more than capable of helping you keep an eye (or ear, in this case) on any changes in your baby’s room.
The product provides you with stellar audio feed. This is because this baby monitor, as compared to other monitors in its class, has a great noise elimination system. This enables the monitor to transmit crispy clear audio feed at all times. The device also has anti-interference capabilities, as this is a common problem with many monitors.
Due to wireless internet and even baby monitors in the neighboring apartments or houses, the signal between the transmitter and receiver can become poor, and you won’t be able to hear anything. VTech DM111 assures you that the connection between the two parts of the device is always stellar.
But the device goes even further. Due to mixing signals between baby monitors that are in close proximity, overlapping of signals may occur. This device has an encrypted signal that can only be interpreted by your receiver. This ensures you, and only you, can hear your child.
Among other things, this baby monitor has a volume control with a 5-level sound indicator. This enables you to track changes more closely or loosely, and allows you to reduce the noise, especially during night time, if you don’t want to be startled out of your sleep. The device also comes with a belt clip. This is most convenient, as you can freely move around the house and monitor your baby. The device is powered by AAA batteries, so you can carry it freely around, because you don’t have to charge it. The batteries aren’t included in the package.
VTech DM221 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Baby Monitor
Our third product up for review is another VTech product. This time, it’s the DM221. This is a slightly upgraded version of the DM111, but the essential components are the same for both products. In the last review, we said that the DM111 is an audio monitor, and so is the DM221. They both share similar traits and functions, but VTech DM221 is somewhat better in some for the areas as compared to DM111.
Just like its counterpart, this baby monitor has a great audio feed. That’s because both utilize DECT 6.0 audio patch that does a wonderful job eliminating background noise and allowing you to hear loudly and clearly. It also helps to clear the white noise so often found in analog monitors. Lastly, the patch sends an encrypted signal to the receiver, so no one can hear your baby but you. The baby monitor provides a crystal clear audio feed at all times, making it a very good choice and a preferred choice as compared to similar products on the market.
Additionally, the device has an excellent battery life. It can monitor your child for up to 18 hours on a single charge, which is most impressive. In addition to being charged, you can use AAA batteries for your receiver.
The monitor has a 5-level sound indicator that allows you to see how loud the device is. Also, you can reduce the volume of the baby monitor and can make it alert you while vibrating, which is a much better and gentler method than having been woken by annoying beeping. Just like its counterpart, DM221 has a belt clip so you can always have it with you. DM221 also has the two-way intercom, the same function featured on the DM111.
This baby monitor also has one more function that you might find very convenient. The baby unit, or the transmitter, doubles up as a neat nightlight for your child.
Overall, this is a great product that is certain to give you a peace of mind when your little one isn’t right beside you.
Hello Baby Wireless Video Baby Monitor with Digital Camera HB24
Coming up next, we have the review No. 4, the Hello Baby HB24 video baby monitor. This is an outstanding digital video unit, a most impressive product as compared to other devices on the market.
The unit features a 2.4 GHz wireless technology, the kind used in drone transmitters. This allows for uninterrupted connection and a great range. The product is a plug ’n’ play type, which means you don’t have to spend time setting it up – it’s ready straight out of the box. The 2.4 GHz technology also gives you the ability to connect up to 4 cameras on one parent unit, giving you an all-encompassing view of your child’s room, or if you want to place them in several locations throughout your home.
The device also features a very fine battery that can monitor your child for up to 8 hours. The device features a power saving option that lets you switch off the LCD monitor and use it like a standard audio monitor, with a great feed, comparable even to the outstanding DM221. It has a multitude of features like zoom, tilt, and pan, two-way intercom, 8 levels of alarms and a temperature monitor. Furthermore, the LCD screen is also sound sensitive, and whenever there is a sound in the child’s room, it will light up and alert you. The baby monitor is also capable of playing lullabies.
All in all, this is a superb baby monitor. It is all-encompassing with its ability to control 4 cameras at the same time and with its many features, and can easily compare to the best baby monitors in the market.
Summer Infant Wide View Digital Color Video Baby Monitor
And our final review the Summer Infant Wide View Digital baby monitor review. This is a digital audio and video piece of equipment, and it is brimming with stellar features. Also, compared to other digital audio monitors reviewed on this list, the Sumer Infant baby monitors costs significantly less, making it a great value alternative to both the previously reviewed HB24 and the DXR-8.
Much like the other products in its class and in this review, this monitor features a camera that transmits great quality audio and video and an LCD monitor as the parent unit. The only difference is that Summer Infant’s monitor is significantly larger, standing at 5 inches wide. This allows you to see your child’s room in a much larger definition, as compared to similar baby monitors. It operates with the 2.4 GHz wireless technology, and it allows you to connect up to 3 cameras to the parent unit.
The camera features a good back and white night vision for nighttime monitoring. You can even turn on the battery saving mode that shuts down the LCD and turns the baby monitor into an audio monitor with excellent sound. The monitor is also sound activated and will awake if there are spikes in volume in the child’s room.
Aside from all these features, the monitor has low battery indicators and out of range indicator. The camera sports a wide lens that lets you see up to four times a wider angle than most other reviewed products.
All in all, this is a superb baby monitor – possibly the best one – with all the features you like and need. With this device, it will feel like your little one is right by your side all the time. Users and reviewers say that the cheaper ones simply pale in comparison.
Conclusion
And that’s it for our reviews and guide. We hope you liked the products we’ve picked out for you, and we hope you will use one of them in the future. We also urge you to take a look at our guide, as it will steer you in the right direction when choosing the product.
Remember, a baby monitor is a very versatile and useful device, and every parent should consider getting one. After all, these devices not only allow you to watch your child closely, but may end up saving your child’s life. The safety of your child has no price and can’t be compared to anything else, and you probably don’t need an online review to know that. Therefore, get the best baby monitor today!