A baby monitor is one of the most essential baby items for any parent. It enables you to keep an eye on your precious one, while still being able to get on with your day. This baby monitor buying guide, will help you to choose the right baby monitor, to suit your needs.
Contents
Questions You Should Ask Yourself First
There are many excellent baby monitors out there. But before you begin looking for a baby monitor you really need to ask yourself a few fundamental questions. These questions relate to how you plan to use the baby monitor in question, and are crucial to deciding the best baby monitor for you:
- What do you want to track? (i.e. movement, sound, heart rate, breathing)
- When do you plan to use it? (Night vs day)
- Where will you use it? (Just at home, or will you be regularly out and about during nap time, or will you want to use it on vacation etc.)
- Will you need capacity to connect multiple cameras?
Tracking Features
Are you looking for a device that just tracks sound? Or do you want video as well? How about breathing, sleep, humidity, temperature and even growth! If you want a baby monitor that does it all, the absolute best baby monitor is the Nanit Pro Complete Baby Monitoring System:
A Wi-Fi baby monitor (see below) that tracks everything! Including: Sleep, breathing, motion and height.
*Please note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Suppliers do compensate us when you purchase products and services listed below. This is known as affiliate marketing and we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
If however you’re looking for something just to track sounds, and are only really interested in hearing if your baby is crying, then look no further than the best audio only baby monitor:
An audio only baby monitor with superior sound quality and all the additional features you need.
For most people however, you’re probably looking for something between the two. A baby monitor that offers more functionality than an audio only monitor, but maybe not something that comes with all the features (and the price tag) of the Nanit Pro Complete Baby Monitoring system. If this is the case read on, and this baby monitor guide will explain the things you should look for in.
Audio Quality
It may seem redundant to talk about audio, when we have already concluded that you want something that transmits video. But audio quality is perhaps even more fundamental than the quality of the video itself.
If video is always turned on, and the device is not connected to power, the battery is going to drain very quickly. There are also going to be times, such as when you are sleeping, that you are going to purely rely on audio feedback, and so it is essential that your device has high quality audio.
Noise Cancellation
To clearly hear the little sounds a baby can make (and the loud ones too!) the baby unit needs to be able to filter out any interference. Interference could be background noise from a white noise machine, static from nearby electronics or even the noisy neighbours. A good quality baby monitor will filter out these sounds so you can hear the little snuffles and baby babble in all their adorableness.
2-Way Audio
2-way audio is a particularly nice feature as it enables you to talk to your baby, without entering the room. This makes it possible sing a lullaby, or give instruction to an older child, without having to re-enter the room.
Its use can also be expanded beyond nap time, and can give parents the ability to communicate to each other without having to yell between rooms, and maybe request things like extra baby wipes.
Video Quality
HD
Monitors come in all ranges of video definition, from 240p all the way up to 1080p. High Definition video (720p or even 1080p) can be important if you want to see lots of detail. If you have a small screen (less than 3″) high definition is less important as you will not be able to see the extra detail anyway.
It is important to note, that when transmitting higher definition video, you need a very strong connection, otherwise the video will become choppy. For this reason it’s important to purchase high definition models that also perform well, otherwise you will be continually frustrated by the lagginess of the connection. Most higher end models will enable you to lower the resolution to negate this, however that also defeats the purpose of choosing a monitor with high definition in the first place.
Daytime and Night Vision
Many cameras do a decent job during the day. But most often, you will want to check on your baby when they are sleeping in a dark room. This means you will want a model that boast excellent night vision. Some monitors even boast colour night vision, but this often requires some light to be on in the room to work effectively.
Pan & Tilt
Unless you have a mounted baby monitor, you will find it often moves or gets bumped. This can result in the baby becoming out of frame. It can be particularly frustrating if you have just put the baby down only to realise that you cannot view the baby at all, requiring you to re-enter the room to adjust the camera. Pan and tilt will negate this, as you can always adjust the angle and direction of the camera at any point.
Camera Lenses
Depending on where you place the camera, you may need a different type of camera lens. If you can place the camera close to the baby, say on the edge of the crib or a nearby dresser, a wide angle lens is preferred. But if you are placing the camera across the room, a wide angle lens will just show you the entire room, with your baby only taking up a small section. In this case we would recommend a regular narrow angle camera.
Traditional vs Wi-Fi Baby Monitors
Portability
A traditional baby monitor is it’s own stand alone system. Going out for the day, and planning on putting the baby down for a nap? Or going on vacation? Bring the monitor with you! However a Wi-Fi monitor is reliant on being part of a Wi-Fi network, this means it’s really only going to work at home, and you can’t easily take it with you when you plan to go out.
Range
Traditional baby monitors use radio waves, and have ranges which depend on the device. Some monitors claim ranges up to 1200 feet! You will want to make sure you a large enough range so that you can take the monitor with you wherever you need to go, without losing connection with be camera. We recommend a monitor that has significantly larger advertised range than you expect you will need. This will minimize the impact of signal loss from interference and having to pass through walls, ensuring you always get a stable connection.
Wi-Fi monitors however, have no range limits. As long as you have an internet connection, data or Wi-Fi, you will be able to access the app and check in on your baby no matter where you are. Keep in mind however, that using data can chew through your data plan if you are continually streaming HD video from your phone when it is not connected to Wi-Fi.
Separate Display Monitor
Traditional baby monitors include a camera and a separate display for viewing the baby. However a Wi-Fi monitor requires that you use your own device such as your personal smartphone. This means you will have less devices to carry around, but there is a benefit to having separate devices.
Firstly you will not use up your phone’s battery. And secondly, if you use your phone a lot, you can glance over at a separate screen without having to switch apps on your phone. Plus, if you have a baby sitter, you can just give them the device to use. With a Wi-Fi monitor you will have to give them access on their own phone, which means they will still likely have access even when they are no longer at your home.
Reliability
If you have a Wi-Fi baby monitor and your Wi-Fi goes down at home, then so does your baby monitor. There are a few exceptions to this, such as the Nanit, which can still communicate via your home network even if the internet connection is down. However, this means that traditional baby monitors are generally more reliable and will only experience device related issues.
Security
Unfortunately there have been case where baby monitors have been hacked and people have used them to spy on you or your baby. In some cases, on devices which had 2 way audio, the individual used it to communicate with a child. It is therefore important to ensure your camera has encryption software, or is on a very secure network in the case of a Wi-Fi Monitor
Conclusion -
Best Baby Monitors:
If you’ve decided you prefer a Wi-Fi baby monitor, we recommend:
Although not marketed as a baby monitor, this camera is just as good and cheaper than any great “Wi-Fi baby monitor” out there.
If however you have decided you would like a traditional baby monitor, we recommend:
A traditional baby monitor that is very easy to use, secure, and boasts excellent video quality with a range up to 1000ft.
*Please note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Suppliers do compensate us when you purchase products and services listed below. This is known as affiliate marketing and we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Multiple Camera Support
If you have more than one kid, it makes sense to purchase a unit that is compatible with multiple cameras. Most Wi-Fi baby monitors support multiple cameras, as they run via apps and do not have parent units.
If however, you are looking for a traditional baby monitor that has multiple cameras, your options become quite limited, especially in Canada. We would recommend:
An high end baby monitor with fantastic audio and video quality that supports up to 4 additional cameras.
Which ever monitor you decide is best for you, we wish you all the best! We hope this baby monitor buying guide helped to point you in the right direction. If you have any extra tips, feel free to let us know or leave a comment below.
Questions?
Send us an email at info@buysavvy.ca or contact us on social media.
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