Product Spotlight- Baby Monitors

Kathryn0903

Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Baby Monitors!

FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!

For FTMs...
Any monitors you're interested in?

STMs....
What monitor do you have?
Do you have an audio or video monitor?
Any features you really like?

To  view the upcoming PSS schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j7iBv8rbDsTBMXAK7R3NWhG-619XNbpdNza2uci0iYs/edit#gid=0!
Next up: Baby Apparel

Kathryn0903

I just have a basic Vtech audio monitor. It does its job. We really didnt feel like we needed something too fancy since DS was right across the hall from us. Sometime around 9 months, we ditched using a monitor altogether since we could hear anything anyway.

liligirl87

FTM, probably overthinking it, but why aren't the smart socks more popular? Or maybe they are, but no one that I know uses one. I feel like I would sleep easier knowing baby was breathing, etc. Is there a downside to it? Aside from the hefty price tag...

mercury94

I have a Motorola video monitor with one camera. We’ve had some issues with it from the start. One of the cords doesn’t work very well so we have trouble charging the handset (viewer). Right around the time DS turned two, we stopped being able to move the camera around to look for him in his bed. We didn’t use it much until he was one (he was in our room), so it’s not like wed used it for a long time. Also, the monitor no longer tells us the temperature in his room. 

We are looking into the different monitors with 2 cameras. Definitely a different brand. I’ve heard good things about V-Tech.  Our kids’ rooms are upstairs and ours is downstairs, so the video is kind of a necessity. The baby will probably be in our room for 6 months-1 year, but I want to go ahead and have a better system in place both for DS’s room and for when she moves upstairs to her room. 

mercury94

@liligirl87 I didn’t get the smart sock because I felt like it would just make my anxiety worse. I’d heard stories of false alarms, etc. with it. Also, now that he has moved to his room, I can see DS breathing on the monitor, so that’s usually enough reassurance. When he was in our room, I could either hear him breathing or look up from bed and see him. 

liligirl87

@mercury94 OMG! That's helpful feed back. I'm looking for ways to lower my anxiety ... not the opposite!

mercury94

@liligirl87 I think it depends on the person. My cousin and his wife love the smart sock. She’s a nurse and she wanted the extra reassurance. It just wouldn’t work for me. Do your research to decide if it would help you or not. 

babybison

I heard the same about the socks - a lot of false alarms. We have infant optics for home. It doesn't run on wifi, because DH was worried about people hacking it or somesuch nonsense. It's been 2 years and hasn't failed us at all. Plus you can add more cameras to it.

We have a portable video monitor for when we travel too. I think it's whatever was popular on Amazon's list. I like having it a lot 

smallbutmighty77

we have a cheap audio monitor but our video is a nest cam.
We can check it from our phones and we have an old phone set up with it so anyone babysitting can check in. It's nice bc we both travel for work every so often and we can pull it up to see she is sleeping or just get a little hi. 

In terms of the sock- We've had a lot of hospital experience over here and they all say do NOT do it. It adds to anxiety, they are not perfect and unless your babies HR and O2 levels are within their range, it will go off all the time. Even for a short time period. I mean DD set the hospital alarms off all the time bc the monitor wasn't against her wrist or ankle enough. Same for the sock.

doraleigh35

@babybison your DH sounds like mine! We’re not allowed to have wifi monitor.

We had a Summer Infant monitor with DD and we still use it 3 years later. My grandmother is getting us a dual camera monitor for Christmas. I gave her my “requirements” and let her pick one based on reviews. She went with this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NW9PWHZ/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_Qw4ODb

We will be getting an Owlet (just the sock, not the camera). We’ve done our research and feel like it’s the right decision. I’m not too worried about false alarms having talked with friends who have it and knowing how DH and I react to things. I think overall
peace of mind will make it worth it for us.

coaster102516

@liligirl87 we have the owlet and I loved it. It actually picked up the DD had RSV and her oxygen was dipping low while she slept. For me, it helped with my anxiety. I would wake every 1-1.5 hours with DS just to check he was still breathing. 

STMs....
What monitor do you have? Just bought a new one because our old one crapped out. Went with the Infant Optix DXR-8 and so far I like it. 

Before that we had project nursery video camera and before that, we had a Levana Keera. I have found they have about a 2 year life span.

Do you have an audio or video monitor? Video. Again, I need to see them for anxiety purposes. Also, when they yell/cry out, I can tell whether it’s in their sleep or if I need to go in. And now that DD is older and will play in his room, can keep an eye on him. 

Any features you really like?

We went with digital video so it is closed
circuit. I read horror stories of creepers hacking into WiFi monitors
can add up to four cameras. Can view one camera
at a time or scroll 
two way talk
temperature display (two of our rooms get very cold in the winter and hot in summer)