Product Spotlight: 1/29: Baby Monitors!

SmashJam · January 2018

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... baby monitors! Video, audio, super techy... anything.

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.

For S+TMs:

Favorite [baby monitor]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [baby monitor] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [baby monitor] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [baby monitors]?:

For FTMs

[baby monitor] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UyhRAJyRFD8vsNwLsXd7vCCC-9pYjzH3p5HvngpnaOI/edit?usp=sharing

mrsbubbles-2 · January 2018

Thanks for doing these every week @SmashJam!

We've got two "monitors" - the Nest and a cheapo audio monitor.

Favorite [baby monitor]: We don't really have a favorite. The Nest was one of the most highly rated monitors when we were looking but I don't know why. It dings your phone when it senses movement or sound which won't help much in the middle of the night if you're using it as your only monitor - you'll sleep right through the ding. But then it also goes off if it senses a change in light so wind / lightning / random birds or whatever casting a shadow will cause it to go off. The cheapo audio one is what we use 99% of the time then use the Nest to confirm that DS is awake or that he's still up playing in his crib when he's supposed to be napping.
Link/picture: https://nest.com/cameras/nest-cam-indoor/overview/
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): It's listed at $199
What you like about it: It's pretty easy to install and the picture is really clear
What you don't like about it, if anything: See above
Is there a [baby monitor] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [baby monitor] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [baby monitors]?: Just be aware that if you're going for one that uses an app on your phone primarily that it might take a minute to get the app up and in the middle of the night messing with your phone is a royal pain. The cheapo audio ones have a dial that you can turn up / down for sensitivity which is nice going from when they're itty bitty and you're trying to get to them before meltdown to when they're a bit older and you want to see if they settle themselves back down.

juliebird6 · January 2018

Favorite [baby monitor]: We have an Angelcare monitor - it's just audio, but it also has the movement sensor
Link/picture: https://www.amazon.com/Angelcare-AC401-2P-Movement-Monitor-Rechargeable/dp/B01M2TVCZY/ref=sr_1_23_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1517235578&sr=1-23&keywords=angelcare+baby+monitor
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): This was actually a hand-me-down from a friend, but I think it's around $150-200.
What you like about it: We only use the audio, we've never set up the sensor pad as I figured it would just freak us out more than anything else. The audio part works well and it's easy to use.
What you don't like about it, if anything: I wish we had a video monitor. We're looking into video monitor options with multiple/scrolling screens for #2.
Is there a [baby monitor] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Just a video one - DH is very interested in Nest and every time I try to share any negative feedback I've heard about it, he just assumes it's "user error" and we'll be fine. So I'm guessing that's what we'll end up with, and it will be his problem to deal with if it's no good.
Is there a [baby monitor] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Nope, the Angelcare one is just fine. Just wish it had a screen.

livinthesunnylife · January 2018

Ok, so I have the Infant Optics DXR-8.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Infant-Optics-DXR-8-Monitor-Interchangeable/dp/B00ECHYTBI/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517244726&sr=8-3&keywords=infant+optics+dxr-8

What I like about it:
We have it mounted on the wall and I can pretty much scan his whole room. It has a great quality picture- like I can see if he spit up on his sheet without going into the room. And the sound is nice, it even has a visual sound display so if I take in into the bathroom when I'm in the shower I can see if he's crying because the lights flash on the left side. ETA: I also love that it displays the temperature in his room. We separately heat/cool his room so I'm always obsessing about it being the perfect temp for him to sleep at night. Which is 73 degrees btw.

What I don't like about it:
This camera does not hook to the internet so you cannot monitor it remotely. There are pros and cons of having those types of cameras in your house as they can be hacked and creepazoids can be watching you. That whole idea freaked me out so I decided I did not want an internet based camera.

Is there a baby monitor you don't have but you are considering:
If I decide to get a nanny for the baby, I will get a camera so I can watch them via the internet and just turn it off when I'm home.

I never tried any other baby monitors. I just bought this one based on a lot of research and I've been happy with it.

calimom2524 · January 2018

For S+TMs:

Favorite [baby monitor]: I have the motorola one and also used to have summer infant, of the two, my favotire is motorola.
Link/picture: https://www.target.com/p/motorola-3-5-video-baby-monitor-mbp33xl/-/A-14086050
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$
What you like about it: I love that the screen turns off easily and if you have more than one camera it scans pretty frequently between the two.
What you don't like about it, if anything: I don't really have any complaints with it.
Is there a [baby monitor] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Nope, I'll stick with this one.
Is there a [baby monitor] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Nope! I had the summer infant video one with DS1 and the only reason we got a new one with DS2 is because to buy the additional camera would have cost almost the same as buying a new one with two cameras.
Additional thoughts on [baby monitors]?: Don't worry about a color screen, for some reason I was fixated on having a screen that showed color but considering it's basically only used at night it will always be grey anyways.

7425cait · January 2018

We have the summer infant video/audio monitor. Works fine and can hook up to another camera. No complaints. Actually I guess my only complaint is that if left unplugged, the battery only lasts a couple hours. I wish it lasted a little longer.

lalala2004 · January 2018

We have the Motorola video monitor. I didn’t want one with WiFi because of hackers. We should be able to add a new camera to it for this baby, but I haven’t been able to figure out how you just buy an extra camera.

ecwk · January 2018

I have a Motorola one. I love it. Also didn’t want a WiFi one. It’s so easy to use and I can add another camera if I want to. It has remote pan tilt and zoom which is great. And two way communication but I don’t use it coz it freaks DS out!

hfooter · January 2018

So we have two. A fancy Samsung one that was gifted to us for our first that came with two cameras. The camera rotated so you can look around the room. The video quality is great and the sound is great. However it’s range kind of sucks and you can’t access it remotely if your into that. Also you can’t see both cameras at once, it does a scan mode but i think that sucks. It was like $250 back in the day.

Then for the second we got a cheap monitor on amazon called hello baby. For a budget monitor it’s great. You can’t move the camera around the room but oh well. It’s a cheap video monitor which I feel like can’t be beat!

Hello Baby Wireless Video Baby Monitor with Digital Camera HB24, Night Vision Temperature Monitoring & 2 Way Talkback System, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CZUD4R8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3n-BAbHGQTCC6

SmashJam · January 2018

@mrsbubbles-2 I am glad someone else hated the Nest cam. I disliked for the same reason, and trying to convince DH to go for a different option this time. It will have to be cheap so @hfooter I might have to look at your hello baby!

lalala2004 · January 2018

ecwk said:

I have a Motorola one. I love it. Also didn’t want a WiFi one. It’s so easy to use and I can add another camera if I want to. It has remote pan tilt and zoom which is great. And two way communication but I don’t use it coz it freaks DS out!

Do you know where to buy just an extra camera? We’ve never seen them in stores. I guess online? I haven’t really checked yet.

mrsbubbles-2 · January 2018

@SmashJam YES! I get so annoyed with the Nest and despite all the issues and my constant bitching DH still digs it. *sigh. I'm with you - already looking for a different model for #2

hfooter · January 2018

@smashjam for $70 bucks it can’t be beat. Most of all I’m impressed with its range.

livinthesunnylife · January 2018

I feel like for every person I meet that loves their Nest, I meet someone that hates it. For that price, they should be able to deliver more positive reviews

kburg15 · January 2018

I really love our Nest camera, but I don’t use it for sensing movement, so I don’t have the same negatives that the other ladies do. DS’s bedroom is right across the hall from ours, so we hear any noise he makes, even with white noise going—there’s no way he’d be crying and we wouldn’t know. The picture and sound are really good, so I’m really only ever checking it to see if he’s awake or asleep now, standing up, putting himself back to bed, etc. I can tell at this point by his body language if he’ll soothe himself or need us to help. Also DH and I work opposite shifts so I like that you can rewind to see when baby fell asleep or woke up for naps or at night just to know their schedule and see what they were up to. This is also nice when we’re at work and need a baby fix or a babysitter/grandparent is watching him so we can see how bedtime or nap is going.

xirk · February 2018

For FTMs

[baby monitor] you're interested in: I want a video monitor for sure with decent range. Not sure what brand/model yet
Link/picture: n/a
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): Id like to keep it under $150
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?: I’ve heard about some people using security cameras instead of baby monitors since you can get a better quality for a cheaper price. Has anyone done that? Besides Nest? I still want to be able to hear in the room too though.

Thanks!

ecwk · February 2018

lalala2004 said:

ecwk said:

I have a Motorola one. I love it. Also didn’t want a WiFi one. It’s so easy to use and I can add another camera if I want to. It has remote pan tilt and zoom which is great. And two way communication but I don’t use it coz it freaks DS out!

Do you know where to buy just an extra camera? We’ve never seen them in stores. I guess online? I haven’t really checked yet.

Eep I just found one that I think would work with my monitor and it’s more expensive than buying a new monitor with camera? What in the heck??

lalala2004 · February 2018

@ecwk damn. Time to hunt for bargains. Maybe I can find a used one?

mrs_drc_rn · February 2018

We had the Angelcare monitor for DS and were pretty pleased with it. He came home on an apnea monitor, so that was kind of like our baby monitor for the first three months. After he was off of it, the Angelcare really gave us peace of mind. Not too many false alarms and we took the pad out once he started crawling around in his crib. I wanted to just get a Motorola video one this time around but I may end up with too much anxiety over not having the movement pad.

lolog531 · February 2018

@lalala2004 and @ecwk I have a Samsung and every additional camera I’ve found (I’ve scoured every website) has been close to $100! I think we are just going to invest in a 2nd monitor since he price isn’t that far off from just an extra camera!

coffeecocktailsandcake · February 2018

I have the Infant Optics one mentioned above. Some features not mentioned are that you can set a sleep timer on the screen so the screen turns off after a certain time but sound remains on. You can link up extra ceras so we'll be buying a second camera for this baby. You can zoom really close, pan, and use a wide angle lense. I love it and highly recommend it!

melprop · February 2018

Favorite [baby monitor]: Sony audio monitor (no longer sold), Summer Infant video monitor
Link/picture: they’re both 7yo
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): The Sony was $, Summer Infant was $$
What you like about it: The Sony one never had problems with interference. The monitor lasted for hours without needing to be recharged. But with the SI I could see DS. I ended up using the SI during the night and the Sony audio for naps during the day.
What you don't like about it, if anything: The SI had issues with WiFi interfering with the video. That was 7 yrs ago, so I’m assuming that issue has been fixed.
Is there a [baby monitor] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I’m considering getting a cheap camera that’ll work with our phones. Then use the Sony audio monitor for noise and check the video cam via cell phone as needed. But if the Summer Infant one still works we’ll use it.

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