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April 2019 Moms
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Product Spotlight: Baby Monitors

lyse01lyse01 member
in April 2019 Moms
Spy on your kids. Baby monitors!

What brand/product do you have? Pros/cons? Audio only or with video? Can you talk back? Does it have a tie-in to your smart phone - or to multiple smart phones? What other features are necessary or nice to have? What’s the battery life like? Do you have other relevant info I’m forgetting?

FTMs: when you look at baby monitors, what is confusing?

Want to discuss something else? Recommend it here, or second some recs by loving someone’s post (I’ll try to prioritize): https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12734953/product-spotlights-upcoming-or-requests

All product spotlights can be resurrected at any time for further discussion - type “Product Spotlight” into the search bar at the bottom of the page to find previous threads.
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Re: Product Spotlight: Baby Monitors

  • sheepshepherdesssheepshepherdess member
    So FTM here, and I'm confused because obviously there were no video monitors when I was growing up, and I have no idea how useful they'd be. Second, is there a reason for a talk back feature? And third, how important is quality to sound quality? Is there a decent quality video and audio monitor that doesn't break the bank?
    Me: 29 DW: 44
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  • florallimeadeflorallimeade member
    FTM question - are there any WiFi baby monitors that DONT suck/aren’t unreliable? We have really good WiFi because we stream instead of use cable but there are bad reviews on every WiFi monitor I’ve seen. I’d love to be able to check on LO from my phone around the house, but it being unreliable or not connecting would drive me insane. 
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  • lyse01lyse01 member
    @sheepshepherdess my only baby monitor experience is from using it with an elderly person, BUT the talk back feature was really useful for reassuring said person when he called out for help that we were on the way. I imagine it would be the same for older children, less useful for infants. We didn’t find that we needed tons of pixels in the video picture - no need for the details of expression, but just enough to see location/movement/likely problem.
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  • blueberrymommablueberrymomma member
    I have had three different monitors, 2 video and 1 sound. I haven’t really liked any of them. I will say they weren’t the super expensive ones because I can’t justify the cost of those. I’m thinking of looking for one that I can use my phone with. I want to be able to sit outside and watch my older kids play while the baby naps but obviously be able to check on her too. 
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  • katlarissakatlarissa member
    @sheepshepherdess I think deciding whether to get a video monitor is a very personal choice, and for some people (easy-going who aren’t concerned about how much their kids sleep, or those in a tiny tiny space,) they don’t seem necessary. I love them. They’re my “can’t live without” baby product. I like being able to know exactly when my children are asleep or awake, and I still have a video monitor in my 3 and 2 year old’s bedroom. Also, when/if you eventually do any type of sleep training (even if it’s not a hardcore kind) I find it makes my mind easier when I can look and see exactly what they are doing/whether they seem super distressed or just grumpy I’m not picking them up. 
    As to quality/brand, it depends on your budget. I chose mine based on budget and the reviews on amazon. 
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  • MRDCleMRDCle member
    With DS we had an audio only. We have a very small house and his room was right in front of ours - we really only NEEDED the monitor when we were outside or on the back porch.  Like @katlarissa said, it's just personal preference.

    That said, I do plan to get video this time - and was wondering - with two, I assume I would want two cameras to set up one pointed at each crib?  IDK. Any multiple camera reccs?
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  • eli_belleeli_belle member
    I really loved having a video monitor especially when they are tiny. Make sure to get one with night vision because that is when you will use it the most. I also liked the temperature feature to make sure it wasn't too hot/cold in LO's room. We had a Motorola monitor but after 6 years the display had finally kicked the bucket. We will need to buy a new one this time around. No complaints about the Motorola and will probably get another one, but I figure I will follow this thread to see if there are any newer technology to look into.
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  • katlarissakatlarissa member
    @MRDCle we ordered this one with dual cameras recently when our more expensive one quit for the 2nd time in a year. I totally just ordered it because it was cheap, but I’ve liked it. Definitely not fancy, but it does have temp monitoring, which I like, and I have no complaints about the monitor in general. Also, paid like $5 extra and got a 3 year protection plan. 

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0787QZTWZ?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
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  • tumbleflufftumblefluff member
    For DS1 & DS2 we bought audio only units.  They have the talk back feature which we use daily when the kids ask if they can get up from bed yet...nope not yet, go back to bed!!  It also has a night light which the kids love and it shows me room temp. I also like that I can take it with me into the backyard.  It reaches pretty far and beeps when out of range so I can watch my older son while the younger one is napping. 

    We haven’t needed video but I wouldn’t rule it out if we needed to buy a new one.  Fortunately the model we have has lasted us 6 years so far but it’s since been discontinued by the manufacturer.
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  • professormamaprofessormama member
    We didn’t need a baby monitor for a long time, mostly because our son slept in our room until recently. Since he started sleeping in his own bed we bought the Lollipop monitor off amazon and really like it, so far. Seems very reliable. Good night vision. No zoom or turning, but I don’t need those features - they just seem like another way for the monitor to break. Good sound quality, you can set the decibel you want it to alert you to. And the fancier versions have air quality measures and stuff. We went with the simpulse, cheaper version though and have been totally satisfied. 
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  • mrstmoosemrstmoose member
    We have a video monitor and when she was an infant, I really liked it because I could zoom in and make sure she was still breathing (FTM problem). Now I like it because I can just creep on her. I intend on having the video monitor in there until she is at least 25 (joking...mostly). I will probably see if we can buy an additional camera for LO room with the one we have. I'm not quite ready for DD to be without the camera; although DH would say she would be fine. 
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  • lyse01lyse01 member
    @mrstmoose we are still checking to make sure DD is breathing. Like at least twice a week we confirm to each other that she’s breathing...probably more often in internal monologue!
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  • Becky012016Becky012016 member
    @mrstmoose we still check on breathing too. 
    We have an audio only monitor with a talk back and decibel adjustment feature. It's a cheap model from target and I mainly use it when I'm outside and one of the kids is inside. I initially wanted a camera but DH was firmly against it because if someone hacks your wifi they can spy on your kids/you. I don't anticipate anyone wanting to do that to us but it's something to consider if you're on the fence about a wifi video monitor. 
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  • kosmo86kosmo86 member
    So we have the infant optics video monitor and I like it. It does not use Wifi and sometimes it cuts in/out but its rare. We have used it for 2 years and replaced the battery about 6 months ago (only $8) and other than that its been perfect. You can add a 2nd camera to it too so we will do that. 

    I could not live without the baby monitor. It gives me better piece of mind. Sometimes DD cries in her sleep but never wakes up and sometimes she gets out of bed and cries at the door. So its important for me not to just here her cry but to see where she is. 

    LINK HERE
    Me: 32 DH: 31
    TTC #2 since January 2018
    Baby #1 DD  Born 8/25/2016
    BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18

     

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  • mrstmoosemrstmoose member
    Oh yes, I'm glad ours does not have wifi. I get too creeped out by that.
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  • thatbaintforbettythatbaintforbetty member
    We never had a baby monitor, didn't really need it. Not sure if we will get one this time, probably play it by ear.

    Funny story though. When my sister and i were kids (late 80s) we had a neighbor that would use her cordless telephone and switch through the channels to pick up baby monitor signals on the street. She was super gossipy and wanted to be in everybody's business.

    So hacking baby monitors is not new, but i'm assuming you are probably safe from old school cordless phones these days.
    this is my backup acct.
    prevously helloblueeyes

    Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014 
     BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
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  • lyse01lyse01 member
    @phoenix92885 baby monitors here
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