Product Spotlight: Baby Monitors

bserena · June 2020

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions about, S+TMs to share their prior experience with, and everyone to share what they're eyeing in the world of maternity, baby and postpartum products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week we're discussing baby monitors!

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 navigate and respond to.

For S+TMs:

Individual (e.g., lifestyle) factors that might influence your choice:
Favorite baby monitor:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like and don't like about it:
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 for S+TMs?:

To view past Product Spotlights or the upcoming schedule, see

here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Aqb8MGEYn0PQtTuPg16w7-ypItLmVIMNyU5AteGqodM/edit?usp=sharing

mimser · June 2020

FTM here:

Baby monitor you're interested in: 1st choice - VTECH Safe &Sound /// 2nd choice: PHILIPS AVENT Video Monitor
Link/picture:

Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$ vs $$$. I wonder if it's worth paying 5x the cost for a video monitor vs audio
Any questions for S+TMs?: Do I really need a video monitor or an audio monitor is good too?

crystalmir91385 · June 2020

Soo...my hubby is thinking about moving one of our WYZE security cameras into the nursery. Lol It does the exact same thing.

auburnvelvet86 · June 2020

@mimser We have an older version of the Vtech and liked it quite a bit. It was simple and got the job done. STM opinion here, but I stand by only getting an audio monitor. There's no avoiding the early craziness and paranoia of being a new mother, and I'm fully expecting to deal with it again this time. That said, I think I would have made myself that much more crazy if I had been able to see DS sleeping. You can make yourself crazy trying to stare at and see if they're breathing/moving. We also followed Babywise, so we put him down when he was groggy but still awake pretty much from the beginning. So there would be brief cries every once in a while, and I think being able to see him cry through a video monitor would have just made it so much harder. As it turned out, those early strategies turned out to be the best thing I could have done and he pretty much slept through the night since 4 months old. Again, this is all personal experience, but if you're on the fence about video vs. sound, I'd say go with sound. It gets all the job you need done without adding extra fuel to your hormone-induced paranoia and worries about cries.

crizz13 · June 2020

@mimser I keep the kiddos in my room until around 6 months and then liked having a video monitor after that to ease the transition of being able to just roll over and see them. I also still have a monitor in DD1's room (she's 5) and I like being able to see what she's doing when she needs her own privacy or when the girls are playing together in their rooms. I know, I know, she's old. We'll take it out of her room and put it in this baby's.

I think it's totally a personal preference!

magdaaaa · June 2020

We love the amazon cloud cam as a monitor. Motion sensor, night vision, can talk to baby through it, and can access feed from anywhere with the app on our phones. It is WiFi based (obviously) so I know people tend to worry about someone hacking in to their feed - but I’m not tech savvy and so I don’t really get it, and also we live in the middle of BFE with no one around so I’m not worried about it. Also, we will use it as a regular home security camera or something when we’re done using it for these babies!

Ecat504 · June 2020

@mimser we used the vtech (an older version) but we loved it.
I agree with @auburnvelvet86 about getting a sound only monitor - I would've driven myself crazy if I could see my girls sleeping when they were babies. Oof (I can only imagine the additional sleep I would've lost....)

ETA: She'll probably stay in our room until around 6 months like my older girls did. We'll see though.

That being said, we're getting an owl sock, only because our friends have one that they don't use and free is our game right now lol. (I'm really torn between this is my *last* baby I should buy all nice new things for her, and this is our last baby she's just going to get what she gets

surlyjaneausten · June 2020

We have an older vtech audio monitor and it totally was all we needed. My son never slept for long stretches in his own room, though, and he was so loud we could hear him throughout the house when he woke up. I’d consider getting a video one if this kid is a better sleeper, but at the moment I’m just thinking I’ll get another one of the same kind.

ksd20 · June 2020

We have a cheap video monitor that my brother bought for himself thinking it recorded (he was having seizures in his sleep). I like having the video aspect because sometimes DS is awake but quiet and I can check without bothering him. Or when he went through the stage of yelling/ crying but being sound asleep.

So now we're in the market for a multi camera video monitor

hedgepig · June 2020

@mimser We have an audio monitor and it's mostly been just fine. Especially when he was smaller it was totally fine, because generally he was either sleeping or crying in his bed, so I didn't have to wonder what he was up to. Now that he gets up to all sorts of shenanigans in his crib when he's supposed to be sleeping, I do think a video would be nice. I am definitely thinking of getting an inexpensive video monitor too.

bserena · June 2020

I am curious... we know we will be keeping baby in our room for awhile, at least the first year or so. Should we still get a monitor early on? Did those of you who have room shared find it useful/necessary?

ksd20 · June 2020

@bserena I would think so. We kept DS in our room for the first 6 months and had it temporarily set up in there if he was sleeping during the day or before we went to bed

hedgepig · June 2020

@bserena I agree with @ksdelong20, and we also used it for when we were at other people's houses.

krystrist2014 · June 2020

@bserena I did find the monitor handy for the earlier months for when baby was napping or if we put her down to sleep when we had guests over since it was harder to hear her if we had people talking and laughing.

crizz13 · June 2020

Ditto. Still get it.

bserena · June 2020

Okay, thank you all for your input! That definitely makes sense.

mwagensomer · June 2020

@crystalmir91385 I was thinking of doing the same thing! My husband isn't on board though.

dumbledoredies · June 2020

We've had a video monitor for DS and its been completely essential for us. I've loved being able to check on him for the reason that @ksdelong20 mentioned. If he wakes up and is just moving around and looking at his books then I'm able to leave him in there for a while longer without having to try and peak in the room and have him see me. It has also come in handy as he's gotten older and stopped napping. I still put him in his room for an hour a day and I'm able to monitor him and make sure he isnt getting into any shenanigans.

I need to find a monitor I can use with 2 kids!

crizz13 · June 2020

@dumbledoredies We have a motorola video monitor. It doesn't go to our phones or anything, and it's super fancy, but you can connect up to 4 cameras and they rotate through home device. So I have it by my bed at night and it just pans back and forth between the two girls' rooms every 30 seconds or so.

dumbledoredies · July 2020

@crizz13 okay so question. The camera that we got is a standard security camera (DH picked it out not knowing that we would have so many issues). We've had issues with it because if it disconnects from wifi it doesnt automatically reconnect. So I have to use a sound monitor as backup at night because I'm obviously not watching it and it disconnects frequently enough where I wouldnt hear DS if he woke up. Does the Motorola camera automatically reconnect?

crizz13 · July 2020

@dumbledoredies The one we have doesn't ever disconnect - only if we have a bad storm or power outage. We've had it for 5 years now and the battery will run out quickly if it's not plugged in, but as soon as you plug it back in, it's on again. It doesn't run on wifi. This is the one we have and it looks like not great reviews on Amazon, so take our experience with a grain of salt! I'm sure there are also more updated versions of it. https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Digital-Monitor-MBP41S-Infrared/dp/B01NBW6XA7/ref=sr_1_3?crid=IC7E3L7QN93X&dchild=1&keywords=motorola+mbp41&qid=1593614466&s=baby-products&sprefix=motorola+MBP41%2Cbaby-products%2C148&sr=1-3

mia80 · July 2020

Does anyone have a video monitor they love that connects to a smartphone but also has the handheld parent monitor?

I want a video monitor and would prefer one with handheld parent monitor, but DH would prefer one he can look at on his smartphone. The only one I've found is the Motorola Halo +, but the reviews are really hit or miss (lots of reviews saying it disconnects frequently). I'm thinking the monitor is going to be my splurge item (my parents got us a stroller, in-laws are getting us a crib, and SIL is giving us her breast pump and high chair), so I want all the bells and whistles... sound machine, light machine, pan/tilt, two way audio, etc... but I don't know if that monitor exists!

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