I think it's safe to say we'd all prefer a video baby monitor. But, there are two reason we may not get it. One - budget. Two - camera placement. So many parents get video monitors without thinking about angle or position and end up not being able to see baby.
The latest baby monitors connect to your smart phones. Making them a video monitor with extended reach. In fact, using monitors that connect to your phone, you can check on your baby from work - even if you work in another country!
Like many products. Baby Monitors sound great on paper. They have all the features, they look amazing and you're sold. But not all monitors are created equal and it's not always the well known brands that are the best. Read. Reviews. Always.
A baby monitor works by passing signals from one device to another. If your receiver is going to be far away from your baby's room (i.e. if you have a big house), then you should make you check that your baby monitor you get has good coverage. The best way to do this is by reading reviews.
Different video baby monitors have different
The reality is that you won't know what will help your baby sleep until they are here. (Or years later!) So a baby monitor that sings lullaby's or shows light shows may work or may keep them up all night.
An audio sensor is the basic requirement for a baby monitor to do what you need. That is, to help you monitor your baby's sleep/activity during the night. Listen to the cries, noises and movements your baby makes so you can go in to settle them or know their patterns.
It's important. Trust us. You don't want to suddenly realise that your monitor has died at 3am and then start rummaging around for batteries...
Help your baby relax with a light show in our baby monitor. It acts as more of a distraction for when you leave them in their room but also can be used as a sleep signal.
White noise, you won't have really known what is good for until you had a baby. White noise mimics the sound that babies hear in the womb which is why they help soothe them.
A video monitor is only useful if you can angle the camera towards your baby. Unless you have the perfect setup already with great shelves in great angles, a wall mountable camera means you have more control.
Offered by some of the more lux ranges. Some baby monitors come as an attachment pad that sits under the mattress and alerts you if your baby stops moving. Known to give false alarms.
Your baby will sleep during the day a lot, but, with any luck, they'll also be sleeping at night a lot too! Baby monitors with night vision help to see them even when it's dark out.
Monitors have gotten smarter. Whilst many still work with a parent unit, many baby monitors can now be synced with your phone so you can watch them wherever you are, whatever the time zone.
Power saving mode works the same as your phone. It may decrease the resolution or brightness of the monitor but still work while you add 'batteries' to your shopping list.
If your parent and baby units are out of range with each other but you don't have an alert to tell you, your monitor won't work and you won't know why.
Is your monitor picking up the sound of your baby? Or the sound of the wind? The ability to control the sensitivity could make the difference between a bad night sleep and - well, with a newborn, a slightly better night sleep!
Catch sounds before you hear them with little lights that pop up to signal noise.
A lovely feature that allows you to talk back to your baby through their monitor. Surprisingly, parents say they find this more helpful when their babies are older and can understand when they tell them "I'll be up in a sec!"
Have you heard of the Gro Egg? It's great. It changes colour if your babies room is too hot or too cold. But if your monitor has a temperature sensor, you can save the money as it'll tell you too!
Not all baby monitors come with video. A video sensor will show a live feed of your baby. Trust us, those first few weeks you'll sit and stare at your monitor. Not because you're worried, but because you're in love...
Did you know that women have evolved to wake to their sound of their babies crying? Men, however, have not. It's not about parenting or paying attention, their ears are literally not evolved in that way. So - volume up for daddies time!
How a baby monitor helped my child sleep through the night
Helpful gifts for new parents