Versatile Excellent Baby Monitor Gift For Mother with Infant

Do you ever find yourself torn between attending to household chores and keeping an eye on your baby? Are you constantly uneasy because you think while you are somewhere else in the house your baby maybe crying and you do not know? Wouldn’t it be great if you could be somewhere else yet still keep an eye on your baby? Well then it is time you shopped for a baby video monitor.

If you are wondering what exactly that is, well it is a camera you can place in your baby’s room and it will send video and sound footage to a remote screen that you can carry around anywhere in the house and be able to see what is going on in your baby’s room and hear if they are crying. Now doesn’t that sound like a fabulous gadget you should have?

Now before you hit the shops trying to find a monitor, there are certain things you should know. Keep reading this and hopefully by the time you reach the final full stop in this article you will be a pro baby video monitor shopper, if there is such a title.

With the help of an FAQ we should be able to get the basics covered before we delve deeper into the shopping guide for a baby monitor.

There are mainly 3 types of video monitors:

Dedicated Baby Video Monitor: This is the standard and most common type consisting of a camera that is placed in the babies room and a monitor like a radio call which can be carried around. The most common and trusted dedicated baby video monitor is the Motorola video monitor most video monitor reviews give this one the thumbs up.

Wifi Baby Video Monitor: This one tends to be more complex consisting of a wifi camera that is placed in the baby’s room and then transmits to any internet enabled device like a smart phone, laptop, tab and the like as the monitor. Reviews give this thumbs up for the wow factor, it is quite impressive being able to pull out your iphone at work to check on your little one as you coworkers look on in envy. However it can let you down if the internet is not good.

iphone baby video monitor solution: This is more of a touch and go solution, something the TV series character MacGyver would rig up. It relies on 2 iOS devices say an ipod and phone. One is used as a camera and it transmits to the other that serves as a monitor. Use this only on short notice but do not rely on it every day.

Why do I need a monitor?

Being a parent is a full time job and yet the rest of your life still goes on, you may not be able to carry your baby everywhere you go for example as you do the gardening, dishes or are cooking, in such cases you need to be able to leave the baby in its crib while you tend to other issues but the moment you baby needs your attention, you would want to know and attend to your bundle of joy. Also if you have pets like dogs and cats, you may want to shut the door while the baby sleeps but since you cannot sit in the room the whole time he is sleeping, a monitor comes in handy since it will do the sitting and reporting back to you whatever is going on. However it should be noted that this is not a substitute for your care and attention, it is just an aid.

How safe are baby monitors?

For as long as you keep the monitor away from the reach of the baby, it should be safe. In the US there have been reports of babies who died from strangulation because the electric code for the monitor was left within the baby’s reach so if you have a monitor with a code it is advisable to keep it out of reach of the child. Today also codeless monitors are very common and it is advisable you go for one.

Are there any common malfunctions?

If you bought a faulty or poor quality gadget, you are likely to have problems with it. It is important you are particular about quality and durability. You should also be keen to check the battery status of the camera and monitor especially for codeless devices because low batteries can result in lack of audio or visual feed. If you encounter any other fault that is not of your making, you should return the device to the store and ask for a refund, replacement or repair.

How long does the battery last?

This may depend on the type of the battery you use, some last longer than others for example the summer video monitor battery can last up to 10 hours. It’s best to find out from the dealer how long the battery lasts and to recommend the best one for you.

Can other people hear the transmission from my device?

This will depend on the type of Baby Video monitor you have. Digital enhanced cordless monitors do not transmit to other devices unless someone has intentionally scanned to pickup that particular transmission. Analog transmissions on the other hand will be subject to accidental signal interference either from or to your device.

How easy is it to set up the camera?

It should be as easy as finding a safe sport that will enable the camera have a clear view of the baby and the surrounding area. It really isn’t rocket science and it becomes even easier if you read the instruction manual which every gadget comes with. If there is no instruction manual, return it.

How far off from the camera can I go before the monitor stops receiving the signal?

That would depend on the manufacture’s design. Different baby monitors have different transmission radius but in most cases they will transmit anywhere around the house including in the garden for an ordinarily sized house, if you have a castle you may want to confirm with your supplier if it will transmit throughout the house.

What if I want to monitor the baby away from the house say at a friend’s home or the glossary store?
There are baby video monitors that support wifi transmission which means if you have an internet enabled monitor like a tab or the baby video monitor iphone which has an App with a number of interesting features such as room temperature monitor. But make sure your internet connection is good.

Am I limited to just one camera?

No the number of cameras you can have in the room is really up to you. On camera will be enough but if you would like to have different views of the room you can have more cameras. You however should remember to keep them a safe distance from the infant also you should know that having many cameras will mean you have to keep switching the view of the monitor from one camera to another.

How can I tell a good baby video monitor?

There may be other questions you may have that are not covered in this FAQ, feel free to forward them and we will endeavor to answer or read on and you may find it answered in the rest of this article.

Buying a baby monitor maybe very complex for a first timer but here are a few tips on how to execute this. For starters you will want to read more reviews about the different brands out there. The internet is a good place to do this but in the absence of internet you can ask friends and other people who may have used one before they would be able to give you their experience and recommendations on where and what to buy.

The next step would be to find one that fits into your budget. Once again the internet is a good place to go but if you happen to be in the company of other parents you can ask them as well. Shops that sell baby monitors can also help but at times they may just be looking to make a sale and wont cater for your best interests.

When buying anything, you will want to find one that offers a good warranty. The longer the warranty the better. One year’s warranty is just right but longer would be even better. A warranty will ensure that in case of any problem within the warranty period you will either have free servicing or replacement.

The reputation of a monitor or the company that makes it is quite important. Chances are if you have heard many good things about a product you will not be disappointed once you buy it. Likewise if you have just heard bad things about it, you will regret if you go ahead and purchase it.

Sound and visual quality should be tested before you purchase the monitor. Sound though is the most important aspect, many times you attention may not be on the monitor but at least you will be able to hear so if the baby is crying, you want to be able to hear that which means the sound quality should be crisp so that you can distinguish between a baby crying from the cut asking for food at a distance.
Consider the activities you usually do then picture how convenient a particular monitor will be. For example if you will want to sneak off to the grocery store while the baby has a nap, you may find it convenient to use a system that can transmit to your mobile phone.

Safety can never be over emphasized, considering you are dealing with a curious little person, codeless cameras are ideal as wires will attract a baby’s curiosity as they sway around. Also the camera should be stable; you do not want it falling down onto the baby with the slightest vibration of a surface.

The range of a monitor is very important. All manufacturers will tell you their product can work over 1000 feet radius but many times this is just misleading. If you have done the product review research, you should have in mind which monitor actually delivers on this promise. Disregard what the manufacturer claims and go for what other people have tried tested and proved. You can also carry out your own test both open field and in an area that has obstructions which is exactly what your house is like with walls between rooms.

Once you have bought the monitor of your choice from a retailer with a good return policy and warranty:

- be careful as you unpack it so that if there is any fault you will be able to return it.
- Perform a test immediately to ensure there is no interference. Remember the more the walls the more the interference. (ensure sound is clear even when you go farther)
- Turn on all other devices that may cause interference like a phone, wifi router, TV and try it out again in the places where you are likely to spend a lot of time away from the baby.
- If there are other parents with baby monitors in the neighborhood, test it again at night for interference and accidental transmission of other monitors
- If the monitor fails any one of these tests, return it as soon as possible as this is a problem you cannot fix and the monitor will be of no use to you.
If your monitor passes all these tests however, then you are in the clear you and your baby will sleep better and you will be more relaxed away from your baby.