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.