The Best Baby Monitor Camera

Buying Guide

If you’re about to welcome a new bundle of joy, one of the most important items to put on your registry is a baby monitor camera. This gadget provides you with a live feed of your baby, which you can watch from another room in your house.

It’s ideal for when babies are going to bed, so you can see your baby in their crib or bassinet and determine whether or not they need your attention.

All babies and parents have different needs, so there is no one baby monitor camera that’s right for everyone. It’s important to ask yourself a few key questions to determine what kind of baby monitor camera you need. For example, how many handsets/receivers will you need? If you have a small home, one receiver will work fine. If you have a large property, then having multiple receivers might be helpful so you don’t always have to carry them around with you.

Opt for a receiver that’s small and easy to move around, instead of a large, heavy one. Those that can clip onto your belt are extra handy.

Consider how wide a range you need the baby monitor camera to have. Depending on your home’s size, layout and wiring, the signal may be blocked in some areas. Opt for a long-range, and test the baby monitor once you have it set up to see if there are any spots in your house where you don’t get a signal.

Keep frequency interference in mind as well. A neighbor’s radiofrequency can affect your monitor, for example. Go with a monitor that has encrypted digital or DECT technology that helps reduce frequency interference.

• One of the most important elements you want to check for on your baby monitor camera is the viewing angle. How much can you see of your baby’s room, and do you have the option to pan, tilt or zoom in with the camera from the receiver? This way, if you want to check something without disrupting your baby, you can adjust the camera remotely to take a look. This is a particularly handy feature for when you have a toddler who likes to move around and get out of bed at night.
• Sharp, colorful video is key on a baby monitor camera. You’ll want to make sure that you can clearly make out details. Also, be sure to check what the night vision is like because you’ll often be looking at the camera while it’s dark in your baby’s room.
• Having a light-up sound indicator is helpful so you can see when your baby is making noise, even if you put the monitor on mute. Some monitors have settings for sound activation, so you can turn off ambient noise from the monitor and only hear sounds if your baby cries out.
• Opt for a baby monitor camera that has two-way communication. This enables you to talk to your baby remotely through the monitor. You can use this to calm them down if they are upset, and once they are older, toddlers and preschoolers can use it to chat with you.
• Some baby monitor cameras have a thermometer so they can provide a temperature reading of your baby’s room. This is useful when it’s particularly hot or cold outside and you are concerned about keeping your baby’s room at a comfortable temperature.