How to Select a Baby Monitor.

Choosing the right baby monitor can be intimidating, especially if you’re doing it with a new baby on the way.

Not only do you need to take into account your budget and what features are important to you, but you also need to consider whether to go with something wired or wireless,

whether you want to have multiple cameras, and how important it is that you can hear audio in the nursery while you’re not there.

In this article, we’ll walk through all of these considerations so that you know exactly what kind of baby monitor will best suit your needs as a new parent.

Best baby monitors

There are many products available when it comes to baby monitors, and it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one is best.

The first step in choosing an ideal monitor is figuring out what you’re looking for; there are many different factors that affect your decision, including range, ease of use, features, and sound quality.

Things to Consider

• How old is your child?
• Are you looking for an audio-only monitor or do you need one with video capabilities?
• Does your household have multiple floors, or are you limited to one floor?
• Do you want a camera that connects only to WiFi, or will you require cellular capabilities?

Types of Monitors

There are two basic types of baby monitors, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

The first one is an audio-only monitor; these devices transmit sound but don’t allow you to see baby.

The second type is a video monitor—these devices use cameras to send images from baby’s room straight to your smartphone or tablet.

Choosing Between an Audio-only Monitor and One With Video

Audio-only monitors are less expensive than video baby monitors, and they’re much easier to use—just pick up your child’s voice.

The downside is that you can hear everything else going on in your house, too. If you’re already worried about how noisy it will be with your new family member, audio-only might not be an ideal option. Video monitors let you see (and communicate with) your little one anytime anywhere.

The other main benefit? You won’t have to listen to any background noise at all.

Range and Frequency

The distance from which you can monitor your baby and how much you can see will vary depending on where your camera is placed. Its better to look for an adjustable range (the ability to zoom in/out of an image) as well as a digital pan/tilt/zoom feature. These features are key, as they allow you to adjust focus remotely.

Interference, Signal Strength, and Battery Life

It’s critical that you have an idea of how much interference your potential monitor will experience.

Interference can occur when two devices use similar frequencies and are close by, causing crosstalk in your baby monitor.

Pricing

1. Price your baby monitor based on its capabilities and features.
2. At bare minimum, you should be able to find monitors that offer sound activation, low- or high-quality video, audio monitoring, talkback capability and a range of up to 900 feet.
3. You should consider extra features such as nightlights, lullabies, temperature sensors and heat alarms.
4. The more options you have at your disposal, the better able you’ll be to decide which feature is most important.