Baby Monitor

Baby Monitors Features to Know About

• Audio

  Classic baby monitors consisted of audio microphones, which transmitted a live feed to other parts of the home, and many still take this approach. Some also include two-way transmission, letting parents talk to babies (which can help to reassure them). But all should include audio capture and volume settings.

• Range

  When picking a baby monitor, range is all-important. This refers to how far the monitor can send audio or video signals, and it's usually measured in metres. If you go for models with ranges over 300m, you can pop out to the garden or to receive deliveries, and still be confident of hearing any alarms. And you can even greet your baby on the way in from work (if your partner stays at home). That's a nice way to end the working day.

• Smart Technology

  “Smarter” baby monitors offer all sorts of extra features. Some let you play lullabies to babies. Others come with sophisticated temperature sensors, while some breathing baby monitor models can detect tiny changes in the way your baby breathes, giving instant alarms for anxious parents. But even generic monitors from the leading brands tend to come with features like motion alerts, so it's not usually necessary to splash out on high-end smart versions unless you have specific requirements.

• Video

  Many products fall into the video baby monitor category, and there are various ways to capture and transmit live footage of your child as they sleep. Some have fixed cameras with low resolutions. These will be the cheapest monitors by far. More expensive options include pan and tilt, HD capture, and full night vision. If you are really concerned to stay in touch with your baby, those extra video features will be welcome, but for many people basic capture is enough. It may also be worth thinking about monitors with 2 or more cameras to capture every angle.

• Screen Size

  Screen size is a key feature of all video baby monitors, and sizes vary widely, from around 2-inches to 10-inches. Prices rise as screens get larger, but if you can afford a wide-screen model you'll benefit much more from your product's ability to capture video. Smaller screens can be more portable, but the footage is harder to analyse, which is an issue when you are trying to see whether babies are in danger.

• Power

  Baby monitors will often be mains powered, which is fine for most purposes. However, if there is a power cut, this can lead to monitors going offline – often at the time when outages can be most dangerous. That's why battery powered monitors can be a good alternative. You'll have to swap batteries every now and then, but if you do so you'll be guaranteed uninterrupted connectivity.

• Alarms

  Baby monitors are usually employed to increase the awareness of parents, so that they can respond to emergencies. And that requires some form of alarm. The best models include different settings so that alarms can be made unobtrusive (or extremely loud if needed). Some also include vibrating alerts, while other hook up with smartphones to provide extra alert capabilities.