By: Yara El-Hemily & Heidi Soliman

Nowadays parents are busier than ever due to the numerous daily responsibilities and duties that fall on them. These responsibilities and duties becomes even a bigger burden when there’s a new baby in the house. Having a baby monitor let parents carry out house duties worry-free, while knowing the state of their baby, whether sleeping, crying, etc. even when the baby is far away from them. And it saves a lot of their time and energy than having to physically check on their baby to know if he/she is sleeping well or sleeping in the right position. Studies show that till a child turns one parents miss 1836 hours of sleep, about 77 days due to the time spent monitoring the baby at night.

Having a baby monitor is essential to guarantee the child’s safety. If their baby is sleeping in another room they will know when the baby wakes up as they will be able to hear/see every sound in the baby’s room. They wouldn’t have to wake up every now and then just to check on the baby. They can sleep comfortably worry-free knowing that their baby is safe by himself/herself.

The baby monitor comes in handy when parents leave their baby with the nanny, that way mothers and fathers can constantly check on their baby when being far away from them for a long time.

Because there are so many kinds and types of baby monitors, Yaoota decided to give you the ultimate guide to help you choose the best option for the safety of your baby. In this review you will know about the pros, cons and specs of each baby monitor. If you like any of the models reviewed,  you can simply place your order online through Yaoota and have your order delivered to your doorstep.

*Prices listed in this article are the ones provided at the time of its publication, and are subject to change according to the supply and demand of the market.

Things to consider before buying a baby monitor

Security

Analog baby monitors are usually cheaper than digital ones and the problem with analog baby monitors is that anyone can hear the signals it sends. For that reason digital baby monitors are known to be safer because they code the signals before sending them.   

You want to hear the baby only or watch him/her too?

It’s important to know why you want to buy a baby monitor, whether you want a monitor that will allow you to hear the baby or you want to watch him/her. Of course sound only baby monitors are cheaper than visual monitors. Visual and sound baby monitors have different qualities and designs. Some of them work in the dark and some of them give you the option to monitor your child even when you are at work.   

Frequency

The frequency of each monitor depends on the distance between you and the baby. If the distance is far then you will need a device with high frequency but if the baby’s room is close to your room or if the house’s space is not that large, then you won’t need a high-frequency baby monitor.

Size

The smaller the baby monitors the better of course and easier to move from one place to another. If portability is an important thing for you, there are baby monitors that work on mobile phones without needing a second baby monitor unit.

Low battery notification

Some devices have an indicator that notifies you when the battery is low and of course this is a good feature.

Multi-signal monitors  

If you have more than one child and each has his/her own room, the multi-signal monitor will be for you as it will allow you to monitor more than one room at the same time.

Multi-receiving monitors

If more than one person is monitoring the baby this comes in handy as it sends signals to two monitors at the same time.

Now lets take a look at Yaoota’s most popular baby monitors: 

1- Philips Avent Analogue Baby Monitor

Description

• Adjustable channel settings to help eliminate interference
• Variable volume control to hear any humming
• Linking the extra parent units for easy mobility
• Simple lights and sounds to let you know you are connected and makes you alert to the baby
• Stylish, handheld unit with a range of up to 150m
• Dimensions: 20x10x30 cm
• Weight: 400g
• Extra unit for parents
• Battery lasts 6 hours
• Power: 110-240 V
• Frequency range: 40 MHz analog
• Number of channels: 3
• Low battery notification
• Suitable age: 0-6 months

Pros

• Good price
• Easy to use
• Clear and loud sound
• Flexible

Cons

• No image, just sound

User experience

• Helpful and makes the parent constantly alert when carrying out house duties
• Good quality and lasts for many years

Check out the Philips Avent Analogue Baby Monitor here.

2-Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor

Description

• 100% transmission privacy
• Soothing night light
• Update option
• You can monitor the temperature in your baby’s room and indoor frequency range up to 50 meters
• Perfect clear sound due to DECT technology
• Rechargeable parent unit
• Can operate for up to 18 hours
• Power: 120W
• Charging time: 10 hours
• Automatic channel pickup
• Low battery notification
• Automatic alert when out of range
• Ages: 0-6 months
• LCD screen
• Vibration mode

Pros

• High coverage
• Songs and melodies help the baby sleep
• No sound interferences
• Battery lasts for long
• Has an alarm if you disconnect from the device

Cons

• A little expensive
• Doesn’t have a clip-on or a belt that you can attach to your clothes, so you have to carry it around in your hands.
• Doesn’t have an extra parent unit
• The sound should have been a little louder

User experience

• Very clear sound and you won’t find any difficulties in hearing the baby’s voice or in the baby hearing your voice, due to the enhanced transmission technology
• It’s very safe, so you don’t worry about someone hearing your voice from outside the house due to the DECT Technology that gives you 100% privacy
• Easy to set up and use. But not many people might like its design and shape.

Check out the Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor here.

3- Chicco Top Digital Audio Baby Monitor

Description

• Weight: 163g
• Dimensions: 3x6x11 cm
• Power: battery
• Baby monitoring unit
• Parent monitoring unit
• 2 adopters
• Headphones
• Digital rechargeable batteries
• Catalog

Pros

• Lightweight and compact
• It takes batteries and efficient for traveling
• Parent unit lasts 12 hours
• Displays time and date

Cons

• The catalog’s font is too small
• The sound is a little low
• Doesn’t come with a remote control

User experience

• A little expensive but has fine features  

Check out the Chicco Top Digital Audio Baby Monitor here.

4- Chicco Classic Audio Baby Monitor

Description

• Two unit operate via rechargeable batteries or via its own adaptor
• Frequency: about 150m
• Voice activation feature

Pros

• Sound is very clear and there isn’t interferences
• Covers a large area

Cons

• Small base holder, so the monitor can fall out easily
• No image, sound only  

User experience

• One of the best baby monitors in the market, there are no interferences like in other similar products, especially when being placed beside a radio or a TV

Check out the Chicco Classic Audio Baby Monitor here.

5- Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens

Description

• The first device to come out with an optical lens, which allows you to adjust it and even widen the angle or narrow it
• LCD color display (3-1/2 inch)
• Battery life: 10 hours in battery-saving mode and 6 hours when the screen is on  
• Color: white  

Pros

• The camera’s image is very clear, even at night
• The sound is very clear
• Very easy to assemble
• The camera is very light

Cons

• The buttons sometimes stop working
• Doesn’t cover a wide area

User experience

• The image is always very clear even at night and in the dark. And you can talk to the baby and calm him/her down by hearing your voice
• Adjusting the image is a great option, you can adjust the angle and size of the image and even the sound. The baby monitor works wirelessly, which means you can carry it around with you while you do house duties
• The microphone is very sensitive and catches even the quietest sound, which is an advantage for many users, but a disadvantage for many as it catches every sound the baby produces even the sound of him/her breathing, this is a problem for lightsleepers because they will wake up regularly
• A little expensive but it’s fine because it has many advanced features
• Sometimes the buttons stop working, which will force you to restart the monitor

Check out the Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor here.

And for more baby monitors go here.

If you have any experiences with baby monitors, please leave us a comment and let us know.