Selecting a Baby Monitor

A baby monitor is an essential purchase for expectant parents, as it will give you the peace of mind of being able to check on your sleeping baby wherever you are in your home. Unluckily, these monitors are the kind of device which you are unlikely to have any experience of until the time comes when you need one, and it can be tough to know which type to buy.

There are 3 basic kinds of monitor: audio, video, and movement or breathing.

The audio monitor is the most popular kind, and at its most basic comprises of a sender that you place in your baby’s nursery, and a pass catcher that lets you ‘listen in’, alarming you if your infant begins to cry or otherwise shows signs of waking. The inexpensive modules will have a fixed receiver that needs to be plugged into a wall socket for power, but most designs today have a rechargable moving pass catcher which you can take from room to room, or even outside so long as you remain in range.

The range of your monitor system will depend on a number of factors, including the structure of your house – thicker walls will reduce the range – and any sources of interference such as neighboring monitor systems, computer wireless networks, and even microwave ovens with some models.

Disturbance is less of a problem nowdays, as most models will now let you select from a range of transmits to control on, so if you do encounter intervention problems, you can switch to a new channel to hopefully clear things up. Several units only feature 2 or 4 transmits which you have to manually select, while the more advanced models now have hundreds of channels which will be selected automatically to minimize interference in the current circumstances.

The more modern monitors, like so much else these days, use digital technology. What this means in practise is a clearer signal, and an enhanced range of performance.

Those are the basics of audio monitors, but there are other characteristics available depending on the model. A modern one is an intercom or talkback system where you can talk to your baby with the help of the monitor, helping you to soothe her back to sleep without the disruption of going into the baby’s room. Other models may have nightlights or cradlesongs which you can set to play either automatically or manually, again without entering the room, while another common feature is temperature alerts where you can see how warm the baby’s room is, and be alarmed if it falls outside a safe range.

The last point to consider when taking a monitor system is cost. The range is ample, from only a few dollars up to a few hundred. For something as essential as a monitor though, it is commendable getting the best model you can buy, as after all, if the system does not perform well and you can’t trust it, then it’s efficaciously a waste of time.