Many parents are realizing that affordable home security cameras can be used to securely stream video from a baby’s nursery with quality that surpasses so-called baby monitors at a cheaper price to boot. Most connected baby monitors are effectively just home security cameras, like the Nest Cam Indoor —devices that let you watch another location with color video, night vision, and sound, so you can tell if anything is amiss.
New Arrivals In The Marketplace
Very sleek in its appearance while being robust in features, the Nanit Plus is an always connected (even when your internet goes down) monitor that will give parents a live, HD-quality, focused video view of all their baby’s activities while in the crib. Thanks to a digital signal the picture can be broadcast directly to their smart devices from across the world.
The arrival of the Eufy SpaceView in 2018 set a new standard for baby monitors, with better video and image quality, battery life on the parent unit (aka the monitor), video signal range, user interface, and even breadth with which the camera can pan and tilt than any other local-video option available.
A conventional video baby monitor will use a camera and a handheld LCD display, often called a parent unit or base unit. There are now also Wi-Fi enabled systems that connect directly to your home network and use your smartphone or tablet as both the display and the controller. This is similar to many DIY home security cameras. If you turn off the screen at night to save some juice, audio cues will still light the sound-activated LED bar so that, as the company notes, you can “see when your baby is crying.” An extra charging cable is included, while a built-in temperature sensor, two-way talk and night vision round out the monitor’s features. Video, Audio, or Both: First-time parents are suckers for high-definition, night-vision baby monitors where they can pick up on exactly how their child’s chest is rising and falling.
Look For Night Vision
A new addition, Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Color Video Monitor, allows parents to follow their baby’s activity with a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen display. It also features automatic black-and-white night vision for those late-night diaper changes. A great feature includes two-way audio (which is finally becoming a common security feature) and room temperature monitoring. Most expensive monitoring systems are complete smart devices that utilize remote controlled cameras and sound activation. Video-capable monitoring devices share the most similarities with home security systems, as they’re often equipped with motion tracking and infrared night vision – both features typically found on security cameras.
From a cost perspective, the more features you add, the more the price goes up. You will also usually pay more for a larger video screen or additional cameras or parent monitors. A wide assortment of audio and video, wired and wireless baby monitors with additional features such as infrared night light, in-built lullabies, temperature sensors are available in stores and online. Devices with better audio and video quality tend to cost more, but they also allow parents to really know what’s going on in their baby’s nursery.
Some parents are fine with basic baby monitors that simply let them know if their baby makes a sound, while others prefer crystal-clear audio and video. A good monitor will make parents and baby feel safer.