Baby monitor reviews: FAQs
Baby monitors can re-assure you that baby is sleeping soundly
Do I really need a baby monitor?
Baby monitors give you a visible and audible way of keeping a check on your baby, without being in the room.
Some households find they can function perfectly well without a baby monitor as any cries can be heard through an open door or thin walls. But even so, there are still reasons why you might need one. For example, if you have a cat or dog, you will need to shut the nursery door. Gardening or laundry will take you outside, where you won’t be able to hear a crying baby. If you are a little hard of hearing, the visual element of the monitors such as sound-sensitive lights can be a big help.
Householders with thick walls will find baby monitors essential as their home is effectively sound-proofed.
Baby monitors provide peace of mind where a healthy baby is concerned, rather than actual safety. They should be used as an aid and not as a substitute for responsible and proper adult supervision.
You’ll need one from the time the baby is born.
Are all the features really necessary?
The basic features you’ll need are: good reception and transmission, sound-sensitive lights and a belt clip, if you want to take the transmitter everywhere you go.
Extra options ranging from nightlights to temperature displays, cot soothers and lullaby players can be bought separately. The effectiveness of integral nightlights, cot soothers and lullaby players to settle or pacify will depend on each individual baby. Video monitors are definitely at the luxury end of the market and are battery hungry in comparison to more usual sound monitors. This means that they are expensive to run, not just to buy.
Monitors with sensor pads have advantages and disadvantages. Some parents will find them reassuring, but others may find they create more anxiety. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths say that there is no evidence this kind of monitoring can prevent cot death.
It is up to the individual parent to choose a baby monitor and the optional extras that will suit them and their baby. They shouldn’t feel bullied into buying an expensive monitor on the grounds that it is safer or better, but if they want the optional extras, then they shouldn’t feel guilty for spending as much as they want.
Visit Features explained for an explanation of all the features.
Can other people hear my conversation on their monitors?
Whether other people can hear your conversations depends on your monitor type. DECT (digital enhanced cordless telecommunications) models should not have this problem, as scanning equipment is needed to listen to such signals. Digital signal may crop up on digital radios or other people’s monitors. Analogue signal is the most open to accidental broadcast as this can easily be picked up on normal radios and other people’s monitors.
Do I need a video monitor?
Video monitors are handy for looking at what is happening in your baby’s nursery, without making your presence felt. Babies are noisy sleepers. You can see if your baby is distressed rather than having a little fuss as they nap (even in the dark). This will stop you rushing in at the slightest murmur.
Unfortunately they are pricey, not just to buy, but also to run. They drain the batteries far faster than standard sound only monitors and have a far shorter range.