Guide to baby monitors
Guide to baby monitors
A guide to the many baby monitor options
By the YeahBaby.com editorial staff
Baby monitors allows you to use a baby´s sleep time to enjoy life´s pleasures or to catch up on household chores. Baby monitors allow you to keep in touch with precious one while being in another room, giving you complete peace of mind. There are many types of baby monitors from the simple to the extravagent.
There are two types of baby monitors - both audio and video. Audio monitors use a microphone and capture any baby noises and transmit the sound to parents. The device allows parents use to listen to the baby noises is called a receiver. All baby monitors will have at least one receiver, and many will have a second receiver so both parents can listen. Some audio monitors will include a movement indicator. A movement indicator uses a movement detection pad placed underneath the infant. Your receiver will indicate when your baby is moving, a possible sign your haby is awake! Audio monitors typically come in the $40 to $90 price range
Video monitors let you see and hear your baby. Video baby monitors use a discreetly placed small camera in yoru nursery to overlook the crib or bassinette, while beeming the audio and video back to the parents. The audio and video can display on a small television, or a handheld cordless television. You may want to consider a baby monitor with an infrared camera, enabling you to view your baby in the dark. Using a video baby monitor to see your baby will give you a greater sense of comfort, but they are more expensive than audio monitors.
Stronger transmitters are needed if your room is far away from the baby´s room. Having stone or cement walls in your home will also require a stronger transmitter than wooden walls.
Receivers are sensitive to interference from microwaves, computer equipment, cordless phones, and physical obstructions. The least expensive receivers operate at 49 MHz and are the most susceptible to interference. 900 Mhz receivers are the next step up are suitable for most needs. The top level receivers operate at 2.4 GHz, offering you the best clarity and the least amount of interference. Transmitter/receivers having multiple channels lessens the chances of interference. Some receivers even have a range finder which beeps when your receiver is no longer in contact with the transmitter.
Baby monitors with a rechargable battery will likely save you money in the long run. And when not in use, its always smart to keep your baby monitor on its recharger.
YeahBaby.com does not recommend a certain type of baby monitor, but recommends you evaluate what your time means to you. Busy people with little free time might want to invest more in their baby monitor to free up as much time as possible. People with more time on your hands may opt for a baby monitor with less bells and whistles. But always remember, there is no substitute for checking in on your little one.
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