Most parents choose monitors with the best prices and just hope for the best. There are so many video baby monitors at the mega-stores and they are all claiming to be the best.
Given below are some common video baby monitor features you should be looking for whenever you are choosing a video baby monitor for your baby.
How to Choose a Baby Monitor in 2020?
1. Security
Listening in on your home through your baby monitor is what other humans who live near you would do. There is a great potential for strangers to view your baby without your permission if you are using a video baby monitor. Even if you are living in an urban or suburban area, security features are always necessary.
I would prefer you to choose a baby monitor that uses DECT digital technology, which is only if you are looking for a video baby monitor that is harder to intercept. You should also make sure that your video baby monitor is password protected if it allows viewing over the internet or via a phone app.
2. Interference
Just like other items you have in your house, a video baby monitor also uses the same frequency. Cordless internet routers, phones, and anything else that receives or broadcasts a signal cloud cause interference.
If you chose a DECT digital monitor model, be sure that you will have less interference. 2.4 Hz is the frequency that most video monitors use, but some also use 900 Hz. Therefore, there are other options if one frequency doesn’t work for you.
3. Parent Unit Size
For those who love large video screens, then a wired video monitor should be the best choice for you. With a wired video monitor, you will be sacrificing portability but you will be able to see your child in detail.
On the other hand, if you would like a portable one, I would advise you to go for a wireless video baby monitor. A video screen handheld has its unit starting at about 1.5 inches to about 3.5 inches.
You should, therefore, choose a large screen that fits your price range. Consider a monitor that uses your phone as the parent unit if you really like the video capability of your phone.
4. Parent Unit Controls
Brightness, volume, and video on/off are the basic controls that you need on a parent unit. Switching off the video feed is very important because it improves battery life. Brightness control is another very important thing you should consider
It won’t be easy for you to sleep at night if you miss running down the bright video screen. Some other video monitors allow you to control the camera tilt, zoom and span for you to be able to look at more than one spot. The sound indicator or the vibration setting in addition to the volume control allows you to use the baby monitor via your phone.
The control buttons are well laid that you can easily find them in the middle of the night. Just look for a simple parent unit you can use even when you are tired.
5. Color and Night Vision
The color video feed is not a crucial feature, as long as the screen is large enough for you to see your baby. You can easily tell if your child is still asleep or awake in black and white.
A feature like the night vision is definitely a must-have. You wouldn’t be able to see what your child is up to all night if you do not have a night vision on your video monitor. The night vision is still important even when the sun is still up. As a parent, you, therefore, don’t need to keep the nursery dim for naps.
6. Pan, Tilt & Zoom
All video baby monitors have some mechanism of adjusting the cameras’ direction. The only difference that is there is how you are going to make the adjustments. It would be best if you have a static camera, you will only have to position it once hence it stays where you put it.
You are only able to change the angle by picking it up and moving it around. Some video monitors, which are mid-range have a tilt feature or manual pan where you only have to move the joint to change the cameras’ view.
7. Range
Normally, baby video monitors have a shorter range compared to audio-only monitors. Be ready to find video monitors that have a range of 400 to 600 feet. That range is enough to cover most of our houses. Although some ranges are lost as signals pass through the wall in the house.
8. Out of House Monitoring
All video baby monitors make it possible for you to peek at your baby from anywhere they are; provided they are inside your home. Some monitors also allow you to view your baby who is probably sleeping at home via the internet connection to your computer or phone
There is also a monitor that allows you to use your iPad as the parent unit. For working parents or those that want to share the video feed with family members, and out of the house monitoring ability is good for them.
9. Expandability
You should look for a video monitor that is expandable if you are planning to have more than one child. In the current market, there are several monitors availed, these monitors can easily accommodate four video cameras
The extra cameras have to be purchased separately therefore, you will also have to compare the cost of the cameras as you choose on a monitor to purchase. You can also try out systems with more than one parent unit if you are intending to share the baby monitor with other parents.
Conclusion
The selection of baby monitors is generally dependent on the requirement of the family and how they are going to use to monitor their baby. Above mentioned are the major factors which can be considered for any sort of baby monitor purchase. Don’t forget to share in comments about all the other factors which you consider before buying.
