Mothercare
Kiddicare
Baby
John Lewis
Play
Early learn'
Argos
Baby Monitor
This essential item is used for remote baby listening.It allows you to monitor your child remotely while you're in a different room.
They offer you peace of mind.
Buying a baby monitor
Buying a baby monitor can be a bewildering experience. Here are some things to look for:1. Video baby monitor or Audio baby monitor?
Video baby monitors broadcast from the base unit in the baby's room to your remote device wirelessly.The main advantage to this type of monitor is that you can actually see your baby moving.
The set comprises of an infrared camera with built in microphone Most baby monitors work up to 100m, some even up to 300m and have multiple channel switching facilities to get the best quality signal.
Some devices boast features such as a room temperature display, night light, 2 way talking. Newer units work on a digital format, which provides less interference and better quality.
BT Digital Baby Monitor Plus COMPANY:BT PRICE:£69.95 (inc VAT)
RATING:
SHOPS:
Monitors direct
Argos
MothercareVerdict: Good quality reception, packed with features. Excellent value at £69.99.
The BT Digital Baby Monitor Plus is BT's top baby monitor.It's the only monitor we reviewed with 5 built in lullabies: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rockabye Baby, Mocking Bird, Brahm's lullaby and Golden Slumbers.
These are possibly a bit of a gimmick, but it's a bonus as I wouldn't expect to see this feature on a monitor ot this price.
With a range of up to 300m outdoors and 50m indoors, and an intercom feature, the monitor will also alert you if the link is lost between the devices (whether it is out of range or in the event of a power cut). The monitor also has a 'star lights' feature which provides a soft comforting nightlight.
The sound quality is amazing and we liked the fact that you can adjust the settings on the baby unit without setting foot in the room.
Also the addition of the handy travel pack, for use when travelling away from home was a nice touch.
- Digital Sound Clarity with no interference
- Nursery Temperature monitor
- 5 Lullabies
- Sound Sensitive Lights
- Nightlight
- Portable parent unit- up to 300m range (in ideal conditions)
- Travel Pack
- Backlit LCD on both Parent & Baby unit
- Adjustable Volume
RATING:
SHOPS:
Monitors direct
Argos
MothercareVerdict: An excellent monitor. Lost one star as the BT monitor (above) has more features and is £30 cheaper.
The Tomy Walkabout Platinum Digital monitor is the most expensive monitor we reviewed at £99.99.The vibration alert on the parent unit was really useful. Instead of hearing your baby, you receive a vibration on the unit and the LED's flash.
Great if you want to mow the lawn or listen to some music.
The temperature display on the parent unit shows the temperature of the baby's room. It also records minimum and maximum temperature - to observe temperature variances overnight in baby's room.
The blue night-light can be remotely operated by the parent unit, so there's no need to disturb baby using the main light in the nursery.
One of the really great things about this monitor is that there is a recharging docking station for the parent unit - no hassle with batteries.
- 100% interference free
- 120 auto-select channels
- Sound-sensitive light display
- Nightlight on baby unit
- Recharging docking station for parent unit
- LCD display with temperature read
- Last feed timer
- Vibration alert on parent unit for noisy environments
RATING:
SHOPS:
Monitors direct
Argos
MothercareVerdict: A good entry level baby monitor. Buy it if you're on a budget
The Tomy Walkabout Baby Advance monitor costs just £29.99.It's a basic no frills analogue unit. You can talk back to your baby and the operating distance is up to 300m.
However, the unit is based on older analogue technology which means that it can pick up interference. There are 4 channels to choose from, so you can always find one that is interference. free. It has a in-built scrambling device with 65,000 unique combinations ensures no-one can listen in. It has 2 way communication, handy for when baby needs a word of reassurance from afar.
In use, the sound quality was good, but not perfect. Even after changing channel, we found a certain amount of interference. The Tomy manual does however state: "Overhead power cables, local radio transmitters, tall buildings, similar monitoring/radio equipment operating in your local area may create interference."
- 4 channels
- 300m range
- 2 way communication
- Privacy guaranteed
- 3 x AA batteries required - parent unit