subject: What To Know When Choosing A Baby Monitor [print this page] It's normal for first-time parents to be afraid of what they don't know. They worry about the baby needing attention and not hearing their infant if they are in another room. They wonder how they will know if the baby is awake with actually waking the baby up. Is the new nanny trustworthy while I'm at work?
For some people, a baby monitor is a necessity, making life less stressful and allowing parents to tap into their child's world at any moment, from any location. For others, the baby monitor system is overwhelming because they never really feel like they can "take a break." It's up to each couple to decide whether a monitor is a good fit for their family.
There are a number of helpful features to look for in a modern baby monitor. For instance, some offer both sound and lights, which is handy for parents who are working, on the phone, or would rather not hear a sudden, ear-piercing shriek through the receiver. Often, the louder the baby cries, the more lights flash. Also, video monitors can show a sleeping baby or a baby who is awake, also eliminating the need for audio tracking.
Some wireless baby monitors come with more than one receiver, which is a good option for larger houses or two parents who are on-duty at the same time. Belt clips are ideal for the on-the-go parent who is moving around the house and doesn't want to be bothered with the hand-held receiver. After all, what good is a monitor if one forgets to have it in the room?
One of the most common complaints with the baby monitor is interference. This is the downside of any sort of transmitting device, like a cell phone, cordless phone, pager or wireless internet connection. Cell phones, appliances, radios and fluorescent lights can all possibly interfere with a new baby infant monitor, causing fuzzy reception and strange voices to be heard through the receiver.
Even video monitors can suffer poor reception, so it's important that a monitor is selected that operates on different frequencies. (For instance, a 2.4 GHz monitor and a 2.4 GHz cordless phone may interfere with each other). If the next door neighbors are also monitoring a baby, then digital baby monitors will ensure the neighbors aren't listening in to your house.
There are many different brands of baby monitor systems available today, with some of the top rated being Graco, Philips and Summer Infant. The Philips SCD 589 ($200) has a ton of features and has had many positive reviews, such as: customers saying they suffered no interference. The Graco iMonitor ($90) has two parent receivers and is also rated good for reception. Similarly, the Summer Infant Secure Sounds ($50) offers a lot of privacy, without all the special features of the more expensive Philips baby monitors.
For pet owners, the Evenflo Whisper Connect Sensa ($50) will detect motion around the baby's crib to alert parents when the cat or dog is nosing around the crib. The high-tech Mobicam ($190) lets parents tape their video monitoring or watch the videos on the TV screen.
No matter what you decide these days it seems everyone has a baby monitor and most would say they are glad they have one.
by: Michael McMahon
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