What to Look for in a Baby Monitor

By Ashley King

One of the greatest helps for busy parents these days are baby monitors. With a baby monitor, you are not only allowed greater freedom of movement around the house, but you can also provide better safety for your children, even when it's not possible for you to be right by their side. However, new parents may find it difficult to select a baby monitor that is right for them, since there are so many different varieties available.

Listed below are some qualities that should be taken into consideration when searching for a good monitoring device, whether it is audio, digital, video, or analog that you select.

1. Clarity of reception (whether audio or video) and low static is the most important consideration to ensure the safety of your child. You need to be able to clearly hear or see your baby's activities.

2. Having a baby monitor that's small and easy to carry is useful when you need to move around, doing your chores. Such monitors often come with really tiny receivers.

3. Many baby monitors come equipped with receivers that have belt clips so that the parents can carry the device around with them. It's important to ensure that the attachment is durable enough to endure daily usage if you intend to frequently carry the receiver throughout the house.

4. Some baby monitors also have flashing light alarms which activate when sound is received. These are great for moments when you are distracted by other loud sounds - perhaps your mixer or lawn mower is runner, or maybe the TV is on.

5. This is often overlooked, so do ensure your baby monitor has a feature that indicates when the device's battery is low. Not knowing battery levels, you could be unaware that the device is not working, and possibly compromise your baby's safety.

6. Choose the right range or bandwidth for your needs. If you have a large house, then you'll need a wider range. A smaller house or apartment might not need as much range especially if you live in an area where there could be a lot of interference such as cell phones and other monitors that could disrupt the signals.

7. If you're considering a wireless model, be aware that you might experience interference with the signal. You and your next-door neighbors may utilize similar channels and wind up hearing noises from each other's homes. Cordless telephones may also interfere with your signal. Look for a product that utilizes no-interference technology or has additional security features.

8. The combination of sound and visual monitoring in a video baby monitor is also possible nowadays due to technological innovations. However, even though the video option does seem like a great idea, it isn't possible or practical to sit and stare at the screen constantly. Consequently, excellent sound quality should not be sacrificed for supplementary features.

As far as baby monitors are concerned, the most expensive one is not necessarily the most useful. Go for a baby monitor that is durable and strong enough for daily use, and, most importantly, the baby monitor should have all the requirements you want to ensure your child's safety.