Promoting safety at home is every parent’s responsibility. Baby monitors make parenting so much easier because of the peace of mind it brings to parents as their children sleep. The prevalence of video baby monitors on the market is a big factor in making the right choice.
Finding the perfect baby monitor is challenging because there are tons of these items on the market. Although this task is difficult, it is totally possible. Knowing what to look for in a baby monitor is the best step to start your research in finding the best baby monitor for your household. Baby monitors should be on top of priority items when you start creating baby registry.
So, before you go ahead and make that purchase, take a step back and consider the following factors as guidelines in buying a baby monitor.
- Audio or Video?
This is probably the most difficult question to answer. Deciding between an audio or video baby monitor depends on a lot of factors that need to be considered- your baby’s needs, your activities, your security concerns, your budget and more. By determining these factors, you will be guided whether or not a video feed will be beneficial for you, or you’ll do away with the audio-only type, which is simpler and easier.
Audio Baby Monitors. These are the conventional baby monitors that a lot of parents have been accustomed to. Our grandparents may have used this in their time, but most new parents already prefer the more advanced ones that offer the video functionality. With audio baby monitors, signals are transmitted through radio channels, and then to the parent unit. Think of a 2-way radio and you’ll get the idea. It’s simple, and therefore cheaper, not to mention extremely easy to operate.
Parents who prefer audio-only monitors only want to make sure they can hear their baby when he cries in the middle of the night, so they can attend to his needs. After all, being immediately available for the baby is the main purpose of these monitors. No complex operations, no accessories. Just plain hearing the baby whenever he cries.
Video Baby Monitors. Modern technology has given parents extra eyes on their baby from the comfort of their own bedroom. For parents who prefer video feeds on top of being able to hear their young one, the advantage of the video baby monitors is being able to see what their baby is doing, and what is going on in the nursery. This extra pair of eyes provides an extra sense of reassurance to parents, which makes it more expensive compared to audio-only unit baby monitors.
Video baby monitors cost more than twice compared to the audio-only devices. However, they also offer a number of extra features that make baby monitoring easier and more convenient. With its tons of features, newer models have become a little bit more complicated to use but it offers better accessibility. You can now connect your baby monitor to the Internet and stream the feed on your smartphones and iPads.
With the advanced new features that modern video baby monitors are offering, an issue of security has been raised in light of recent events where the baby monitors are hacked and controlled remotely by strangers from across the globe. This brings us to the next factor, security.
- Is it secure?
One may argue that audio-only monitors are so much safer. While this is in a way true, there are still factors that determine this so-called security. Wireless baby monitors with Wi-Fi features transmit signals through the World Wide Web and may be snatched and used by anyone watching effortlessly unless it’s encrypted.
Wi-Fi. Perhaps posing more risks is the ability of some baby monitor models to connect to Wi-Fi and transmit feeds to smartphones and iPads. This modern feature may make it easier for parents to monitor their children from anywhere they have to be, but this also causes a plethora of concerns if the security of the transmission isn’t prioritized.
If you think you need the more advanced video baby monitor, you have to be aware of the security risks that comes along with your choice. Make sure thatyou are prepared in dealing these concerns to ensure the safety of your family, especially that of your young one.
Eliminating security risks entails a deeper understanding of how video feeds are transmitted. Take time to read and understand how these devices work.Alarming reports of home invasions have been circulating in the news. Parents have to be more aware of the devices they’re using- especially the ones that might compromise the safety of their household. It does not only help to be well-informed, it might just save lives. Be vigilant and learn about the safety precautions of your baby monitor. It’s always better to be safe than to be sorry.
- Is it reasonably priced?
Although this question is more subjective than it is objective, you still need to ask yourself if the price fits your budget, and if it can be justified by the features it offers. Does it require any other additional purchases, i.e., malware and anti-virus as well as firmware updates? Are there purchases required every few months?
From the very basic baby monitors, which can be bought from $19, a number of new models that can be as pricey as $300 can easily entice you with its state-of-the-art and modern features that might make parenting so much easier and more convenient. The question remains. Is it within your budget?
- How is the video and audio quality?
This is where you’ll find it extremely helpful to read baby monitor reviews before making a decision. The quality of the audio and video will determine how much peace of mind your baby monitor can give you at night, or when you’re attending to other household chores while your baby naps.
The audio and video qualities of baby monitors are easy to spot when you’re shopping online, just read customer reviews. Regardless of the number of advanced features, be wary of poor video and audio quality. Baby monitor consumer reports are useful to look at as well in determining if you’ve made the right choice.
Choosing the best baby monitor is a personal choice. What’s best for you might not be the best for others. So when you buy a baby monitor always consult yourself and your spouse.In addition,you should consider your responses in the guidelines presented above.We hope that this article helps you decide in getting the best baby monitor for your family.
