A Guide To Buying A Baby Monitor

When it comes to buying a baby monitor you will be amazed at just how many different types and styles there are. But as you will soon learn each one has its own purpose and as such you need to think about what you want first of all, before going out and trying to buy one.

We have created this buying guide to give you a bit more information on each type of baby monitor you can buy. We have also highlighted some important points you need to think about, so you will be able to approach the buying decision with more certainty.

If you have read the home page of our site already, you will know that we have already gone into the various different types of monitor that are available. So what we will be doing here is to elaborate on what we have already learned, in order to make your decision easier to make.

So without further ado, let’s dive in.

A Selection of the different types of Baby Monitors available

What type of baby monitor do you want to buy?

This can depend on your own preference as well as a number of other factors. If you want something fairly simple to use then an audio monitor will allow you to hear when your baby wakes up. You won’t be able to see them but it works perfectly well nonetheless. Lots of parents use this type of monitor.

If you would like to see them as well as hear them then you need to opt for a video monitor. These tend to have night vision on them as well, enabling you to make use of the baby monitor just as happily at night as you would during the day.

The ultimate kind of monitor is one that keeps an eye on your baby’s breathing. These are most often known as breathing monitors or movement monitors, and their purpose is to ensure that your baby does not become a victim of SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

This monitor generally consists of a mat that is put into the cot underneath what the baby sleeps on. If there is no kind of movement at all for the space of a few seconds then the alarm system will alert you. It is quite something to think that these monitors are sensitive enough to pick up the slightest loss of movement even while your baby is sleeping. That is why they are becoming ever more widespread and popular to buy.

The benefits of buying an audio monitor

Audio monitors are the most basic type. As such they are also the cheapest so you should give these some consideration if you are on a tight budget and you want just a straightforward baby monitor then this will be your best bet.

Are there any disadvantages?

Since there is no video element you won’t be able to see your baby. And some of the cheaper models work on the mains only, so you may not have the same level of versatility and movement that you would have with a battery powered model.

The benefits of buying a video monitor

Video monitors are great if you want to see what your baby is up to! It means that if they throw their bedding over their face you will know immediately and you can creep in and put things right.

The other main advantage of a video monitor is that it generally has a much longer life. We are referring to the fact that you can use it long after your baby has grown big enough to leave the cot and they have a room of their own. Even parents with toddlers use video monitors to make sure they aren’t getting up to mischief when they should be in bed.

Are there any disadvantages?

The main disadvantage is probably the price. You will pay more for a good quality video monitor, but then you will be getting two types of monitor in one really. It just depends on whether you want the extra comfort of being able to see as well as hear what baby is doing.

The benefits of buying a movement monitor

The benefits of this are clear. If the unthinkable should happen and your baby stops breathing at any point for more than a few seconds, this monitor will know and it will send you a signal immediately. The idea for this came about in the fight to stop Sudden Infant Death Syndrome claiming the lives of young babies.

Are there any disadvantages?

Not one – the price you will pay for this type of monitor is quite small anyway. And when you think of what you are getting in the way of peace of mind, you can see that this really is a good deal.

Other pointers to think about

Of course it doesn’t just come down to the type of monitor you want to buy. There are plenty of other points that need to be considered too, to enable you to buy the best possible baby monitor for you. You want to be sure you are going to get months of easy and pleasant use from your purchase, so with that in mind the following points should help you.

How much do you want to spend?

This is an important consideration. The most expensive baby monitors can come in at well over £100, so if that is too much for you to manage you will need to look at the cheaper end of the market.

Obviously if you only have £20 or £30 to spare, you may not be able to get a video monitor. That is why it is vital to see if you can match up what you want with what you can afford.

The good news is that you can find a wide range of prices for each type of monitor, depending on what brand and make you decide to buy. So do shop around to see what is available before making your final decision.

What kind of range will you need your baby monitor to have?

Every baby monitor has a certain range that it will work within. For example, one might have a two hundred metre range, and another might have a four hundred metre range. This basically means you can go twice as far with the second model as you can with the first.

Now you might not think you will need a monitor with a very big range, but it pays to get the best one you can. For example, let’s say you have a short garden so even if you are outside you won’t go too far away from where your baby is sleeping.

But supposing you are on holiday and in unfamiliar surroundings? You wouldn’t leave your baby unattended at any time, of course – but you might run into problems if it only has a range of a hundred metres. The rule of thumb is always to get the best range you can; it usually pays dividends, even if not all the time.

Would you prefer a mobile clip on unit to a static one?

Again this isn’t something that everyone thinks of straightaway. But we all know that when baby is asleep it is a good time to get lots of chores done if at all possible.

So what will you do if your parent unit is designed to be a static one? They sometimes have handy little carry handles but they aren’t ideal for moving around all the time.

That is why looking for a baby monitor which has a useful belt clip is the best bet. All you have to do is make sure it’s on and turned up, and you can just walk around doing whatever needs doing while listening out for your little one. It’s the perfect solution, and lots of baby monitors come with this simple but effective add on feature.

Would a battery operated baby monitor be more practical for you?

Baby monitors that work by being plugged into the mains are ideal if you are at home. But they obviously aren’t as versatile as the ones that can be run on batteries.

The advantage of these is that you can take them anywhere you want to without having to worry about finding a plug socket. They also invariably have a built in warning indicator, so there is no chance of the batteries running flat without you realising. All you have to do is to keep an eye on the indicator and replace them as and when necessary.

The benefits of having multiple channels to choose from on your monitor

The more expensive baby monitors should normally give you more channels to use. You might question why this is necessary but when you find out that you can get interference on some channels – depending on what other items are being used in the vicinity – you will see why having more than one channel is useful. Even if your mobiles don’t interfere with it, the one your neighbour is using might!

So make sure you opt for a baby monitor that says it has several channels to use. You know you will be able to use it safely without any problems if it does.

The benefits of having a baby monitor with sound and lights

Some of the more advanced audio monitors also have lights on them. These go on and off depending on whether your baby is making any noise, as well as how loud they are.

You might wonder why you would need this when you can just listen out for them. But let’s suppose you have friends over and you don’t want to be listening out for any noise all the time. A monitor with lights as well can be turned down and placed somewhere you will easily see it. That way you can rely on the visual signal that your baby has woken up, rather than just the audio one.

Lights are becoming more and more popular on many audio monitors now, and many of the cheaper models do have them as well.

What do other parents think?

There is nothing better than having the opinions of other parents to go on when you are considering buying a baby monitor for your own family.

There are two ways you can go about this. The first method is to ask for advice from any parents you already know. See what baby monitors they have used themselves and get an opinion on what they think of them.

The second thing to do is to go online and visit either some parent friendly forums or some websites that are selling baby monitors themselves. Quite often these websites have a facility that enables previous buyers to leave comments or reviews about the monitors they have bought. This is ideal since you can get a wide range of views on one particular monitor – especially if you look at a number of sites before you decide which one to buy.

In conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot to think about before you can actually buy and pay for your baby monitor. Everyone has different likes, dislikes and needs. Finding out what you ideally want and what you would like is the most important thing, as well as staying within your budget.

You might want to consider whether you would prefer a specific brand of baby monitor as well. Many companies make a whole range of items for baby and parents, and if you have had a good experience with one of them already, you might go straight to them first.

But don’t disregard other companies. Shop around and see who promotes which baby monitors. Who could serve your needs best? Who offers the best monitor for the best price? And most importantly, what do parents think of the monitors they have bought already?

Once you have covered all the bases like this, you can safely forge ahead and ensure that you buy the best monitor for you.