Peace of Mind: Must-Have Features in Low-Tech Baby Monitors
I was pretty sure the monitor woke the baby. Our room was next to the nursery, and there was no middle ground between not hearing the monitor and having the monitor at a super loud volume. I never would have thought about that when selecting a monitor.
Some of the key features of a low-tech baby monitor are easy to overlook. While they generally lack the razzle-dazzle of fancy internet-connected monitors, low-tech offline video monitors offer peace of mind that your baby monitor cannot be hacked from anywhere in the world.
Here are what I consider to be the top features, and I want to start with my favorite: long battery life.
Battery Life
There is nothing more annoying than the beep from a dying baby monitor. Imagine it is 8 PM, we're laying on the couches watching Love Is Blind and "beep, beep." I look at Paris, and she looks at me. "Welp, hopefully nobody breaks up while I go plug in this baby monitor," I think to myself.
Battery life is huge for us. We don't keep it plugged in very much during the day, and it is astonishing that after two years, it only recently started to bother us to plug it in. Look for a monitor that has all-day battery life and cross your fingers it stays that way for a long time.
Sound-Activated LEDs
You don't want to listen to your baby cry more than you have to. The sound-activated LEDs alert you that your baby is crying while the audio is muted.
Temperature Sensors
This is one of the best features and one that I rely on to know that the nursery isn't too hot or cold. If the baby seems to stir or act like they’re uncomfortable, it is the first place I look. We did realize early on that with our monitor, the temperature reading was affected by the heat of the electronics, which raised the temperature a couple of degrees, so we always take that into account.
Range
You want to make sure that you have coverage throughout your home. Anywhere from 600 to 1000 feet of range will be good for most homes. You don't need to have crazy long range; the limited range is a security feature as low-tech monitors can be susceptible to the signal being intercepted within range.
Security Features
Limited range, however, is not the only security feature. Monitors may have Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) Technology, which rapidly switches frequencies to prevent signal interception, or even encrypted transmission, which adds another layer of security. The other side of security is knowing when the device is not operational with features like a visual out-of-range indicator, interference indicator, or the aforementioned audible and visible low battery indicators.
Picture Quality
I can't tell you how many times we squinted at the monitor and asked, "What’s going on?" Great picture quality and night vision are helpful because they can save you from having to go into the nursery to check. Ours would wake up at the turn of a door handle, and nobody wants to needlessly cut a nap short.
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Additional Features
Additional features to look for include:
Parent unit with secured battery cover compliant with Reese's Law.
Durable but lightweight parent unit with a large screen.
Power saving mode to extend battery life.
High-resolution camera (720p or higher).
Pan and tilt functionality.
Expandability for multiple cameras (including multiple locations).
Cry detection algorithms to differentiate between ambient noise and baby's cries.
A good amount of adjustment for volume levels.
A good amount of adjustment for screen brightness.
These are the features to look for. Depending on your needs, some features are going to matter more to you, from monitoring multiple children to adapting the system as babies grow into toddlers. When selecting a monitor, prioritize the features that best align with your family's requirements and home setup.
