Choosing the Best Baby Monitor for Your Home

Being a new parent can be exhausting, but the last thing you want to do is let your protective guard down. Your responsibility extends to even when your child is asleep. It’s important to keep a watchful eye on them during this time to remain aware if they’re crying, coughing, restless, or having trouble breathing. 

Baby monitors are the perfect way to keep a watchful eye on your child after you lay them down to rest, as they allow you to watch and listen in while they’re sleeping. But how do they work, and which device is the right one for your home and baby? 

Let’s take a closer look together, investigating how you can best protect your baby. 

How Do Baby Monitors Work?

While you need to remain protective of your newborn, you can’t keep an eye on them at all times. Baby monitors are one-way radio devices that share audio signals of your babies while they’re in other rooms. So, while you have a device in your office, living room, or bedroom, a transmitter is left in your baby’s room, which will send you audio signals whenever they begin making noise, allowing you to get up and check on them as needed. 

All devices are different, but modern baby monitors work within distances up to 150 feet, allowing you to move freely through your home or yard while regularly checking in on your baby. 

Common Issues with Baby Monitors

While useful, baby monitors do have their shortcomings, especially when it comes to interacting with other in-home technology. Baby monitors emit radio signals at a specific frequency—one that the transmitter emits and your device is tuned to. However, the primary issue is that other household items can tend to utilize similar radio frequencies—whether that is a nearby phone or an emergency signal.

This means that you might not get the best signal when trying to listen to your sleeping baby. Yet there are ways to fix these issues. Some expensive models come with high-frequency emitters that make it less likely for interference, while other devices come installed with audio scramblers, which can minimize and remove possible interference. 

The Different Types of Baby Monitors

There are many types of baby monitors available on the market nowadays, especially compared to what was once available. Rather than using just audio-based devices, as was once the only option, new baby monitors allow three capabilities: audio, video, and movement tracking. 

As mentioned above, audio devices are the standard choice for parents, as they allow you to listen in on your baby as they sleep, making sure they’re safe even while you’re in another room. The video option takes these safety measures and increases them, allowing you to physically keep an eye on your child while you’re in or out of the home, making sure they’re safe and sound. The third option reacts solely to your baby’s movements, letting you know if your babies are tossing and turning in their cribs, allowing you to act accordingly. 

The benefit is that if you already have a surveillance device in your home, it can double as a baby monitor if need be. An inconspicuous alarm clock cam comes complete with Wi-Fi, night vision, and HD 1080p streaming and recording capabilities, allowing you to keep a close eye on your children as they sleep. 

These can be especially useful in a toddler’s room, as the 2-way speaker function allows you to speak to the person on the other side of the device, right from your phone, letting you talk to your child or another vulnerable family member to see if they’re okay. 

Where Should You Put Your Baby Monitor?

Your baby monitor location and placement matters. Recommendations for radio video cameras state that they should be placed at least six feet away, but no more than ten feet, so a clear audio signal can still be captured. The reason for this is due to radiation, as radio frequencies emitted close to your baby can be unhealthy.  

Second, if you’re using a video device, it’s important you take the angle of video capture into account. This is especially important to consider since your device will be over six feet away from your child. You should make sure there are no items that could obstruct the video feed of your child, and you should do your best to have a wide-viewing angle, allowing you to have a view of the room with your child as the focus. 

How Do You Know What Type of Baby Monitor Is Right for You?

Knowing what baby monitor is right for you involves doing your research—you need to have an idea of what’s available on the market, as well as know what your needs are in terms of child safety and protection. Consider exploring your options before you settle for one device, ensuring your children are protected even while they sleep. 

At The Home Security Superstore, we’re committed to providing you with the best home security devices and tools. Consider checking out our available baby monitors and surveillance cameras if you’re looking for an added level of home security, as each is designed to keep your family safe at all times.   

FAQs:

How do baby monitors work? 

Baby monitors emit a signal from a transmitter, located in the baby’s room, to a device held by the parent, allowing them to remain aware of any disturbances to their baby’s sleep. 

What issues do baby monitors have?

Audio devices will sometimes struggle with interference due to other household items emitting similar frequency signals. 

What options do I have for baby monitors? 

The three main options available to parents include devices that capture audio, video, and motion tracking.