Baby monitors

September 10, 2017 8:37 AM

We have this baby monitor. After 16-ish months, the parent unit has started dropping the link at random times during the night, which means loud, unmutable-unless-you-turn-the-whole-unit-off-and-then-sleep-through-your-kid-wailing-for-an-hour beeping. Suggestions for a durable replacement?

Video would be nice, but I'm not excited about the idea of paying $250 for an unsecure setup.

posted by joyceanmachine to Shopping (7 answers total)

We have this one, it works great. Not a Wi-Fi model so security isn't as much of an issue. Video works well, sound works well. Love the visual sound-level indicator also for times when she's taking a while to settle and we're watching TV and need to know if she screams but not if she is just babbling to herself.

Only cons: It does occasionally drop signal momentarily if we're on the other side of the house but that beep is silenceable and it's never had a problem with really losing signal. The battery stopped holding a charge after 18 months or so (apparently not an uncommon problem) but it was like an $8 replacement and no big deal.
posted by brainmouse at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2017

We're really happy with the D-Link babycam: we're in Italy and can watch our grandsons in Norway every evening! Our son and DIL can watch the kids' bedroom on their TV or on a smartphone or tablet, and we can watch here via internet. Great value for money, too, way less than $250 - around €110, if I remember well.

But one thing to watch for: there are several models with diffferent characteristics. The first one we got was great; then they dropped it and broke it (not the product's fault), and we got them another. This new one runs unattended for about 15 minutes, and then needs manually re-setting. No huge problem, takes just a moment, but an inconvenience. So check out the characteristics of each model to make sure you get the one you want.
posted by aqsakal at 9:48 AM on September 10, 2017

Like the first commenter in this thread, I'm very happy with the Infant Optics DXR-8 (which is also recommended by the Wirecutter as the "best" FWIW). Check out the Amazon reviews for more in-depth info.

The night vision mode on this monitor works great in pitch-darkness. Also, it's been pretty intuitive and so far robust, in my experience.

It cannot send the data over the internet to your mobile phone etc, as opposed to some other devices that do.
posted by splitpeasoup at 12:03 PM on September 10, 2017

We were really happy with this Motorola video baby monitor (link)
posted by JenMarie at 1:40 PM on September 10, 2017

We use this Philips audio monitor and their video monitor as well, and have been very happy with both of them for the past 9 months.
posted by bradf at 6:02 PM on September 10, 2017

Is your monitor near your cel phone. Mine does that unless I leave them at least 1ft apart, 3 ft is better.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:11 PM on September 10, 2017

Also voting from Camp "Happy with Optics DXR-8" system.
posted by AwkwardPause at 1:19 PM on September 11, 2017