Tips For Choosing The Best Baby Monitor

A baby monitor serves as the eyes and ears of the parent when he or she is in another room. A monitor system is comprised of a child transmitter, parent receivers and (usually) a wall-mounted or tabletop camera. Audio-only baby monitors are also available, but the video infant monitor is most popular because it allows parents to see and hear what's going on. In addition to safety benefits, many parents enjoy listening to their little baby talk through the monitor.

There are a number of helpful features to look for in a modern baby monitor. For instance, some offer both sound and lights, which is handy for parents who are working, on the phone, or would rather not hear a sudden, ear-piercing shriek through the receiver. Often, the louder the baby cries, the more lights flash. Also, video monitors can show a sleeping baby or a baby who is awake, also eliminating the need for audio tracking. Some wireless baby monitors come with more than one receiver, which is a good option for larger houses or two parents who are on-duty at the same time. Belt clips are ideal for the on-the-go parent who is moving around the house and doesn't want to be bothered with the hand-held receiver. After all, what good is a monitor if one forgets to have it in the room?

There are two main baby monitor types, which are analog and digital. Analog monitors operate on a frequency band like radios do, sending signals directly from the monitor to the receivers. Digital monitors encode the signal before transmitting it from the monitor to the receivers, making it impossible for neighbors to listen in and decreasing the possibility of interference from cordless phones, household appliances and other electronic devices. Most of the best baby monitors are digital, although they usually cost a little more.

There are many different brands of baby monitor systems available today, with some of the most popular being Graco, Philips and Summer Infant. The Philips SCD 589 ($200) has a ton of features and has had many positive reviews, where customers say they suffered no interference. The Graco iMonitor ($90) has two parent receivers and is also rated good for reception. Similarly, the Summer Infant Secure Sounds ($50) offers a lot of privacy, without all the special features of the more expensive Philips baby monitors. For pet owners, the Evenflo WhisperConnect Sensa ($50) will detect motion around the baby's crib to alert parents when the cat or dog is nosing around the crib. The high-tech Mobicam ($190) lets parents tape their video monitoring or watch the videos on the TV screen.