Selecting a Baby Monitor

By Margery Haman

A baby monitor is an essential purchase for expectant parents, as it will impart you the peace of mind of being able to check on your sleeping baby wheresoever you are in your home. Unluckily, these monitors are the kind of device which you are implausible to have any experience of until the time comes when you need one, and it can be hard to know which type to purchase.

There are three basic types of monitor: audio, video, and movement or breathing.

The audio monitor is the most popular type, and at its most basic comprises of a transmitter that you place in your baby's nursery, and a receiver that lets you 'listen in', alarming you if your baby begins to scream or otherwise shows signs of waking. The low-priced modules will have a fixed receiver that needs to be plugged into a wall socket for power, but most models today have a rechargable moving receiver which you can carry from room to room, or even outside so long as you persist in range.

The range of your monitor system will depend on a number of constituents, including the structure of your home - thicker walls will reduce the range - and any sources of noise such as neighbouring monitor systems, computer wireless networks, and even microwave ovens with special models.

Disturbance is less of a problem these days, as most models will now let you choose from a range of transmits to control on, so if you do find interference problems, you can change to a new channel to hopefully clear things up. Some units just feature 2 or 4 transmits which you have to manually select, while the more modern designs now have hundreds of channels which will be selected automatically to minimise interference in the current circumstances.

The more modern monitors, like so much else these days, use digital technology. What this means in practice is a broader signal, and an enhanced range of performance.

Those are the basic principles of audio monitors, but there are other characteristics available depending on the model. A common one is an intercom or talkback system where you can talk to your baby with the help of the monitor, assisting you to soothe her back to sleep without the noise of going into the nursery. Other models may have nightlights or cradlesongs which you can set to play either automatically or manually, again without entering the room, while another common feature is temperature alerts where you can see how warm the nursery is, and be alerted if it falls outside a stable range.

The final point to consider when selecting a monitor system is cost. The range is huge, from only a few dollars up to a few hundred. For something as important as a monitor though, it is valuable getting the best model you can buy, as after all, if the system doesn't perform well and you can't trust it, then it's efficaciously a waste of time. - 32531

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