Not sure where to ask....baby monitors?

3,750 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by The Fife
MrJonMan
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AG
Spawn coming this summer and baby mama put me in charge of finding the baby monitor. I always thought Motorola made the best, then again first kid so I've never really looked into it, just have heard.

Google shows iBaby monitor as rated pretty high, but I think ya wifi only which could be problematic if internet goes down.


Opinions on here?
ATL Aggie
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AG
The wife and I liked this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Touch-Video-Monitor/dp/B01M5AS55I/ref=sr_1_31_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487797118&sr=8-31&keywords=baby%2Bmonitor&th=1

Although, its old, the last time we bought a baby monitor was 4 years ago...
Wildmen03
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AG
Wife and I have this one

https://www.amazon.com/Infant-Optics-DXR-5-Portable-Monitor/dp/B0052QYLUM/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487798374&sr=8-1&keywords=dxr-5

It works fine. The main reason we bought it was because it was under $100.
A is A
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AG
Lil NYC will be here in April. We have settled on the Infant Optics DXR-8.

Not my primary choice but one of the best under 200.

Good luck and congrats


eta: updated link
rbcs_2
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I would say don't spend a lot of money because you will likely not use it very often or for very long. I know people will disagree with me and that's fine, just my opinion.

We used a monitor with our first child for about 2 months and it essentially went unused after that point. That was 3 babies and 7 years ago.
MrJonMan
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Our good friends have the infant optics one that was very highly rated on amazon, best rated I believe, but they've had multiple warranty claims on it in less than a year of use.

Appreciate the input and the congratulations
chipotle
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Just get that like everyone else. We have it and it works just fine. We also have the samsung smartcam hd and once it's set it works just fine too.
IrishAg
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chipotle said:



Just get that like everyone else. We have it and it works just fine. We also have the samsung smartcam hd and once it's set it works just fine too.
That one is great, and I just got a IP Camera, put it up and connected it through the Tiny Cam Pro app (which can cast to a Chromecast) to view on our phones/tablets . So we do the audio monitor for normal listening, and bring up video if she starts sounds or doing something that sounds odd (or cast video to a chromecast if we're being overly paranoid). Been a great combo so far at the 10 month mark. Plus I'll be able to reuse the IP Camera later.
Tomdoss92
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AG
TxAg82
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Dlink baby cam to view video on any device (phone, tablet, computer - inside and outside the home).

Vtech sound monitor for the 24/7 sound.

Worked perfectly for our needs.
lobwedgephil
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MrJonMan said:

Our good friends have the infant optics one that was very highly rated on amazon, best rated I believe, but they've had multiple warranty claims on it in less than a year of use.

Appreciate the input and the congratulations
Zero issues with my two.
FincAg
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AG
https://www.lorextechnology.com/video-baby-monitors/video-baby-monitor-sweet-peep-series/Sweet-Peep-Series-1-p

Lorex at home and when we travel. Tilt, zoom, night vision, audio all work really well. Not 1080p but not that important to us. Sound monitor works great as you can set the video to come on once a certain decibel has been met. Our 14 month old like to talk to himself.
OnlyForNow
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AG
Do you want video, heart rate monitor, or just sound?
dubi
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MrJonMan said:

Spawn coming this summer and baby mama put me in charge of finding the baby monitor. I always thought Motorola made the best, then again first kid so I've never really looked into it, just have heard.

Google shows iBaby monitor as rated pretty high, but I think ya wifi only which could be problematic if internet goes down.


Opinions on here?
You still have wifi inside your house even if "internet" is down.......
MrJonMan
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OnlyForNow said:

Do you want video, heart rate monitor, or just sound?


I always just figured video and sound
ABATTBQ11
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AG
Motorola sucks, fwiw
OnlyForNow
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Can't help you then.

I can tell you we only have sound and love it, but our guy is 2+ now.
txag2008
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Use a Nest cam or similar product. Then once baby grows up you'll be able to use it for another purpose.
MrJonMan
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txag2008 said:

Use a Nest cam or similar product. Then once baby grows up you'll be able to use it for another purpose.


Have been debating this

Wife is paranoid about anything video wifi being focused on the baby since those stories of people hacking the baby monitors
adamsbq06
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ABATTBQ11 said:

Motorola sucks, fwiw
Spent $300 on their monitor. Stopped working in <6 months. We we now use a NG ArloQ
jay040
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Quote:

Infant Optics DXR-8.
We have this one - works great - can be out in the back yard and still gets great reception.
IrishAg
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MrJonMan said:

txag2008 said:

Use a Nest cam or similar product. Then once baby grows up you'll be able to use it for another purpose.


Have been debating this

Wife is paranoid about anything video wifi being focused on the baby since those stories of people hacking the baby monitors
Most of the newer dedicated video monitors are supposed to be locked down enough that no one can hi-jack the custom signal. But, if you want video and remove the paranoia worry, then go with an IP camera from Google, Samsung, or any other manufacturer that uses your network to connect, and lock down any remote access. If someone can still get to that camera then you probably have a whole lot more to worry about, since they would be able to get to every connected device.

I wish my camera was still being sold, it was $70 off brand, but it was HD, with night vision, and did PoE (power over ethernet), so I just ran an ethernet cable to it for both network and power (and turned off wifi). Made things so much easier.
Aggietaco
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Are you sure you really want/need one? We've been debating it in our house since it seems like people just buy them on instinct these days. We're leaning towards audio only at this point, but we may start with nothing. If we do video, it will be with a nest cam.
jay040
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I'm glad we bought one. We had seen friends that couldn't quit looking at their monitor, and we didn't want to end up like that. But it's been reassuring to see how she's behaving if our daughter is crying, or if she's quite but if she's not actually napping, etc. We can tell if, after 30 minutes of fussing, if she's about to crash or there's not going to be a nap based on her movements, etc. I'm glad we got one.
OnlyForNow
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I'm with Taco.

My wife and I are both in our early 30's, our parents did a damn fine job raising us and they didn't need a video camera zeroed in on us all night/day. And our sound only system worked with our kiddo.

I get that technology makes things easier, but it is also used as MAJOR crutch for a lot of folks.
MW03
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After way too much researching and assessing, we went with the Nest cam and it's been great.

Pros:
- Can view remotely from outside the house when I'm travelling
- Able to turn any device into a monitor
- Cheap compared to some of the high-end dedicated models
- Great audio and night vision
- Doesn't interrupt my wi-fi signal
- Will be able to convert it to other uses once baby is older
- Since no dedicated viewing device, the only thing that has to keep working in the camera, which is stationary and is approved for inside/outside use. should last longer than some of the dedicated viewers that crap out with some regularity per the amazon reviews
- Sends push notifications when it sees movement or hears noise so you don't have to keep the viewer on 24/7

Cons:
- No dedicated device to give a sitter (solved by re-purposing an old smart phone)
- Uses a lot of bandwidth if you stream live video at night
Flashdiaz
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as with most things, we used one all the time with our first born. most of the time with the second.... and not at all with the third.

I preferred one of those security type camaras over a dedicated baby monitor because it can be re-purposed to spy on the neighbors
fta09
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AG
chipotle said:



Just get that like everyone else. We have it and it works just fine. We also have the samsung smartcam hd and once it's set it works just fine too.
These are what we use. The kid slept in his pack 'n play in our room for the first month or so and then went to his crib in his own room across the house. I don't think we would have any need for the video. If he is crying and needs attention, we need to get up anyway. I guess I personally don't see the value gained in money spent just for some video when the audio, at least in our case, tells you what you need to know.

That said, we've been incredibly lucky and he sleeps through the night more often than not. I'm sure we're fooked on the next one.
ABATTBQ11
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Ours has incredibly bad lag (like a full second) and terrible white balance. Our daughter's blue room looks yellow-green unless you have full daylight. The picture is also super grainy.
ABATTBQ11
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Video is good for when they're in their crib and you're doing things around the house. They may be awake and you need to keep an eye on them, not just know when they're up.
fta09
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Good point. Ours is only a few months old, so not climbing up and stuff just yet.
jeffk
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We have a Summer Infant View video monitor. Works great, no complaints. We like the range as we can take the viewer in the backyard and do some work while our little girl is napping upstairs in the crib.
rbcs_2
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If I had this decision make now I would more than likely do what others have suggested and get a camera that can be put to other uses down the line. That's a good idea. That or find someone that wants to get rid of one on the cheap, but then again I'm a serious grump when it comes to spending money.
Agmechanic
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Ive used a Motorola for two kids. Had to replace a battery but thats it. Almost 5 yo amd still kicking
ABATTBQ11
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rbcs_2 said:

If I had this decision make now I would more than likely do what others have suggested and get a camera that can be put to other uses down the line. That's a good idea. That or find someone that wants to get rid of one on the cheap, but then again I'm a serious grump when it comes to spending money.

In retrospect, I should have gotten an Arlo...
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