baby monitors - how do you choose

[reren]

I wonder if anyone has any advice about which baby monitor to buy - I'm completely overwhelmed by the options! They seem to vary a lot in price and I'm wondering what is worth spending - and what features people have found particularly useful?

A friend suggested that the video camera ones are actually a bad idea since you run the risk of being able to do nothing but sit and watch your sleeping baby in a freaked out kind of way - and if you just have the option of listening to them its much better? Any thoughts??

[snowboarder]

The BT one seems the best (apart from infuriating habit of 'alerting' you when room is 23 degrees plus - like all summer!). We had the philips avent one originally and it was buzzy and rubbish. I sometimes think I would like to see what on earth he is up to with a video one but I know I would get obsessed with it!! Still can't bring myself to turn the stupid thing off at night even though he is only 2 rooms away!

[bumpy]

I second the BT one (you can turn the alert off completely or turn it to vibrate)

[nymom]

I had a tomy which was terrible and it got to the point after only two months that it would only work while sitting on the charger - it just wouldnt take a charge. Got the BT one after that and it has been great.

[damzel]

I'm an advocate of the video camera - it made us less paranoid as we could just glance over to see things were okay, rather than running upstairs all the time at the slightest peep. I'm sure it helped her sleep through quickly too as she didn't get our attention at every peep.

If you do go down the video route, don't be fooled into buying an expensive colour one as it's all black and white through infrared at night!

[snowboarder]

Bumpy can you turn the alert off completely?? I managed to turn off all sound but it still flashes periodically which annoys me in the night. Not that it's 23 degrees any more.....

[Ko]

bt one is very good.

you can turn off the temp alert by changing the temp range (so increase it higher). i know where my instruction booklet is if you want me to bring it along tonight to the forum meetup (one of the only instruction booklets i know the location of so that i can change the temp thing which drives me potty!!!)+

[snowboarder]

A ha! Ko don't worry about fishing it out I will investigate!! Thanks and see you later!

[peckhamboy]

Yes - the BT menu is not very intuitive, but you can change the temperature (ours is set to 30 degrees now) with a bit of perseverance! You can also turn off the alert, which was easier to find but needs to be re-done every time you unplug it, which is annoying.

[lorraineliyanage]

Here's the link to download the instruction guide for the BT Monitor

I have one for sale in the classifieds section too!

[missd]

Would also recommend the BT one. Like that there is no interference and you can change the sensitivity too so that it doesn't click in and let you hear a child just making small sounds. You can change the sensitivity to 5 if you only want to hear when they are full on wailing. Very clever

[Gussy]

Another vote for the BT monitor. I got the Beaba Call for my first and by comparison its rubbish. I wish I'd bought the BT one first.