Can anyone recommend a good baby monitor?

[ted1]

Hi can anyone recommend a decent baby monitor. Are the video monitors any good?

[mrcee]

Its pricey but we went with the angelcare audio, video and movement in the end. Haven't tested yet as little one is due in Jan.

The audio monitor we would have gone with is tommee tippie

[RenF]

We have a BT one- it's been great. Good range, temperature monitor etc.

Just a personal opinion but can't help thinking the video monitor might have made me super paranoid! I'd have spent the whole evening watching it!

[Bellenden Belle]

BT here too, via a friend. Absolutely great - really clear sound, a useful light that you can watch instead if you turn the sound down ( useful when you have friends over or you're watching a film) and an accurate temperature reading.

I agree about video monitoring just increasing paranoia and from my ante natal group I've heard the breathing monitors are even worse - no one needs to hear an alarm going off falsely telling them their baby isnt breathing. Horrible experience.

[Sellena]

I would def go with the video monitor, my LO does not cry when she wakes up and will just lie there so having the video one is really helpful. My kitchen is in the basement and our bedroom 4 floors up and the Lindham video monitor covers us only cuts out when the microwave is on.

The breathing monitors are not my thing, my baby was is special care or 4 days and the bleeding thing in the hospital went off all the time freaking me out... it also brins back bad memories so wasnt a option!

[Chillaxed]

We've a video monitor and like it. The screen times out after a while so we don't end up watching our boy all evening. It just allows us to be lazy when we hear unusual noises or 'phase one' crying, which can often just be him groping for his dummy or getting himself more comfortable.

For a glorious few weeks we even used to use the intercom to get him back to sleep - just a quick 'nighty, night' into the mic without getting off the sofa - but he soon got wise to our laziness.

Ours is 'Summer' brand I think. Reception is fine in our ED-standard 3-bed terrace.

[RenF]

Ha ha Chillaxed- our monitor has the voice thing too, and my hubby once used it to say hello to our little girl through- absolutely terrified her! It's not something we use as a result, but might be useful when she's a bit older "go to SLEEP!"

[mima08]

HI - we have the Avent movement monitor (not video) and loved it. I was pretty paranoid when we moved him into his room so it gave me extra piece of mind. In the whole time i used it (for about 9months) it only went off once or twice with false alarm - because he had moved off the pad (but always with "real" alarm when we took LO out of the cot without turning the thing off....).

[goldilocks]

I'd go video monitor rather than just audio. We have an audio monitor which was fine for the first year or so, but as he's got older and cries whilst seemingly still asleep it would have made that phase easier - ie we wouldn't disturb him if we knew he wasn't actually awake. Also when they wake up, if you're trying to see if they will settle themselves again it would be nice to be able to see they weren't climbing out of the cot!

[A99]

We have a summer infant video monitor that I'd definitely recommend. Works well even in our garden. Was one of the best baby things I bought. Would second the comment above about the breathing ones. We also had baby in scbu and it's really easy to forget its on and pick up the baby. It would also have shorter life span as once baby starts to move around you can't really use the mats

[toffeese15]

We just turned the telly up. But seriously, the BT one was really good and 6 years later still works fine. I remember saying 'night night' to her and her always replying, 'night monitor'. We still communicate with her via it if we hear her up to no good when she's supposed to be going to sleep.

Never understood the purpose of the video monitors. It just struck me as a guaranteed way of making one feel less relaxed. It's bad enough anyway with a new born, why invite more stress into your house.

Someone bought us a movement monitor. I still have vivid recollections of sprinting into her room, heart pounding, only to find her sitting up, blinking, wondering WTF that piercing noise was. This happened on more than one occasion.

[Pickle]

We've been very happy with standard BT monitors - still use the first one we bought 6 years ago in our big kids rooms to tell them to be quiet when they should be sleeping! Also have one of their newer digital ones which is now nearly 5 years old but working perfectly and used for our new baby.

Personally I have never wanted video or sensor ones, I just don't see the need and as others have said, the breathing ones can cause more anxiety than they cure.

[esme]

Angelcare fantastic monitor tho with hindsight we prob could have just used any on the market!