Baby Monitor advice required please

[Amanda1979]

Hi,

I am trying to navigate my way through the many options of baby monitors. I was planning on just getting one that picks up audio but now there are ones that sense movement, video link, even link to mobile phones!

Are the hi tech video link ones worth the extra money? What do EDF parents recommend please?

Amanda x

[Jeremy]

We've got one of those ones which senses movement, and an alarm goes off if there hasn't been any movement in a few seconds. The downside is if you pick up the baby to comfort them, you need to remember to turn the thing off first, otherwise the bloody thing starts beeping loudly. So I'm on the fence about this feature.

I can see how video could be useful, because sometimes they can end up in an awkward position (e.g. on their tummy, or with the legs caught in the bars of the cot) and they won't go back to sleep until you straighten them out. But I think it's a convenience rather than a necessity.

[AZH]

My sister-in-law got a video monitor after my nephew had a medical emergency at a few weeks old, so I could understand that she wanted it for reassurance. But without reason to worry I'd not want the extra anxiety video and alarms and wotnot might create.

Also do you really want to watch Baby TV of an evening? A monitor with really good sound was enough for me though I would recommend having one with temperature reading at the parent end I think, especially in deep winter/high summer and with a very young baby. I found that really useful.

[ladyruskin]

I would say it depends on what you and your partner are like. If either of you are particularly anxious then the ones with extra trappings are likely to play on your anxieties. We had a basic sound monitor which showed the room temperature that did just fine - and I was on the neurotic side of anxious in the early days/weeks/months!

[Amanda1979]

It sounds like we are better saving our pennies for other things then and investing in a good quality sound monitor with room temperature on the display too... any recommendations?

[Pickle]

We have two BT monitors, 7.5 years and 6 years old and still going strong! They have temperature, intercom, songs, and good sound quality.

[ladyruskin]

Ours is also BT. It has all the functions Pickle describes plus a torch on the parent handset (not that we've used it that much!)

[Amanda1979]

This one?

http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-baby-monitor-250-79MX.html

[Convex]

We have that one, and an angel sounds one. Both are good.

[Amanda1979]

Hi Convex, is the Angel Sounds one you have just sound detection or other monitoring capabilities?

Do you have a preference? and if so, why?