https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:05:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2624096 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:42:10 +0000 snowjewelz 2624096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a Levana... I mostly just need zoom/pan/tilt b/c DD sleeps on our bed and def moves around! Night vision, sound... I did not want something that I have to use it on a device. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2623297 Sun, 18 Sep 2016 17:07:00 +0000 Goldengirl 2623297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peaches1038: That's the one I landed on, happy to hear you like it! Unfortunately I'm in Canada so can't use that sale. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2623200 Sun, 18 Sep 2016 07:07:44 +0000 nana87 2623200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're going to be looking for a new one soon because we had a foscam that seriously crapped out (stopped taking a charge) plus the video quality was pretty poor. The pan/tilt/zoom features were really key-- esp now that lo1 is in a big girl bed-- she hasn't gotten out of bed to play yet while she's supposed to be asleep but when she does I'll want to see what she's up to! I liked the temperature reading in our old apt when bc her room could get really hot so it helped us monitor that/know when to turn on an extra fan </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2623145 Sat, 17 Sep 2016 19:53:20 +0000 peaches1038 2623145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just got the vtech safe and sound and I love it! Pans/tilts/zooms, has a temp reading and two way talk. I also keep it plugged in on my nightstand and we have it set to turn off unless noise is detected. It's been working out great! </p> <p><a href="https://jet.com/product/VTech-SafeandSound-VM343-Expandable-Digital-Video-Baby-Monitor-with-Pan-and-Tilt/77f40093c82f4bd1b891f8c08644e2c0" rel="nofollow">https://jet.com/product/VTech-SafeandSound-VM343-Expandable-Digital-Video-Baby-Monitor-with-Pan-and-Tilt/77f40093c82f4bd1b891f8c08644e2c0</a></p> <p>Jet.com also has 15% off your first three orders for new customers with code TRIPLE15. So I got this monitor for a great deal! (I had already signed up with my email so I just made a new account with DHs email and got 15% off another 3 orders!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2623059 Sat, 17 Sep 2016 12:48:07 +0000 ShootingStar 2623059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This looks like an updated version of ours, but ours doesn't have a temp indicator or lullabies: <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=53376726&#038;cp=2255957.2273447.12661883&#038;parentPage=family" rel="nofollow">http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=53376726&#038;cp=2255957.2273447.12661883&#038;parentPage=family</a></p> <p>For us, the pan feature was really important. We could only put the camera in a certain spot and we couldn't initially see all of the crib in one shot. Then once we switched him to a full sized bed we really needed to be able pan around to see him. The zoom was never necessary though.</p> <p>The other thing I liked about ours was that was a full time audio monitor. I've tried out wifi cameras that connect to your phone, but the app didn't stay running. We used one at my parents house and I was paranoid DS was going to be screaming and I wouldn't be able to hear him.</p> <p>Oh, and the battery thing for us isn't a big deal. Ours is 3 years old and lasts about 4-5 hours now. So it's plenty of battery for nap time and at night we leave it plugged in on one of our night stands. We don't have any issues with feedback. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2623048 Sat, 17 Sep 2016 10:55:20 +0000 winter_wonder 2623048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: I like the pan tilt thing bc it was so handy when we were transitioning her from rock n play to crib. I didn't have to make tons of adjistsments when she was going back and forth multiple times a night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622978 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 21:22:10 +0000 Mae 2622978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love that our monitor has zoom and pan. I hate that it does not have a temperature read ability. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622882 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 16:58:50 +0000 Amorini 2622882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just installed our camera/monitor and the baby hasn't arrived yet :happy: but we went with what DH's gadgety co-worker recommended when they had their baby: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ouvis-veezon-Wireless-Camera-Android/dp/B00WZOF9LE" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Ouvis-veezon-Wireless-Camera-Android/dp/B00WZOF9LE</a></p> <p>So far we have been watching (and talking to) our dogs on it. :happy: </p> <p>For around $50, we get the basics (no temp monitor and just one camera) and the monitor portion is via an app that we downloaded on our IPhones. As you can see, it's not actually marketed for baby monitoring but home security. If we wanted a second camera, we would just buy another one at that price, but our house is so small, it probably won't be needed. Also someone is giving us one of those basic audio baby monitors and we'll use that for travel and/or around the house if we need it in addition to the camera audio. I was stumped too about this baby monitor purchase and was prepared to shell out way more, but this solution seemed so reasonable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622798 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:56:27 +0000 Adira 2622798@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: Yes, you can have it set to one room or the other or to scan, which does 10 seconds one room and automatically switches to the other. While it's viewing one room, you don't have sound or video for the other, but I felt comfortable with the 10 second delay. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622796 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:50:32 +0000 Goldengirl 2622796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the tips everyone, lots of good info here. I found a Vtech one online that seems to have all of the important features for under $200 and has good reviews so I think that will be the front-runner! I am seriously going to be broke soon and this baby isn't even here :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622795 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:49:27 +0000 looch 2622795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought having a monitor was so important, turns out we hardly used it because of the way our apartment was set up at the time when my son was born.</p> <p>We had a motorola video monitor and it worked perfectly, but I never went far enough where I really needed it and we kept the door open so I could see and hear what was going on easily. I think they can be extremely useful in sleep training situations, though, where you need to know if everything is okay without going into the room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622793 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:48:11 +0000 NorthStar 2622793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: So, it scans between rooms? I assume that you cannot hear both rooms at the same time? I still need to do some research, but it's good to know. I'm glad our has lasted 4.5 years, but I'm guessing it will quit eventually. I'll have to see if our current camera would be compatible with the new sets out there to purchase now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622786 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:36:11 +0000 Adira 2622786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a Motorola and I love it. It has two cameras so it can scan between both kids' rooms. We've had it for 3.5 years, with no issues.</p> <p>I will say it doesn't hold the charge very long, but I pretty much keep it plugged in on my nightstand 24/7, so that's not an issue.</p> <p>The key features that I use and love are:<br /> - Multiple cameras<br /> - Temperature monitor<br /> - Adjustable sound<br /> - Adjustable camera view (up/down/left/right)<br /> - Night vision<br /> - Microphone - I often talk to the kids through the video monitor! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622775 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:18:23 +0000 NorthStar 2622775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ocean81: I have the motorola and actually don't think it is that loud. I keep it on my nightstand, plugged in all night. It's going on 4.5 years. We did have to get a new charger for it because the prior one frayed for the parent unit. With baby #2 coming in February, I am trying to decide if we will just get a second camera to add to our current parent unit and camera (so I can see both kiddoes), use our current camera with a new parent unit and new camera, or get a whole new set altogether. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622773 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:13:03 +0000 dookie32 2622773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had 2 Motorola ones and I love them. The first one lasted 4 years using it every day- we only had to get a new one because the plug into the parent unit wouldn't stay in anymore. They fixed that problem with the new version (we have the Motorola MBP36S) since the jack is different. The newer one has tilt and zoom and a larger screen- it's amazing. I think the unit holds a charge for a pretty long time, especially if you have it on the standby mode where the video isn't displayed. We plug ours in every night so it's not really ever been a concern. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622770 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:06:00 +0000 Goldengirl 2622770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Oh didn't think about feedback noise... that seems annoying, I wouldn't be able to sleep!<br /> @muffinsmuffins: I'll check that one out, have seen a few for sale of that brand... thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622767 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:02:26 +0000 avivoca 2622767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: You can, but I rarely kept it by the bed because the feedback was so loud! Our house is small, so I don't even know if I will use a baby monitor in our room this time. Our girls' room is directly across the hall from ours and we leave the doors open at night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622761 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:48:35 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2622761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have this one: <a href="https://www.summerinfant.com/clearsightdigitalcolorvideomonitor" rel="nofollow">https://www.summerinfant.com/clearsightdigitalcolorvideomonitor</a></p> <p>It's going on 2 years now and doesn't hold a charge longer than 4-5 hours so we plug it in overnight. It was pretty affordable at $100-120 Canadian and does what we need. It has a zoom but we never use that. The picture is decent and the sound is great. Pretty basic but I haven't wanted to upgrade...we bring it everywhere when we travel with no issues and the range is really good. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622756 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:42:08 +0000 Foodnerd81 2622756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: Our old nursery was the coldest room in the house, so sometimes it out my mind at ease. But really, I think if you are bothering with the expense of a video monitor, it's worth paying a little more for a good one. I opted for a cheaper one (still expensive!) and regretted it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622755 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:39:29 +0000 Goldengirl 2622755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Yah I think I like the idea of the pan/tilt... just seems to be on the pricier models. I think the temperature thing would just give me one more thing to worry about! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622754 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:38:08 +0000 Foodnerd81 2622754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: our initial one did not pan or tilt and it was more annoying than I expected! </p> <p>For me the features I really appreciate are: pan/ tilt and zoom; clear picture even in dark, longish range (depends on your home). The temperature reading is really nice, though not necessary. I have never used the talking back to them feature. </p> <p>I can't recommend ours specifically though- we had a cheaper summer infant one and now have wifi ones which I find really annoying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622752 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:34:18 +0000 Goldengirl 2622752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: I definitely want one to use through the night! Can they not be plugged in? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622751 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:31:12 +0000 avivoca 2622751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a Motorola. The only con is that the parent unit is really loud and it also doesn't last a full night on charge. So we only use it while we are awake/baby is sleeping and then turn it off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622750 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:26:27 +0000 ocean81 2622750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Goldengirl: I like to zoom in and pan so I can check her breathing at all times, ha. So for me, definitely! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622748 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:25:05 +0000 Goldengirl 2622748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is it important to have the pan/tilt feature? Did that come in handy? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622746 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:21:56 +0000 Goldengirl 2622746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Worrywart: Found it on amazon.ca but it's $250 in Canada :( Maybe that's just the cost of these things, just seems like so much $$! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622724 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:46:40 +0000 Worrywart 2622724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love our Motorola! It's going on almost 4 years. Picture and audio are both clear and I love that you can talk into it. I believe this is the one we have:</p> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MBP36S-Wireless-Monitor-3-5-Inch/dp/B00M2F0OYS/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1474044354&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=motorola%2Bmbp36s%2Bbaby%2Bmonitor&#038;th=1" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MBP36S-Wireless-Monitor-3-5-Inch/dp/B00M2F0OYS/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1474044354&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=motorola%2Bmbp36s%2Bbaby%2Bmonitor&#038;th=1</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622720 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:43:07 +0000 ocean81 2622720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like our Samsung! Picture is clear and audio works great. It pretty much works throughout our whole house. We have a cheaper one too (it's called "baby monitor" and was $50) and the screen is so tiny and the audio is awful, I don't recommend! If you are going the video monitor route, I would definitely spend a little bit more for a good name.</p> <p>ETA... Ours was 199, but you can use coupons at BBB and BRU. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622702 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:29:18 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2622702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We real like our iBaby monitor. <a href="https://ibabylabs.com/shop/ibaby-monitor-m6/?gclid=CIrjmrmllM8CFdcZgQod0ZsDSQ" rel="nofollow">https://ibabylabs.com/shop/ibaby-monitor-m6/?gclid=CIrjmrmllM8CFdcZgQod0ZsDSQ</a> </p> <p>With this monitor you can change the sensitivity to alert you to sounds and movements. The clarity of the video is awesome wether the room is bright or dark. One feature that is definitely just a nice to have is that it acts a speaker. DH can tell LO Goodmorning through the monitor, which is great since he leaves well before LO wakes up. The monitor plays songs too. The app works well on both our Android and iPhone cell phones. </p> <p>We have the base model. There is one that checks the humidity level in the room (nice to have not a must have), but after two days the camera in the dark stopped working. We haven't had a problem with our replacement iBaby. Right now you can save 15%. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/baby-monitor-necessities-whats-important#post-2622681 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 11:02:53 +0000 Goldengirl 2622681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I want to get a video monitor before baby comes and there are just so many options and some of them are so crazy expensive... trying to figure out what's necessary/useful in a monitor and what isn't. Really don't want to spend a ridiculous amount, but want to make sure it works well. It seems almost every one I see on Amazon, Best Buy, BRU etc. has bad reviews... so which ones are good? I'm not interested in wifi so can take that out of the equation.</p> <p>Anyone love their monitor? Anything I should look out for? TIA. </p>