It seems like every monitor I’ve seen online gets a mixture of fabulous and horrible reviews. Maybe one of you can help convince me which is best.
Here’s what we’re looking for. We don’t need a video monitor, just an audio. We have a LOT of other electronics in the house and live in an urban neighborhood, so I’d imagine we’d need something with lots of channels to avoid interference. The house isn’t huge, so I don’t think I’d need a long range or anything like that. I just want it to work and not make random static or feedback noises, basically, but from the reviews I’m reading on most monitors, that seems like too much to ask.
We have a Graco iMonitor that works well. We also have a lot of electronics, and we don’t generally have any interference problem. I’ve seen that sometimes the rechargers don’t work, but ours are fine.
Try this one. Has worked great for us. Two monitors very handy if you have multi level dwelling. The range is good enough to do yard work while the child is sleeping, and can be plugged in or run on rechargable batteries (included I think.) No interference, and we live in an urban area too. Pricier than many, but no complaints. Oh, and the lightup display is convenient for when you’ve got the volume down or headphones on, etc.
I think it depends on what you’re looking for. We have a basic one - I think it’s a Fischer Price - that has two monitors and 10 channels. I think it was $30. After 2 and 1/2 years (yes, we still use it sometimes even at this age - he just started sleeping through the night when he turned 2), the monitors don’t stay charged as well, but it’s been absolutely worth the money.
We have a very basic one that I think I got for $10 at my mom’s house. I like that one just as well. The only difference is fewer channels and only one monitor. Still, it works very well and doubles as a night light.
We’ve never had any trouble with either for interference, and both our house and my mom’s have a lot of electronics.
We have a Graco digital monitor. Don’t know the model off the top of my head, but it has two rechargeable monitors and the base which is always plugged in. They say because it’s digital it can find it’s own new channel if there’s interference. We’ve had it for a few months now and it works pretty well. Never heard anyone else unlike some of the other ones we had. We really only use it at night and on the weekends during naps so it doesn’t get a lot of use. We both like it, nothing fancy and no problems, but it was a bit costly, I think around $80 at Target.
I have a Philips DECT and love it; there’s never been any static or interference. It actually freaks me out a bit when I hear noise coming from it because I always forget it’s on. It’s fairly sensitive too, we have a laundry chute in the hallway and the noise made as my daughter drops clothes down it sets it off.
It looks like they’re coming out with a new version though – I have the yellow and white one – so who knows what that will be like. The reviews of mine on Target.com complain about battery life but I haven’t had an issue with it.
I have the angel care monitor. It makes sure they are breathing, goes under the mattress. It also has a sound monitor.
I will say without a doubt it is the best gift I got and I’ve bought several for friends with new babies. Sleep apnea is fairly common with babies. Mine stopped breathing twice and the monitor caught it. I wonder what the hell people are thinking when they say they would know if their baby stopped breathing.
There is no way I would have a kid without one. It is the only thing that allowed me to sleep at night. The thought of my baby having SIDS scared the hell out of me. The second time the alarm went off, I actually stood there briefly to see if it was malfunctioning, it wasn’t. I snatched her up and she started breathing.
The down side is that the little buggers start wiggling to the far edge of the crib and it won’t be able to feel them, so the alarm goes off, your heart stops, and your bug is sleeping happily wedged against the side of the crib. The good side is that it is so amazingly sensitive, it will amaze you, and that my friend, leads to a good nights sleep for everyone.
Another Graco Digital Monitor user here. (just the 1 parent unit version for $50-60 something)
Started using for our first born over 2 years ago, and now using it for our newborn. Only problem we have is when our cell phones get too close to the base unit, sometimes we get some crazy sounds, but that happens so infrequently. It does a great job of picking up the slightest sounds too, and channel switching isn’t a problem.
The only thing I notice now is that the parent unit doesn’t hold a charge as long as it used to, but then again it’s almost 2.5 years old.
If the lights are too bright for you on the base or on the side of the parent unit, just put some tape over it because they are kind of bright.