Keep These 8 Tips in Mind When Buying a Baby Monitor
Ashley King
Parents with very little time on their hands have found baby monitors extremely useful. These devices give mothers and fathers some freedom of mobility since they don't have to be with the little one all the time to ensure his or her safety. The trouble is that there are such a number of baby monitors of various kinds on the market, that it's hard to choose one which best suits parents, especially new ones.
Here are a few qualities that you should look for in a good monitoring device, whether you choose audio, video, digital, or analog.
1. Clarity of reception (whether audio or video) and low static is the most important consideration to ensure the safety of your child. You need to be able to clearly hear or see your baby's activities.
2. A compact and portable receiver will be more comfortable to carry around with you, making it easier for you to keep an eye on your little one while working. A good number of modern baby monitors are equipped with ultra-small receivers.
3. Many baby monitors come equipped with receivers that have belt clips so that the parents can carry the device around with them. It's important to ensure that the attachment is durable enough to endure daily usage if you intend to frequently carry the receiver throughout the house.
4. A light alarm that activates whenever it picks up sound is another useful feature for those times when you might be preoccupied with loud noises such as the sound of the television or vacuum.
5. This is often overlooked, so do ensure your baby monitor has a feature that indicates when the device's battery is low. Not knowing battery levels, you could be unaware that the device is not working, and possibly compromise your baby's safety.
6. It is important to select the correct range or bandwidth for your requirements. If your house is large in size, then a wider range baby monitor will be necessary. A smaller house or apartment may not require as much range, especially if your home is situated in an area that has a great deal of interference from cell phones and other monitors that may disrupt the signals.
7. Are you considering a wireless monitor? You should know that you might have problems with the signal of such a device. If the people you live next door to own a device like yours, there may be interference - you may even hear what is going on in their baby's room! Your signal may also get disturbed by cordless phones, so go in for a model with anti-disturbance features or extra security during use.
8. Technological innovations have made it possible to combine sound and visual monitoring in a video baby monitor. Although the video option seems like a brilliant idea, you still won't be able to stare at the screen all the time. For that reason, you definitely shouldn't sacrifice excellent sound quality over supplementary features.
Keep in mind that the best baby monitor is not always the most costly one. What matters is the fact that it is suitable for your situation and tough enough to survive everyday use. And the most important features are those that will assist you to keep your baby safe.
About the Author:
Ashley King is editor of the Family Section at i-KnowHow | Information for Life, where you'll also find ideas and tips for hobbies, home and garden, personal finance, technology basics and much more.
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