You’re about to have a baby. There’s ample advice from friends, advertisers, your mom and even the lady you met in the supermarket aisle. But how do you really know what is absolutely necessary when there always seems so much, well, stuff to buy. How do you ensure your child is comfortable and safe, without breaking the bank by buying items you’ll never really use?
Baby monitors are a modern day nursery accessory many parents rely on for peace of mind. They really come into their own if you’ve a two-story house, or baby’s room is some way from the kitchen or living areas of your home. A monitor can also be useful if you’re visiting somewhere with baby and want to put them down to sleep in an unfamiliar environment.
The following is important to consider when comparing different models:
On the baby unit:
A switch between power or battery operation, which can be useful if you worry about power surges or power cuts in your area
A night light, if you intend to use one anyway
On the parent unit:
A switch between power and battery operation, so you can take the unit with you in and around the house
A belt clip
Volume control
A light display to indicate the sound level, if you want to see the noise your child makes rather than hear it — while you’re watching TV or vacuuming, for example, or if you have (or your babysitter has) problems with hearing
On both units:
At least two different frequencies to choose from
Power-on light
Battery condition indicator
Automatic battery back-up is useful in areas where power failures are common
A cord long enough for your set-up
