Baby safety monitors are an essential part of home security.
Baby safety monitors can provide new and old parents with added peace of mind. Being able to hear your baby sleeping soundly in the nursery eliminates worry and also ensures that if the baby does have a problem that you’ll be able to react instantly.
A baby safety monitor also gives parents greater freedom and convenience. If you need to do tackle something in the garage or backyard, you can go ahead, knowing that you can still keep tabs on your little one.
Several kinds of baby monitors are available. The simplest use a one-way radio to broadcast the sounds in the nursery to a receiver. A transmitter is plugged into an outlet in the baby’s room, usually within about ten feet of the crib. The receiver is portable, so you just take it with you to hear what’s happening in the nursery. Look for one with a belt clip or lanyard.
Most transmitters have a range of about 150 feet. If you have a big house with several stories or a large yard, you may need a more robust transmitter.
Many baby monitors, especially inexpensive ones, broadcast over the same frequency, so if your neighbors live close by, it’s possible that you may pick up sounds from their monitor and vice versa. The frequency is also common with cordless telephones, so you may experience some interference there too.
More sophisticated models have technology that eliminates or scrambles outside interference. Depending on your situation, they may be worth the added expense. If the receiver of your baby monitor uses batteries, it’s also a good idea to invest in a system that alerts you if the batteries quit working. Or to choose a system with a rechargeable receiver.
Receivers that light up when noise is detected are also handy. That way, if you’re vacuuming or doing a load of dishes, you’ll know that something’s going on. And getting a second receiver lets you leave one in the living room and take another to the kitchen.
If you want to be able to see as well as hear your baby, there are baby monitors that send images wirelessly to the receiver. And you can also buy a system that includes motion detectors that are placed underneath the baby. An alarm sounds if the baby stops moving for more than 20 seconds.
Those who want to be able to monitor their baby no matter where they are can buy an Internet-based system that uses wireless technology to broadcast live audio and video that you can see wherever you have Internet access.
Depending on the features you want, baby safety monitors can cost anywhere from $30 to $300. But the peace of mind and freedom they can provide truly are priceless. If you have a burglar alarm system to protect your home and family, you should have a baby safety monitor too.