subject: How to Buy a Baby Monitor [print this page] When you were young, you may have used your parents baby monitor to secretly tap into the phone conversations your neighbors were having, and that was pretty much the most advanced thing a baby monitor could do. But these days, baby monitors are definitely more advanced than only being able to simply pick up or transmit sound waves. Video monitoring is possible with higher priced models. Deciding on which monitoring system is right for you and your family can be difficult and confusing, because there are so many choices! With the technology advances we enjoy these days, you don't have to worry about a monitor which will keep you awake all night, with feedback squeals and static sounds. But before you go ripping your hair out in frustration, just consider these tips as a general guideline to help you and your family pick out the best baby monitor.
Obviously price is going to play a major role in making your decision. However, when you are choosing between each system, you should not make your decision based solely on that criterion. The best thing to do, is to look at how many features you actually get for the price, as the cheapest one may also not be the most valuable for your baby, likewise the most expensive system may not give you the most value for your money either. Also, if you just choose a baby monitor based on how low the price is, you may find that you will end up having to return it anyways, because it will malfunction, and you don't want to be taking that risk when it comes to your baby. In the end, the most important thing is that you weigh out all of the options and features you will be getting for the cost. Do you lead a relatively noisy lifestyle? If you have other children, share your home with others, or work from home, you may want to consider that these sounds can easily drown out the noises of your baby, which is why you may want to opt for a visual indicator which will alert you when there is something directly related to your baby.What this means, is that there will be a receiver or screen which will alert you when the receiver picks up any noise, alongside having the monitor play back any sounds from the room your baby is in. If one or both parents are hearing impaired, this is also a good system, and even if both parents can hear fine, because it still alerts you when something is wrong, and will let you know even if you cannot hear it.
How extensive would you like your system to be? Consider how extensive you actually want your system to be, because if you live in a small space, extensive systems may end up becoming to bulky and could get in the way of your everyday living. In larger homes or homes in which lots of people are around to help, having multiple receivers might be a good idea. Also, you should remember that if you are going to choose a multiple receiver system, the best ones are the ones which have both outbound and inbound communication abilities. Consider as well that having more than one receiver gives you the opportunity to monitor your baby from more than one room, so that you don't always have to carry around the receiver everywhere. In the end, you need to narrow down your choices so that you can choose a baby monitor which will work effectively in your home and one which will also monitor your baby effectively. From the size and shape of the monitor to the number of receivers to how much the system costs-it all plays a part in whether or not you will buy it. Taking your time in the end to really assess what kinds of features and aspects you want your system to have is important so that you can come to a clear decision before you finally choose.
