subject: Do You Want To Buy A Baby Monitor? Use These Tools To Help You Find The Right One! [print this page] Today baby monitors do more than transmit and pick up sounds. But today, baby monitors have become far more advanced than to simply pick up and transmit sounds. You'll find some that include video monitoring. 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. Now while it may seem like an information overload right now, here are some things you should definitely consider when you are choosing your next baby monitoring system.
At one time, knowing what to get for your baby was not such an overwhelming task. There were only a few different types of cribs, high chairs, playpens, baby monitors, etc. It's a very different world today, where you have hundreds of brands, models and styles for these and related items. As a parent you naturally want to give your baby the best of everything, but how do you figure out just which products are best? How do you make the right choice with so many available ones? Let's look at some helpful hints to simplify this process.
Frequencies and channel range, what kind do you need?
Since other people may have devices near by which can pick up on the same frequency and interfere, you will want a device which offers a wide range of frequencies. This is important to consider, because you don't want to be picking up on the frequencies from other people's devices, and even other's baby monitors, which can prevent you from hearing what is actually happening in your own baby's room.
How much monitoring do you want to do? Some parents feel the need to track everything their baby is doing when they are not in the same room. Others find that, if constant surveillance is available, they'll spend all of their time sitting in front of the system watching it-which can increase their nervousness that something might go wrong. But if you are looking for a system that has added monitoring to feel secure, you will want to look into systems which have audio and video features. While more extensive systems can record and monitor the movement of your baby, the downside to this system is that it will take up a lot of your time, since you will probably always be watching the monitor, instead of getting your work done, which is why you may prefer a simple audio only type system. Remember that your decision does not reflect on your parenting abilities directly, because the system itself should simply be one that helps YOU get your tasks done as easily and effectively as possible when you are not in the same room as your baby, and since we have many responsibilities as adults, we cannot always be in the same room.
You may have to research this beyond just asking around. Look for ratings in publications like Consumer Reports and find which brands they recommend. These are publications that compare a whole lot of different monitors (or other items) and then explain which ones are better than the others, from an industry standpoint, and why. You can learn which brands are over-marketed, which ones are the best performing, which ones have the best prices for their performance, etc. This is the best way to sort out which brands give you the best value and which have a poor performance record. This is one of the few places where you can find truly objective information about products being sold. Many positive reviews you read online are on the company's site; these may only be giving you one side of the story.
You can also look for products on large consumer sites like Amazon that have a good number of reviews. These are good reviews to read because they are from people who have bought the product, not by those selling it. Be prepared to sort through a wide range of reviews though! For most items you will find the reviews run the gamut from those who think it's great to those who say it's awful. For this reason, you have to look for useful specific information so you can make an educated decision. That will help you figure out if a monitor is good enough for you or if you should choose something else. 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. Your final decision should include things like the shape/size, cost, functions, and other features. Just remember to do your research and take your time before you start shopping, because this is a very important investment for your family, and especially for your baby!
It's always good to ask yourself questions when you are trying to buy a baby monitor, because the extensiveness, strength, and even size are all important factors which need to be taken into consideration before choosing a system. You should also assess the lifetime expectancy of the system, in case you want to have more children in the near future as well, and also so that you know it will last for the entire time you need it to monitor your baby. The type of monitor you need will depend on you and the needs of your whole family, so it's best to figure out what you want your monitor to do and then go out and find something that will do it!
