Summary:
Pros: good quality and large picture, great range, decent battery life of parent unit, temperature monitoring, quiet pan and zoom, COST EFFECTIVE! Two cameras included, able to pair with two additional cameras for a total of four.
Cons: very bright when video is on in dark room, no belt clip on parent unit, user friendly interface but maybe not intuitive (probably need to read the instructions to figure out the controls the first time)
I did a lot of reading about baby monitors before finally choosing this one when our second child was born (now 3.5 months). We had an Angelcare for our now two year old daughter and liked it so we bought another, but soon realized it would be a lot easier to keep up with one unit. This unit is very easy to use. It is simple to switch from one camera to the other or to only use one at a time. This is especially helpful when one child is napping and we are with the other one. At night we like the back and forth feature. 8 seconds is just the right amount of time to see what's going on without neglecting to watch or hear the other child. It's also good because we always hear the waking child fast enough to reach them before they wake the other! I cannot attest to how well it works with a third and fourth camera as I have not purchased the extra cameras. I have considered it though to keep one in the playroom.
There are several great features with this unit. First the pan and zoom is great and QUIET. My husband was with my daughter playing right beside her crib where the camera is. I panned over to where they were to see if he would hear it, and it was so quiet even he didn't know I was spying! Lol. It also makes it quite nice because my son sometimes sleeps in his room and other times may nap elsewhere. I can easily move the camera then adjust the angle so I can watch him wherever he sleeps. The parent unit has a large screen with a large picture. The only drawback is when the video is on it makes our bedroom really bright at night. Definitely not a big deal, and the video is easily turned off. One other feature I like is the sound bar at the top of the monitor. When noises are loud, it goes from yellow-green to red depending on the decibels. Once I forgot to turn the volume up and realized the baby was crying because the monitor kept blinking red. The battery on the parent unit is decent. It lasts a little over 3.5 hours. Our daughter sometimes naps that long so if we forgot to charge it after using it that morning with our son, sometimes I have to get the cord and plug it up before she finishes her nap. I have it in an easily accessible place so it's not a problem. I don't know how much more could really be expected: our angelcare lasted about that long too. Temperature monitoring is another useful feature. Our HVAC gave some trouble in August when it was so hot. I watched the temperature closely to make sure it wasn't getting too warm in the kids' rooms. While not a necessity, it was very handy.
I also want to mention the range of the monitor. That is so impressive. I couldn't go out of the house with our old unit, and I can walk all the way to our shop about 60 yards from our house and still have video feed. That's definitely the limit but I was very impressed. It gives me much more freedom to do things while the kids are sleeping and still have the peace of mind that I know I can hear and see them.
Lastly, cost. Of all the dual camera monitors I read about and read reviews of, this one was the least expensive with all the features. There may be a few things this one doesn't do that another one does, but for the price it is a VERY GOOD BUY. I would certainly buy another. We have rarely turned it off in 3 months and it is working as well as the day we took it out of the package.
I spent a fair amount of time thinking about and writing this review which I don't often do. As a busy mom of two, who also works a full time job, I don't have a lot of extra time. I hope that tells you just how much we've enjoyed this unit: I actually wanted to take the time to write the review!
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|
| Color | Silver |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Wireless Communication Technology | Wi-Fi |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.5 x 3.5 x 4 inches |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Item Weight | 2.6 Pounds |
| Focus Type | Auto Focus |
| Room Type | Nursery |
| Video Capture Format | MPEG-4 |
| Unit Count | 2.6 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 3.5 x 3.5 x 4 inches |
| Item model number | 28970A |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Additional product features | Infrared LEDs automatically adjust to the level of light, video |
| Battery life | 6 Hours |
| Standing screen display size | 5 Inches |
| Display type | LCD |
| Sensor technology | Nightvision |
| Item Weight | 2.6 pounds |
