The Hunt for the Perfect Baby Monitor

If you would have told me when I was pregnant that the most complicated baby product I would have to deal with would be baby monitors I would have laughed. Why you ask? Because it’s 2017 and you would think that technology is extremely advanced, so something as SIMPLE as a baby monitor would not be an issue. Umm..think again.

Since we knew baby Ralph would be sleeping in his room from day 1, I really needed to find a great baby monitor. I wanted something that would be easy to use around the house, if someone else were watching him they could carry it around the house and I wanted to be able to look on my phone wherever I was and check in on my sweet little guy. After LOTS of research and the help from my Instagram followers, I quickly realized that such a monitor does not exist. Yes, some have wifi but when that wifi is spotty…so is the monitor. Oh and those basic video monitors that you see people carrying around their houses? I also learned that ‘range’ (even though some say up to 1000 feet) do not work in all areas of our home…specifically our master bedroom (convenient right?).

So to start my baby monitor review/post I just want to say that NONE of this was sponsored. I personally purchased EVERY single one of these monitors. And so we begin…

For starters, we knew we wanted some sort of room/nanny camera in his room. This would give us access to take a look into baby Ralphs room even when we were not home. We decided that the Arlo security system would be a good fit. There are no wires, the camera connects to a magnetic mount and the battery life is quite amazing. This camera is connected to apps on our phone so we can look into his room, regardless of where we are. Another bonus is that when any ‘motion’ is detected in Ralph’s room, it starts recording. Pretty amazing.

Now, the Arlo camera that is mounted on Ralphs wall is really amazing but it does not work as a monitor..at least at this point in his life. I needed something that could be ‘on’ all the time so I could hear him if he was crying. I next decided to order the Motorola portable video baby monitor. If you look at the photo it is the white camera on the left side of his crib. This monitor is awesome..except there is ONE BIGGGG problem with it. It says the range is 1000 feet and ironically enough, the only place this monitor does not work is our master bedroom and bathroom. Convenient right? Literally the only place we need it to work in the house it doesn’t. Trust me, from our bedroom to Ralphs room it is for sure not 1000 feet…not even close to that. I will say that it has a 5 inch screen and has been so nice to hand someone if they are watching the baby because it works great EVERYWHERE except the backyard (it works not the porch) or our bedroom.

So since the portable video baby monitor did not work in our room but worked great everywhere else in our house, I decided to order the Arlo Baby. This gives an up close view of Ralph’s crib, it gives baby crying alerts, temperature alerts (if it’s too cold or too hot in his room) and I can check it from anywhere. I added the Arlo baby camera to the Arlo app and you can hit a button within the app and keep the ‘sound on’ even when your phone is locked. This does work great…except when the wifi gets spotty, it kind of logs you off. Overall, the camera has been great..especially with the baby crying alerts. Do I think it’s the answer to the baby monitor struggle? Not really but it’s def a good option.

Okay, now for the semi-good news. A few weeks ago I got a DM from a follower on Instagram and she said she SWEARS by this baby monitor. She said she could be in her basement and the baby could be on the third floor of their house and the monitor would never be out of range. She said it’s the best one she has had thus far. After thinking about how frustrated I have been with all the monitors and how inefficient they are (they all have at least 1 negative), I decided to just order this monitor that she swears by and if all else failed, I could just return.

Well you guys, this monitor arrived on Friday and it works EVERYWHERE IN OUR HOUSE. I can happily place it on my bedside table and check in on Ralph whenever I please. I still cannot believe that I have a video monitor that works ALL over the house. It’s such a good feeling to have a monitor that I can use while getting ready in the morning or even while working in bed late at night!

In case you were wondering, I still have the Arlo baby on his crib so I can check in whenever I am away and the Arlo that is on the wall is not going anywhere either. I know, it’s ridiculous to literally have 3 cameras in your childs room but until someone invents something that has everything that one would need in a baby monitor, it’s 3 cameras for us…well 4..I still haven’t taken the Motorola one off of his crib. Oh well, it’s our first. I bet our second won’t even have a camera in their room!!!

Long, LONG story short. If you need 1 baby monitor (like a normal human), just get this one. It will not disappoint.

Baby Monitors