Choosing a baby monitor is almost as high-stakes as choosing your baby’s name! Ok, well maybe not that important but since you’re going to need your baby monitor every day for years, you need a reliable one. Before you get too far into a search engine hole, take a minute to consider a few things as you search for the best baby monitor on the market.
- What kind of baby monitor do you want?
- What features are most important to you?
- What is your budget for a baby monitor?
- How long do you think you’ll use a baby monitor?
Define baby monitor
Once upon a time, the best baby monitor was one that delivered a semi-audible, often crackly audio signal on a boxy receiver limited to about a 6-foot cord. As baby tech advanced, video baby monitors were added to the mix to improve how parents watched over their kids. In fact, when someone asks “what’s the best baby monitor” they most certainly mean a video monitor. But even the best baby video monitor can only show you so much about your baby’s well-being.
The Owlet Smart Sock is the only baby monitor that truly helps understand your baby’s wellness while they sleep. Track your baby’s heart rate, oxygen level, and overall sleep trends from the convenience of your phone and receive a notification if Baby’s readings leave preset zones.
Effective at delivering much-needed peace of mind on its own, the Smart Sock also integrates with the Owlet Cam to add crystal-clear video and audio streaming into your monitoring experience. Open the Owlet App and know at a glance how your baby is doing, instead of squinting at a grainy video receiver to try and decipher your little one’s movements well-being.
One of the best baby monitor features to consider is versatility. Can you repurpose it into a nanny cam once your baby is bigger? Or maybe you can use it as a doggy cam to watch your furry friends during the day. The Owlet Cam is the perfect transition monitor, to take you from birth to toddlerhood and beyond!
Look at safety
The safety and security of the monitor itself is key. Traditionally, analog audio-and-video baby monitors use established common radio with little to no security precautions in place.
Safety is Owlet’s number one priority and that includes the safety of user data. The Owlet Cam streams secure, encrypted data over an AES-128 bit encryption and TLS connection to Wi-Fi. Simply put: only those you choose can view audio and video from the Cam from the password-protected Owlet App.
Additionally, the long power cords pose a very real strangulation risk for little ones. The AAP recommends all baby monitor cords be kept at least 3 feet from a crib or bassinet. The Cam includes a sleekly designed safe wall mounting kit to keep the power cord away from little hands while also blending into the nursery decor.
Consider convenience
The best baby camera is one that works when and where you need it. Some baby cameras include a sleek handheld video monitor, but are tied to a certain signal range. Plus, you have to actively pay attention to the monitor to know how your baby is doing. A baby camera with an app is an easy-to-use option for parents who aren’t sold on handheld baby monitors.
If you’re looking for the best baby monitor for sleepy parents, the Owlet Monitor Duo is convenient, reliable, and proactive. The Smart Sock and Cam combine to give you the most complete picture of your sleeping baby. View live heart rate, oxygen, and video from anywhere on your phone in the Owlet App and get notifications if your baby needs your attention. Best of all, you can play audio of your baby’s room in the background while you use other apps on your phone. The Duo is the fastest, easiest way to turn your phone into a portable baby monitor to take peace of mind with you wherever you go.
All Owlet baby monitors are HSA/FSA approved, so you can get the peace of mind you want without crushing your budget.