Table of Contents
- View The Best Audio Baby Monitor Below
- Audio Baby Monitor Buyers Guide
- What to look for in an Audio Baby Monitor?
- What is DECT Technology, and how does it work?
- Can the monitor cut out white noise?
- Will the monitor harm my baby?
- Is a video monitor better than audio?
- Should I get a movement sensor too?
- Can my audio children’s monitor be hacked?
- Why choose a monitor with extra features?
- Consider battery power
- Conclusion
Finding the best baby monitor is essential for parents with babies and young children. Monitors allow parents to put their children to sleep with peace of mind so they can enjoy their evenings and child’s nap times. But how do you find the best audio monitor for your family? There are several major factors for your parent unit to consider, including battery power, sensitivity, sound quality, and the impact on your little one. You’ll also need a monitor that has a good range and can be used across your home, keeping connectivity with your newborn’s room. We’ve also included a buyer’s guide to help you answer key questions when considering audio baby monitors.
To make this easy for you to choose a great monitor, we’ve reviewed the top 10 audio baby monitors available. We’ve assessed reliability, sound quality, parent reviews, battery life, and added extras like night lights, video monitors, and DECT radio frequency technology to find the best product for you.
View The Best Audio Baby Monitor Below
1. VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor
This VTech Audio Monitor comes top with brilliant sound quality, eliminating background noise, giving you clear sounds from your baby. With a range of up to 1,000 feet and rechargeable batteries, this monitor is great for moving around your home while caring for your little one. This monitor also has a talk back function to allow your infant to hear your voice.
Pros:
+ Rechargeable batteries
+ Talk back function
+ Excellent range
+ Night light for your baby
+ Hands free with Belt Clip
Why We Like It – This VTech product is simple and effective at a great price. It delivers on quality of sound, comes with excellent range, and it will be a great addition to your parent unit. It really is the best overall audio baby monitor, and we highly recommend it.
2. Philips Avent SCD720/86 Dect Audio Baby Monitor
If you’re looking for a premium product, Philips Avent Baby Monitor is a brilliant option. It steps up from the normal audio monitor and comes with additional features, including lullabies. Phillips is a trusted brand to bring into your home. The Philips Avent SCD720/86 monitor also has a nightlight and talk back sound feature to make sure your infant is soothed and calm.
Pros:
+ High quality trusted brand
+ Night Light and Lullabies in your babies room
+ Secure and reliable connection using DECT
+ Excellent range and belt clip
+ Talk back feature
Why We Like It – Philips Avent has created one of the best audio baby monitors that delivers security for parents. This monitor is quiet with minimized background noise, has brilliant battery life using a rechargeable battery, an excellent lasting connection, and comforting talk back features.
3. VTech DM111 Audio Baby Monitor
Looking for an affordable baby monitor, then this VTech DM111 model is the best option for your family and little one. With essential functions including clear sounds, good range in your home, and long battery life, this VTech product will be a good addition to your home.
Pros:
+ Good competitive price
+ 5 Level Sound indicator to monitor the noise level
+ Quality audio monitor with minimized background noise
+ Power level indicator (battery-powered)
+ VTech trusted brand
Why We Like It – By choosing VTech DM111, you’re getting a great product with essential features to help your child settle. This product monitors the sounds your infant makes and gives parents peace of mind with its talk back function and quality DECT technology.
4. HelloBaby HB180 Audio Baby Monitor
Hello Baby HB180 is a brilliant product rated by parents, that has lots of additional features to benefit your newborn. It’s not just an audio monitor. It also has a thermometer and measures the temperature in your nursery room. It’s a great monitor with a competitive price.
Pros:
+ Two way talk back function
+ Thermometer for your baby’s comfort
+ Lullaby and soft light
+ Up to 1,000 feet range
+ Rechargeable battery
Why We Like It – This product audio monitors the sound from your child’s room effectively, giving you security and peace of mind. Hello Baby HB180 is a good all-round product that meets your needs and supports your family and parent unit, without compromising on price.
5. VTech DM225 Owl Audio Baby Monitor
This VTech model is adorable in an Owl shape, comforting for your new child, and a cute addition to their room. The child monitor has a soft glowing night light in the Owl’s eyes and two way talk back function to give them comfort throughout the night. It also comes with a handy belt clip and up to 1,000 feet range so that you can move around your house freely.
Pros:
+ Adorable Owl design
+ Two way talk back function
+ Night light in owl shape
+ Sound sensitivity setting to eliminate white noise
+ Electric powered and rechargeable
Why We Like It – This VTech model is a simple and effective product that’s adorable and will fit right in with your baby’s room. As parents, you can feel secure with this monitor. It’s a product with a great range and high quality of sound, which are essential features for you and your baby.
6. HelloBaby HB178 Audio Baby Monitor
This monitor product for your infant is a one-way system that transmits the sound from your child’s room to the parent unit. It’s a simple alternative to products that may have features you don’t want or need. If you’re looking for a great product to get the job done, this HelloBaby Audio Monitor could be the one for you.
Pros:
+ Effective sound transmission
+ Two units including parent unit
+ Clear, easy display and buttons
+ 1,000 ft range
+ Electricity powered and rechargeable
Why We Like It – This HelloBaby product is perfect for parents looking for a simple life. You’ll be able to hear your child’s movements and sounds from other rooms in your home, keeping them and you happy. The one-way transmission means you can keep an eye on your infant without disturbing them in their sleep.
7. Philips AVENT DECT Baby Monitor
The Philips AVENT DECT SCD501/10 model children’s monitor is a great product that has two units, one for your nursery room and one parent unit to use. It’s got a clear display and control options, great range, and sound quality. It’s a sleek, professional product to help you in your home.
Pros:
+ Two-way talk back function
+ Range of up to 300 meters (approx 980 feet)
+ Soft lighting for your nursery
+ Excellent quality of sound
+ Trusted brand by parents
Why We Like It – Philips Avent is a trusted worldwide children’s brand, and they’ve produced a great children’s monitor for an affordable price. This monitor will give you effective sound, enabling you to manage your baby’s sleeping habits. It’s no fuss and frills but does the job well, and is recommended by parents, too.
8. Time Flys Audio Baby Monitor
This baby monitor has a sleek design, including two soft night lights in the children’s unit. This product has lots of additional features, including a lullaby player, soft light, and temperature gauge, so you can always be assured of your child’s comfort.
Pros:
+ Soft light and lullaby, remotely controlled
+ Clear LED Display with essential details
+ Sleek design to suit your homewares
+ Rechargeable battery with long life
+ Two way talk back to your baby
Why We Like It – This product from Time Flys will give you the best audio to manage your child’s noises. It’s got excellent battery life and a clear LED screen, so parents always know what’s going on, reassuring you of your infant’s needs. It’s a lightweight product that is easy to carry around your home with you.
Audio Baby Monitor Buyers Guide
This buyer’s guide is to help you consider different audio baby monitors, as well as the essential features that they have, and how they work to transmit sound from your nursery room. Baby monitors can be used during the day with naps and through the night to help reassure you of your infants’ sleeping patterns.
What to look for in an Audio Baby Monitor?
There are a few key factors to look for in buying the best baby monitor. These include high-quality sound, range, ease of display and buttons, battery life, additional features (e.g., soft lighting, talk back function, belt clip). Some child monitors will also be equipped with sound sensitivity settings, helping you to eliminate the white noise sound or very quiet sounds, and only hear the essential noises your infant makes.
As parents, it’s important to think about what you want and need from your baby monitor to help you buy the best one for you. This will include considering range, security, the quality of sound, display and control buttons, and extra features.
Consider the range you will need for your home, including height and floor space, wall thickness, and the age of your house. These factors may influence the type of monitor you need, including more range, sound sensitivity, or higher volume controls.
If you have a pet or a typically noisy household, you may not want a monitor with a talk back function, as this may add noise and sound to your baby and disturb them. Also, if you have twins or more than one child in the room, you may want a more sensitive monitor to pick up both their noises in the room.
What is DECT Technology, and how does it work?
DECT Technology is a type of digital wireless technology that’s used in the home for baby monitors and often cordless telephones. It allows you to roam through your house and talk on the phone, or in this case, listen to movements and sounds from your child. Monitors that have a two-way talk back function use the same frequency so they won’t be picked up by your neighbors on their phones. DECT frequency technology has been around for many years and is a trusted method of radio waves.
Can the monitor cut out white noise?
Many monitors these days are super sensitive to noise and good at recognizing what is white noise and what is your baby moving or crying. To combat this sensitivity, some monitors have a function that only transmits sound from a certain volume and above. This means that when you’re relaxing, working, or busy doing tasks, you won’t be constantly bothered with a low level of noise being transmitted. This is another brilliant feature to help parents be the best they can be!
Will the monitor harm my baby?
DECT radio technology that is used in baby monitor products is a lower frequency than cordless phones, at only 1.9 GHz frequency. This means it emits a very low level of radiation and is not harmful to you and your baby – usually less than your wi-fi or cell phone.
Some monitors have a talk back function, where the baby can hear your voice. Most babies will find this soothing. However, as they get older, it may confuse them if they can hear your voice but do not see you. This really depends on your baby’s behavior and preferences.
Is a video monitor better than audio?
Many parents these days use video monitors to be sure that their little one is happy. However, with extra features comes an extra security worry. Most of these products use wi-fi to connect, which can be hacked. There have been parents in the past that have had security compromises, which have put their little one at risk of strangers speaking directly to them at night. Have a quick search of ‘baby monitor videos’ to see what we mean. This kind of security risk is rare when using an audio only DECT baby monitor. DECT Technology has it’s own frequency and is encrypted, so it gives a security advantage over video monitor products.
Audio monitors also offer you more flexibility and less distraction from your tasks or relaxation time. Video monitors need to be in your line of sight, whereas audio monitors can just be near you, and you’ll still know if your baby wants your comfort.
Should I get a movement sensor too?
Some monitors available have a large sensor pad to put underneath the baby. These enable you to monitor the movements of your baby through the night or naps. However, most audio monitors with DECT frequency technology are sensitive enough to pick up on small noises your baby makes while moving if you want to be able to hear in that detail.
Can my audio children’s monitor be hacked?
Baby monitors use a frequency of 1.9 GHz and are also encrypted, so have extra security compared to a more basic analog baby monitor. This also means that your neighbors won’t be able to join the frequency, and it won’t interfere with their cordless phone systems. This is also why most baby monitors range is limited to around 1,000 feet, because it’s a lower frequency, and gives you extra security.
Baby monitor cables – strangulation risk
If your baby unit has a cable and wall plug to keep it charged, make sure you keep it out of the baby’s reach and away from their cot. This is to prevent them from getting caught up in the cable and potentially harming themselves. You may want to purchase a rechargeable or cordless monitor unit if your baby’s room is small, to avoid this kind of accident.
Why choose a monitor with extra features?
Some baby monitors come with additional features to help soothe your child or to ease your life as a parent. Some baby units will have lullaby playback or soft light. These can be great features to give your infant the best chance of settling and sleeping, and it’s handy that these are included in the monitor unit. Many baby monitors will have remote control options in the parent unit, meaning that you can turn that little light on or off during the night. This can save you time and effort, and help keep your baby sleep all night.
Some parent units have handy features such as a belt hook, which assists you in moving around your home and garden hands-free. Another great feature is the visual volume scale, which displays the level of sound in a green to a red bar, or a series of colored lights. This is a brilliant feature to help you quickly understand how loud your newborn’s sounds and movements are, and assess how much comfort they may need. A third useful feature for parents is a thermometer in the child’s unit, which quickly tells you how warm or cold your nursery room is. Again, this is great for assessing how much comfort your child needs and why they’re not settled.
Consider battery power
If you’re planning to use your audio monitor all night every night, and sometimes during the day to monitor naps, you’re going to need a long-lasting battery. Possibly the best option is to go for a rechargeable monitor that uses an internal battery and wall plug to recharge. These are reliable and usually have a display screen showing you how much battery life is remaining. The alternative is to choose a monitor that is always plugged into the wall. You’ll never run out of battery, but this will limit the flexibility to move around your home, and, as mentioned above, cables too close to a child’s cot or bed can cause an accident.
Our number one tip for battery life – check and charge. Keep on top of your remaining battery and charge regularly for smooth sailing! The products we’ve recommended all have great battery life and shouldn’t drop out on you in the middle of the night.
Conclusion
There are many factors to consider when buying an audio baby monitor, and it can be difficult to choose the best one for your family. That’s why we’ve collated all the best products in this category, to make the experience of having a new baby that little bit easier! Overall, children’s audio monitors are a great tool to continue caring for your baby even through their sleep and naps. Audio monitors can be better than analog and video monitors as they have better security, and can’t be accessed by outside sources.
Make sure to consider factors in your home that may impact the features you need in a baby monitor, or may impact the effectiveness of the monitor you’ve purchased. These include the thickness of your walls, the size and shape of your house, and the level of noise in your home from pets and family. These factors will have an impact on the range you need from your audio monitor, as well as the level of volume it can transmit.
Overall, we hope that this guide has been helpful to you in choosing a baby monitor that is right for your child and your family. These products offer a great choice, with a range of basic and additional features for both baby and parent. We’ve also included the key elements to consider when choosing your monitor, including security, DECT frequency technology, battery power, and the advantages over video baby monitors.
