Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Waste or Want #13: Video Baby Monitor


Description:

A baby monitor that includes both a camera and a video screen, allowing the parent to see the baby from another room, in addition to hearing them.

Average Cost: $90-$300+

On the one hand . . .

Every parent wants to give their children the best possible care, and sleeping time can be one of the hardest times to do that. We want to make sure our baby is safe and sound, but we don't want to disturb them so much they wake up! A video monitor allows you to actually see your child while they are sleeping without needing to physically enter the room and risk waking them up. This can bring great peace of mind when it's so easy to check on baby, especially in the early months when risk of SIDS is so much higher.

There is a lot of flexibility with video monitors, including being able to set up more than one camera (from different angles or from multiple rooms if you have more than one child) and having more than one viewing screen.

On the other hand . . .

Video monitors are expensive, at least in my realm of baby supply purchasing, especially if you start adding on any extras like multiple cameras. It can also be argued that you will know as much as you need from listening to a simpler audio monitor, without the complication of a video monitor.

and now cast your vote!


Video Baby Monitor: Waste or Want?

and don't forget to tell us why!

8 comments:

Heather said...

Waste! (Of course, my kiddos cry so loudly and our house is so small that we never ever used our regular baby monitors.) This seems like such an expense for something not very useful.

Lisa said...

Waste. If you are looking for a really good monitor, the best kind to get is the one with a sensor pad that sits under the mattress. This kind of monitor senses the babies movements in order to help prevent SIDS. If the baby does not move in a certain time interval an alarm on the parent's end sounds, so you can check to see if the kid is alright and breathing.

I don't have a monitor right now. I tried one with my first, but never really used it. If I were to buy a new one I would get the kind I described above.

The Pearce People said...

When I was buying all the baby stuff I thought video monitor, waste of money!! But now I think I will get one for the next baby. There are lots of times when I am not sure if I should go in and help him sleep (did he lose the binky, did he escape from his blanket) or if he just needs a little more time to drift off but isn't quite ready to pipe down. Also some night I get really worried that someone is going to sneak in and steal my baby (way silly I know) that I have to get up and check on him if I hear any little noise so I think a video monitor would help ease my fear.

Alyssa Harper said...

I think it depends on the size of your house. If your house is small, total waste. Takes 3 seconds to check on the baby anyway. If your house is larger, and going in to check on the baby EVERY STINKIN' TIME he makes a noise is a huge pain, then maybe a video monitor is worth it. We're in a larger place at the moment, and I'm starting to wish my baby monitor had a video to it. Jogging up and down the stairs to check on my sweetums is getting a little old. Although, it has pushed my workout regime in the right direction. :)

Megan said...

I have to agree with Lisa. If I were going to get an expensive baby monitor I would get one with a sensor. So the video monitor would be a waste for me.

BECKY said...

I thought they were ridiculous, but now I covet them. My baby is the lightest sleeper so it would be SO nice to see if she's okay without opening the door. Also, my baby gets mad when she sees you when she's screaming... but if I had the monitor I could see if she was hurt or just throwing a fit.

Rebecca said...

When I was pregnant with my little girl I was debating between a video monitor and a sensor monitor. I chose to go with a sensor monitor because it would re-assure me that my baby was okay even when I was asleep. Although having a video monitor would be nice for my very light sleeper I definitely think a sensor monitor is more helpful (and usually a little less expensive).

Just wanted to add that if you do use a sensor or video monitor to be very cautious of the cords! I read a story about a toddler that died because their neck got tangled in the cords. :( Don't mean to scare anyone...just make sure that they are far out of reach.

Britta said...

I've always thought 'waste' and I dont think I could buy one. But I did have a friend who's baby died of sids last year and she can't say enough good about the monitors (and everything else that helps keep baby safe...)

I'm not really keen on any baby monitor because my house has always been small enough I'll hear my kids even over other kids playing. But I'll definately reconsider when we move into a bigger house.