With all the new tech in baby monitors, I wonder why the audio monitor is still popular with parents. I will try to find out for you! So, don’t throw away your audio monitor, because the sound is still an essential feature of a baby monitor.
Ultimately, parents are using a baby monitor to hear if their baby is crying in the other room. If you want a baby monitor to listen to what’s going on in your baby’s bedroom, a simple audio monitor will do the job. It’s not all audio baby monitor who are made equal, and you must know certain things before you make your decision.
If you’re seeking for the best baby monitor and hoping to find real reviews from real parents. You should check out this list I created of the top baby monitors.
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Why is audio still the most critical factor for a baby monitor?
Today, parents have to choose between all kind of monitors. Each one is pack with exciting features but they all have one in common, and it’s the ability to hear your baby.
My audio monitor is allowing me to get more things done around the house while my baby is asleep. It can be anything from work to the laundry or a good power nap.
It’s tough to be multi-tasking when you have a baby in your arm. I try to do the dishes with my baby in the carrier in front of me… it’s not very productive. That’s why I always wait for my baby to fall asleep to do those things.
Since I will not wait beside my baby while is sleeping, the audio monitor will alert me as soon as my baby is awake.
If my baby is crying, I want to know right away.
Sure it’s nice to have a video monitor to look at your little baby while is sleeping, but I can’t be looking at a screen and do the thing I need to do.
This is why audio is still king. You can focus on what you are doing, knowing you will hear your baby via the monitor. If what I’m doing is a nap, I’m confident to be wake by the monitor.
Talking about sleep, believe me, every new parent needs every second of rest they can get. Also, it’s better to sleep in your bed, then in the rocking chair beside your baby crib.
3 types of audio baby monitor
An audio baby monitor work like a walkie-talkie or an AM/FM radio. The sound transmits through airwaves on specific frequencies. The frequency is like a radio channel. To communicate, both monitors must be close enough and tune to the same channel.
Mostly there are two main categories of audio monitors, the analog and the digital.
1. Analog baby monitor
The most common audio baby monitor is analog. They are low-cost and very accessible.
Just like a radio station, they transmit on a 49 MHz or 900 MHz frequency. Same as a radio station, you might get a static noise and interference. Parents who use an analog baby monitor will get used to the continuous fizz from the monitor. But it could be a sign of a weak signal.
They also don’t cover much distance, so if you live a larger house, you might want to look for a digital baby monitor.
2. Digital baby monitor
With an encrypted signal transmitted on a 2.4 GHz frequency, the digital baby monitor has less chance to interfere with another wireless device from your house. Even if the connection is encrypted, it’s not impossible that someone might be listing accidentally. But remember, if someone can hear you, you can listen to them.
3. DECT digital baby monitor
DECT stands for Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications and it technology widely used among wireless device.
To eliminate the interference and to make sure the only sound coming out of your baby monitor are the one from your house and not the neighbors, look for a baby monitor using the DECT technology.
The DECT digital baby monitor operates on a 1.9 GHz frequency and often have a high-end microphone who can filter out the ambient noise.
What about audio baby monitor app?
Smartphones and baby monitor apps are becoming more popular with new parents. There’s no doubt they are easy to use and convenient.
Since they are working on 3G and WIFI, the range between the baby and the parents is unlimited.
It’s cheaper than the other baby monitors. Plus, you can give a second life to an old smartphone or tablet that you probably have around the house.
You start by installing the app on two devices. Leave one beside your baby, and you carry to another one with you. It will give you access to the audio and the video from your baby’s room.
If you only want to use the audio, you can put the phone on speaker and listen to your baby. No need to be staring at the screen all night when your baby is sleeping. The app will alert you as soon as is catch a sound from your baby’s room.
For more in-depth information, check out this list of the only apps I would trust.
What to look for when choosing an audio baby monitor?
When I first choose a baby monitor, I went for the first reasonable option. The only mistake I did was my inexperience. Now when I look at baby monitors I know was feature is useful or not.
Here’s my advice.
1. Audio clarity
The quality of the audio transmission should be your top priority. Believe me; it’s not all audio baby monitor who transmit clear and static-free audio.
Depending on the frequency used to transmit the audio signal, the sound could suffer from interference with other devices from your house (cordless phone and microwave, for example).
Aim for a baby monitor that you can adjust the microphone sensitivity to limit the background noise. The quality of the speaker is not neglectable too if you want some kind of audio quality.
If you go for a low-cost baby monitor, you must be prepared to hear all kinds of weird noise. It could be challenging to listen and try to guess each sound carefully.
Sometimes, audio baby monitor even catches the signal from the neighbor monitor. In this case, you need a baby monitor you let you change the frequency channel. In most case, you have the choice between channel A or B.
Also, voice-activation is helpful to block-out the ambient noise from the room.
2. Microphone sensitivity
Newborn babies are not making much noise when they sleep but as they grow the sound will become louder. It’s same when they cry to get your attention. A 2-year-old toddler knows how loud he must be to get his parents to wake up and come into his room (trust me).
To make sure the baby monitor you get today, will still be useful for the next years, check for one with the option to tune the microphone sensitivity.
That way you can catch some sleep and not worry if you can hear your kid or not.
3. Audio volume
It may seem obvious, but check if you can adjust the volume of the speaker. You probably don’t need the same intensity when you are watching Netflix than at a Christmas party with the family.
4. Usability
A good baby monitor will be easy to understand and use. If the monitor you get is complicated, you may end up not using it correctly or get tired after a while. An audio monitor is the most simple baby monitor you can get, so it must be easy to use.
Keep the receipt, just in case.
5. Signal range
When it comes to signal range, you can find all kind of different options. Most baby monitors will tell you the open-field range, which is the range your baby monitor could cover if you were using it outdoor without any obstruction. In reality, you will never use it in such ways.
A good rule of thumbs is to divide this number by 3.
Consider the range you need to cover your whole house and even the backyard if you have one. Make sure you get a baby monitor that will cover all of it because there’s nothing worse than losing the signal in one part of the house or not been able to get outside on the patio when your baby is sleeping.
6. Battery life
All portable baby monitors are plugged into the electric outlet or work on batteries.
Most of the time, your baby monitor will be plugs into the wall outlet. But on different occasions the battery operated baby monitor is useful. You’ll find it handy if you are doing yard work while your baby is napping or if you are on vacation.
Also, to prevent serious injuries, you should never let a loose wire around your kid room. Because your kid could play with the cable and wrap it around his head.
To avoid draining the battery too quickly, some baby monitor will have a standby mode. The baby monitor will only activate if it detects a sound in your kid room. This feature is call voice-activation (vox).
Also, some audio baby monitor model will allow you to switch from the main power to the batteries without taking the battery out the monitor.
Finally, the battery could be built-in and rechargeable. Those rechargeable batteries have a maximum number of recharge before you must replace them. I would suggest you check the price of a replacement before you buy the monitor.
9 useful features in an audio monitor
When I was looking for a baby monitor, I found a wide variety of features, and I couldn’t tell which one was essential or not.
It’s only after been using a baby monitor for the past 5 years that I can tell the difference. I will help you cut the chase by going through the features you should consider.
1. Sound activation / VOX
In my opinion, an excellent audio baby monitor can filter the background noise. I would recommend you look for a baby monitor with sound (cry) activation.
The monitor will filter out all the white noise and only start to transmit if your baby is crying or if there’s a loud noise in the room. Parents can tune the sensitivity of the microphone, to adjust to the baby age. In general, a newborn baby is much quieter than a 2-year-old.
A good sound activated monitor will have the option to turn it off. Because sometimes we want to hear everything in the room, without cut off.
For more in-depth information, check out my article on what is voice activation (VOX) on a baby monitor?
2. Sound-sensitive lights
When you have friends over for dinner, you don’t want to share the background noise from your kid room with everyone at the table.
The sound-sensitive lights will display how loud your baby is, even if the audio monitor is muted. It will look like a blinking alert if your baby is crying.
3. Two-way audio monitor
Sometimes your baby just needs to hear your voice to fall asleep. That why I like the two-way communication feature that transforms the baby monitor into walkie-talkies. It’s like having an intercom to talk to my baby without entering the room.
4. Lullabies
Some kids love to fall asleep at the sound of a lullaby. It can help soothe your little baby and make bedtime easier.
5. Long range baby monitor
If you live in a large home and have a backyard, you should look for a long range baby monitor.
Most baby monitors will advertise an open field range. At first, it would seem alright to cover your whole house, but in reality, you should divide this number by 3 to get the range you will get indoor. You must consider the walls, the furniture and the structure of the house that reduce the baby monitor signal significantly.
For more in-depth information, check out my article on the range you can cover with a baby monitor.
6. Battery indicator
A baby monitor without battery is useless. Some baby monitor will just stop working after a while without a notice.
I would recommend you get a baby monitor that displays a visual indication of the battery’s state of charge. The gauge should be a fair warning before you run out of power.
7. Nightlight
My kids can’t sleep in a room without a nightlight. That why I appreciate the built-in night light of a baby monitor.
You can also use it as a portable flashlight to search around your kid’s room without opening the main light.
8. Room temperature display
The baby monitor gives you the ability to watch over your kid without physically going into the room.
A great feature to have on your baby monitor is the room temperature display. Since babies cannot regulate their body temperature, it could be a lifesaver to be alert by the monitor if the room temperature is too hot or too cold.
It’s recommended for a baby to sleep only with nightwear because heavy blanket and pillows are a suffocation hazard. Also, you don’t want your baby to overheat because the room is too warm.
This is where the room temperature display becomes handy. It will sure the room temperature is between 16 and 20°C.
9. Is there audio monitor baby for 2 rooms?
Most baby monitors for multiple rooms are with cameras. If you are looking for an audio monitor only, your options might be close to none.
The only manufacturer I found, recently discontinued his multi-room model.
You can find plenty of audio monitor with one baby unit and two parents units. The baby unit is the monitor you place inside your kid room, and the receiver is the one you can carry around the house. Those kinds of audio monitors are not meant to monitor two rooms.
Buying two audio monitors of the same model is not a bad idea. The only problem is they will probably interfere with each other. Having two baby monitor working in the same house could create interference. From the testimony I found on different parent forums, you have a 50/50 chance it will work. So keep the receipt.
If you don’t live in a castle, there’s a good chance both rooms are next to each other. A simple solution will be to place the monitor in the corridor leading to both bedrooms. By adjusting the sensitivity of the audio monitor, will be able to listen to both rooms, even if the doors are closed.
For more information, check out my article on how to monitor 2 baby rooms.
Is audio monitor safe for my baby?
I always want to make sure the decision I take will not affect the safety of my kids. I was concerned with the reliability and safety of a baby monitor.
Since they are wireless, I wonder if the signal emits was dangerous to my little baby. Also, I remember hearing stories about hacker listing to families via the baby monitor, and it scared me.
I dig into the subject and here’s what I found.
Can someone hack an audio monitor?
Any transmission via a wireless communication device can be intercepted. Sometimes it can be accidentally or intentionally.
Analog baby monitors are transmitting like a radio channel, so anyone close enough, could tune into the same channel as your baby monitor and listen. Crossing signal from baby monitor happens all the time, especially in the city, where people live very close.
I would suggest, you don’t keep your monitor open all the time. Don’t whisper your credit card number to your baby while is sleeping, and you should be ok. If you catch the signal from someone, change the channel of your monitor.
If you need a more secure baby monitor, look for a wifi baby monitor. They are 100% hacker-proof, but they have extra layers of security to block accidental eavesdropping.
For more in-depth information, check out my article on what you can do to secure your monitor from hacking.
Is it dangerous to my baby’s health?
Any wireless device is creating radiation trough microwaves. The amount of microwaves is considered to be the electromagnetic field levels (EMF). From what I learn, a baby monitor is emitting a small amount. Therefore, it fair to consider them safe to use, but use them with caution.
When a lab is testing the effect of the EMF created by the baby monitor, they are only testing the exposer of one device. In reality, we are already using many wireless devices around the house. Anything from our cellphone to the WIFI signal. To real danger is having many devices working simultaneously beside your baby.
The developing system of our baby
is sensitive to the EMF level in the house. Therefore, you should look for a baby monitor with a low level of EMF. And you probably should stay away from baby monitor who doesn’t explicitly state the level of their product.
A scientific study was published in 2015, declaring impossible for the radio frequency waves to be the cause for cancer “without re-writing the laws of physics and biology.”
It’s recommended never to install a baby monitor closer than 3 feet from your baby. Also, don’t leave it open al the time. Only open the monitor when you are using it.
To learn how to mount your monitor safely, check out my article on the essential items you need to mount your baby monitor.
Don’t be shy to use audio only monitor with your baby.
When it comes down to parenting, everyone is different. That’s why some people will choose a smart baby monitor with breathing sensors and other will not buy a baby monitor at all.
An audio baby monitor will do the job if you take a good look at the features and choose the right one.
P.S. If you’re seeking for the best baby monitor and hoping to find real reviews from real parents. You should check out this list I created of the top baby monitors.
To get the best insights and tips to find the best baby monitor, I read more than 300 reviews online and ask my friends or others parents. From all their insights and my own experience, I’ve built this list of the best baby monitors.