When I first use my baby monitor, it felt like a mini surveillance system. That why most modern baby monitors are trying to mimic the high-tech security system. I found out that it’s not all surveillance systems that are made to monitor a child. Let discover why.
Since baby monitors and home security systems are much alike, you can use a home surveillance system to monitor your baby. But, you have to check if your home security system has the essential baby monitor features. Because without the audio and the following features your home surveillance system won’t be able to monitor your baby correctly.
Before you spend money on a single specific task baby monitor or a complete home security system, you must ask your self why and how you are planning to monitor your child.
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 do you need a baby monitor?
In my experience, baby monitors are a must for every new parent.
My baby monitor is giving me the ability to watch my kids while they are sleeping or playing. I can check if they are awake from their nap or if it’s just a false alarm.
It also gives me the peace of mind to fall asleep when we started to sleep in different rooms. I can keep my baby safe by knowing what he’s doing.
It gives me more time to do chores around the house or prepare dinner when they are playing in their rooms. I can also relax at night and watch a movie while still be able to see into their bedroom.
Where to use a baby monitor at home?
Personally, I use my baby monitor in the kid’s rooms and in the living room. Those are the room where my kids are allowed to play alone. If I had an extra camera, I would probably put it in the corridor. Because my kids love to play in the passage between their rooms and the living room.
A home surveillance system is meant to watch over a whole house, and it feels a bit overkill if you only want to monitor your child sleeping. On the other hand, it can be convenient to have the ability to see what going on in the backyard or the garage. Because, trust me, kids love to explore around the house.
5 useful features are useful for a baby monitor
A home surveillance system is a lot like a video baby monitor. They have many features in common. Many baby monitor companies also make wireless security cameras. In fact, some even market their security cameras as suitable baby monitors. They include many of the same features such as live video footage, two-way communication, and night-vision.
If you want to monitor your child with a home surveillance system, you have to get one with the following essential baby monitor features. Video baby monitors are available in a wide selection of types. But they all come with audio and visual aspects so you can see and hear your child’s activities in the nursery.
Let’s look at those essential features for baby monitoring.
1. Hear and listen to your child
The most important feature on a baby monitor is the audio. It gives you the ability to hear your baby and to know if he’s crying or not.
Most basic home surveillance systems are not equipped with microphones. So you definitely want to get a system that does or upgrade your current security system.
If upgrading is not an option, you can get a standard audio baby monitor and install it into your baby’s room.
Detect sounds from the room
Along with audio option comes the voice-activated transmission (VOX). A good baby monitor will alert you the second the microphone detects a sound.
Most home surveillance systems have a motion detector that will alert you when movement is detected by the sensor. The movement detection is still an excellent feature to have. But the sound detection is more important.
You want to make sure you will hear your baby crying for your help.
Speak to your child
To let parent and kids communicate through the device, many baby monitors incorporate a two-way microphone. This is not an essential feature, but it could become handy to get your toddler to go back into his bed or to calm your baby with the sound of your voice.
Most security systems don’t have this kind of two-way capability.
2. See your child
Cameras are becoming the norm with baby monitors. I prefer a video baby monitor because it gives me the ability to peek inside the room, without opening the door or stopping what I’m doing.
This is where a home security system becomes very useful. But depending on how you plan to use it to monitor your child, you might want to consider a simple video baby monitor.
Easily set up the camera
What I like with most video baby monitor is they are easy to set up. I can only place the camera on a shelf without drilling holes in the wall.
Many home surveillance system also have an easy-to-set-up solution, but this is really something you need to consider. Installing a full surveillance system take much more time than a baby monitor.
Monitor multiple rooms at the same time
The home surveillance system will do a better job at monitoring your kids while he’s playing because you have access to multiple cameras feed.
The multiple rooms camera is great because you don’t have to move the camera to where your kid is currently playing. Also, in one glimpse at the monitor, you can locate your kid in the house.
Sure some video baby monitors have the option of adding cameras, but most home surveillance systems are already doing this.
See your child in the dark
The night vision is one the great feature into a video baby monitor. It gives you the ability to see your baby without opening the light. Without night vision, you have to go into the room and open the light to see what’s going on. You will be risking to wake up your baby accidentally.
This feature can also be found on a home surveillance system, but you must ask/check for it.
Follow your child with the camera
Most high-tech video baby monitor got inspired by the home surveillance system and let the parent control the angle of the camera.
This feature is convenient to watch your kid playing without having to move the camera or adding more camera to the room. You can zoom on your kid to see what exactly is playing with or chewing on. You can also track your kid around his bedroom and into his crib.
This is a common feature with most home surveillance systems because they were meant to cover a large room.
3. Watch the video feed
Cameras are great to monitor a child because they give you access to a video feed. The video image can be really different between a baby monitor and a home surveillance system.
Depending on your needs or your budget, you will have to take a decision regarding the video aspect.
I will guide you through the different options.
Connect to your local WIFI
Most video baby monitors are wireless and use your local WIFI network to transmit the video feed. The cameras are connected to the WIFI, and this gives you the ability to watch the video from a dedicated monitor. You can also use an app to connect to the camera through the internet. Which is great to watch the kids while they are at home with the babysitter.
Wireless cameras are easy to set-up, but you will need a strong WIFI signal, because if your WIFI fails, so does your monitor.
Even if most of those cameras have high-tech security features, they can be hack into or interfere with other device connected to your local WIFI network.
If you are sharing the WIFI with others or have a lot of other devices connected, this could be an issue, and you might want to consider a hardwired camera.
Hardwired camera
In my opinion, hardwired cameras are the best because they don’t depend on the WIFI. You will still have access to the camera if you WIFI fail. Cameras with wires are more secure than those without a cord because wireless device is more sensitive to hack.
The downside is the portability. With hardwired cameras, you cant simply pack and go. This means that you will probably need a standard baby monitor when you go on vacation with your baby. In my experience, a baby monitor is also handy when visiting the grandparents or into an Airbnb.
Watch your child with a dedicated monitor
The traditional surveillance systems have a dedicated monitor to watch the video feed. It’s also very common for video baby monitor to have a dedicated monitor that you can carry with you around the house.
What I like about a dedicated monitor is I don’t need to drain my cell phone battery to watch the video feed. It also, great for parents who don’t have a smartphone to stream the video into.
On the other hand, I am carrying a bulky monitor around the house while having my cell phone in my pocket. It feels a bit useless to have both. I already have enough things in my home, if using my cell phone mean fewer things to carry, I would consider it.
Have a monitor per parents
Some video monitors have multiple cameras, and some have multiple parents units. This means you can have more than one monitor to watch your kid into. You can let on in the living room and the other in the kitchen. So you don’t have to carry it from room to room.
Some home surveillance system, offer the possibility to watch the video feed from your TV. If you have multiple TV in your home, this could be a great option.
Otherwise, you can install the app on as many smartphones as you want. Giving you multiple devices to watch over your kids.
Use an APP
Most video baby monitor and home surveillance system give you the option to download an app into your smartphone. It gives you access to the cameras via your phone or tablet, from anywhere you have the internet.
What I like about the APP is they give you the portability and easy access to the video feed.
Many parents are complaining about the fact that their smartphone battery is drained by the usage of the app. It’s because they leave their Ipone or Ipad open all night with the app to watch over their kid.
There’s a solution here! Most baby monitor apps have the push notification features. Which means that your phone will alert you if the camera detects a movement or a sound.
If you are using a home surveillance system to monitor your child, just make sure the APP have the push notification feature. Now your phone doesn’t have to stay open with the APP all night.
I would also recommend you test the loading time of the APP. Because some APP takes a longer time to load when you open them.
4. Record the video feed
The screen recording is not an essential feature, and I don’t personally use it. But, some of my friends really like it, and this is why I feel the need to add it to this list.
This feature is useful to record small clips and take pictures to share with your family and friends.
5. Monitor the room temperature
The modern smart baby monitor will also check the room temperature. It’s helpful to know if your baby is not sleeping because it’s too hot or too cold in his room.
This is a nice to have feature, but not essential.
If you connect your home surveillance system into a smart home ecosystem, you can definitely have the room temperature indicator and adjust it from your control device.
Use a baby monitor for home security
Most of the essential features can be found within a home surveillance system, and this is why you can monitor your kids with it.
If you already have are you plan on installing a home surveillance system, just make sure it has the baby monitor features listed above.
From what I seem through my research, many parents will use their old video baby monitor as a home surveillance system when there kids are older. If you decide to go for a video baby monitor, get one that gets be reuse as a home surveillance camera.
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.