Analog Baby Monitors

Inexpensive analog monitors can have problems with interference

Most baby monitors on the market are still analog, operating on 49 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz frequencies. The trouble, as discussed above, is that none of these actually scramble the signal from monitor to receiver, so all of these analog monitors are subject to interception or interference from devices on the same frequency, as well as unintentional eavesdropping. The upside to analog baby monitors is that they are usually less expensive than digital baby monitors. If you don't live in a heavily populated area, you might not have to worry too much about interference from neighbors' baby monitors, so an analog monitor might be fine.

The cheapest baby monitors work on the 49 MHz frequency. Some older cordless phones still work on this frequency, so you might get interference from your phone (check your phone's manual to find its frequency). You could also get interference from other 49 MHz baby monitors. The rest of the analog monitors work on 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies. However, many cordless phones also operate on these frequencies. If you have a home wireless network, it may operate on a 2.4 GHz frequency, so you could get interference there as well.

One of the best-reviewed analog monitors we found is the Sony BabyCall Nursery Monitor NTM-910 (*Est. $40), a 900 MHz analog monitor. Nearly 600 reviewers on Amazon.com give it above average ratings, and most say clarity is very good -- better than cheaper models. Reviewers note that the Sony BabyCall Nursery Monitor NTM-910's 27 channels make it possible to avoid much of the static, buzzing and clicking that results from interference with other electronics. However, we found consistent complaints that the parent unit beeps -- even when parents aren't out of range. The Sony BabyCall Nursery Monitor NTM-910 baby monitor can operate on standard household current, or with the included rechargeable batteries. This model is also available with dual receivers (*Est. $70). While Sony has officially discontinued this model, it's still widely available in major stores.

The Graco Ultra Clear II (*Est. $40) works on a 49 MHz frequency and comes with two battery-operated receivers. There is a light display on the receivers, two channels and a volume/channel control. One complaint we read at consumer sites is that it does not have a lights-only feature. We also read some complaints about durability and interference, but overall, parents are more positive about the Graco Ultra Clear II than about the Fisher-Price Sound 'n Lights (*Est. $30). A number of owners on Amazon.com note that they use the Graco Ultra Clear II Baby Monitor 2M021 to take care of their own aged parents.

The Fisher-Price Private Connection 900 MHz baby monitor (*Est. $45 with one receiver, $70 with two receivers) receives mostly positive feedback, and better reviews than most analog baby monitors. Some parents do indicate durability issues with the Fisher-Price Private Connection baby monitor, however. We found the largest number of parent-written reviews for this monitor at Amazon.com, where dozens of parents weigh in. Most are very happy with this baby monitor, while some complain of static and short battery life.

Overall, the Sony BabyCall Nursery Monitor NTM-910 monitor gets the best reviews among analog models. However, at $40, it's not that much cheaper than a digital DECT monitor like the Safety 1^st High-Def Digital Color Video Monitor 08280.