Baby Monitor Review

Best reviews of baby monitors

The most extensive and comparative reviews of baby monitors can be found at ConsumerReports.org magazine and in the book "Baby Bargains." Though the review at ConsumerReports.org is probably due for an update soon, the information contained within both sources is more in-depth and objective than that of many other reviewers. Both sources test and rate baby monitors on range and reception. "Baby Bargains" also reports on overall brand reliability. Both include digital baby monitors in evaluations. Digital baby monitors promise better reception and less interference than older analog monitors. We also found excellent testing on the websites of two foreign review magazines, Australia's Choice and the U.K.'s Which? magazines. While tests are detailed and well done, the tested baby monitors aren't available in the United States. These two websites make a great first stop for European and Australian shoppers, however.

Current reviews of baby monitors can also be found on sites that allow parents to write comments. Amazon.com has the most reviews, especially of new digital baby monitors. Epinions.com has a large number of parent-written reviews, but many are for older baby monitors. Target.com also allows parents to leave feedback. Though we found more reviews at Amazon.com, Target.com contributors were thoughtful and detailed in their reviews. Since many parents have tried more than one baby monitor before finding one that works, these reviews are often comparative and highly critical. We also found user ratings of baby monitors at Sears.com, Walmart.com and at BabiesRUs.com.

Fisher-Price baby monitor: No longer the best

The Fisher-Price Sounds 'n Lights baby monitor (*Est. $30) has been around a long time and it's one of the least expensive baby monitors on the market. In years past, the Fisher-Price Sound 'n Lights was a top pick in reviews mainly because of its simplicity and low price. User ratings of this baby monitor at sites like Amazon.com are highly critical and list many issues from interference to poor construction. The Fisher-Price Sound 'n Lights monitor is cheap, but parents suggest that it's too cheap. Instead, we found better reviews for the analog Sony Baby Call Nursery Monitor NTM-910 900 MHz baby monitor (*Est. $40), which costs only slightly more.

If you're considering a video monitor, you'll also want to save your receipt, because many of these products receive even more criticism at consumer sites. ConsumerReports.org refused to recommend any video baby monitors because their performance was so irregular, though a few newer products from Summer Infant have since shown promise in more up-to-date reviews. The MobiCam AV Wireless Audio/Video Monitoring System (*Est. $110) is highly regarded in some reviews, but it gets middling to low reviews from parents. There are frequent complaints about static and interference.