See All Baby Monitors

Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor

*Est. $260

Reviewed

December 2012

by ConsumerSearch

Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor

Best Video Baby Monitor

Pros

Remote pan, tilt and zoom
Large screen with great image quality
Easy and intuitive to use
Touchscreen interface

Cons

No voice activation feature
Lower range than other monitors

Where to Buy

See All Stores

Our Analysis
Specs
473 Amazon Reviews

Bottom line

The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor has a large, 3.5-inch screen with a touchscreen interface that allows you to pan, tilt and zoom the camera from the parent unit. The BabyTouch delivers bright and clear day and night images with interference-free digital technology. Parents love the talk back to baby intercom, good sound quality and ease of use of this monitor.

Clarity

Digitally secure connection. The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor uses digital technology for a secure connection that is relatively interference free. Product testers say the range is very good, with a reliable performance at up to 400 feet away. Parents and reviewers say the BabyTouch offers great color clarity in the daytime and clear black and white images after dark. Parents also say the sound quality is good, and the sound quality of the talk back to baby intercom is also clear and free of static. However, testers and users do say that the monitor can momentarily drop the connection when being moved between rooms. However, this doesn't appear to be a huge concern, as connection resumes quickly.

Ease of use

A bright clear picture that you can interact with. The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor's most celebrated feature is its large, 3.5-inch LCD screen that allows you to pan, tilt and zoom in on the image. While some monitors are criticized for having a loud camera, the BabyTouch is silent, reviewers say, and moving the lens won't disturb baby. Reviewers also say that the monitor's controls are easy to find and use -- you won't have to study the user manual to get this monitor up and running. In addition to the video image, the monitor has LED lights that show volume level when the monitor's volume is turned on. One feature the monitor is lacking, however, is voice activation. This allows the monitor to tune out white noise and only transmit sound when the baby cries, which is a bonus for parents who keep white noise on in their baby's room.

The BabyTouch includes rechargeable batteries for the camera and the parent unit, and it comes with a sleek magnetic charging base for the parent unit. However, users do complain that the battery life is less than expected and that the batteries wear out quickly.

Lifestyle features

It's all about the image. The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor isn't loaded with extras -- it doesn't play lullabies or have a nightlight -- but it offers some of the most comprehensive video coverage available. You can add three additional videos to the system for a total of four units for a wider degree of coverage. In addition, the BabyTouch allows you to talk back to baby through an intercom feature in the monitor.

A word about safety: In February, 2011, Summer Infant, in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), voluntarily recalled all of their corded baby monitors to provide new product labels and instructions. This action was taken after seven infant were reported to have strangled on baby monitor cords. Two of those were Summer Infant Monitors. In this case, this was not a specific product recall due to negligence on the part of Summer Infant, rather, this was an attempt, by the CPSC to more aggressively educate and warn parents about baby monitor safety via more prominent warning labels and instructions.

Customer service

Standard warranty. Summer Infant is a well-known maker of video monitors with a time tested reputation for quality. The BabyTouch is covered by a one-year warranty.

Where To Buy

Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Color Video Monitor

(473 reviews)
Buy new: $259.99 $181.49 20 New from $167.95

In Stock.

Store Rating	Notes	Total Price
1,257 store reviews	In Stock. Earn 2% eBay Bucks on qualifying purchases! Backed by eBay Buyer Protection Program. Terms and Condi	$195.88	See It
483 store reviews	In Stock.	$269.00	See It
		See All Stores

Our Sources

1. Baby Bargains

Review Credibility: Excellent The Baby Bargains book and website offer buyer's guides and ratings on a comprehensive selection of baby gear. The authors say they conduct hands-on testing and interviews with parents, manufacturers and retailers before reaching conclusions. Parents posting to Amazon.com say this is the best baby-gear book available, with plenty of current info and lots of attitude, including sections aimed at steering consumers away from unnecessary features. Baby Bargains offers a roundup of top audio and video based baby monitors and provides coverage of specific baby monitors and overall brand performance.

Review: Chapter 7, Monitors, Denise and Alan Fields, Version 9.1, 2012

2. BabyGearLab

Review Credibility: Excellent BabyGearLab.com gives the Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor a highly favorable review but says that it is outperformed in range and quality by similarly priced monitors. They say it performs solidly across their series of tests, which include range and interference challenges, and they say it is the easiest to use video monitor that they tested. They like some of the extra features like talk to baby, and they say the camera's tilt and pan capabilities provide a huge viewing range. They find it inexcusable that the BabyTouch doesn't have a sound activation feature -- the ability to cut out white noise from the nursery and only transmit sound when the baby makes noise.

Review: Summer Infant Baby Touch Video Monitor Review, RJ Spurrier, Nov. 6, 2012

3. Babble.com

Review Credibility: Very Good Babble.com names the Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor the best video monitor in their 2012 roundup of the best baby monitors. They say that the BabyTouch's large, 3.5-inch color touchscreen allows you to effectively pan, scan and zoom in on your baby and the picture doesn't roll out of view as with many video monitors. They also like the two-way intercom that allows you to chat with your baby from a distance, the sleek charging station and extra battery pack. They say that the monitor delivers clear video day and night.

Review: Babble Best 2012 -- Baby Monitors, Michelle Horton, Not dated

4. Amazon.com

Review Credibility: Very Good The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor receives an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars based on more than 300 reviews. Users say that the Baby Touch offers a great daytime and nighttime picture with good reception. Parents say the sound quality is good, and they love the talk back feature. Negative reviews consistently mention that the battery life is poor and that the battery either malfunctions or dies in a short amount of time. They also say that they wish there was a low battery indicator.

Review: Summer Baby Touch Color Video Monitor, Contributors to Amazon.com, As of December 2012

5. Target.com

Review Credibility: Very Good With an overall rating of 4.5 of 5 stars based on more than 35 reviews, the majority of parents have good things to say about the Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor. Multiple parents like the large picture, clear image resolution and the good sound quality. While parents like that they can tilt, zoom and pan the camera, some say these features don't operate as well as they hoped. One says the zoom has no happy medium -- either all in or all out. A few parents also complain about short battery life.

Review: Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Color Video Monitor, Contributors to Target.com, As of December 2012

6. TheBump.com

Review Credibility: Fair TheBump.com loves the Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor's touchscreen technology and the ability to pan, scan and zoom. They describe the BabyTouch as CIA worthy and as a perfect surveillance tool for "moms who want all the details."

Review: The iPad of Baby Monitors, Editors of TheBump.com, Not dated

7. Parents Magazine

Review Credibility: Fair Parents.com selects seven baby monitors in this online roundup, but the article simply notes the best features of each model. It is unclear whether these models were thoroughly tested. The Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor is the first monitor listed and is touted for its smart phone-like usability. It is not clear, however, whether the monitors are ranked or simply listed.

Review: 7 Baby Monitors, Jessica Hartshorn, Not Dated

8. Bestcovery.com

Review Credibility: Fair The Bestcovery.com reviewer is a mom of two who says she's dedicated hours of research into products geared toward children and parents. She does not indicate what methodology she has based her reviews on, but it seems to be research rather than real-world use. She commends the Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Video Monitor for its 400 foot range, talk back feature on the receiver and touchscreen that allows parents to zoom in on their baby, pan and scan the room and adjust the brightness of the camera. She says the camera is very quiet when moved so using the touchscreen at night to adjust the camera will not disturb baby.

Review: Baby Monitors, Natasha Puryear, Not dated

Sony BabyCall Nursery Monitor *Est. $40

8 picks including: About.com, Amazon.com…

Safety 1st High-Def Digital Monitor 08024 *Est. $50

3 picks including: About.com, Amazon.com…

Motorola MBP33 Wireless Video Baby Monitor *Est. $200

3 picks including: Amazon.com, Baby Bargains…

MobiCam Digital DL Audio Video Monitoring System *Est. $150

3 picks including: Amazon.com, Target.com…

Graco Direct Connect Digital Monitor *Est. $60

3 picks including: Amazon.com, Target.com…

Levana BabyView 20 Video Monitor *Est. $180