Project Nursery 5-inch HD Video Baby Monitor System with Mini Monitor

Choosing a baby monitor was one of the most difficult choices we had to make when we sat down to register. There are so many options out there, and I am the kind of person who likes to do a lot of research before making these kinds of purchases, so that is exactly what I did! I started asking my mom friends for their recommendations, I googled “best video baby monitor” and scoured reviews online to make a decision. I ultimately decided on the Project Nursery 5-inch HD Video Baby Monitor with Mini Monitor and I could not be happier with my choice.

Upon first receiving the monitor, I was immediately impressed with the packaging. It came in a beautiful keepsake gift box, and once I started to unpack everything, I felt like I was opening an Apple product—everything was very clean, white and crisp. Once out of the box, the product continued to impress. The design is very sleek and modern, which is not always something you get with baby monitors. My husband was also impressed with the quality of the product—in particular, he loves the nice, threaded charging cables. It is just another feature of the monitor that makes it feel very high-end.

Getting the monitor set up was incredibly easy. I tend to read manuals front to back, but you really didn’t even have to read the manual to understand how to work it. The interface is very intuitive and user-friendly, which I really like! Even still, I sat down on the floor of our nursery and read the manual, which provided even more information on all of the features and settings.

There are a ton of cool features that we have really enjoyed. First, it’s really nice to have the mini monitor. I wasn’t sure if I would use it when I originally chose this monitor, but I have found it to really come in handy, especially when I am running around the house. I just hook the mini monitor on (it comes with several options—a wristband, a lanyard, a carabiner and a clip) and carry about my chores while the baby sleeps. The size of the parent unit is also great. I definitely appreciate having the option of the two units, though it would be nice if I could have both of them on at the same time. In order to keep the baby monitoring system as secure as possible, only one monitor can view video at a time.

Some of the other features that I like include the Talk function—it is nice to be able to press a button (on either the parent or mini monitor) and talk to the baby from the other room. I also like having the ability to zoom and pan/ tilt the camera from both the parent monitor and the mini monitor. I also like that you can play lullabies for the baby—there are three songs (including “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Holiday” and “Jolene”) and three noise options (waves, rain and white noise). I did notice that it is a little delayed in starting the music, but once it gets going, it’s fine. It will also continue to play the same song over and over again if you select a particular song, but there is the option to Play All, which just rotates through the options.

The monitor also has several options for alerts that you can set up, including motion, sound and temperature. The motion alert automatically shows video when the camera detects that your baby is moving. The sound alert automatically shows video when the camera detects sound from your baby. The temperature alert tells you when your baby’s room is too hot or too cold. For each of these alerts, you can select the level of sensitivity (low, medium and high, or specific temperatures).

One function that we have not used is the Recording functionality. You have to have a Micro SD card to record images or video, and we just haven’t thought about it. The quality of the picture is fine, but it is not worth recording in my opinion. Others might find this feature useful, but it just not something we have used. Another thing to note is that this monitor does not have the capability of accessing video remotely from your phone. This was not a priority for us as our son will be going to daycare when I go back to work, but it might be a limitation for some.

Overall, I am incredibly impressed with this monitor and very happy with my choice. I will definitely be recommending this product to friends and family.

Price: $299
To buy: amazon.com