Summer Infant BabyTouch Digital Color Video Monitor

When I was pregnant with our first child, my husband and I registered for what we considered a high-tech baby monitor.

Going against the advice of friends who told us it was worth the extra money to get a video monitor, we decided that it would be enough for us to simply hear the baby crying. As our baby got older, however, that high-tech audio monitor just was not enough to satisfy our desire to have “eyes” in her room. Sure we could hear her, but exactly what was she doing in there, anyway?

So, this time around, we decided to upgrade to a video monitor. My electronically geared husband still wanted something high-tech, and we found exactly what we were looking for in the Summer BabyTouch Digital Color Video Monitor. Right away, I was very pleased to discover that I was able to set up the entire system without my husband’s help. I simply took it out of the box, plugged it in, and we were ready to go!

The camera sits nicely on top of baby’s dresser but can also be mounted on the wall if necessary (hardware included). It is portable and includes a battery pack which will come in handy when we travel to Grandma’s house. My favorite thing about the camera, however, is that it can scan and pan the room with just the touch of a finger on the parent’s touchscreen unit. Granted, we have not yet had the need to scan or pan the room with our newborn, but it is wonderful to be able to do so when we use the camera in our three-year-old’s room. We can also use the parent’s touchscreen unit to zoom in on our little one for a better view.

The parent’s touchscreen unit allows us to scan, pan, zoom, and adjust other settings as well. Night vision allows us to see the baby in a darkened room, and it comes on automatically when the lights go out (or the sun goes down). During the night, we can opt to turn the video off, leaving only the audio activated. And, when the monitor is not on the base, it automatically “times out” to save batteries but can easily be turned back on with the touch of a button. With the touch of another button, we can speak to (or sing to) the baby. Our three-year-old likes this feature the best. She thinks it is so much fun when Daddy sings to her first thing in the morning!

The system is also expandable so you can add up to four additional cameras. We are strongly considering doing just that. Having “eyes” in our three-year-old’s room has been so insightful, and now that her baby brother has arrived, it will be nice to have “eyes” in both of their rooms without having to purchase an additional monitor. We are very pleased with this system and strongly recommend it to any parents who, like us, are looking for a high-tech (yet user-friendly) way to keep an eye on their little ones.

Price: $280
To buy: BabiesRUs.com