Peace of mind is everything when it comes to protecting our children, and baby monitors and nanny cams can help provide that.
But since there are so many different products on the market at different price points, it’s important to know the ones that are recommended and what to look for -- based on how you plan to use them.
“Even though my nanny was background checked and vetted, we still got a nanny cam just to keep an eye on what’s going on,” said Consumer Reports Home Editor Daniel Wroclawski.
Consumer Reports has more than 70 home security cameras, or nanny cams, and more than a dozen baby monitors in its ratings. So, what’s the difference?
“The big difference between nanny cams and baby monitors is that most baby monitors actually don’t connect to the internet and don’t record footage. You’ll just be able to view a live feed of your baby,” said Wroclawski.
You view that feed on the display unit that comes with most models. One big security benefit to that -- the video feed stays local and is less likely to get hacked, although Wroclawski says that’s rare.
Important features you should look for when shopping for a baby monitor:
- HD screen resolution
- Two-way talk
- Optional additional cameras
- Temperature sensors
- Sound lights that turn on when the baby cries
- Infrared function that lets you watch your baby in the dark
Consumer Reports recommends these baby monitors -- as they both did well in its tests:
- Eufy Spaceview Baby Monitor for about $169 (News4JAX found this at Best Buy for $119.99)
- VTech VM5254 Baby Monitor for about $79 (News4JAX found this at Best Buy for $70.99)
If you want to check the feed while you’re away from home, Wroclawski says you’ll want a nanny cam with specific features:
- Pan and tilt: That’s the ability to remotely move the camera around and change its view
- Local video storage: This way you don’t have to pay for a subscription
- Loud noise detection: Even if the camera doesn’t see something, it’ll still record
- Monitoring or activity zones: This lets you highlight different parts of a room to keep an eye on
Consumer Reports recommends two nanny cams -- and both have a two-way audio feature:
- Lorex 2K Pan-Tilt WiFi W462AQC-E for about $70 (News4JAX found this on sale on Amazon for $54.59)
You can use these cameras to keep watch on your kids, your pets or even to keep an eye on contractors doing work in your house when you’re not home.
Consumer Reports says if you have an Amazon Echo Show, you can easily turn that into a home security camera. Find Amazon’s directions to do that here.