A good, reliable baby monitor can offer a sense of freedom for parents. A baby monitor can act like an extra set of ears when you’ve stepped away from the little one, so you can hear if they’re gurgling, crying, or laughing at themselves. Designed with the parent in mind, the new VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor
About the VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor
The Review by WiC Chick Jan
(with some comments/edits by The WiC Project)
Fresh out of the box, I liked the compact size of the VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor and liked that it wasn’t bulky. The baby unit easily fit on a very small side table we have near the crib. The units are lightweight, which is especially nice when you want to clip the parent unit to your belt. The parent unit is just 4 ¾” high x 2 ¾” wide and 1 ¾” thick.
The VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor is very easy to set-up with no assembly required. Simply plug in both parts of the monitor, turn them on and you’re ready to go. The monitor uses DECT 6.0 Technology, offering a 1,000 foot range without any white noise or static that can often be heard on typical analog monitors. This claim is absolutely true. When I first plugged in the unit I thought it wasn’t working because I couldn’t hear anything at all. I turned the volume up all the way and still didn’t hear a thing until my husband helped me test it out. He stood next to the crib and whispered. I heard it loud and clear on the monitor.
The parent unit can be used on battery power and set to vibrate if the baby makes a sound. I love this feature. It allowed me to feel comfortable leaving the house for a few minutes. I clipped the monitor to my pants when I went outside to water my garden, while Baby J napped. Make sure you plug in the unit while inside to extend the life of the rechargeable battery.
The talk-back feature of the monitor allows you to comfort your baby by talking to him as you walk to his room. It also makes this useful for an older child. When my son was young we always allowed him about 15 minutes to read to himself in bed before the lights were to be turned off. There were many occasions when he’d become so engrossed in his book that he’d read way past the time we set. It would have been great to be able to give him a gentle reminder by speaking into the monitor.
If you tend to misplace items, as I do, you’ll love the Page feature. From the baby unit, press Page and the parent unit will beep continuously until you press any key on the parent unit.
The VTech Safe and Sound Digital Audio Monitor also acts as a nightlight. The loop on the baby unit can be turned on manually or set to come on when noise is detected. The loop emits a soft glow which can help comfort the baby but may not be bright enough to see from across a darkened room.
One thing to be aware of is that to turn off the units, you must hold down the button for 2 second. This helps ensure that the unit doesn’t turn off if the button is hit accidentally.
My husband and I tested out the unit before using it with the baby. I plugged the parent unit in a kitchen outlet (just down the hall from the baby’s room). I was able to hear him speak softly in the baby’s room. He also heard me when I used the talk-back feature. The sound was clear and strong.
Next I moved the parent unit upstairs. The sound was still clear. When we were confident the monitor was working well, we used it when our grandson was napping. It worked like a dream. The sound was clear enough that I was able to distinguish between his cries. A hunger cry definitely sounds different than a “stirring, but I’ll fall back asleep” cry.
I would definitely recommend this monitor. I feel like I have freedom! Due to his acid reflux, our grandson wakes frequently. Before using the monitor I felt I needed to stay near his crib while he slept. Now that we have the monitor I feel free to move about the house and even walk out to the mailbox with assurance that I can hear him if he needs me. The high quality and reasonable price ($39.95 MSRP) make it good alternative to the more expensive video monitors. It is available for with one or two Parent Units. The monitor with two Parent Units is currently on sale on Amazon for just $49.75.
VTech Online
The WiC Project VTech Baby Monitor Giveaway
The Prize:
One winner will receive a VTech DM221 Safe & Sound Digital Audio Monitor
Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. Your experiences may be different. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a free product from the manufacturer or their representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.
the fact that it has a night light already installed on it
18 hours battery life