Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor with Temperature Sensor: Hands-on Review
There are many baby monitors in the market today, and after some research, I bought the Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor with Temperature Sensor. Here is a first hand review of the product.
Busy moms and dads who can't always be in their sleeping baby's room would love a good baby monitor that lets them listen in on what's going on in the room and talk reassuringly to the baby from the kitchen or the study. There are many baby monitors in the market today, and after some research, I bought the Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor with Temperature Sensor just before my new born was on her way, about five months ago. I'd like to share my experience with it, to help other parents make an informed purchase.What I like about the Philips Avent baby monitor
One of the best things about the DECT monitor with temperature sensor is that it has four sensitivity settings, depending on how much sound you want to be able to hear. I usually use it on the highest setting and the one below that. The highest setting lets me hear everything that's going on in my baby daughter's room. The setting below that is also good for hearing the softest sounds, while filtering out the background noise.
The third higher setting will let you hear the baby's vocalizations, but you can't hear any burbling or other soft sounds. I don't usually use this setting, since I like to keep a listen in on the softest sounds. On the low setting, you can only hear if your baby cries or yells. It's useful to use the last two settings from time to time if you don't want to be distracted from some important work you're doing. I've found that when I use the highest settings, I tend to get distracted easily by the smallest sounds in my baby's room.
The sound is mostly clear, and there's no static, and the range is excellent at 75 feet on the same floor. When I take the parental unit downstairs, it still works great at a 50-feet distance. The range is usually a problem with many other similarly priced monitors such as the Levana Sophia video baby monitor that a friend uses.
I'd like to make a note here for parents who are thinking of buying the baby monitor to prevent SIDS. I'd caution you against depending on the monitor to warn you of SIDS – no baby monitors can help you do this, and you shouldn't unreasonably expect the Philips Avent to either. Keeping your baby on her back and away from loose bedding are some of the best things you can do to prevent those dangers.
Another great feature of the Philips Avent baby monitor is the temperature range setting and alarm. You can set the ideal temperature for the room, and if there is a fall or rise beyond the range, the alarm goes off. You get an audio and visual alert if this happens. Just be careful not to set the monitor under a lamp with a bulb that would heat the air around it – this could set the alarm off.
The monitor also has a built-in nightlight, so you don't need to buy a separate night lamp. This is a bonus, along with the lullaby features. The monitor comes with five lullabies, and you can adjust how loud you want these to be played. If you hear the baby crying, you can also talk to the baby softly by pressing a button that is on the unit you'll be carrying with you.What could have been improved?
I wish that the nightlight had a feature to dim the light. You can either have it on the baby or turned off at the moment. This is a minor issue, however, which I don't really have a problem with since I already have a nightlight with a dimmer switch in my baby's room.
I know that some people have had a bad experience with their online purchases, as some units have stopped working soon after purchase. In order to avoid this problem which could be because of a bad batch, I think it's a good idea to test the monitor out as soon as possible within the return period, if you're buying online. If you're buying this before your baby arrives, I think it's better to purchase it from an authorized Philips dealer in your city.The Verdict
I'd highly recommend the Philips Avent DECT baby monitor with temperature sensor to parents who want to be able to go about their work in the home while keeping an ear out for any signs of trouble in their baby's room. It's also great for talking to your baby or playing lullabies, and the clear sound and great connectivity is as expected from the brand.
I got my monitor online and learnt later that there is also a new version with the ECO mode, that you could consider, to possibly save on the unit's energy usage, but I haven't used this one so I don't know how cost-effective it is.
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