I’ve reviewed a few baby monitor and security camera devices in the past, so I also have a good basis for comparison. Let’s start at the beginning with setting up the camera! Registering an account is the first step and only requires a name and email address. Then the app quickly walks you through connecting your camera to your wireless network with an easy scan of a QR code using the camera itself! My previous cameras have all required connecting my phone to the device itself as if it were a wireless network which can be a pain to switch back and forth. This simplifies the connection step.
The most immediately noticeable difference between the others I’ve tried and the Safety 1st unit is that this kit also includes a Sound and Movement Detecting Audio Unit. Like other WiFi cameras, the Safety 1st system allows you to set up monitoring and alerting on for your smart phone or tablet via the app, but this also provides a physical device that let’s you listen in and monitor sound and movement without having your smart device handy. You can also push to talk to soothe your child. The audio unit is also WiFi connected and is paired with the camera via the app.
Which actually brings me to a second, but also very welcome difference. The Safety 1st app and system allows granting temporary access to another person! Just like many WiFi routers now allow for granting a temporary login or a guest network, I can give my sitter temporary access to the monitoring without having to log them in as me.
This is a GREAT difference, especially when I am leaving the house and the kids have a sitter. I’ve had to leave the sitter without a way to remotely monitor the kids a few times because I didn’t have any other available smart device, nor did I want to leave my phone behind. I could have given the sitter access to the app, but that would have meant putting my credentials on their phone.
The app does have all of the standard features I’ve come to expect as well though : setting sound and movement sensitivity levels, receiving alerts on them, saving photos and videos, and push to talk.
So what about the camera itself? It has a large 130° field of view, has great video and audio quality, and is HD 720p resolution. It’s hard to gauge because we don’t have bandwidth issues currently, but Safety 1st also claims that the technology they have used for their streaming uses less WiFi and data for less buffering and better video. On a lesser or more congested network, I can definitely see how that would a welcome addition to the features. The camera also has night vision, fairly comparable to the latest cameras.
One very small, but pretty nice addition to this camera that I’ve not had in any other camera systems are the wall clips. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent trying to tuck a cable behind a bookshelf or re-plugging in the camera after my kids unplugged it during the day. These handy little wall clips hold the power cable down and if one is placed very near to your outlet will make it much more difficult for your child to unplug the camera.
The only real con to the camera is that it doesn’t have any pan or tilt features. To be fair, not a lot of these systems do unless you get into a higher price bracket. The wide viewing angle does help with compensating for that though. If your kids are older and more mobile or you have a small room, you may need to look for a system where you can move the camera, but for a baby monitor in an average room, the stationary camera is going to be more than enough.
I can definitely recommend the Safety 1st HD WiFi Baby monitoring system based in my experience. And, as a final note, if you don’t care about the separate audio unit, the camera system can be purchased without it at an even lower price point.
NOTE: I was provided a unit for review purposes and this is a sponsored post but all thoughts and experiences detailed here are my own.
