Summer Infant Peek Plus

By Published On: August 27th, 2012

When my son was born, we did not have a […]

When my son was born, we did not have a baby monitor in our home. In fact, I decided we probably wouldn’t need one. The baby’s room shares a wall with our room, and I was certain I would hear him if he needed me. Even with the proximity of the rooms, we left both our bedroom door and the baby’s bedroom door propped open at night, which resulted in a lot of “shh!”ing and tiptoeing around. My sister in law, who had just delivered her 3rd child, had recently acquired her first video monitor and raved about how much better it was than traditional audio monitors. My husband and I decided to give Summer Infant’s Peek Plus video monitor a try.
Summer-Infant-Peek-Plus_1When I got the monitor out of the package, there was no assembly required. All I had to do was plug it in. The user’s manual was very clear and provided step-by-step directions; however, it was pretty self-explanatory. The package came with the camera, hand held monitor (with a rechargeable battery), and an internet gateway (which looks a lot like a modem). Also in the package were three AC adaptors, each with a picture of the device in which it plugs into. I later learned that each plug will work for each piece of the monitor, but the pictures are helpful in identifying which cord belongs to which device. I did have a hard time getting the units out of their packaging. They were set in the package so tightly that I actually pulled off the front piece of the camera—I was able to snap it back in, but it’s still pretty loose. The Summer Infant website has a good tutorial that clearly explains all the components of this system and how to set them up.
One of the major advantages of this monitor is its internet component. When the internet gateway is plugged in and turned on, you have the ability to see your sleeping baby from the Summer Infant website as well as from your smart phone via the Summer Infant App. The instructions for setting up an account is in the user manual and it was painless. Within minutes my husband was able to view our son from his office.
The monitor is as easy to use as it was to set up. All you have to do is turn it on. The picture is clear, and shows in color as well as night vision. To save battery power, or if you just want the audio, the screen can be turned off (and back on) with the click of a button. There are lights on the monitor that light up to indicate the noise level in the room. When the baby is quiet, the light is green, and as he gets louder the light turns progressively to yellow, then orange, and red. The volume can be adjusted but the lights are always glowing. My only complaint about the hand held device is the brightness, which can be adjusted, but even the dimmest setting is as bright as a nightlight in our bedroom.
The camera can be mounted on the wall near your baby’s crib, or can sit on a flat surface. It is noted several times in the users guide that at all times the camera and its cord should be at least 3 feet from the crib.
I can tell you now that the Peek Plus has exceeded my expectations. I would definitely recommend it to anyone I know who is having a baby. It is definitely one of the more expensive monitors, but honestly, I feel like you get what you pay for. Other systems that claim to have internet connectivity in addition to a handheld monitor did not review nearly as well as the Peek Plus. This system is definitely one of a kind!
Price:$350
To buy:babiesrus.com