Summer Infant 02100 Hand Held Video Monitor

While pregnant with my first child, I deducted that video monitors must only be for overly nervous new parents. And, truth be told, part of me wondered if a video monitor would lure me into spending entire nap times gazing at my snoozing bambino.

Well, turns out a video monitor could have saved me countless trips down the hall to check on my little angel. I have to confess that when he started falling asleep by himself I actually went outside to peak in his bedroom window to see if he was counting sheep yet (since opening the door might rouse him).

So now that I'm an experienced parent pregnant with my second child, there’s no question for me that a video monitor is a must-have. My research led me to Summer Infant, a leading brand of quality baby monitors, and I selected the Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor. For me, a handheld unit was necessary since I'm typically moving around the house during nap time and need a monitor that can go from the kitchen to laundry room and more. And so far I haven’t discovered the battery life of my handheld because it hasn’t run out (as recommended, I plug it in at night and leave it unplugged during the day). The color picture is an added bonus, although with the shades drawn it’s dark enough to activate the black and white night vision, which is crisp and easy to see.

And while getting a video monitor for my new baby girl, I might as well get an extra camera to watch my son too! With monitors there is often confusion on whether or not an extra camera can be added, but the Summer Infant Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor has the option of coming with an extra camera, eliminating any guessing. The additional camera makes the Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor a great option for parents of twins, parents considering more children, or anyone who wants to watch their munchkin in multiple locations (for example, in their crib at night and in the play yard during the day).

When I first plugged in my Summer Infant Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor, channel A was snowy but channel B worked like a charm. Now I’ve learned slight adjustments to the position can greatly affect the reception and both channels come in clear (we don’t have a problem with interference from our wi-fi or other monitor). When the new baby comes, at night I will manually switch between channels to monitor both rooms, but I love being able to see my baby's sleeping face. Rather than distracting, I find the video monitor saves time because I'm not running back and forth into the nursery. And, yes, I do spend a lot of time watching my son snooze, and I love every second!

Price $245
Buy it: Amazon.com