Why buy the Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor? Because the price is right. At $99.99, this is one of the best priced video monitors (that actually works well) that I’ve found. You don’t get many extra features with this monitor, but you do get good quality video and sound for under $100.
Video Quality and Audio Quality
The video and audio quality are both surprisingly good for the price of this monitor. I’d say that they were great if I hadn’t been testing other monitors with excellent sound and video quality. Honestly, you don’t need HD video to watch your baby in the crib. You want to see if his eyes are open or closed, if he’s moving around, and if a leg is trapped in the bars of the crib. You can see all of these things just fine with the Infant Optics monitor.
The sound is a bit tinny compared to some more expensive monitors, but again, it doesn’t affect the basic functioning of the monitor. The monitor is sensitive enough to hear your baby murmur or make small noises, and it’s certainly sensitive enough to hear a cry.
Extra Features
There aren’t too many extra features on this baby monitor, but I think that’s just fine. For a basic video monitor, you don’t need much more than sound, video, and a decent reception range, right? But this monitor does offer a couple features that are very nice to have.
One extra is the ability to add multiple cameras so that you can monitor more than one room, which is great if you have more than one kid, or if you frequently need the monitor in the bedroom and in a playroom. Each additional camera is under $70, which is a good price compared to other video monitor cameras (costing $80 to over $100).
Another nice feature of the Infant Optics baby video monitor is the optional standby mode. When in this mode, the video and sound on the parent unit turn off, but as soon as the camera picks up a noise, the video and sound come back on. Some users report that music played in the baby’s room was enough to “wake up” the monitor from standby mode, which could be a problem if you regularly play music or sounds in your baby’s room to lull her to sleep.
The Downsides
One issue I have with the monitor is that the battery size it uses is non-standard. You have to get a camera battery, which of course I never have on hand. Another small concern is the material quality. The monitor just feels cheaper than others I’ve tested. The plastic is very lightweight and it seems flimsy. The monitor, however, is surprisingly durable, despite the cheap feel.
The main problem I’ve found with the Infant Optics video monitor is that it beeps when it enters standby mode. There’s no way to turn off the beep and still keep the monitor in standby. This is sort of annoying in the middle of the night, and something I would like to see changed in the next model.
For a basic video monitor that doesn’t break the bank, this is the choice for you. Good quality audio monitors don’t cost much less than this video monitor, so if you’ve been wanting to try a video monitor but haven’t because of the price, consider the Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor DXR-5 2.4 GHz. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
