I’m fairly certain that when I was an infant, my parents never had a baby monitoring system. Well maybe two tin cans and some string, but that’s not quite as nice as what you can get today. And while monitoring systems are all the rage, not many currently available have the secure monitoring capability to include video as does the Graco iMonitor.
The iMonitor is a digital, color video baby monitoring system that allows a parent or guardian to watch over their loved ones remotely with the use of a handheld receiver (Parental Unit). You can mount the camera (Nursery Unit) over a crib, in a corner, or on a wall and have instant audio and video feedback in regards to what your child is doing. The camera on the unit can adjust to swivel from left to right for better positioning and it also includes nightvision, that’s pretty slick!
The Parental Unit itself is very portable and sports a 1.9” color video screen. From the unit, you can adjust the volume, zoom in and out with video camera, change brightness and all this from a distance of up to 600 feet. Not to mention it includes an alarm and can be set to use several languages.
We tested the unit with our son, who will be turning 3 years old this August. While I expect many people will use this primarily for newborns and infants, we found the unit extremely handy for keeping an eye on a mischievous toddler. Setting up the device was very quick and easy, simply install the rechargeable battery pack for the Parental Unit, install AAA batteries as backup for the Nursery Unit (Camera), plug in the AC adapters for power/charging and you are good to go.
Initially, we set the camera up on the counter to monitor our son in the living room. The first thing my wife said when we turned it on was “Wow… we should have had something like this earlier.”
The video was in color, however I did find it a bit jerky when my son moved and played with his toys, but the audio was very clear. Even with the slight jerk as he moved within the frame, it captured his movement and activities in much greater detail than I had been anticipating. For a newborn or infant who is primarily still in their crib and not as active, I wouldn’t imagine that video capture would be an issue.
The night vision is great. We were able to clearly see our son sitting in the dark as he watched the movie Cars. However, he was a bit distracted by the red light from the camera, which is easily visible in a dark room. We both laughed from the other room as we watched him get up to investigate the camera. We also saw no issues with interference when we used the unit through several rooms while sitting outside on our patio. All in all, we both love the monitor. Just by flipping open the parental unit, or sitting it on the table next to you, one is easily comforted by seeing and hearing your loved one as they lie or play in another room.
I’d like to thank fellow blogger and occasional Your Blog reader Lindsay Lebresco at Graco for sending me a review unit. If you would like to get involved in the Graco community, check out the Graco Blog. The site is very family oriented and filled with great tips such as Top 10 Ways to Keep a 2 Year Old Quiet, and who couldn’t use more ideas in this area? =)
June 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
My kids are 8 and 10 but I could still use that in the play room. When you hear a big thud in the room they always seem to be sitting nicely by the time you open the door.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Graco has been the leading manufacturer of baby monitors for many years.
June 18th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
@jervis961:
It was very nice being able to monitor my son…. especially when I quizzed him on his actions that he *thought* I wasn’t in the room to see hee hee.
@sugarbear:
Yes Graco has many excellent products, I highly encourage you to check out their blogs as the community is very friendly.