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Mother & Baby reviews

A panel of parents chosen by Mother & Baby online were asked to test the Baby Monitor. Find out how they rated it by reading their comments below

What was your first impression of the baby Monitor when you received it?

JS - Well packaged and large display, lookedd like a good quality item.

ET - The packaging was slick and well designed. It was like opening a gift, each part had its own well thought out section. Visually the monior is very similar to that of the monitor we have already. The camera itself is beautifully designed and seamlessly fit into baby's nursery without it looking out of place!

CD - The monitor look very modern and attractive and it was easy to put together. It was presented very nicely in the box with good packaging.

MS - My first impressionof the baby monitor was the clean sleek design and elegant shape and not at all bulky or clunky looking like others. well packaged and eye0catching and easy to belnd into an array of nursery decor / homes.

GB - Firtsly I was impressed with how well the monitor was packaged. It surprised me how big the viewing screen was with a robust feel to it. And the camera had a very modern look.

JM - I tohought it looked really impressive considering it wasn't a brand I had associated with baby monitors previously. It ticked all the boxes that I look for in a baby monitor and it looked a high quality piece of equipment

LS - My first reaction was that it was packaged really well, and I appreciated the thought that went into it. The instructions felt slightly complicated having to unfold a big sheet rather than small booklet.

LC - Liked the packaging, very neat anmd well set out (much nicer than brand M), both the moniotr and handset look good quality and robust, which is importnat when you have a 3yr old older boy who broke the aerial on my previous monitor. Like the feel of the handset, its sort of matt. Screen size is great and the shape of the camera means you can easily put it most places. Liked the stand.

AJ - My first impression of the baby monitor was that it was well packaged and has agood amount of detaile summarised about the product on the box.

JC - I thought it looked of very good quality and packaged very well. The camera looked of a high quality on first appearnace and I haven't seen any baby monitors that look as good.

RW - Well presented and great monitor screen together with easy to follow instructions

RB - Quite heavy but sturdy. The actual camera part is larger that previous cameeras we have had but fitted nicely into the area where we have our camera - not sure how easy it would be to mount if people wanted it mounted on a wall. Liked how big the screen was on the monitor.

KS - My first impression was it looked really good quality it's a nice size and looked quite simple to use. It was boxed nicely and the outer box was easy on the eye and has lots of information about the product on which I really liked as I could have a quick read of its features without having to go through and look at the instruction leaflet.

UA - My first impression of the box got me excited to open it. The box looked sleek and professional. The way the monitor was packed in the box looked lovely, and it was very well presented. I couldn't wait to take it out and start using it. I liked the size of the screen on the monitor.

When choosing a baby monitor what are the three most important features you look for?

JS - Clear display, ability to move camera remotely, good battery life for monitor - no one wants to be looking for the charger all the time!

ET - A good sized portable parent monitor to be able to keep an eye on baby. The ability to pan around with the camera to see baby at all times as well as the room they are in. Good night vision as that's when it's used most.

CD - Good picture quality - Good sound quality - Adjustable camera (pan/tilt/zoom)

MS - When looking for a baby monitor my three most important features are price point, ease of use and quality of screen to view clearly baby.

GB - The most important features in a baby monitor to me is a good battery life, a feature to monitor room temperature and good quality night vision.

JM - Visual quality, pan and tilt capability (I have twins so need something to be able to see both of them) and good signal range.

LS - The most important features I would look for when buying a monitor are a good big video screen, a long battery life and an affordable price. 

LC - Video, range and connectivity

AJ - The most important features I would look for are 1. The pan & tilt function 2. Talkback/Microphone 3. Image quality.

JC - Excellent night vision is a must, being able to receive good signal from anywhere in the house or garden and also to be able to talk back to my baby.

RW - • Clarity of the picture on the monitor screen • Maximum range between camera and monitor • Camera angle adjustability

RB - Screen image quality, range and camera function rather than just sound. 

KS - Good quality picture so I can see my baby clearly even when it is dark in the room so I can feel at ease him being in the bedroom sleeping while I can be in another room or even downstairs. Good sound quality so I can hear my baby when he wakes even when I have the volume on low to ensure I can go to him when he needs me. Long battery life on the hand held screen so I can move around my house freely while keeping an eye on my little one having his naps and not worrying about running out of charge. 

UA - 1- sound and picture quality  2- movement of the camera which abled me to get a good view of the baby. 3- battery life

 

Which features of the Baby Monitor did you like best and why?

JS - Loved the ability to move the camera so easily, super helpful when baby moves around the cot (she’s 8 months, so quite mobile). Large, wide display screen - can fit the whole baby in the monitor rather rhan just her face like other models.

ET - There are so many features that I love about this model. My favourite has to be the panning capabilities of the camera! Being able to spin the camera around from your portable monitor gives such reassurance and peace of mind at the touch of a button by being able to see the whole room. Something as small as the hinge on the back of the monitor has made a huge difference on its usability. One little tap on the back and the stand is out and ready to go without have to faff about - essential when you're trying to be quiet when the baby has just got off to sleep. The microphone feature is excellent as it allows me to communicate quickly to baby to help soothe before getting to the room. 

CD - We liked the wide screen as it gives a larger picture. The picture quality is also excellent and is better quality than on our current monitor. The sound quality is good, even on the lower volume settings. 

MS - The best features on the baby monitor personally for me are the two way talk, it’s proven that mum's voice can be held from in the womb so for baby to hear it also when upset will sooth it without having to be in the room, temperature sensors was a very nice feature, saves me on buying extra gadgets with the compactness and the night mode which again is an essential point of the day where I watch baby more.

GB - Set up was super easy, instruction manual is easy to understand although they really are not needed. Normally I struggle with signal when sitting in the back garden this monitor passed the signal test with flying colours I was surprised how far it reached. Battery life is fantastic, another bonus. Its so important to make sure my baby’s room is the correct temperature so it is fantastic having a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature levels, it saves me running to check several times throughout the evening. A fantastic safety feature. And lastly the picture and sound quality is really good. 

JM - I thought the range of the monitor was particularly good, especially the outside range. I’ve always struggled to find a monitor that has a decent enough range for me to take it with me when hanging out washing and not lose signal! I also thought it was really good image quality compared to the brand B monitor I used previously. 

LS - I loved the big screen, it was really bright and clear and easy to see. I also really appreciated the temperature sensor as I like to have my house on the cooler side so it was great for peace of mind knowing that his room was an okay temperature. I also liked being able to pan the camera around. We tested this on my 4 year old as well who is all over the place in bed and we didn't lose him once which was great. We were even able to watch him play when he got out of bed in the morning without having to move the camera. 

AJ - The wide angled pan and tilt features are brilliant. You get a much better viewing angle and if you don’t have much space to put the camera, at least you know that wherever you put it, you can turn it to capture where baby is. The wide screen base unit is handy too, as you don’t have to squint your eyes to see baby or operating the remote unit. I like the fact that this also has a room thermometer, so that I am aware if baby is potentially too hot or too cold. The infrared night light is very clear and I can easily see when my little one is moving up and down the crib.

LC - The camera was excellent, I could see my baby's ribs going up and down (always reassuring and means I didn’t have to go in to check on her). Look, feel and design of both handset and camera. Really like the screen size. Also like that the sound is “real time” – with my other monitor there is a slight delay which means the baby can sometimes hear themselves, which I think can wake them up if they are being particularly noisy in a small flat.

JC - I love the temperature monitor built in as there is no need to buy an additional temperature monitor so one less item in the nursery. I also love the lullaby music which is a great feature which I didn’t know baby monitors could have.

RW - We liked the large screen as it gives a more accurate picture from the camera, we also found the camera angle adjustability very good as you could pan the camera round so much more than on the angelcare video monitor.

RB - The screen quality is great - much better than our current monitor and makes it very easy to see our child and check he is okay. Range had no issues in our house with thick walls.

KS - The features I love the most on the monitor are the tilt and zoom so I can get the perfect angle to monitor my baby while he sleeps. I also love the fact it has a nice big screen which makes it easy to see easily even from a little distance. My baby really enjoys listening to the different music on the device when he is in the bedroom it’s a great feature for settling him down for sleep at night.  The drop down menus and settlings on this monitor are very clear and easy to use took me no time at all to work my way around all the features and set it up perfectly 

UA - I love that there is a in-built music in the monitor and you can start the music from the parent monitor and decide which one to play. It helps to calm the little one down. The screen is very clear and the night vision quality is brilliant, as I found our other monitor to be a bit grainy and not as sharp. I also like that you can add another camera to the parent monitor to look at different rooms. The battery life on the monitor is good when it is fully charged. 

 

 

How does this Baby Monitor compare to other monitors you have used?

JS - Feels more modern, has the room temperature on the screen which may be useful for little babies.

ET - I used this alongside our Brand B monitor so that I could test it against the base of what I had used already. It is a far superior model. The picture quality on the monitor is a lot clearer both in daytime and when using the nighttime mode. The battery life is also better on this model vs the Brand B model.

MS - I have never used another baby monitor , this was my first and from what friends have advised about there’s and other brands it suggests this one is top of the list for their future purchases in terms of easy use and fantastic value.

GB - A feature that makes this baby monitors stand out is its fantastic screen, it is so much bigger and robust than other monitors. Not many baby monitors have a built in thermometer. It is much more user friendly too, just plug in and turn on. 

JM - I would say it’s definitely on a par to the Brand B monitor as it includes all the same features such as talk back function, pan/tilt, lullabies etc but the image quality and outdoor range gives it a slight edge in comparison.

LS - This monitor has a much much better screen then my previous monitor by far. It's so much bigger and clearer which is great. There were times when I would struggle to figure out what was going on before on such a small screen but this big screen I can see everything. The panning of the camera is so much smoother and takes in much more of the room. I found that even though my previous monitor did have a panning functionality the frame was still quite limited. 

LC - I actually much prefer the BM1760  to both of my previous monitors, the only issue with it is that it is not connected to the internet.

AJ - I’ve only used baby sound monitors before, which I rely on to let me know if and when baby is awake. My little one is now at an age where she will wake and just sit in her crib and doesn’t necessarily always cry. Therefore, having the visual aspect is even better so I know when she is awake even if she doesn’t make a sound.

JC - I have not used any other baby monitors but when comparing it to the Brand M monitor my sister had, the screen on the S&J is much larger which I like. The Brand M also didn’t have the music, temperature or the range that this one does.

RW - Picture quality on the monitor is much better than others we have used. The camera angles are much better than other monitors giving more flexibility on the areas we can cover. We have found that the monitor does make a kind of humming noise, it isn’t that loud but once you have noticed it, its hard to block the noise out. This obviously isn’t a problem during the day as there is background noise but at night this could be more of an issue. Both me and my partner are deep sleepers so this wasn’t an issue for us!

AM - I can’t really compare the camera to any other video monitors as this is my first use of one. But if I had to choose between our audio monitor and the video monitor, I would pick an audio monitor. We have a BT digital audio baby monitor 450 lightshow which is hard to compare with a video monitor. 

RB - Screen quality much better. Range seems to be as good - haven’t used it outside due to weather conditions but we have thick walls in our house and other cameras sometimes struggle but this one has had no issues. Our son likes to move around the cot a lot so it is slightly annoying that you have to hold the okay button to allow you to pan the camera. I would have preferred the panning to be immediately accessible on the arrow keys - I don’t need to alter the brightness as much as I need to be able to move the camera. 

KS - I have only had one other baby monitor in the past which had a very small unclear screen which made it hard to see. This monitor is better quality in all aspects it’s bigger clearer has a lot more features and it’s such a good product well worth the money. It has a much longer battery life and the cables are much longer too making it easier to place around the room to get the best angle on my boys cot. 

UA - I do like the baby monitor by Spear and Jackson over our existing baby monitor as the screen is bigger with better quality so that you can clearly see what is happening. The night vision is also very clear and sharp. I like the fact that it has a outdoor setting and the range of the signal is really good. I know with Spear and Jackson that I am getting a good quality product. The Spear and Jackson baby monitor definitely has the WOW factor. 

 

Are there any changes that you would make to the product?

JS - Would love a thermometer to check baby’s temperature from the handheld display. This was the only feature I missed from my old Brand M device

ET - The buttons on the front of the monitor on the right hand side are well placed and thoughtfully designed.The back of the monitor where the charging cable and speaker are, I would switch these to the opposite side if I could. Reason being is I found myself always washing up (mum life!) when baby was down for a nap, I had to keep pressing a button to get the screen to come back on so I could watch baby. I worried that every time I pressed a button when I picked it up one handed water would drop down the back and damage the speaker and charging port. It's not a groundbreaking reason and I could of definitely just taken the time to dry my hands! The other thing I would change is to have a function that would allow the screen to be on at all times and then to be able to switch to the auto off timer. I love watching my baby take a nap using the monitor, I feel less anxious if I can see her and always having to press a button to get the screen back on can be frustrating. 

CD - Sort out the humming noise. Sort out accuracy of thermometer. Change cover flap for charging point on the parent unit – it’s awkward to hold the cover open and get the charger lead in when it’s dark/you’ve only got one hand. Does it really need a cover? If so could it be one that you can pivot and stays open on its own? Not sure how the standby mode would be used? If the monitor could be put onto standby mode (to stop the humming noise?) and then turned back on itself when the baby made a noise that would be a useful feature. It seems odd that you have to press a button to turn the monitor back on; as if you were in a different room/asleep then you wouldn’t know when baby was awake. 

GB - Great device, there is no need for there to be any changes to be made. 

MS - There is nothing I would change about this product is provides and more.

LS - One thing that would really help with this product would be if it could be wall mounted or attached to bars. The furniture next to my sons bed was too high so I've had to lie the camera part down and slightly hang it over the top of his wardrobe. 

JM - The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the limitation of the movement of the camera. I like to place it on the windowsill and it wasn’t able to tilt low enough to get my daughters in view. So we had to make use of the screw provided and attach to the wall which wasn’t ideal – I prefer a monitor that’s a bit more mobile. 

AJ - I would change the screen timeout time to either always on (which I am aware could potentially drain the battery a lot faster) or up to an hour. I don’t feel that 5 mins screen timeout is long enough. I also feel that when there is any movement or sound in the room, the remote base unit should light up or activate the camera to alert you to movement. Similar to what the video doorbells out on the market are currently doing.

LC - The only thing would be to have an app so that people can access on their smartphones (like the Motorola Hubble). Its great to be able to check in from anywhere and make sure the baby is ok.  It also allows you to track movements etc.  Also, I would lose one of the lullabies and put white noise instead ..I don’t know anyone who uses the lullaby feature on a baby monitor.

JC - I would probably have them in a different colours as I would prefer this in black. I would also like being able to have alerts on my phone maybe of movement or maybe movement alerts on the device.

RW - The humming noise as mentioned, I also found the charging cover on the monitor a bit fiddly when holding a baby in one hand, I know it looks neat but looking at practicality, I would rather not have one!

AM - If I could change anything about this monitor I think the main change I would make is to the camera to increase its tilt downwards ability as it was near impossible to use on top of a unit next to our babies cot bed. I could of screwed it on the wall/furniture but decided against it. I also didn’t like the fact the monitor didn’t wake up if the baby cried. It would just flash some lights on the side of the screen. Which I don’t think would attract my attention but if the screen woke up it would attract me more. The lullabies didn’t seem as calming like others I’ve used. I tried them out a few times but compare to our other monitor the music was not so relaxing. A bit too fast pace for my liking not that our baby complained.

RB - I would put the camera panning function immediately on the arrow keys instead on the brightness but apart from that thought it was a great camera.

KS - The only change I can think of which I feel would make this product perfect in my eyes would be the zoom. I like the fact you have 2 different zooms which you can choose from however i would of preferred if it zoomed in and out like a camera does so I can check in and out on my baby as the 2 zoom settings don’t seem to make much of a difference.  

UA - The charging time of 7 hours for the monitor is too long, if it was a little shorter for example 3-4 hours then it would be an amazing product.

 

Would you recommend this product to others and why or why not?

JS - Yes, a good video monitor with a great display, which is better than other monitors I’ve used before, including in a dark room. The pan is very good and I liked the idea that you can connect up to four other monitors to the same display, which would be good if you’ve got children in different rooms, for example.

ET - Yes, I would absolutely recommend it! It's a reliable piece of kit with some great features and functions! It's been a joy to use and I'm very glad we have had a chance to use this camera! 

CD - I wouldn’t recommend this monitor over the current Brand V one we have due to the issues with the sound and thermometer inaccuracy. If these were sorted, then I would prefer it over our current monitor due to better picture quality.

MS - I would one hundred percent recommend the baby monitor to others. The features alone had me sold and quality and value for money. Also very impressed with the finish and design of the product. 

GB - I would 100% recommended this product, the battery life is excellent no need to keep charging when you are a busy mum like myself with a 4 year old. Meaning I can keep moving round the house without the worry of having to use the plug and the signal is always excellent. It also has a very good pull out stand to prop it up on a table. I like to check on my child  a little too much, I get distracted my a constant video to watch. This has the option to turn the screen off but has a light meter at the side to show any noise detected this feature makes it possible to turn the screen off. This is fantastic feature I now get more done not watching the screen all the time. I have peace of mind that I will still hear my baby or even see an inductor light. In the instance baby cries I just turn the screen back on. I can play a selection of 5 lullabies to try and settle baby from the comfort of my living room. The feature that impressed me most is also an essential  feature. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the screen especially the night vision and also the monitor displays the temperature on the screen to ensure my baby is not to hot or cold no need for me to go up and check as often with this monitor.

JM - I would definitely recommend (and I already have done!) as it’s proved to be a high-quality, reliable baby monitor that has now replaced my Brand B monitor.

LS - Yes, the screen and the image is great and for me that is the most important thing I look for when buying a monitor. Also reliability and knowing that I can trust it will work every night 

LC - Yes, really quality and robust product with good range, images and design….as long as you don’t want one which connects to the internet.  Other than that it’s a really fab product.

AJ - I would recommend this product to others, because of the pros I have given above. However, at night, the noise from the bedroom is amplified even if it is completely silent in baby’s room. I’m not too sure if this is a sound from the camera, as I have continuously checked baby’s room to try and find this unknown sound and my conclusion is that it could be the camera unit. This can be a bit of a hindrance when trying to get a good nights sleep!

JC - I would definitely recommend this product because it covers so many features at once and gives me peace of mind when my baby is sleeping. I love the temperature feature as it can be so hard to judge the temperature of the nursery at times. 

RW - I would recommend this product to others as I think the features are great and the adjustability of the camera is definitely a big plus for me and I would presume for others too! Also I loved the size of the screen compared to others we have tried, it just makes things so much easier to see and look at the options on the screen.

AM - Not sure if I would recommend this product as I’ve had a few issues with it. If you’ve never had experience with a baby monitor then it may be the best product out there in its field but as I can only compare it with our current monitor I’m not that impressed with its abilities as much as I thought I would be. The picture quality was clear. But I still found it strange to see your babies eyes glowing from the night vison camera. Also the parent unit started beeping randomly for a few nights. At first I though it was because it needed charging but it still did it on another occasion. Also when its charging it has a little red light and when its finished it turns blue. While is great but not in the middle of the night when you have a blue glow being emitted from the parent unit. 

RB - Yes I would. Loved the quality of the image on the monitor which made it really easy to see my son and ensure he was okay. 

KS - I would definitely recommend this product to others as it has great features and is very simple and easy to use giving me the peace of mind I want with little worry on using the product. The picture is very clear even when the room is dark. The size and shape of the camera is pleasing on the eye and can be stood on even the smallest of surfaces. When I received this product I was super excited to try it out I couldn’t wait till my baby’s bedtime and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I have been using this product for over a week now and I’m still excited to be using it every night.Thank you very much spear & Jackson for an all round great product. Huge thumbs up from me 

UA - I would definitely recommend this product to others as it has great features and is very simple and easy to use giving me the peace of mind I want with little worry on using the product. The picture is very clear even when the room is dark. The size and shape of the camera is pleasing on the eye and can be stood on even the smallest of surfaces. When I received this product I was super excited to try it out I couldn’t wait till my baby’s bedtime and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I have been using this product for over a week now and I’m still excited to be using it every night.