Summer Infant Wide View Video Baby Monitor
With a wide 5″ flat screen LCD handheld parent’s unit, this Summer Infant video monitor already has a super feature. Then there is the 2 way communication, IR night time vision, digital zoom and the 600ft operating range.
Summer Infant is one of the most popular baby monitor ranges and this model has just about all of the features you want, except for pan & tilt and it doesn’t play lullabies.
- 2 way communication.
- IR LED night time vision.
- Wide angle lens.
- Swivel mounting.
- Digital zoom X2.
- 600 ft operating range.
- LED sound lights.
- Battery life.
- Expandable system.
- 1 year manufacturer’s warranty.
2 way communication
Not all of the Summer Infant baby monitors have 2 way communication, which is a very important feature for a baby monitor. This feature allows you to talk to your baby in the nursery when you are elsewhere in your home, calming them and letting them know that you are on your way.
You can also talk to your partner when they are in the nursery caring for your little one. The only other Summer Infant baby video monitor that has 2 way communication is the Baby Secure, which also has pan and tilt as well, but it has a much smaller screen, coming in at 2.5″ compared to the large 5″ of this model.
IR LED night time vision
The IR night time vision automatically switches itself on when the camera detects low light levels.
This means that you don’t have to worry about checking the amount of light in the room and you can clearly see your little on at any time of the day or night.
Wide angle lens
Even though this Summer Infant baby monitor doesn’t have pan and tilt, you do have a fairly wide viewing angle, giving you up to four times as much view of the nursery as most other monitors. This is a great feature because it makes it easier for you to track down your little one when they are scampering along the floor.
Swivel mounting
You can mount the camera on the wall or on a shelf for easier viewing, but you can also manually swivel the camera to obtain the very best wide angle view of the nursery as well.
If you really want a pan and tilt function, then you will have to put up with a screen that is half the size of this one (mentioned above), but with the wide viewing angle, so far customers don’t seem to have a problem. Mounting hardware is supplied with this baby monitor.
Digital zoom X2
Whenever you want a closer look at your baby or toddler you can use the digital zoom feature which brings you in even closer.
The zoom is very easy to use on the touch screen and is a great feature that helps you to stop worrying when you hear them muttering in their sleep.
600 ft operating range
With a large 600 ft operating range you have plenty of opportunity to move around your home whilst keeping one eye on your little one. Some of the other baby monitors have a larger operating range, but Summer Infant is a good brand and customers don’t find a problem with this range.
LED sound lights
The Summer Infant Wide View Digital Color Video Baby Monitor comes with 5 sound activated LED lights based on the level of your little one’s cries or murmurings. The lights range from green for quiet gentle ‘cooing’ sounds to through amber and red to full blown crying.
This is a great feature if you are in a noisy room and you can’t really hear your baby over the monitor. The color of the LED lights will tell you if your baby is content or not.
Battery life
Summer Infant don’t really go into the battery life very well, simply saying that the batteries in the parent’s handheld unit last for 6 hours of continuous usage. There is a power save mode where the video screen turns off to conserve battery power (the video resumes if your baby makes a noise), but whether this extends the 6 hours or not is inconclusive at the moment.
If the battery begins to run down the indicator lights on the touchscreen will light up amber, giving you time to plug it back in and recharge the battery.
Expandable system
If you want to have a camera in the nursery, family room and kitchen (perfect if you have a little one who scampers around the house) then you can add up to 3 additional Summer Infant cameras to this system.
With more than one camera in your home the video on your handheld unit rotates through the different cameras every 8 seconds giving you a comprehensive view of your toddlers hunting ground!
Features of the Summer Infant Baby Monitor
- WIFI: No.
- RF frequency: 2.4Ghz.
- Battery: Screen monitor – 1 Lithium Ion battery with a 6 hour life.
- Two-way communication: Yes, you can talk to your baby and soothe them anywhere within the 600ft operating range.
- Infrared: Yes, but no range given.
- Zoom: X2.
- Pan and Tilt: No, there is a wide viewing angle but the dimensions are not given.
- Temperature sensor: No.
- Live feeds: Yes.
- Data encryption: I can’t find any information on data encryption for this baby monitor. Not even in the user’s manual.
- Antenna: Yes.
- Range: Maximum signal range 600ft range.
- Lullabies: No.
- Warranty: 1 year manufacturer’s warranty.
Customer reviews
Most of the online reviewers really like the Summer Infant Wide View baby Monitor, but there are also some mixed reviews. Lots of customers love the clear images at night, the large touch screen and the LED sound indicators.
On the other hand, the main problems customers have had are with the connectivity between the camera and monitor and the short battery life on the monitor.
Conclusions
Summer Infant is a well known brand and this baby monitor has most of the functions you need to keep an eye on your little one at home. It has 2 -way communication, a wide viewing angle, IR night time vision, a digital zoom and a large 5″ screen.
However, it doesn’t have pan and tilt and it doesn’t play lullabies. Most of customers like this baby monitor, but I have seen better all-round reviews for other baby monitors.
To read more of my baby monitor reviews, click here.