The incredible and life-changing day is fast approaching when a new member of the family will be brought home. The first days, weeks, and months bring unbelievable joy, but unending concern for the well-being of your little one.
One product all parents must have to care for their newborn is a smart baby monitor. The days of the walkie-talkie style monitors are long past with new smart baby monitors providing video monitoring, night vision, and other features like room temperature sensors. Two top rated baby monitors you can find for soon to be new parents are the NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor and Infant Optics DXR-8.
As a personal note, my wife and I used the Infant Optics DXR-8 with our last child. So we’re happy to share our personal experience as part of this review.
Baby Monitor Comparison
NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor
Pros
- Works over WiFi providing mobile access and connectivity with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- Built-in night light and music player
- Full HD video quality
- Connects to same Arlo app used with NETGEAR’s other security cameras
- Share access to monitor with loved ones
Cons
- Currently does not have an option for a separate monitor
- Does not go on sale as often as the DXR-8
Infant Optix DXR-8 Baby Monitor
Pros
- Separate monitor
- Good reception at long distances (although constrained to your home)
- Light indicator on the monitor to identify noise
Cons
- Does not work over WiFi and other home automation products
- No built-in night light or music player
- Lower quality standard definition video
Detailed Smart Baby Monitor Review
Review Categories:
- Ease of Use
- Video & Audio Quality
- Additional Features
- Pricing
EASE OF USE
The initial setup of these smart baby monitors will take 5-10 minutes as much of it is plug-n-play. The most challenging part is finding the best location in the room where you can see the baby unobstructed by the crib rails. It may seem like common sense, but please do not mount the camera to the crib since the camera and cord can become a choking hazard.
With the Infant Optics DXR-8, we decided on mounting it to the wall with a single large nail. This gave us a birds-eye view into the crib and allowed us to take the monitor with us when we traveled. The NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor comes with a simple wall mounting kit as well.
The Infant Optics DXR-8 camera requires a constant power supply, so you’ll need to locate it near an outlet. The cord is quite long, so reach shouldn’t be an issue. The NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor runs on direct power as well, but it also comes with a rechargeable battery which means you can effectively place it anywhere.
Where things are really different is the monitor itself. The Infant Optics DXR-8 comes with a separate monitor that you need to use in order to keep an eye on your baby. The monitor offers a range of controls and works from a long distance around the home. However, one issue we encountered is that the battery has a hard time holding a charge through the night since you’ll be using it throughout the day as well. But don’t worry, it’ll give you loud low battery beeps if you forget to plug-in that most people likely won’t sleep through (my spouse has).
The NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor, on the other hand, connects to the WiFi to send a feed directly to your mobile device(s) using the Arlo app. This is different than almost all other baby monitors on the market, in a good way. You can configure how you’ll be notified when noises, screaming, or motion is detected and you can pull up the real-time feed right on your phone. I occasionally travel for work and it would be amazing to peek in to see our child at night to make it feel like you’re not so far from home.
Advantage: NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor
VIDEO & AUDIO QUALITY
The video quality between these two is no comparison. The Infant Optics DXR-8 captures video at 480p (SD) while the NETGEAR Arlo captures up to 1080p (Full HD) which is stored 7 days for free.
You likely won’t notice a significant difference in the audio quality, but both have ways of letting you know when noise is heard. The Infant Optics DXR-8 does this with a light indicator on the side of the monitor while the NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor sends you motion and sound alerts to your iPhone or Android phone.
Advantage: NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
The Infant Optics DXR-8 does offer 3 different interchangeable lenses (sold separately) for the camera that provide normal, zoom, and wide angle views. The wide angle is best for an active and mobile child with access to their whole room. The monitor does have a room temperature sensor, but if you mount the camera closer to the ceiling then you can expect the temperature to show higher.
The NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor stands out as it looks like a baby-friendly device with interchangeable character accessories that turns it into a bunny, puppy, or kitten (sold separately). It has several useful bells and whistles like a built-in multi-color night light and music player that allows you to record your own voice or play music from your phone.
It also has an air quality sensor to alert you when the temperature, humidity, or VOC (natural gas) levels are outside the desired range. The Baby Crying Alert is also unique so you know specifically if a noise is from movement or the baby starts to cry. Finally, the NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Stringify to go with your other smart home products.
Advantage: NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor
PRICING
NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor
Infant Optics DXR-8
Recommended Baby Monitor
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, we used the Infant Optics DXR-8 for our last baby and it is a top-selling monitor. However, the NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor (Buy Now) is our top recommended monitor for new parents with many more smart features at a comparable price point. You can rest easy knowing your baby is being watched over by the NETGEAR Arlo Baby Monitor.