Safest baby monitors: how to keep your monitor secure
Choosing the safest baby monitor for your baby can be overwhelming. No longer just a simple analogue device, a baby monitor can do a lot more than let you listen to your baby in another room.
The biggest concern for parents is that their baby monitor might get hacked (we’ve all heard the stories).
The good news is that, in most cases, the only reason eavesdroppers have been able to access a baby monitors is because they haven’t been secured properly.
The main feature parents want to look out for is a digital baby monitor with frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) – this new technology is a powerful way to keep peeping toms away from your device.
So which baby monitor is the safest?
The Tell Me Baby community has rated the safest baby monitors they’ve tried and shared their opinions on what has, or hasn’t, worked for them.
Based on baby monitor reviews, we’ve put together a list of the safest baby monitors our community loves. You can also look at our baby monitor comparisons to find the top-rated baby monitors.
1. Oricom Secure710 Digital Baby Monitor
A popular choice for Tell me Baby parents, the Oricom Secure710 Digital Baby Monitor features 2.4 GHz Digital FHSS. Lots of parents said this baby monitor was great and the picture was very clear.
On the other hand, some said the quality reduced the further away you moved. Overall, most parents were very happy with this baby monitor and would recommend it to others.
Read Oricom Secure710 Digital Baby Monitor reviews.
2. VTech BM4500-OWL Safe & Sound Full Colour Pan & Tilt Video and Audio Monitor
Another highly rated baby monitor that comes with 4GHz FHSS technology, the VTech BM4500-OWL Safe & Sound Full Colour Pan & Tilt Video and Audio Monitor won’t disappoint.
Parents say they love the owl shape and that this baby monitor is excellent value for money.
Read VTech BM4500-OWL Safe & Sound Full Colour Pan & Tilt Video and Audio Monitor reviews.
3. Uniden BW 3102 4.3” Digital Wireless Baby Video Monitor
The Uniden BW 3102 4.3” Digital Wireless Baby Video Monitor features a Digitally Encrypted System for Secure Digital Crystal Clear monitoring. Parents love that this baby monitor can be set up to watch two kids at once.
Read The Uniden BW 3102 4.3” Digital Wireless Baby Video Monitor reviews.
4. Motorola Wi-Fi Monitor with Touch Screen MBP854
The Motorola Wi-Fi Monitor comes with 2.4 GHz FHSS and operates via a secure cloud service called Hubble. The Hubble app features free streaming and smart notifications for your smart phone, tablet or PC.
Reviewers are very happy with this baby monitor.
Read Motorola Wi-Fi Monitor with Touch Screen MBP854 reviews.
5. Lollipop Smart Wi-Fi-Based Baby Camera
Parents sing the praises of the Lollipop Smart Wi-Fi-Based Baby Camera.
According to one reviewer, the pros are: “Looks good, really good night vision, no red or other coloured light to destruct baby, mountable in many different ways, can add multiple cameras to the app if you have multiple children.”
Another parent added the only con is that “you can’t hear bub when the white noise is up loud but the camera will notify you if he’s crying loudly.”
Read Lollipop Smart Wi-Fi-Based Baby Camera reviews.
How to keep your baby monitor secure
1. Password protection
The truth is that baby monitor hacks are rare, and are often caused when Wi-Fi baby monitors aren’t appropriately secured.
As CHOICE writes, “There’ve been several reported cases of hackers remotely yelling at babies via unsecured Wi-Fi baby monitors, or accessing open webcam feeds that haven’t been protected with a unique password.”
So if you are using a Wi-Fi enabled device, make sure you set it up with a secure password that is separate from your Wi-Fi password – and of course different from the manufacturer’s password that it came with.
2. Latest firmware updates
Make sure your Wi-Fi baby monitor is updated with the latest firmware from the manufacturer, to help patch up known security issues. This goes for all of your accompanying apps on devices.
3. Read up on security features
Read about the manufacturer’s security features before buying and baby monitor, and make sure you understand them. That way you can know for sure that your baby monitor is set up correctly, and that it’s secure.
If shopping for a digital baby monitor, parents should look out for a baby monitor that has FHSS to avoid eavesdroppers listening and tuning in.
4. Register your device
If security issues arise surrounding your baby monitor, you want to be the first to know. If you have registered your device, the manufacturer will contact you with further instructions.
5. Turn it on and off regularly
Turning your baby monitor on and off once a week means it can update with the latest updates.
