Baby Monitors are useful for more than just watching your baby

Everyone knows what a baby monitor is: it lets parents or caretakers keep track of what their baby is doing when they’re out of sight. They’re useful because babies need a lot of sleep but are easily stimulated, so they can have a hard time sleeping when a parent is around or if the room is too noisy. When you put your baby down for a nap, a baby monitor gives you peace of mind that you can be anywhere else in the house and still be aware of everything going on in your baby’s room.

Older baby monitors were essentially just one-way walkie talkies that you would put in your baby’s room to be able to listen to them. With improvements in technology, they are now so much more. They’re usually two-way, so you can actually talk to your baby through the monitor to comfort them, or talk to your partner so you don't also have to go into the baby’s room. And they often include digital video feeds – sometimes with multiple cameras – so you can see what is happening in addition to hearing them. Advanced baby monitors like the NexiGo B200 also include a lot of other features that make them far more useful than the old school ones.

But what about after your baby grows up and no longer needs constant monitoring? You give the monitor away, right? Well, not so fast. The added functionality provided by current baby monitors opens them up to a host of new uses, a few of which we’ve gathered here.

Caring for the elderly or self-isolating

If you have elderly dependents living with you, it’s a lot to ask of them to remember how to use some newfangled technology when they’re in need of help. Walking to your room or calling out for assistance may not always be an option either. In these cases, setting up your old baby monitor in their room could be the ideal solution. It will let you talk to them as easily as if they were in the room with you, and check on them if you don’t hear from them for a while. Meanwhile, they can easily turn off the camera or put on a privacy cover if they’re in need of some alone time.

A similar method could work if a member of your household has Covid-19 and is self-isolating. The virus tends to make you tired, so they could be in bed most of the day and may not have the energy to get up and call for help. Symptoms can worsen without much warning, so it’s good to have a camera available so you can check on them without needing to enter the room and risk infection.

Crate training a puppy

Responsible dog owners know that the crate stage is crucial to house training a puppy. Doing it well, though, requires adapting to your puppy’s individual needs to ensure they’re comfortable and let them out at the right time. But you can’t always be in the room to observe your puppy, and in fact it’s important to let your puppy get used to not having you around constantly. That’s where your old baby monitor comes in.

You can set up a baby monitor next to your pup’s crate to keep an eye on them while you’re away and see if they’re getting stressed or antsy. And since the baby monitor has a sound alert, you can set it to notify you if your pup is barking at an intruder, snake, or malevolent spirit. You can even talk to your puppy through the monitor to assure them they’re safe. We made a short video showing how this can work that you can see below.

Screening Guests

Want to welcome guests at the door of your home or office without installing a full-fledged CCTV security system? A baby monitor would do the job nicely. Mount one of the monitor’s cameras above your door and you’ll be able to see and hear anyone who comes by. Rather than text you or ring the doorbell, guests can simply speak to you on the monitor, and you can welcome them and let them know you’re coming to the door or just tell them the door code to let themselves in.

On the other hand, you can also use the camera to monitor for unwelcome guests at your door. The built-in microphone will let you notify them that you’re watching and ask them to leave without the risk of going to the door.

Having conversations around your home

This one might seem a little strange at first glance. Yes, most of us have smartphones now. But what if you’re using your phone or waiting for a call and can’t take a call? What if you just want to make a casual comment to a family member or roommate now and then without going through the trouble of calling or hunting them down?

And if you have kids who are too young to have phones of their own, you can use a baby monitor system to call them to come out for dinner or to do their homework – all without having to shout across the house.

Monitoring your kids’ playroom

Speaking of which, if you have young children with a separate playroom, you can make sure they’re playing nicely by keeping an eye on them with baby monitor cameras. Once they know you can peek in on them without warning, they’re much more likely to play fairly and safely.

My brother and I certainly would have fought and taken each others’ toys less if we knew that Mom could be watching at any time and would hear if one of us shouted. Even if they’re not complaining, it helps to glance over at the camera once in a while to make sure they’re not diving headfirst off the bed.

The best baby monitor for any situation

The NexiGo B200 Baby Monitor is an excellent example of an affordable baby monitor with a variety of convenient functions, so you can do everything we’ve suggested here – and more.

The B200’s features include a 5-inch 720p screen with digital zoom, the ability to connect up to four remotely controllable cameras (one included, three sold separately), split-screen and multi-cycling modes, night vision, two-way communication with mics and speakers on each camera, a timed alarm, customizable sound alerts, temperature monitoring (via an included thermometer), and a lullaby player to help your baby (or pet) drift off to sleep. It’s a great choice if you’re in the market for a baby monitor that will prove its worth long after your little one leaves the crib.