Monitors
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Category: Product Reviews
Forum Name: Product Reviews
Forum Description: Cot or bassinette? Which pram is best for you? How about nappies? Check out our Product Reviews board to find out what other Mums and Dads think and share your thoughts!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5967
Printed Date: 05 May 2025 at 7:52pm
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Topic: Monitors
Posted By: kebakat
Subject: Monitors
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 7:04pm
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I'm not gonna bother buying one new - I'm gonna grab one off trade me. I also don't need one of those really fancy ones that you have like a little tv that comes with it.
I want one that I can have outside with me (while I'm hanging out washing, in the garage or sitting on the deck etc) when he's sleeping so I know when he wakes up. What's generally a good brand to buy? I've noticed there are tons of Phillips ones on trade me and I don't know whether that means they are good and so many people use them or they are bad so lots of people get rid of them! |
Replies:
Posted By: Bubbaloo
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 7:51pm
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We have a Phillips one and I found it very good I really wanted a movement sensor one but they were to expensive. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  Was danni-chick Mum to James My Angel 28/07/08 |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 7:58pm
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I've got 3 lol by default. Had a Fisher Price for Maya and kept it, but when we moved into our new house it didn't work well so bought a Jolly Jumper one with a night light off TM for $40. It also didn't work to well and I discovered that the problem is actually the house (there is a flat underneath us and so we get a lot of feedback) but have managed to rig up the monitor so I have one baby unit in the gremlins room and one in Maya's room on different channels, and two parent units in my room, and when I'm working I take the second parent unit into the office with me and put it on the gremlins channel.
The third one is a TOMY one I got from the Warehouse to use at Mum and Dad's. Overall have found them to be pretty mch of a muchness, altho the JJ one has a motion activated nightlight which is kinda cool. We didn't bother with teh Angelcare sensor ones coz I have portable apnoea monitors on the gremlins which are awesome peace of mind. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 8:07pm
| I got a phillips one first and found it terrible for interference so we decided that after hearing stories about sleep apnea and stuff and how long we took to get Ella we would get the angelcare sound and movement one and its already made its money worth waking us twice when ella had stopped breathing. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 9:34pm
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We have the entry-level Phillips type, it has two channels to choose from and it does the trick very well for us. We are in a two-storey home so without the monitor it would be very uncommon for me to hear a baby crying downstairs (our living areas are upstairs). It has battery option for if the power goes, or I have actually taken the receiver end outside with me when doing gardening. It has a belt hook thing which I clipped onto the washing line lol ------------- |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 9:39pm
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Stacey I would just check with Baby Factory or similar how long the expected lifespan and/or warranty goes for, and check with the ones you bid on how old they are. ------------- |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 7:42am
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Thanks I think I'll do that!
I like the idea of the angelcare one but I don't like the price at all (even on trademe! lol) |
Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 9:09am
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Our monitor was a gift from a friend - she said that she went into Baby City and asked which brand gets returned the least, and they showed her the Philips range, saying that they just don't get returned as faulty. It seems to work well for us. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 10:02am
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I was looking on consumer.org.nz the other day as I noticed some are available with flybuys. These 3 were the ones that came out best in their tests
Philips SCD465 Price: $160 Good points Best overall score. Best performance. Easiest to use. Good sound sensitivity. Very good sound clarity. Best reception range outside. Best-equal reception range inside. Recharging base for parent unit. But Relatively expensive. No belt clip (but see "Belt clips not always great" in What we found). Fisher Price Private Connection J8289 Price: $129 Good points Very good sound sensitivity. Very good sound clarity. Loudest sound output. Best-equal reception range inside. Very good reception range outside. But No battery back-up for baby unit. No night light. Price: $65 Good points Very good sound sensitivity. Reasonable price. But Long aerial on parent unit could be awkward during handling or while unit is attached to the belt clip. No battery back-up for baby unit. This is what they say to look for What to look for Number of channels is important. There should be at least two frequencies to choose from. Battery power option gives you flexibility. Most baby monitors use mains power, with battery power an option on the parent unit so that you can take the monitor with you around the house. Battery power on both units means you can take the monitor on camping holidays or picnics. Low-battery indicator light can be very helpful. Without it, you might be listening in and thinking all's quiet - when in fact what you've got is a flat battery. Automatic battery back-up is useful in areas where power failures are common. Power-on light means you can check whether the unit is on without disturbing the baby. Volume control allows you to adjust the level of baby sound you want to hear. Light display on parent unit shows the sound level visually, when the volume is turned down or there's a lot of background noise. Useful when you're watching TV, vacuuming, or have visitors. A belt clip can make you hands-free (but they do have disadvantages - see What we found.). |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 10:09am
I find this useful too - esp when I'm working and don't want the volume up too loud. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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NZpiper wrote:Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 10:20am
Im buying an angelcare one because i love them! my neighbour had one as she had lost a bubs and the heart monitor put her at ease especially because bubs was downstairs and they were upstairs! PLUS! we know it had great range because when she had to pop down to pick her son up from school she would bring me the monitor next door and i would listen out and if i heard him wake id run over and get him up (we lived on farms so house was always unlocked for me).
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Posted By: Leish
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 11:33am
We got an Angelcare sound and movement and honestly - even though he is only four days old, it is the best thing we have bought so far. The peace of mind is sooooooooo worth the cost and it really does work. I decided that we had to get one after Jezsika posted that it woke them up when Ella stopped breathing one night (thanks Jess  )------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 1:28pm
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I have Respisense apnoea monitors for the gremlins, and they have been awesome. The reason I preferred them to the Angelcare is that they are portable (they clip to bubs nappy) and so can be used in the carseat/pram/portacot etc. And they were a lifesaver, quite literally, as Mercedes had 2 apnoeic episodes as a newborn. Both times she had to go to hospital, but I still shudder to think what might have happened had the monitor not alerted me. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 2:09pm
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we also bought the angel one..sound and movement...for peace of mind...
Having said that there are also some good ones in Philips and Tomy range that seem to work well and dont get too much intereference...I chose angel for the movement etc more than any other reason...there are some to be found on TM but also check BF as the non movement one is often for sale for around $69 before the leap up to $219 (at moment) for the sound and movement one, with pads. |
Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 2:47pm
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Emma your monitors sound interesting i like the idea of them wearing them when somewhere other than their beds Are they uncomfortable to wear for them? how much are they? and where do you get them from?
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Posted By: katie1
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 2:56pm
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We have an angelcare one and at the time I nearly didn't buy it because of price HOWEVER I am so so glad I did. I love having the movement sensor for peace of mind. It is one of the best things we could have brought. It gives me a bit more confidence and is worth every cent just for that.
Good luck with your decision! |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 3:26pm
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I am a paranoid mother by nature. Must be due to all the mc's we had. Wanted so badly to get the angelcare monitor as I thought it will be my only piece of mind.
But my gynae actually told me not to get it as she found that they can sometimes go off for no reason. Specially when baby moves quite a lot or is a deep sleeper. She finds that the moms freak out even more. (I am talking if you are a really obsessed freaked out paranoid mommy like me.) I just have a normal sound monitor. (from SA.) and it works great. I havent once worried about my child. I actually will only get an angelcare one if my child actually have breathing problems. But like I said that is just me. You need to find out which kind of mother you are. (I am the neurotic one with the cot in my room as I never ever will sleep with her being that small in another room.) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 4:26pm
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http://www.respisense.com.au - www.respisense.com.au
The girls have never seemed to find them uncomfortable, I put them on as they go to bed and take them off as I get them up. When we are out and about they have them on too. When they were newborns I had them on 24-7 as they didn't move around so much and often napped in the bouncinette or baby sling. I got them initially because a close friend lost her precious wee man to cot death the same month I fell pregnant with the gremlins, but they turned out to be worth their weight in gold with Mercedes problems. After her first apnoea the hospital offered us a publicly funded apnoea monitor bt when they saw teh Respisense ones they were really impressed. My Dad is so impressed with them he thinks the government should hand them out to all parents when their babies are born. After all, what price can you put on a child's life. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 04 March 2007 at 8:49pm
| Emma what is the cost tho...as that has to be taken into account too....but having read up on them i agree they are def lifesavers...and to be encouraged...shame cot death is not such an issue in the media etc anymore as it was in the 80's etc....it is still happening!!! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 05 March 2007 at 10:29am
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I think I paid around $180 each. I got mine thru http://www.b2k.co.nz - www.b2k.co.nz . But as Dad pointed out they probably cost only a few dollars each to manufacture, so if the government/DHB's were to set up a subsidy scheme they could get them much, much cheaper. Waitakere Hospital use the Babysense II's in their NICU which are similar but have wires, and are even more expensive to buy retail (around $250)
I figure I'll get a bit back for them on TM when the girls are done with them. Not sure how long I'll keep them on them for, probably till 9 mths or so. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 05 March 2007 at 4:33pm
| Hubbies brother brought us an Angelcare one, and it was fine, I didn't use the sensor pad thingees though. |
Posted By: jack_&_charli
Date Posted: 05 March 2007 at 4:38pm
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i've got a tommee tippee monitor with a teddybear nightlight on the base unit. we got it for jack and am now using it for charli and had no probs. it has all of the things nzpiper mentioned to look out for except the battery level indictor thingee. we have a clock on the wall in charli's room so i know if i can't here that, the battery is flat.
they have them in the warehouse, not sure of the cost now but i think we paid about $90-100 for it. as for the angelcare movement ones......if you can afford to get one somehow, i would and you can always get abit of $$ back on TM when you are finished with it ------------- http://www.alternatickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Carmel
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 3:36pm
We have a phillips monitor we got it from fly buys and I have found it to be really good I can take it to the washing line out the back of the house and can still get good reception with piper being on the other side of the house in her room
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 4:04pm
| Carmel, Which philips one did you go for as we are thinking of that as well. There are currently 2 types in Flybuys. |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 4:05pm
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and what a cool name your daughter has. Mine actually is not Piper but I am a bagpiper.
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 11 March 2007 at 9:48pm
| We have an angelcare sound and movement monitor too and it's the best thing we have purchased..definitely gives that peace of mind. |
Posted By: Katherine
Date Posted: 17 March 2007 at 10:19pm
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We have an Angelcare monitor as well. I agree that it cost a bomb, but it's been well worth it, as Em has breath-holding episodes (which don't harm her, but they are freaky and I like to know when she's having them). My best friend also has an Angelcare monitor that she even used in her bassinet -- she got a special piece of plywood made to fit in it, as the sensor pads need a flat surface to sit on in order to work properly. She is super-paranoid and says she would never sleep at night if it wasn't on. The only thing that annoys me about the Angelcare monitor is the click thing. It has a setting that makes a click when the baby is breathing -- I don't know if it clicks with every indrawn breath or rise of their chest or what. I turned that setting off on mine because it annoyed the he** out of me, clicking away in the background. When my friend visited me a couple of weeks ago for Em's birthday, she brought her monitor with her and would bring the parent unit into the living room when her baby was sleeping. By the end of the visit DH and I were ready to scream, as she left the clicking thing on REALLY loud and it drove us both INSANE!!! I found that the parent unit has very clear reception, though -- I can actually hear her covers rustling and hear her breathing. |
Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 24 March 2007 at 4:37am
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I LOVE my angelcare monitor - def worth the money for the peace of mind it's given me. Have to agree on the 'tick' thing - it's really annoying so we don't use that option either. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 26 March 2007 at 1:49pm
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Like Carmel I got my Phillips one with Flybuys and its works fine for us!
At times tho I do pick up my next door's baby monitor (so it has a good range ...LOL) and one time we picked up a conversation that guy next door was having on his work walkie talkie thingie! weird!! But I trust it! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 25 May 2007 at 11:38am
| *bump* |