OUR BLOG
Video Baby Monitors and SlumberPod ... which brands work best?
So you have your SlumberPod or you are interested in purchasing one — and want to know how a baby monitor works with it. It’s relatively simple, as our team member, Lindsey, demonstrates below -- with a tip for placing the monitor in the pouch sideways (horizontal to the floor).
To be transparent, some video monitors perform better than others and for various reasons. We have surveyed over 2,000 customers who had received their SlumberPod to gather feedback about the video monitor they used with their SlumberPod. The surveys had a great response --- providing details about what worked well and aspects of using particular models that didn’t work so well. From this information, we reached back out to customers to get additional information that will help other customers, as well as our product development. (Looking for tips for first use? We've got you covered! Check out our first use tips blog here).
A summary of the top results
Monitors reported being overall compatible with SlumberPod:
- Amcrest
- Angelcare
- Arlo
- Conico
- Dragon Touch DT50
- Eufy
- GoodBaby
- Hello Baby (great picture)
- Infant Optics (great picture - see above and below)
- Lollipop
- Motorola
- Moonbaby Split Monitor
- Nest (great picture - see below)
- Summer Infant (good picture - see below)
- Vacos Baby Monitor (great picture)
- VAVA (great picture - see below)
- Vtech
- Wyze (good picture - see below)
Some of the above were perfect for all aspects, and some of the above brands were only reported by a few but received very positive remarks.
The backstory
From the beginning of developing our blackout canopy, we knew that caregivers would enjoy having a way to monitor their little one while using SlumberPod, similar to how babies are monitored when they sleep in a separate room at home. How did we know? SlumberPod was created by a mother-daughter duo who have nine children between them — so they knew first-hand that this feature would be important. They also conducted focus groups and product input surveys to confirm the importance prior to finalizing the initial design.
You may be wondering why more video cameras weren’t included in the initial development. Actually, we did test quite a few models back at the start of our idea (summer of 2016), but cameras have evolved and manufacturers have added features that weren’t as mainstream back then.
(Pictured Above - Infant Optics)
(Pictured Above - Wyze)
What’s next
Our product development team is analyzing different ideas that could be incorporated in the design to enhance using all baby monitors. It will likely be a while before the ideas go into production, so we appreciate your patience.
In the meantime, please contact us if you have any ideas that you’d like to share with us to improve SlumberPod — for the video camera or for other enhancements. We love hearing from our customers!
(Pictured above — The Nest)
- If purchasing a video baby monitor to use with SlumberPod, look for models with a wide-angle lens.
- Check to see if your camera lens has a protective vinyl covering. If so, peel it off so that the camera lens is exposed with no covering.
- Make sure the zipper on the monitor pouch is zipped completely shut as any light will increase glare or cause blurriness.
- Keep in mind that the temperature reading on your baby monitor may show up to 10 degrees warmer than actual as the gauge is impacted by being included in the monitor pouch.
- If your video monitor has auto-focus, turn it off if possible, otherwise it will focus on the clear vinyl.
- Position the camera horizontally in the camera pouch so that it will capture the entire sleeping area.
- Position the camera lens as tight against the clear vinyl as possible with no wrinkles to reduce glare.
- Cover up the night vision sensor with duct tape or electrical tape.
- Put the camera inside the pouch upside down or sideways (sideways helps the view to include most if not all of the playard).
- Really helped to smooth out the pocket from the inside when adjusting the camera so there wasn’t a glare. Messing with it from the inside made it easier!
- Turn the monitor with the power light facing away from baby to keep it extra dark.
- Special thanks to Steven in the comments: "For those with Nanits, the clicking sound is the infrared (night vision) mode turning on and off, not auto-focus. Simply go into your advanced settings in the Nanit app and switch your night vision to on or off vs auto, and it’ll solve the problem."
- Place your Nanit in the pouch horizontally (fits easier with the stand) and after each adjustment, wait for the wifi to catch up to show the new view. In the same section in the Nanit app where you can choose to adjust the night vision, you can choose "Crib Left" or "Crib Right." These settings help adjust the view of the monitor without actually having to move it.
- For those with Nanit: It's best not to use the stand. You can plug the usb-c directly into the back of the camera which makes it so much easier to sit flush against the plastic.
