New Philips LCD Baby Monitor with DECT digital technology

It's been pretty interesting to see how sophisticated (and pricy!) baby monitors have become since I bought one nearly 3 years ago. The one I had was a pretty standard, no frills monitor - pretty staticky, at times to the point where you couldn't tell whether it was the baby crying or some other interference noise (static to me is like fingernails on a chalkboard to some). For some reason, our old monitor seems to be lost and so I've begun the search for a new one. I got to try out the new Philips LCD 589 Monitor with DECT digital technology. What's DECT you ask? It stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication, which guarantees zero interference from other devices and provides a secure, private and clear connection. The Philips 589 Monitor is the first to incorporate DECT technology and it will automatically find and switch to an unused channel without interruption.

Okay, so does it work? I tested the monitor out in my toddler's room as she was playing and it does actually provide a clear connection - no static so far - and the only type of interference is occasional feedback if the parental unit is too close to the baby's monitor. There's some other extra goodies packed in this monitor as well, some more useful than others like the lullabies and night lite that can be turned on and off remotely from your unit. I was kind of hoping the night lite would be bright enough to illuminate a diaper change without having to turn on a light, but the light isn't very bright at all. The 5 lullabies are short and what you'd typically expect from a unit such as this, so don't expect any fine music, but I did actually use the cheesy lullabies that came with our pack and play first time around, so I'll probably use the ones on here as well. And hey, you can control it remotely.

The feature that I find most useful is the sensor that reads the temperature in the baby's room. I think I've mentioned how obsessive I am about temperature control now that I'm paying for my own heat for the first time. The new baby's room tends to be a few degrees colder, so I'm all about this thermometer which can be read on the parental unit as well. There's also a walkie talkie feature which may come in handy when the baby is older. I have visions of putting the monitor in the toddler's room so I can tell her to "get back in bed" when I hear footsteps rustling at night or for naps.

At $200 it's not cheap, but many of the high end baby monitors are at this price range. And hey, it's orange! I have a fondness for anything that's orange.

You can get it at Giggle or Bare Babies.