Where to put a baby monitor?

Baby monitors, especially video baby monitors, can provide a lot of help for parents in caring for their babies. You can ensure your baby sleeps safely while doing other things around the house. However, if you don't position it properly, you can make a baby monitor a risk factor. Improperly placed baby monitor cameras can cause direct physical harm to your baby and also prevent you from seeing or hearing your baby well. Since 2002, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has documented seven deaths and three near suffocation caused by entangled baby monitor power cords. That's a pretty scary statistic, so organizations like the CPSC and the Children's Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) advise parents to keep monitors at least 3 feet away from babies. So, where to put a baby monitor?

The main factors parents need to consider when planning the placement of their baby monitor are distance, angle, and safety. It is essential to understand all possible risks and safety precautions.

 

• Distance

Baby monitors do emit radiation, and we still don't understand the effects of optical radiation (such as microwaves) on humans. EMF radiation may affect brain development, immune system, reproductive system, sleep cycle, etc. Research on digital wireless baby monitors shows that monitors placed less than 3.2 foot / 1 meter away from a baby's crib emit almost the same level of radiation as a cell phone tower 500 foot / 150 meters away. Baby monitor cameras, and wireless video cameras, in particular, must be placed at least 6 feet / 1.8 meters from your baby, which is the minimum safety distance recommended to limit exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Of course, while trying to achieve the minimum safe space, you should also consider whether the performance of the baby monitor camera can sense clear audio and video at long distances.

 

• Angle

The camera angle is another important consideration, determining whether you can get unobstructed views of what you want to see. Most wireless baby monitor cameras have remote pan, tilt, and zoom features, so you can use the control panel to adjust the angle and ensure no obstructions or interference with the sound and picture when positioning the baby monitor camera.

 

• Safety

The safety of the baby should be the first consideration. Many advertisements for baby monitors feature cameras placed on cribs or rails. This placement method has serious security risks. If the power cord of the baby monitor is within reach of the baby, it may become entangled or even strangled. In addition, the camera placed on the railing is unstable, and it is easy to fall and hit the baby. So it is not recommended to place the camera in the crib or anywhere too close and unstable to the baby.

 

Where to put baby monitor?

So, where should the baby monitor camera be placed in the room? In conclusion, the camera should be placed at least 6 feet/1.8 meters away from your baby while ensuring that the camera can sense clearly and transmit audio and video intact. In the experience of parents and experts, the best places to place a baby monitor camera are:

1. Wall-mounted a corner near the ceiling: Mounting the camera on the wall is the most preferred location because it is out of reach of babies. It gives the camera a broad coverage of your baby's bedroom, providing a bird's-eye view of the baby. The only caveat is to clip the power cable to the wall. This is usually best for baby monitors with remote pan, tilt, and zoom features. It might also be a necessary installation for the last generation of intelligent monitors that track your baby through the night.

 

 2. Put high on a shelf: If wall mounting is not an option for your baby's bedroom, use a high shelf or wardrobe. Ensure the shelf or wardrobe is about 6 feet from the crib and that the baby monitor camera is high enough to keep toddlers and other children out of reach. Add an extra box or two under the camera if your shelf or wardrobe isn't high enough to give you a good viewing angle. This is the best option if your monitor doesn't offer remote pan, tilt, and zoom, as you can quickly move the camera when needed.

 

How to hide baby monitor cord?

One of the dangers of using a baby monitor camera is the power cord hanging down. Therefore, it is essential to hide the power cord to keep it out of the baby's reach. Here are some ways to hide the baby monitor camera cord:

• The curtain rod is an excellent place to hang the baby monitor camera. Once the camera is installed in the rod, you can hide the cord behind the curtain. 
• Hiding the camera behind a wall may be a permanent solution, but it's not an easy operation.
• The cable cover helps to hide the power cord safely without the baby noticing. The cable cover is available in different colors, and you can choose one according to the color of the baby's room. If not, you can also paint the cover in a color of your choice.
• A cable sleeve is a cover with a zipper. To access the power cord, all you have to do is unzip the sleeve. But cable bushings are not a permanent solution. Once your baby is a toddler, he'll be sure to explore the sleeves by unzipping them.

 

A bad workman always blames his tools. Do not blame the quality of your baby monitor if you cannot get a good view or the app's features don't work well, simply because you didn't set it upright. We hope this article helped help you decide where to place the baby monitor. And baby monitors may be helpful tools for parents, but these machines shouldn't replace parental supervision. You must check your baby's condition regularly to determine if they're feeling well. A baby monitor supplements the safety measures you implement in the nursery room and your baby's overall environment.