NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Whether you want to keep an eye on a sleeping baby while you’re in the other room, or check on your pup while you’re away from home – you have a lot of options.
There are connected cameras, baby monitors, nanny-cams! You've also got a lot of features to choose from. So which was one is best?
Jonathan Salomons likes knowing he can always catch a glimpse of his kid or his cats – even when he's away on business.
“It’s nice to know that we can check in on them and make sure that they’re ok,” Salomons said.
When it comes to cameras for your home, there are plenty of different types and brands on the market. Consumer Reports has more than 70 home security cameras, or nanny cams, and more than a dozen baby monitors in its ratings.
So, what’s the difference?
“The big difference between nanny cams and baby monitors is that most baby monitors actually don’t connect to the internet and don’t record footage," said Consumer Reports' Daniel Wroclawski. "You’ll just be able to view a live feed of your baby.”
You view that feed on the display unit that comes with most models. One big security benefit to that—the video feed stays local and is less likely to get hacked, although rare.
Important features you should look for when shopping for a baby monitor:
HD screen resolution, two-way talk, optional additional cameras, temperature sensors, sound lights that turn on when the baby cries, and an infrared function that lets you watch your baby in the dark.
Consumer Reports recommends these monitors from Eufy and VTech which both did well in its tests.
If you want to check the feed while you’re away from home, you’ll want a nanny cam with features like …
“Pan and tilt—that’s the ability to remotely move the camera around and change its view," Wroclawski said. "Local video storage—that way you don’t have to pay for a subscription. Loud noise detection—so even if the camera doesn’t see something, it’ll still record.”
Also, monitoring or activity zones—which let you highlight different parts of a room to keep an eye on.
Consumer Reports recommends these models from Wyze and Lorex.
And, you can use these cameras for more than just checking on your kids and pets. You can use them to keep an eye on contractors doing work in your house when you’re not home.
And if you have an Amazon Echo Show, you can easily turn that into a home security camera. Just google directions.
