LeapFrog LF2936FHD Remote Access Smart Video Baby Monitor review

Coming in at £229.99, it's certainly a premium model, sitting alongside the likes of the Maxi Cosi See Baby Monitor Pro at £229.99, but with excellent features and the option to use remotely, it's worth the investment, particularly if you plan on using for more than one child.

How easy is it to set up the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

Set up took 20 minutes, including mounting to the wall – approx. 13 minutes to set up the camera and parent unit, approx. 7 minutes to mount to the wall. Set up of the monitor itself took longer than the mounting; it seemed a little slower than I expected to pair to the parent unit with the camera and then to the WiFi.

Are the instructions easy to follow?

Yes, I found the instructions were easy to follow to set up the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor. Once the camera and parent unit are switched on, it takes you through the steps. The camera connects to the parent unit, then asks you to connect to the WiFi and finally allows you to download the app and connect the app to the camera.

What is the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor's video and audio quality like?

The clarity of the screen is impeccable. I’ve had a few video baby monitors previously between both my kids, and this is by far the best picture and display I’ve had.

Clarity is even great in night-mode where I would expect it to be fuzzy or pixelated due to low light. However, if you try to switch to colour mode during low light, it will be a little pixelated, or if the room is dark it will be completely black, as expected.

The sound on the camera is crisp and clear in both directions. If the door is open and someone is down the hall it will even pick that up. As the sound is so clear, I have not needed to increase the volume for use, but in testing it can go quite loud – louder than I expect would be needed by users.

What do you think of the touch screen functionality on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

I really like it. The touch screen on the device is very handy – especially during set up when needing to type in the WiFi password! It also allows you to move the camera by swiping the picture rather than pressing the arrows multiple times. The touch screen allows you to access and navigate through the menu, or alternatively you can use the buttons provided next to the screen.

How did you find the remote access through the LeapFrog app?

Remote access is a very handy feature for when you're moving around the house. When popping between rooms for quick tasks it’s rare that I take the parent unit with me, so the app enables me to check on my little one if I hear a noise and I’m not within distance of the parent unit. I also find it slightly quicker to go through the settings, turn on music, night light etc on the app. The only downside I’ve found to the app so far is the lag in connection to the camera. It can take a good few seconds for the live feed to display but the parent unit also has a lag with connection to the camera, so it's no different whichever method you use.

Does the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor have a temperature display?

Yes; the temperature monitoring is a great feature and is pretty accurate most of the time, when compared with the temperature recorded by our smart home heating. However, unfortunately it has the odd moment when is appears to glitch. During one experience, in the space of a couple of minutes, the temperature showed several different figures that were very different, ranging from 18.1° to 25.3°. We have smart heating in the room so I know it was around 20° at the time of this glitch. It's hard to tell if this is just something we've experienced or a common issue.

What's the motion detection like on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

The motion detection is great on the LF2936FHD monitor. It’s very sensitive, although you can change the sensitivity if it’s too much. It also has sound detection and, again, this is very sensitive – which is great – but you can reduce the sensitivity if it’s too much for your needs. As my little one moves a lot in her sleep I found the motion and sound detection best to have turned off, but for younger babies this would be ideal.

What do you think of the night light and lullabies on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

I think the night light and music/sound features are very useful. The night light (built into the camera base) is quite bright, even on its dimmest setting, but I love the fact you can choose a colour to suit and also select a duration – 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or continuous – before it switches off. There are a number of pre-set colours to choose from or you can choose from a colour spectrum wheel instead, either through the parent until or app.

You can also choose duration for the music/sound and there are a number of different lullabies and soothing sounds for your baby. I found the soothing sounds in particular were great for getting my little one to re-settle during the night, although again the sound was a little louder than I expected even on the lowest setting.

Can you save photos or recordings from the baby monitor?

Yes, the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor allows you to save photos and recordings, and the capture quality is just as good as the live feed quality. Although if you do try to use colour rather than black and white while the room is low light, it can be a little pixelated, as with the live feed.

What is the signal range like for the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

Great! I’ve not had any issues with the connection to the camera in any part of the house, even at it’s furthest point. The WiFi connection and the app also mean that I can access it on the app anywhere. I have checked the connection while working 20 miles away and was still able to get a fairly real time view, with only a seconds delay.

It maintains a stable connection and I've had no experience of it wavering. The only slight delay has been when initially connecting to the camera, when opening the app or powering up the parent unit.

How intuitive is the parent unit to use?

The touch screen on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD is very responsive. I haven’t found it slow or laggy, but there are rare moments when I find I need to press something for a second time – but it’s less often than not.

The navigation through menus is quick and seamless, however the options are all graphics rather than text. Although most of the graphics are somewhat obvious, if you’re not familiar it may take you a few attempts to find certain things, such as the WiFi settings for example.

How portable is the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

The parent unit is portable and light, although it is sizeable. Personally, I take it in to rooms if I’m going to be in there for a little while. If I’m popping to the kitchen for 10 minutes, it’s more convenient to use the app and leave the parent unit in the main room where I’ll be. It’s great to have the option to use either.

It can be used when travelling; it’s lightweight to take with you and easy enough to plug in. If you want to use the app while away, you would need to connect it to the WiFi where you are staying, and then reconnect it when back home. I have only tested this on one occasion but had no issues with it.

What's the battery like on the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

The battery life for the parent unit seems to be very good. I managed to use it for around 5 days on and off, before I needed to recharge it. I do have a charger plugged in to the living room so tend to put it on charge when it’s in that location, to ensure that it always has some charge.

Does the camera operate on battery or mains?

The LeapFrog LF2936FHD camera only works when plugged in. It’s not something you can charge and then use on battery, although I’ve never been aware of any baby monitors that do have a camera operating off battery, so I believe this is pretty standard.

How does the LeapFrog LF2936FHD compare to other baby monitors?

We’ve previously had a VTech RM5766 video baby monitor, an older VTech model, a cheap unbranded version, and also used a Tapo camera when our baby video monitor broke. With all of these I found that the image and sound quality was just not up to scratch. As well as being not as clear, I also found there was an obvious lag with the image/sound and sometimes they would freeze and pixelate when baby was moving around too quickly. The LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor is far better than any of the previous ones we’ve used in terms of the quality of image and sound. The VTech was the closest in comparison with features, but still not as good a quality as this LeapFrog one.

What do you think are the standout features of the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

The standout features for me are the built-in sounds and lullabies, which have been extremely useful for settling my little one, the app, and the two-way talk feature, so I can speak to my baby through the camera unit.

What’s in the box?

• Parent unit
• Camera
• Charger for parent unit
• Power adapter for camera
• Wall mount
• 2 x screw
• 2 x wall plug
• Parent guide

Is the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor worth the money?

With an RRP of £229.99, it is an investment, but I would definitely say it’s worth the money. Having tried other ones that were of poorer quality, I can see why this particular one has the price point it does. The features are fantastic, the quality is impeccable and it seems as though it is built to see users through multiple children.

Where can I buy the LeapFrog LF2936FHD baby monitor?

It's available from John Lewis, Boots and Mamas & Papas.

MadeForMums verdict

Overall, I would highly recommend this baby monitor to any parent. This is the best baby monitor I’ve used and although the price tag may seem a bit steep to some, it is definitely worth the money for the quality and durability. The image and sound quality alone are remarkable, but when you add in the numerous features such as remote access, soothing sounds, nightlight, range of motion, motion and sound detection, it's definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Read more:

• CuboAi Plus Smart Baby Monitor 3 review
• Maxi-Cosi See Pro Baby Monitor review
• Momcozy BM01 Video Baby Monitor review