LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Baby Monitor review

Alongside the parent unit, a well-designed app gives access for on-the-go, remote visibility. LeapFrog has topped this all off with colour night vision, temperature and humidity sensors, two-way audio and a dimmable nightlight that you can customise to any colour – no wonder it won Joint Gold for Best Baby Monitor in the MadeForMums Tech Awards 2025. The monitor has an RRP of £200, similar to the Momcozy 5in Dual-Mode Smart Baby Monitor, £199.99, and the Maxi-Cosi See Pro Baby Monitor, £219.99.

• See our pick of the best baby monitors, tried and tested by UK parents

How easy is it to set up the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor?

The quick start guide makes setting up the monitor almost foolproof, with short snappy directions that are clearly labeled and broken down by section. The parent unit throws up prompts on some actions too, to help guide adjustments you might make, for example on volume.

Plugging the camera and charging up the parent unit was a simple start. The parent unit requires 12 hours charging on the first use, so it’s worth bearing in mind that you can’t move it around initially, although thanks to the app you can still enjoy on-the-go access right from the start.

The camera is built beautifully: it feels sleek and high end and the spherical design makes it feel modern but playful – it blends perfectly into a child’s room. Our baby monitor sits on a shelf across the room from the cot, so installing it was as easy as setting it down, although there is a bracket included to secure it to the wall. The parent unit and baby unit connect to each other in direct mode by default, but you can also run the parent unit on Wi-Fi.

How good is the picture on the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor?

The image resolution on the app was ever so slightly crisper for me than on the parent unit, although this will depend on the phone you’re viewing on (mine is an iPhone 11pro). That being said, the parent unit is by far superior to any other baby monitor screen I’ve seen; highly pixelated, with vivid colour and crisp detail.

The pan and tilt is great too, it moves smoothly and with the 360° rotation you can get a great angle from pretty much anywhere you place it. There’s an 8x zoom which maintains the quality of the image pretty well in daylight, and does the job in darkness. You can clearly see the baby at any time of day, although the exceptional quality really shines in daytime or complete darkness – I tested this in summer so there were a few hours of bedtime where it was still light and the image wasn’t quite as clear at dusk.

I had thought the colour night vision might just be a gimmick and not necessarily helpful, but in fact it’s a handy tool to have because it gives you the ability to check in on the baby in a bit more detail, so you can clearly see their clothing or bedding. I used it more than I expected to.

What's the audio quality like?

The audio on the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor is very sensitive, conveying so much as a rustle: during daytime naps it even picked up the noise of the kids in the garden next door, which I found slightly annoying. In fact, it would be helpful to have a slightly quieter volume option on the parent unit – even on the lowest setting the audio is quite loud. If one parent is settling the baby back to sleep you have a choice of turning the volume completely off (and then forgetting to turn it on again) or experiencing the pre-bedtime crying as a family.

I did like the coloured light in the corner of the parent unit that measures the volume of the sound it’s picking up: green for soft, red for something more significant. We found this really helpful in judging if we were hearing a snuffle or a full blown wake up.

What is the parent unit on the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor like?

The parent unit feels expensive, sturdy and solid. The huge 7in screen makes up almost the whole unit, with a control panel down the side. It has an adjustable brightness level, although the lowest is still pretty bright – we tend to leave the image on in our room at night and it gives off a lot of light, which could be a problem for any sensitive sleepers. You can turn the screen off if you wish with a quick tap of the power button, and this is super responsive so you can switch it on instantly at any hint of action.The connection between the units was consistently strong, even in the garden (as far as I’d venture away from my baby’s bedroom).

There are a couple of niggles: the upstand is thin and not centred, which means it doesn’t stand up on soft surfaces like a bed or sofa. Because the buttons on the interface are minimal, it feels a bit clunky at times, like you have to do a lot of tapping before you get to the function you want. It’s also difficult to see the buttons in the dark, so it’s harder to use in the middle of the night or with low lights in the evening.

Is the parent unit's battery life any good?

Yes! For me, the most impressive element is the battery life. The parent unit is incredibly long-lasting off-charger, with 13 hours of video streaming (22 hours with audio only). My biggest bugbear with previous monitors is how short lived the battery life was – I was forever having to run and grab the charger from wherever I’d left it last. The charge on this LeapFrog monitor was enough that after my daughter’s two naps it still had a full battery bar at 9pm.

What smart features does the LeapFrog LF4917 7in monitor include?

There’s a two-way talk feature that allows you to talk to your baby from another room, which is not a feature I use much but my voice was clear and recognisable to my daughter.

Temperature and humidity sensors are displayed at the top of the screen and very accurate (temperature was in line with my thermostat). You can switch on alerts for if these go outside of safe levels – I tested this monitor in the middle of a heatwave and I used this feature often to ensure my daughter was dressed comfortably and safely for sleep. Alerts come via an orange banner that flash across the screen for a few seconds: attention grabbing but not annoying, and most importantly they don’t impede your view of the baby.

Does the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor have any lullabies or night light features?

Yes; the built-in nightlight is impressive. It has five dimmable levels which you can control from the parent unit, app or on the camera itself, and the colour is completely customizable via the app, which is a very nice touch. There’s also a sound machine that features five lullabies and five soothing sounds, including white noise and shushing. Volume options for these vary from softer levels to something more robust.

How do you connect to the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor app?

The app is easy to find on the app store, and you’re guided through set up clearly. In my case, after a few failed-to-connect messages I had to remove the camera from where I’d installed it in my daughter’s room and bring it downstairs because the Wi-Fi signal there wasn’t strong enough. Helpfully the guide is clear that proximity to the router is important so I knew what the problem was and I connected the camera to the app in my living room instead and moved it back upstairs.

What do you think of the app?

The app interface is great, well organised and clear. I particularly liked the landscape view that activates when you swivel your phone around, where the video image takes over your phone screen with controls and sensors are still there at a glance. It really feels like a secondary parent unit.

As with any app, performance relies on your Wi-Fi connection and this one can take a few seconds to connect when signal isn’t strong. However once you’re connected the transmission is stable, no lagging or delay. This goes for outside the house too – I had my first evening out away from my daughter and it was comforting to be able to check in on her from the restaurant and see how bedtime was going.

How reliable is the connection when using the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor?

The connection was reliable at all times, and I didn’t experience any buffering issues or lags in image; however, there is a slight delay in audio although it is micro seconds, and no worse than any other monitor I’ve used. The parent unit signal was strong in all areas of my house, and stayed strong even in the garden. Signal on the app can drop when Wi-Fi is weak, but that isn’t unusual. There’s also a quick reaction between the camera and the unit – no buffer or delay when changing the angle of the camera.

Does the pan and tilt work well?

The camera can be mounted on a wall or set on a surface, anywhere it can reach a plug – in our case, it sits on a shelf across from my daughter's cot. For us this is where the 360° pan and tilt feature became most useful – there’s nothing worse than finally settling your child to sleep and then realising the camera has been moved during cleaning and the angle is only showing their feet. Instead of risking a wake up by creeping back into their bedroom, you can readjust the lens remotely.

What’s in the box?

• Camera
• Parent unit
• Camera charger
• Instruction booklet
• Mounting bracket

Additional cameras can be purchased separately.

How sustainable is the monitor?

The LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Baby Monitor came in cardboard and paper packaging which was all recyclable. It also comes with a 1-year warranty.

Is the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor worth the money?

While it may be among the higher end of the baby monitor market, this monitor is leaps ahead of the competition in terms of battery life, picture and extra features. For parents looking for a baby monitor that masters the basics, allows remote access and ticks off a few other tools too, this product is worth the £200 price tag.

Where can I buy the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Monitor?

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

MadeForMums verdict:

Despite some small niggles, this is the best monitor I have used. Combining excellent image quality and sensitive audio with unique features like colour night vision and that customisable nightlight, you get more than just a great monitor for your money. All that plus remote access and an accurate temperature sensor makes the LeapFrog LF4917 7in Smart Video Baby Monitor a product worth the spend. For parents willing to make an investment on a sophisticated product, you can’t do much better than this. It allows you to simplify your baby’s sleep set up by combining a monitor, nightlight and sound machine so you get more for your money. Plus with that long lasting battery you aren’t constantly moving a charger around the house, which makes life way easier.

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