The Tommee Tippee DECT Digital Movement & Sound Monitor features a sensor pad that sits under your baby’s cot mattress. If the sensor pad doesn’t detect movement for 20 seconds, an alarm sounds. You can also use the monitor without the sensor pad, once your baby’s older and moving about in the cot.
The parent unit’s LCD display shows room temperature and has a sound level indicator. It also has talk-back, with volume control, and a rechargeable docking station.
What we love
The sound quality of the DECT Digital Movement & Sound Monitor is excellent. My first child, Jack, 2 ½ years, has been monitored using an analogue Tommee Tippee model, and I've been pretty happy with it, and accepted the crackles and pops as part of its 'charm'. However, my second baby, 3-month-old Ted, has been testing this latest digital monitor from Tommee Tippee and I'm overwhelmed by the difference in sound quality. The signal is so clear between the baby and parent units that I can listen to the radio playing in my bedroom via the monitor, without any loss in sound quality at all. The result is that every single breath Ted takes can be heard on the parent unit.
This monitor is packed with other features, too. There's a temperature gauge, which I’ve found handy for working out how many layers Ted needs to wear in bed. There are noise indicator lights, which light up when your baby hollers, and the talk-back function means you can soothe your baby without even moving from the sofa!
There's also a lovely nightlight, which has three light levels. This is great for nightfeeds and night-time changes with minimal disturbance.
The range is impressive. I was able to hear Ted clearly from the end of my garden (approximately 40m from Ted's bed) and could find no unclear spots in my average-sized, four-bed, two-storey house. Tommee Tippee claims it will work up to 300m outdoors, although I was not able to confirm this.
It's a stylish monitor - black and white and not too bulky. The parent unit sits snugly on its base and doesn't fall off like other models I’ve used.
What to watch out for
The sensor pad is best used for newborns, and so has a short life span. Babies older than 3 months move around so much they’re often not sleeping on the sensor pad and thus the alarm sounds, signalling a potential problem! I found that Ted was far too wriggly at even 9 weeks, as he kept setting the alarm off when he moved off the pad. For parents who are going to put their newborn upstairs in his own room immediately, I can see the advantage of the sensor pad, but in my opinion it's a non-essential extra most parents can do without. And if you purchase the monitor without it, the price drops from £99.99 to £64.99.
Who is the Tommee Tippee DECT Digital Movement & Sound Monitor best for?
Mums who live in a big house after the reassurance of digital-quality sound, or those on holidays in need of a decent interference-free range.
The Tommee Tippee DECT Digital Movement & Sound Monitor is a stylish and reassuring monitor with outstanding sound quality. It’s is stuffed full of with useful features, and if the movement sensor pad doesn’t interest you, you don’t have to fork out for it.
