Disclosure: I was given the Motorola MBP33 in exchange for a product review. All opinions expressed are my own.
As many of you know, I’m expecting baby number two in January and I am in complete nesting mode! We are rearranging rooms in my house, doing lots of wall painting and of course buying things that we need.
Since my Chloé is two years old, I still use a baby monitor in her room. I like to listen for her at night, do chores, get the mail, let my dog out etc..all while keeping track of how’s she’s doing. My problem was, my current monitor isn’t capable with a second camera. So, it’s time to look for a replacement.
Motorola has been kind enough to let me test drive the MBP33. This camera is capable of working with up to four cameras, so just from that alone, I was intrigued.
Being a second-time mom I have a pretty good idea of what I need this time versus what I want. While some may argue there’s no need to have a camera in each child’s room, I would say “to each his own.” It’s something that gives me piece of mind, and to me, that’s all I care about at the end of the day.
I’ve had the camera for about five days, here’s my breakdown.
What I enjoy:
Large screen on parent unit: The color screen on the parent unit measures at 2.8. It’s much bigger than what I’m used to and it gives a clear view of baby.
Temperature reading: The parent unit also tells you the temperature in your child’s room. Without fail every night, I get up to put a blanket on Chloé because she kicks it off. By looking at the parent unit I’m able to tell how warm or cold she is. That’s been really helpful.
Low-battery alert: The other night I forgot to plug in the parent unit while I was sleeping. As soon as the battery got low, it started to beep and it woke me up. I was able to see by the red light indicator that the monitor needed to be charged. I think it’s a great feature because my other monitor just turned to loud static, then shut off.
Two-way communication: I’ve really enjoyed this feature but I also don’t mind if I didn’t have it. Chloé has been getting a kick out of it and once she knew how it worked, she’s talking to the camera whenever she needs something. The other night I thought she was asleep (20 minutes had gone by) and she looked at the camera and said “Mommy, I’m hungry. I need a snack.” She continued on for sometime with her and I going back and forth through the monitor until I finally decided to just go in there. Each night we’ve had the camera she’s asked us questions. I find it pretty hysterical but it’s definitely not the way I intended to use it. She’ll wake up in the morning and say “I talked to the camera. I say hi Riley B.” Riley is our dog, so she’s chatting it up with him too!
On a side note, I’ve been able to answer questions with her going right to sleep after. So, it’s just an added feature, but by no means necessary for me.
Zoom function: The parent unit has a zoom function if you want to get an even closer look. I don’t need it with Chloé, because she’s big enough that I can see her just fine, although I would definitely use it with baby number two.
Camera scan: The parent unit will automatically scan all cameras that are attached to the unit or you can do it manually. This would be my reason for buying the monitor. It’s exactly the feature I’ve been looking for.
Out of range indicator: Another feature that’s helpful is the out of range indicator. While, I haven’t experienced it much because the reception’s been good, the parent unit alerts you if you’re out of range with the camera.
Extra features:
Lullabies: From the parent unit you’re able to play up to 5 lullabies through the camera. Right now Chloé is attached to the music she knows, so she didn’t want the new lullabies played. The new baby will probably enjoy it more.
Automatic timer: It’s a nice feature to have the monitor be able to automatically shut off, but I haven’t needed it to. I just turn it off when I’m done. But nevertheless, it’s available and another feature. Not a downside by any means, just a feature I haven’t used.
I’ve been pleased so far with this monitor and would recommend it to a friend. When making a monitor purchase, the choice comes down comes down to what a parent needs. And what I enjoy about this one far exceeds the features I won’t necessarily use.
Click here for more info on monitors by Motorola
· Available now at BJs, Fred Meyer, Meijer, Diapers.com, Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com, BuyBuy.com, BabiesRUs.com, BarnesandNobles.com, Meijer.com, Sears.com and Kmart.com
· Suggested Retail: $199.00
Any other mommies out there using two cameras with their monitor?
candice says
I’m in need of a video monitor so this this is very helpful. I Like how you can set up more than 1 camera. So I could put 1 in the playroom and 1 in each bedroom.