VTechCommunications DM221 Audio Baby Monitor with up to 1,000 ft of Range, Vibrating Sound-Alert, Talk Back Intercom & Night Light Loop, White/Silver

I bought this baby monitor over 10 years ago. We moved into a new house built of cinderblock and didn’t realize we could not hear our children on the second floor. They were no longer infants but the youngest was four. One of our children got frightened in the middle of the night and sat on the staircase crying, and we did not hear them. The next day I searched through baby monitors and settled on this one. I had an old set but they just didn’t quite cut it - the sound was patchy and would cut out and I couldn’t differentiate between different sounds of that distance because of the cinderblock. One unit has sat in the corner of our hallway for 10 years, with a parent unit being on the desk in our room. The only time it has not worked is when we had a power outage and I forgot to replace the batteries. The kids forget it’s there and don’t feel intrude upon it at all. We even asked them if they wanted us to take it down as they got older and it made them feel comfortable to know we were just a button click away if they needed us. Communication between the two unit is very clear even if they’re whispering. It’s very easy for both of us and them to use. This became even more important as two of our children were diagnosed with cardiac in rheumatological conditions. The kids rooms are across the house and a flight of stairs from ours- a distance many monitors couldn’t handle through cinderblock. The two way talking has been a great perk, and the sound quality is excellent. The unit sits in the corner on the second story landing but will pick up the TV from the third floor as well. The belt clip is nice when I need to go outside and one of my kids was sick or had just has surgery. I used this in conjunction with a video monitor because while it was nice to see them, I couldn’t always hear the best. Being able to adjust the volume with just a click of a button, and hearing a beep each time the volume was changed as very helpful. The moment communication is lost with the other unit, the monitor will beep to let you know there’s a problem, so I never worried that communication would be lost and I wouldn’t know it. I felt confident that with this monitor I would hear anytime they called for me, or even just whimpered.I’ve had other monitors when my children were little, including a video monitor which I really loved. However, this one has lasted the longest with the best performance. Now that we have a grandchild who was over often, we’re just going to keep it running to see how many more years it will keep going strong. I know that video monitors that connect to the phone are highly preferred, but if someone is looking for something to continuously monitor and doesn’t need a video screen, this is the first one I would recommend, and the first one I’d buy for a baby shower.

This monitor works great and has an impressive range—I can be inside the house or outside, and it still connects perfectly. I love the lights that light up when it detects crying, which makes it easy to keep an eye on things even when I’m vacuuming or listening to music. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s extremely reliable and does exactly what I need. The battery life is pretty good, but it can also be used while charging if needed. I always feel confident knowing I’ll know when my baby is awake.

I read a lot of Amazon reviews for other baby monitors before deciding to give this one a try. I am happy that I did.SensitivityThis is an "open mic" design, not a "voice activated" design. I prefer open mic, and have always had issues with voice activated products. This unit is impressive, picking up a surprising amount of sounds. It picks up blue jays when they are drinking from our patio bird bath. It picks up the sound of the breast pump. During a storm, it picked up the wind blowing outside the windows. The sensitivity is adjustable - 5 settings.RangeI haven't thoroughly tested this (haven't gone outdoors with the receiver). We live in a 3 level townhome, and have had no range issues at all.NotificationsBeep and vibration notifications that are tuned perfectly. A light sound will not trigger them, and constant crying will not cause them to go off like crazy. Instead, when baby makes enough noise for a few seconds, the audio and vibrate will sound off once, then will wait for a bit to sound off again. Appropriate use of the technology, and nicely implemented.Two-way communicationsWe use this feature all the time. My wife will be upstairs with the baby, trying to get the baby to sleep, and she will need something. She says what she needs out loud in a normal talking voice, which I hear clearly on one of the handsets. I use the push-to-talk on the handset to talk back to her, confirming that I'll bring her whatever she needs. In a 3 story townhouse, this has made our lives much easier; no shouting up/down the stairs, and no need to change floors to communicate clearly. I have a feeling we will continue to use this system even after baby has grown, due to the convenience. We keep one receiver on the first floor, another on the second, and the send unit on the third floor.It's easy to forget the listener is on, so be warned! We have had entire conversations with company over, thinking we were having a private conversation, when it was actually being broadcast throughout the house.Secure communicationsUses digital communications with frequency hopping. This is great, because someone with a radio cannot listen in on our conversations.Sound quality and interferenceZero interference, and the sound quality is crisp and clear without any noise. Friends with kids comment on how clean and clear the sound is.Overall, we are extremely happy with this product. Thankfully, we haven't had any issues with it (knock on wood), though I have seen in these reviews that others have. We would highly recommend, and we would buy another one. At this time, we have had this unit for 2 and 1/2 months.*****6-month Update: We have had this for 6 months now with zero significant issues. I read about the "unlinked" beep prior to purchase. I have experienced this with this product. It is easy to fix - reboot the receiver. Unplug it from the wall socket and remove the battery, count to 10, then reconnect it all. It's a digital device, which means it's a tiny little computer. Every now and then, it needs a power cycle.This is the best monitor out there, in my opinion. Simple, and it works perfectly. The only gremlin (reboot) is easy to live with.I am extremely happy with this product. Highly recommended.