Best Pan/Tilt/Zoom Monitor With 2 Cameras: Motorola Video Baby Monitor (VM50G)
Most baby monitors with two cameras have fixed cameras—if you need a monitor that you can remotely pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ), we’d suggest Motorola’s two camera monitor system. In our hands-on testing, this monitor came out on top for two-camera PTZ baby monitors.
Why would you need a camera you can remotely move? Well, if you have a baby and toddler, you might want to focus on the baby’s crib—and then check in on your toddler who is playing elsewhere in the nursery. Here’s what we liked about this model:
What We Liked
• Split screen or auto scan. We liked this monitor’s overall flexibility: you can view both cameras in a split screen or set the monitor to swap between two feeds automatically.
• Out of range alert. This is helpful to warn you the monitor is too far from the cameras—if you are out in the garden, for example.
• Expandable up to 4 cameras. The monitor also has two-way talk and a room temperature monitor. There are also five pre-loaded lullabies (but you can’t control the volume of this feature, which seems like an odd oversight).
• 5″ screen with good quality. While the picture isn’t high definition (the resolution is 420p), we found it sharp enough to do the job.
• Brand name. Motorola is one of the better-known brands in the baby monitor space and has a good track record for overall quality.
What’s Needs Work
• No included wall mount. That’s an extra purchase, unfortunately.
• Pricey.
• Battery life is short. At three hours, the battery life for this monitor is one of the shortest we tested. Now, most folks leave a monitor plugged in overnight so the battery isn’t an issue. But if you plan to go cordless with this monitor for long stretches of time, this may not be the best choice.
Best Fixed Monitor With 2 Cameras: LBTech Video Baby Monitor with Two Cameras
Why choose a baby monitor with two cameras? Many parents with two children under the age of three find they need to monitor both rooms at once. Or you may want to monitor both a nursery and playroom.
After personally testing 17 different monitors—evaluating picture quality, measuring battery life and checking ease of use—we picked the LBTech Video Baby Monitor with Two Cameras as the Best Overall Pick. This monitor features a voice-activated mode for power savings and two-way talk feature. We also liked the included wall mount. Here’s an overview:
What We Liked
• Above average picture quality. We liked the monitor’s 4.3″ bright screen with two times digital zoom and voice activation mode.
• Good night vision. This is critical for all baby monitors and this monitor passed our tests, showing clear images in the dark thanks to a ring of LED lights around the camera.
• 8 hour battery. We measured this monitor’s battery life and we got eight hours, which is what was promised.
• Affordable. Some choices in this category can get rather pricey; this one is a good value.
What Needs Work
• No split screen. You have to manually switch between camera feeds. In our testing, we found this was an acceptable compromise at this price level, but we realize some folks really want split screen video or monitors that automatically cycle between the feeds. If you need to monitor two kiddos simultaneously and want split screen, consider the pick we discuss below.
• No remote pan or tilt. This is a fixed camera—you have to manually move it to adjust the angle.
• No wide angle lens. Other monitors we tested included this as a feature or interchangeable lens. This monitor doesn’t offer that feature—so if you are trying to monitor a large playroom, this may not be the best choice as it has a narrow field of view. It is great for a crib or bed, however.
Best Split Screen Monitor With 2 Cameras: MoonyBaby Split 55 Baby Monitor with 2 Cameras
Our testers loved this model for the split screen function—when you need to monitor a baby and toddler at the same time, this monitor would be our top pick. Here’s an overview:
What We Liked
• Wide angle lens. We liked the large field of view, which is great if you need to monitor a large playroom, for example.
• Split screen or scan mode. You can see two camera feeds at the same time or have the monitor switch back and forth between the feeds automatically. We didn’t find many other models that offered split screen mode.
• Large 4.3″ screen with decent picture quality. No, it isn’t high definition, but gets the job the done.
• Good audio quality. This is an overlooked quality with baby monitors—good audio is key and this monitor was among the tops in our testing.
What Needs Work
• Audio only works one feed at a time. While we love the split screen feature, you can only monitor one audio feed at a time—that seems like a big oversight.
• Battery life. We found in our testing that the battery would not last an entire night—our testing indicates about six hours of battery life. Hence we’d recommend leaving this model plugged into power for overnight use. If you can’t do that, then we’d suggest another model like the one above.
• Pricey compared to other dual camera models. On the plus side, the cameras can pan/tilt/zoom. Less expensive baby monitors with two cameras often have fixed cameras.
Best Auto Cycling Monitor With 2 Cameras: Babysense Video Baby Monitor 3.5” screen
If the budget is tight and you want a monitor that automatically scans between cameras, we’d recommend Babysense’s Video Baby Monitor with 3.5” screen. Babysense is a good brand with a 20-year track record in this category. They are more famous for their movement monitors, but this affordable model with two cameras is a good budget pick. Here’s an overview:
What We Liked
• Interchangeable lens. The wide-angle lens is easily attached to the camera to give a wider field of view—in our testing, we liked that flexibility. If you plan to monitor two nurseries and then move one monitor to a playroom, this will come in handy. On the downside, separate lenses are easy to lose!
• Expandable up to four cameras. The audio was also good quality.
• Two-way talk. We also liked the night light feature, which can be activated remotely.
• Affordable.
What’s Needs Work
• Small 3.5″ monitor. This monitor has the smallest screen (3.5″) compared to others we tested. We found the screen adequate in our testing, but we know some parents prefer a larger screen.
• No pan/tilt function. This is a fixed camera—you can’t remotely pan or tilt the camera for a different view.
• Sub-optimal battery life. Compared to other monitors we tested, this Babysense monitor had less than impressive battery life: about 3.5 hours per charge. While most folks will leave this monitor plugged in overnight (and hence the battery life wouldn’t be an issue), if you plan to frequently go cordless with a monitor, this probably isn’t the right monitor for your needs.
Why Trust Us
We’ve been rating and reviewing baby gear, including baby monitors, since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward safety, ease of use and affordability.
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