Protecting your home and those who live in there is one of the most important things to you. this becomes especially relevant when you have seniors, physically disabled or children living in the house. You want to keep your family safe and prevent any kind of theft from happening.
Indoor security cameras are quickly becoming one of the most popular items for homeowners to keep an eye on what is happening in different parts of the house. with a quick glance, you can make sure that the elderly person or the child under your care is doing ok or whether they need attention.
When you have children, one of the items you’ll likely buy (or have given to you as a gift) is a baby monitor. Traditionally, these devices are used to be able to check in on your little ones while they’re sleeping and you’re in another room.
But nothing stops you from using these nifty devices to watch over seniors or the physically disabled.
That makes you think: can these monitors double their use so that they can be a home security system for you?
Yes, you can use a baby monitor as a security camera. This might come in handy when you don’t need to use them as baby monitors anymore and you don’t know quite what to do with them.
Instead of purchasing a home security system and baby monitors, many homeowners will try to use the baby monitors in place of interior cameras but is this a smart idea? Here’s what to consider before you repurpose those baby monitors into a security system.
Contents
Why Use a Baby Monitor as a Security Camera?
Well, a baby monitor is a device that parents use to watch and monitor their babies and young children while they sleep in another room. These monitors can pick up the sounds of a baby crying and some more advanced models now even have the ability to monitor the baby’s breathing so you are alerted if they suddenly stop breathing (which is a very real concern for newborns).
The very same features make a baby monitor, a good indoor security camera.
The most basic baby monitors are really only one-way walkie-talkies but those kinds aren’t very common anymore, and many of them have many more features. If you have just the basic baby monitor then an indoor security camera will be more beneficial to you.
However, if you have a more advanced baby monitor that has features like motion and sound sensing, the capability to zoom in and night vision, you can as well use that baby monitor as a security camera.
You may also like How to Make Stairs Safer for Elderly
How to Set Up a Baby Monitor as a Security Camera?
If you have decided that you are going to use your baby monitor as a security camera, you need to make sure that it is set up correctly. While setting it up, please take care of the following:
- Baby monitors are meant for indoor usage. Which means that they will best serve as an indoor security camera. You are best off using them to monitor a senior or physically disabled person inside the house.
- If you are planning to use it as an outdoor security camera, please make sure that you have some sort of cover that protects the camera from the elements like direct sunlight, rain, and snow.
- You’d want it to have as wide a coverage as possible. Thus mounting it on a wall without obstructions like bookcases or shelves will be very helpful.
- If you have the option, hook up the camera to your phone. Many baby monitors allow the feature to be hooked up to multiple devices. If yours does, it is always prudent to use that feature. It is best to have multiple watchful eyes.
- Test the features. If you have not used the baby monitor for some time or if you are taking it out of storage, some of the features and sensors might not be working. It is always a good idea to test out features like motion and temperature sensors after installation.
- Remember, it is not a security camera. You can not have the same features as a traditional security camera, using a baby monitor. You will not hear a ding on the door opening or it won’t be able to alert the cops in case of a forced entry!
When Not to Use a Baby Monitor as a Security Camera?
Baby Monitors may not be the best option to be used as a security camera in some cases. One of them we have already highlighted – they are not the ideal outdoor security camera.
Another instance where baby monitors should not be used as a security camera is when you are looking for something to protect you against unfriendly intruders. In such a case, you are best off going with a professional solution.
Needless to say, baby monitors do not make a good security camera in a business setting. Whether you have a retail store or an office location, if you want to monitor things, we advise going for something professional. That extra $$$ spent on a professional system will save your bacon when it matters the most – in case of a security breach.
Baby monitors make for a gate camera monitoring device for seniors. But you might not want to use just a baby monitor if you also need to keep track of the vitals of an elderly or a physically disabled person from afar. In such a case, you need dedicated devices like health monitor watches, fitness watches, sleep trackers or activity trackers, depending on your use case and the doctor’s recommendation.
You may also like How to Help Elderly Parents From a Distance?
Security Cameras as Baby Monitors
Many security cameras are so versatile that they could actually be used in place of baby monitors if you need to. An indoor security camera may be far more equipped to work as a baby monitor than a basic baby monitor would be.
Most security cameras have various features that make them perfect for versatile uses.
Wireless and Long Battery Life
Chances are your indoor security cameras are going to be wireless – as so many of them are. It will probably have a rechargeable battery, and a very long battery life. They are specifically designed to use very little power to keep running, and even record video so you can go long periods of time without having to recharge the batteries.
If you’re using one of these cameras as a baby monitor, this will probably come in really handy. Most baby monitors will just die when the battery runs out, but home security cameras – for security reasons – will alert you when the battery is running low so you never have to worry about it running out of life and you not being able to use the camera.
Additionally, because it’s wireless, you can easily move the camera unit around to where you need it to be. If your kids often like to sleep in different rooms, or maybe they want to have a sleepover in the same room you can move the camera from one room to another and still have the same ability to see them.
Recording Abilities
Most – if not all – indoor security cameras have the ability to record. They may have different settings – like only record when there’s motion detected or maybe record after a certain time of day – but they will be able to record what’s going on in the room they’re placed in.
This gives you the option to record, if you need to, something going on in your home or in the specific room the baby is in.
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Almost all home security cameras will be able to connect to your home’s network. Often times this will come with an app you can download on your smartphone so you can watch what the camera sees without even entering the room and risk waking up the baby.
This means that, in a way, your phone becomes the camera and you can watch from where ever you are. You don’t have to carry around the other part of the set of baby monitors and just hang onto your phone – which you likely have on you or near you at all times.
On top of that, you may be able to talk to or sing lullabies to your little one through the two-way speaker if they become fussy or wake up in the middle of the night. Best of all, you can capture cute moments or use the wide-lens feature of the camera to see your baby’s room from wall to wall.
You may also like Best Medical Alert System with Fall Detection
Night Vision
Some baby monitors may come with night vision options, but some may not – it really depends on the model. The benefit to security cameras is that all of them come with night vision as that’s kind of the point to having a home security camera.
The night vision option will allow you to see and monitor your baby from your phone without having to go into the room, turn on the light and risk waking up the baby.
As a parent, you likely know the importance of getting your little one to sleep through the night so if you can avoid waking them up it would be very helpful – for your sleep, too!
Motion Detection
This feature is really handy – especially once your baby starts to get a little older and moves around in their sleep. When your little one moves from a crib and into a bed of their own, they might roll around and even fall out of bed.
Home security cameras often have features that will alert you when there is motion in the room or area they are placed in. With this feature, you will know exactly when your little one is awake and moving around in their crib or bed.
This can help you determine if you need to check in on your baby or if your little one is just a bit fussy and wait to see if they will settle and go back to sleep on their own.
Sound Activation
As mentioned, many cameras have motion detection so that you can see when your baby is moving around but many of them also have sound activation features so you’ll know when your baby is crying.
Some cameras will be activated by certain levels of sound so you will want to make sure the one you have works for baby cries. With this feature, you can listen to the sounds through your remote access to determine if the noise is just baby chatter – like they sometimes do when they’re on their own – or if it’s a cry that you need to go in a check on them.
Security
Do you have a babysitter or nanny that comes into your home to help with caring for your baby? While we always want to think that the people we bring into our home are trustworthy, but unfortunately they may act a different way when you aren’t around to catch them – or so they think.
You can use the security cameras to witness what is going on when you aren’t there to see all of it. If you think that someone coming into your home is stealing from you or potentially even mistreating your children when you aren’t around then this could be the way for you to determine if it’s really happening.
Additionally, you can use them as peace of mine when you and your partner hire a babysitter and you go out for the night. Even if you don’t think that the babysitter is cause for concern, it gives you security to know that everyone in your home is safe and no one is hurt.
Keeping your family safe – while at home or away from home – is really important and you want to make sure you have the best choices. Many homeowners are installing security cameras as a way to keep an eye on their homes to begin with, and when they have children the security cameras can be used as baby monitors to keep an eye over their little ones.
