There are four popular brands that provide video baby monitors in Holland: 1) Philips, naturally; 2) Luvion (also Dutch); 3) Alecto; and 4) Angelcare. There are also Naev and Beurer but I couldn’t find much public opinion out there on these two. Naev does have a commercial online presence though. The few reviews I found regarding Naev were satisfied but not thrilled. I’m going to focus on the products with the most reviews.
Philips SCD 600 €149 – €200
This Philips model gets decent scores on consumer sites, but not the best. Dutch consumers generally express that they expected more from Philips and the price. Could just be a case of great expectations but all in all it’s a good baby monitor but lacks the extra options that products in a similar price range offer, such as gauging the temperature in the child’s room.
Luvion Platinum €165 – €199
The Platinum gets good reviews and high scores on Dutch product sites. Its lowest score is on optionality which leads us to the next product. Since the Platinum is not much cheaper than Luvion’s upgraded version below, you’re better of going for their newer model.
Luvion Grand Elite €179 – €199
The Grand Elite is the newest model from Luvion. It receives the highest scores and best reviews on Dutch product comparison sites such as www.kieskeurig.nl. The main complaint is that the sound quality of the unit placed in the child’s room is canny but the majority is really pleased with the video quality and extensive optionality, such as the following:
- temperature measurement in the child’s room,
- recording footage onto an SD card,
- the “scan” setting so that the parent unit only turns on if the child is active,
- and the sleek design.
Alecto DVM70 €111 – €150
This product gets raving reviews for its price/quality ratio. If price is a factor for you then this model provides you with the basic features any video baby monitor should have at a fair cost.
Angelcare AC1100 €299
This Angelcare model comes with movement sensors, pads placed under the child’s bed that alert you if a child is not moving or breathing optimally. Depending on your personality this option may either soothe you or make you paranoid. But this extra feature explains the price. The Luvion sells these pads as well, separate from the video baby monitor unit, for a similar price approximately €100. There were no reviews on any of the major Dutch consumer sites regarding this Angelcare model, but after scanning a few forums it seems the general opinion from owners is very positive. If you’re interested in the movement sensors this could be the right baby monitor for you.
Based on my online research I’ve decided to go for the Luvion Grand Elite. It provides the most options. Besides the Alecto the price differences between products available is slight.
Get 20% off a baby monitor from Prenatal with this discount code: bon20. It’s valid till Feb 12th.
