Babymoov YOO-Travel review

The Babymoov YOO-Travel is one of the company’s latest releases of video monitors and won Gold in this year’s MadeForMums Awards, with the judges praising its ease of use as well as its style.

With an RRP of £139.99, it is quite a significant investment, but it is by no means the most expensive. The Philips Avent SCD620, for example, costs around £170. In addition, as our reviewer explains, it is very adaptable and will last a number of years - the lifetime warranty more or less guarantees this.

One of the aspects I loved about the YOO-Travel is that as soon as baby cries or wakes the screen of the monitor lights up and you can see what is happening. This is great during the night as sometimes we would hear a short cry but could quickly see he was still asleep and fine and didn't warrant a trek to his room. Or other times he had rolled and become stuck so needed our assistance.

When the camera detects noise and motion it displays red dot lights and a white light on the top. When we first introduced it into the room, our little biy spent some time crawling over towards it and staring into the camera (very amusing for us!). I think the improvement would be, to provide a holster charger rather than a plug-in charge system. This would make charging even easier.

How easy was the Babymoov YOO-Travel monitor to set up?

Very simple, charge both devices then a simple case of setting language etc on the display monitor.

Is the camera adjustable?

Yes it covers 180 degrees and swivels side to side as well as up and down. It's also great that it has such a long battery life, so you're not dependent on being close to a plug socket.

What is the sound quality like on the YOO-Travel monitor?

The sound quality is excellent, you can hear very clearly.

How was the background noise?

We didn't have a problem with background noise at all.

What is the picture like?

The picture is excellent and the colours vibrant.

What did you think of the “high quality night vision camera” on the Babymoov YOO-Travel?

The night vision camera also gave a really good, clear picture.

Did you use the VOX voice activation function? Did it work well?

Whenever a noise is detected, the camera transmits what is happening in the room. It is therefore easy to see if there's a problem, baby is standing up or something similar.

Does it have a temperature indicator?

Yes, it does and it clearly show the accurate temperature.

Is there a talk-back function - did this work well?

Yes, this was really useful for my older child, as I could ask her to get back into bed if she was messing around at nap time - much better than an ear pressed against a door!

Was there any interference - does Babymoov ensure it’s hack-free?

I didn't notice any interference.

Does it have lullabies/white noise or similar?

No.

The YOO-Travel is pitched as the perfect monitor for being independent, with long battery life and being very portable - would you agree?

Yes, this is certainly the product’s USP - being able to put the camera wherever you like, moving it from room to room if necessary. It is definitely what sets it apart from other monitors. I’m not sure about battery life, however. I doubt that it would last a full 24 hours without a charge. But it is possible to plug it in during use if need be. It's really great not to have to have a load of wires in the baby's room, or for the set-up to be limited to having to position it near a plug. I was able to move about with the monitor without any problems.

What were you favourite features of this monitor?

Being able to use it easily in different areas of the house at different times of the day.

Is the Babymoov YOO-Travel value for money?

The Babymoov YOO-Travel has an RRP of £139.99, which isn’t cheap, with additional cameras costing £84.99. However, it has video monitoring, is very adaptable and works well. I think it meets a definite need in terms of the flexibility it offers.

Would you recommend it?

Yes I would certainly recommend this monitor. I've even used it on holidays - it's a really useful monitor.

It allows for the addition of more cameras - did you find this useful?

Yes, the YOO-Travel allows for the addition of up to four more cameras (£84.99 each) - you really could have the whole family under close surveillance if you wanted. I am looking to add another camera for our daughter's room, and the ease of having two cameras linked to one monitor is really appealing. Our daughter is now three and while she doesn't need the same sort of monitoring as a baby, it would be useful to check on her without going into her room and risking waking her up. It would also have been useful during big bed training and the feature of being able to "talk" is really useful for older kids - for example being able to say "back in your bed, please".

MadeForMums verdict:

I would definitely recommend this monitor. I have shown it to lots of friends who have been really impressed with it. The picture quality is fab, it is easy to use and has great flexibility. We will definitely use it on holidays and trips away. The ability to link additional cameras to the system is a massive bonus and the possibilities and circumstances this would be useful for are endless. For example, it’s wireless and portable, so you can use it if you're travelling in the car and have a rear facing baby seat and want a quick reassurance check (passenger, not driver obviously!)

In addition, the fact it has a lifetime warranty should give parents absolute reassurance. I really valued my experience testing this product and wouldn't be without it now.

How we tested the product

Rebecca tested the Babymoov YOO-Travel video monitor in her 7-month-old baby boy’s room, as well as with her 3-year-old daughter.

We've got more product reviews here:

• The best baby mattresses
• The best baby blankets
• Buyer's Guide to baby monitors
• Basic monitors include the Babymoov Simply Care

MadeForMums product reviews are independent, honest and provide advice you can have confidence in. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links. However we never allow this to influence our coverage. Our reviews and articles are written by parents who are professional journalists, and we also include feedback from our parent community and industry experts.