Summer Infant Babble Band audio monitor review

Summer Infant has become best known for its bedtime and safety products but the company first started out with one of the first, original bouncy seats. Now it offers everything from potties to play pens to baby monitors.

The Babble Band is the first wearable monitor from Summer Infant, and scooped the gold award in the baby monitors category of the MadeForMums Awards 2017.

It includes a monitor unit for placing in your child’s nursery, as well as a wearable silicone wristband for an adult.

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I live in a three-storey townhouse and while my 10-week old daughter sleeps on the top floor I’m usually pottering around on the ground floor.

So hearing the slightest murmur is useful. I tested the Babble Band during naptimes, in the still of the night while everyone sleeps and amidst chaotic household noise courtesy of my 5-year old twins.

You can buy the Summer Infant Babble Band from Summer Infant, Amazon, and Argos.

Is it easy to set up/install?

Very. The Babble Band comes already paired so set up is a doddle. Ensure the transmitter unit is at least 1m away from where the baby sleeps.

Then it’s just a matter of plugging in and switching on. The unit and wristband power buttons both have to be held down for 2 seconds. One after the other in that order. Simple.

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Is the wristband easy to use?

Yes. The power button controls all of the functions with exception of the volume + or – buttons which slightly annoy me.

When you press them you get a beep, but this doesn’t change according to the volume. So you could unknowingly have the sound too low to hear when your baby’s woken up. The way around this is to use the vibration and lights setting or watch the light indicator on your wristband during the whole naptime!

Watch 5 things you need to know about the Summer Infant Babble Band monitor

What’s the sound quality like?

Good. Not only can I hear Isabella the instant she cries but listen in on her brothers in their room next door. With the windows open I can also hear the odd car or motorbike passing by. It does make me thankful that I don’t live on a main road. The clever thing is that it also picks up on movement like the wriggling under a blanket. Then it plays the background noise of the room. This lasts up to 3 minutes. Another clever thing, when it’s completely silent you know your baby is in a deep sleep. Time for a coffee.

Can you get interference?

Yes. If you go too close to the transmitter unit while wearing the Babble Band, you will get a nasty, high-pitched feedback tone. Summer Infant say the transmitter should be at least 1m away.

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Is it just audio sound you get with the Babble Band?

No. The Bubble Band has monitors in 3 modes. Audio and lights, light only and vibration and lights which is particularly useful in avoiding those cringey moments when you’re on a professional call and baby starts crying.

Is it easy to transport and move around the house?

Yes. I tested the Babble Band in various spots on each of the three levels of my house. It’s lightweight so you don’t think twice about using it around the house. It’s technology at its simplest so all you have to do is plug it in, switch on the wristband and off you go.

Does it work on batteries?

Yes. The wristband is rechargeable but it can take some 4-5 hours to fully charge. The audio transmitter plugs into the mains. It also doubles up as the recharging base so you have a neat place to put wristband. And I have no excuse for losing it.

What’s battery life like?

Could be better. On paper, the Babble Band battery lasts up to 8 hrs with continuous use. But the wristband didn’t always live up to that. The band emits a beep and flashing light when it’s low on power. I’ve been caught out a couple of times where I use it first thing morning and then try to switch it on around 5pm. But it’s dead. Some reviews online have mentioned the battery not lasting too but quite a few were using it overnight. The Babble Band really works best for daytime naps.

Will the wristband fit me?

Yes. The band is easily adjustable so can fit the biggest and slimmest wrists. It looks like a watch and feels like a watch. The soft silicone makes it so comfortable to wear at some point you’ll raise your wrist looking for the time.

Can you get an extra Babble Band?

No. You can only pair one band to one unit. Summer Infant says this is for security reasons.

Is it worth the money?

Yes, if having the ability to monitor your baby on-the-go is invaluable. It retails at £49.99. If you look around you might be able to find it a little cheaper on other sites. It’s also worth bearing in mind that for virtually the same price of £50, you could get one of the cheaper brands of video monitor.

What’s the range? How far can I go?

Summer Infant say the Babble Band has a range of up to 250 metres – which is as long as some cruise ships. Isabella naps on the top floor of my 3-storey townhouse while I’m working on the bottom floor and I’ve never had any problems. But I wanted to try it a little further. I tested the sound quality and range with the TV on and walked to my local Tesco. It’s very close at only 160 metres away. By the time I got there the warning beep was on but I could still hear the TV.

Does the Babble Band need an app?

No. The Babble Band is about sound.

Any other benefits?

The Babble Band is easy to clean with no excess or fancy bits to negotiate around.

MadeForMums verdict:

The Babble Band isn’t a whizz bang, tech-heavy piece of kit. There’s a delay and wait, even if just for seconds, for everything to connect, switch on or off and change modes. But the Babble Band is instantly reactive when it counts - when’s baby’s crying. You can’t ask for much more from a baby monitor.

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