BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 review

In the UK, we all know telecommunications company BT, but it's probably not until your expect your 1st child that you realise the brand makes baby monitors, many of which have won multiple awards for excellence.

The Audio Baby Monitor 450 includes a nightlight, temperature display, lightshow projection, feed timer and talk back option. It also contains 18 lullabies and an LCD display that will alert you to any significant noise.

Compared with other audio monitors on the market, it is relatively cheap at £49.99 as it includes the lullabies and lightshow.

And while the Babymoov Simply Care baby monitor is cheaper at just £34.99, it doesn’t have any frills, though it is sold on being low emission.

• Read now: Best baby monitors

I was really excited to test this audio monitor out with my 6 month old boy/girl twins, who are currently sharing a cot bed in our bedroom.

We are approaching the idea of moving them into their own cots in another bedroom, so a reliable monitor is essential.

After purchasing a smart monitor that is continuously losing its connection, it was great to have a monitor that keeps you connected at all times. I used it during naps and in the evenings when we were having some chill time after they had gone to bed. I also tested it over night by sleeping in a different room and by taking it outside.

You can buy the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 from John Lewis, Boots, and Amazon.

Watch 5 things you need to know about the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450

What is the sound quality like on the monitor?

With High Definition sound, the quality is second to none. It was possible to hear every gurgle, cough, or cry from my babies.

As it was crystal clear, there was no second guessing what each noise was and who it came from. With the volume turned up, the sound was loud and clear, and it was like having the babies in the same room.

Is it hack-free?

Yes. Unlike many monitors on the market, this is an audio only monitor and doesn’t require web access.

How to keep your baby monitor safe from hackers

How was it with background noise?

It was very good with most background noise. Some nights, we had a fan blowing and the sound was very faint.

The transmitter (baby unit) is very sensitive to any noise so you can hear dogs barking and birds chirping very clear but again very faint, whereas any noise made by the twins were loud and clear.

There is the option to mute the sound on the receiver (parent unit) and the monitor will alert you to any loud noises. You can set it to beep, display only or no alert at all.

The LCD will flash green or red depending on the extent of the noise. It is handy to have it muted and the beep setting switched on to alert you of crying if you wanted to watch a movie and have the lullabies on. I did however notice that it would beep when some of the lullabies were playing.

What is the connection like?

The connection was great. The monitor has a 300m outdoor range and a 50m indoor range. I tested it outdoors by taking it to the bins that are approximately 200m away from our flat. It lost connection briefly as I was turning the corner but it beeped to alert me of this.

The connection never failed indoors which for me is one of the most important factors when considering a baby monitor.

How easy was it to set up/operate?

It was very easy to set up. There are 2 identical chargers in the box, one for the parent unit, and one for the baby unit. This means that you don’t have to worry about mixing them up. The parent unit has chargeable batteries, which are conveniently already in place straight from the box, however they do require charging for 16 hours prior to use.

Operating the monitor was again very simple. With a little bit of fiddling around, it is really easy to get to grips with all of the functions on the monitor.

The user guide is straightforward for anyone who requires a little help. It’s definitely worth a read anyway, just to make sure you are familiar with all of the features available.

Buyer’s guide to baby monitors

Tell us about the music?

There are 18 songs on the monitor, 5 lullabies, 5 nature, 5 classical and 3 white noise. I really liked this feature on the monitor as our twins love music and have always required some noise to soothe them. The womb noise, which is a particular favourite for the twins, was a little on the quiet side though.

What’s the projection like?

The dreamy moon and stars images are fun and the twins enjoyed watching them move around the ceiling. However, it isn't very bright and in order to fully visualise the projection, the room has to be in complete darkness. Luckily we have a blackout blind and the twins like darkness at night to fall asleep.

How did you find the temperature display?

The temperature display really lets the monitor down. I assessed the accuracy of the temperature display by comparing it against two other thermometers (Gro Egg and Dimplex).

Both thermometers were continuously 1-3 degrees lower than the BT 450 which deemed it pointless and misleading. I found it to be annoying more than anything.

With it being summer, the temperature was constantly too high and there was no way to turn off the alert; it is possible to turn off the beep but the parent unit would still continuously flash “too hot”.

What do you think of the talkback function?

The talkback function was beneficial when my husband was in the bedroom helping the babies to drift off to sleep, and I had to let him know that dinner was ready. Unfortunately my two both need to see my face to soothe them and voice alone is just not enough, but if you have a baby that just likes to hear that you are near then this feature is great!

How useful is the feed timer?

My little ones are now are the point where I don’t need to time their feeds, however It would have been great 5 months ago when I was extremely sleep deprived and trying to breastfeed twins every 3 hours. It doesn't have a stop watch function though, so you can only set the timer to remind you to feed or limit how long each feed lasts.

Is it easy to clean?

Very, it can be wiped with a damp cloth, or most likely a baby wipe from one of the 20 opened packets that are scattered around the house.

Is it easy to move about the house and transport?

It is super compact and very easy to transport. Both the parent and baby units are really small and lightweight. There is no need to mount it to the wall and the chargers have long cables that can reach sockets and tables. The parent unit can easily fit in most pockets too.

Would you recommend the monitor?

I would recommend the monitor if it's a good quality audio monitor that you're after.

Personally, I do like having a video monitor as an extra feature so I can keep a close eye on them without having to go upstairs, especially since my little girl seems to like to roll onto her tummy at the moment and face plant the mattress!

For me, the audio is, however the most important function on a monitor - it is what is going to wake you up in the middle of the night. This monitor has fantastic sound with great clarity and is reasonably priced. I also really like the songs and the projection but if you aren’t bothered about the additional features then BT have a simpler version of the monitor for £24.99. I actually found that I was using this monitor as our main monitor and our Philips Avent smart one just to take a quick peek if they were crying before tending to them.

How long do the batteries last? Do they last as long as advertised?

The batteries lasted 16 hours from fully charged to completely dead. The monitor will alert you once they start running low.

What do you think of the low battery indicator? Is the unit rechargeable? Does it charge quickly?

It is very simple and easy to recognise. There are 3 bars that decrease as the battery decreases. Once the battery is reaching the punt that it will require charging, the monitor will beep to alert you and the battery icon flashes. The parent unit can still be used while it is charging and unlike previous models, there is no docking station. The charger simply plugs into the back of the free standing unit. The parent is rechargeable, but the baby unit isn’t. The parent unit charges within 16 hours if switched off and 24 hours if it is being used.

MadeforMums verdict:

A reliable audio monitor with crystal clear sound that will give you piece of mind that you are always connected to your little one(s). The additional features are fun and can help them drift off to sleep, however the projection needs to be brighter and some of the songs could be louder.

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