Lollipop smart baby monitor review

Tested by

Natasha is a mum of two and tested the Lollipop Baby Camera at home with her baby.

What were your first impressions of the Lollipop Baby Camera?

A lot of work has gone into the design of the Lollipop Baby Camera: even the packaging is contemporary and attractive.

I was surprised there wasn’t an instruction manual in the box, but it was easy enough to download the app and set it up from there (in fact, my 7-year-old took care of this while I was occupied with my toddler!). The simple set up was also a feature praised in the Amazon reviews of the monitor, with 81% of customers giving it 5 stars.

How easy is the monitor to set up?

It is easy enough to connect the Lollipop Baby Camera to your smartphone, but there were one or two small grammatical errors in the on-screen instructions, which put me off slightly.

For peace of mind that I was using it correctly, I also would have liked a user manual with all the information in one place; even online I had to click through a series of FAQs to get all the info, which was time-consuming.

However when set up with our wi-fi we found there was no interference.

How easy is it to position the Lollipop Baby Camera correctly?

The silicone twist arm of the Lollipop Baby Camera can attach to a suitable mount and it took me a few tries to get the hang of it, but once I’d found a good surface, it stayed on securely.

You can twist it around cot bars or other furniture in the room, or wall-mount it using the included accessories which was our MadeForMums Awards tester's favourite features, "I love the fact its so flexible and adaptable depending on where you place it."

It also works freestanding, if you have a shelf or chest of drawers at the right height and position. And as long as you have a plug socket handy (the Lollipop doesn’t have a battery), you can move it from room to room, depending on where your baby is.

Is the camera adjustable?

It’s adjustable in terms of where you can set it up, but once it’s in place, it remains static, so there’s no zoom, pan or tilt functions.

What is the sound quality like on the Lollipop Baby Camera?

The sound quality is decent – we had no problems hearing what was going on when it was set up, either in the living room or the bedroom.

How was the background noise when using the monitor?

It does pick up background noise, but distinguishes between that and a sustained cry, only sending a phone alert in the event of a cry. You can adjust the noise sensor levels within the Lollipop app.

What is the picture like on the Lollipop Baby Camera?

The picture was good quality, both in the daytime and in night mode. Arguably the picture quality on a smartphone comes up clearer than that on a traditional monitor screen, but making your phone double up as a video monitor might not work for everyone as it does run down the phone battery.

Our MFM judges found the picture lagged a little, but most of the time appeared quite clear. This was also reflected in some Amazon reviews which noted how the monitor works better with a fast Wi-Fi connection. For instance one parent says, "If WiFi is slow, video quality deteriorates and notifications are slow."

Can you talk us through the different functions of the Lollipop Baby Camera?

As mentioned above, the Lollipop Baby Camera gives you the option of continuous video monitoring, or you can switch to just audio monitoring with an alert mode for when crying is detected. You can use the camera to take daily snapshots in the app, so you can build up a collection of photos of your baby over time.

Data is stored for a week in the free version of the Lollipop app or you can upgrade (for various monthly fees), to have longer data storage and other ‘premium’ features. For everyday video monitoring, personally I felt the free version was plenty.

How did you like the entertainment modes for your baby?

You can speak to your child by holding down the microphone, which worked just fine for us, and there are a handful of classical music tunes and white noise tracks you can switch on via the app.

As with everything sleep-related, every baby is different, and the noises may vary at how effective they are for every parent. They’re definitely nice additional features to have though.

Does the Lollipop Baby Camera offer data analysis of your baby’s sleep?

Event notifications (for things such as a crying bout) are stored in the app, and the makers have announced there will be further sleep monitoring functions rolling out in the future.

Does the Lollipop Baby Camera have a temperature indicator?

You can monitor temperature, humidity and air quality via a separately-purchased Smart Sensor (currently £55 on Amazon). The sensor also monitors when the baby moves out of a set area.

Is there a talk-back function? If so how does it work, and what did you think?

The talk-back function is easy to use in the app – just press a button and speak to your baby.

How secure is the Wi-Fi connection with the Lollipop Baby Camera?

As the monitor operates on Wi-Fi (Bluetooth is only needed during setup), you can choose privacy mode to avoid having your data uploaded to the Lollipop cloud.

When using this mode you can only access the camera indoors on the same Wi-Fi, plus alert videos will not be uploaded and you can’t use the sound effects and ‘Push 2 Talk’ features.

What did you think of the different lullabies/other sounds that come with the monitor?

They were definitely useful to have, but there are only a handful available.

Does the monitor operate on mains or battery – or a combination?

The Lollipop Baby Camera only operates on mains power.

What were you favourite features of the Lollipop Baby Camera?

The monitor doesn’t offer a huge range of features compared to other monitors at a similar price, but keeping things simple is a plus if all you need are the basic functions done well. Personally, I found the simplicity preferable to a potentially long list of features that wouldn’t get used.

For instance there's audio monitoring which picks up when your baby's crying and infrared night vision so you can see your baby clearly when it's dark.

Another useful feature is the ability to share live video and audio feeds with other family members ­– for example if they’re out and want to check in, they just need to download the app and connect.

Is it value for money?

The Lolliopop Baby Camera worked well and looked good, but additional functions like being able to monitor temperature, humidity and air quality can only be accessed if you purchase the Smart Sensor separately.

Other Wi-Fi monitors on the market, like the Motorola MBP846 CONNECT (£109.99 on Amazon), also have a pan and tilt function so if this is important to you it may be worth shopping around.

Where can you buy the Lollipop Baby Camera?

The monitor is available to buy from Amazon and Lollipop.

MadeForMums verdict:

A no-frills monitor that works well for parents who prefer to use their phone instead of having to learn to use and keep track of a separate monitor screen.The sleek design is eye-catching and the lightness of the unit make it a good option for taking to grandparents' or on holiday.

Just bear in mind that zoom and pan options aren't a feature if those options are important to you. And additional features like temperature and air quality monitoring can only be accessed if you purchase the separate smart device for £55.

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