Summer Infant Baby Pixel Monitor Review

In terms of its talkback, night vision and night light functions, this baby monitor has similar capabilities to the Babymoov Yoo Travel and Philips Avent Digital Video Baby Monitor SCD620. It also boasts a display double the size – a whopping 5 inches, and has a camera that can adjust 360 degrees to provide much more picture flexibility. It is however more expensive than both of these other monitors, and at £199, is at the pricier end of the market.

One of the best features of this product is the ability to control the camera remotely using the parent unit. This avoids disturbing baby’s naps to get the angles right!

Tested by:

Sophie lives in Manchester with her husband and their 4-month-old son, Jasper. Sophie tested the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor during most of Jasper’s naps and nightime sleeps.

What were your first impressions of the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor?

At first glance, I thought that the white, tablet-like parent unit and separate camera looked very sleek and modern. I was also really impressed with the big, 5 inch display. We’d previously used the BT Video Baby Monitor 5000 so jumping up from that 2.8 inch display screen definitely felt like a upgrade.

How easy was the Baby Pixel monitor to set up?

The parent unit needs an initial 7 hours of charging, so we couldn’t use it straight away. Once charged though, it was very quick to set up using the instructions provided. From setting the time for the display to installing the camera, it was all really easy. I hadn’t initially realised that the voice-activated display wasn’t automatically in place – which would have been a benefit, but this was easy to select from the menu on the parent unit.

Is the camera adjustable?

The 360Tilt camera steering is what really makes this monitor stand out. I was so impressed that I could just ignore the positioning of the camera while in the bedroom and then fully adjust, as I needed to, remotely. Being able to see my baby clearly was never a concern because the camera can remotely pan, tilt and can zoom-in up to three times. Impressive.

What is the sound quality like on the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor?

Whenever my baby made a sound I could clearly hear it and the volume control had a good range. The monitor did seem to pick up a lot of background noise too though, so there was always a constant, faint sound when it was on.

What is the picture like?

The generous display means that the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor's picture is really decent. In night vision, I could still clearly see my son’s features and see him breathing, and the additional Moonlite enhanced night vision boost meant that I could always get a clearer look if I needed. I thought this was an excellent feature for reassurance, although we didn’t often have cause to use it.

How useful is the VOX voice activation function?

This function means the screen lights up when our baby makes any noise and the LED display at the top of the screen indicates the level of noise. This is a good function.

Does the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor have a temperature indicator?

It does. In fact we unplugged our GroEgg once we realised that the indicators matched and that they were doing the same job.

How useful is the Sleepzone Virtual Boundary alert?

It isn’t something we used, but then my baby is still less than 6 months so we haven’t had to worry about him trying to wriggle out of bed just yet! I don’t think this would be a necessary function for all parents but it’s a great extra – especially for parents that are anxious about their babies’ movements.

Does the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor have a talk-back function?

Yes. It works quite well, but ideally, it would be good if the talk-back function could be operated by one touch rather than having to go via the main menu to use it. It would also be better if the audio continues to run while using talk-back. All-in-all though, I was happy with this function.

How responsive was the touch screen?

I often found that I had to touch the screen multiple times in order for it to illuminate, and sometimes there was a delay of a few seconds before the picture came on the screen. Once or twice the screen and sound completely crashed and I had to restart the unit.

Was there any interference?

Not that I noticed. The sound was clear and constant.

Does the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor play lullabies or white noise?

Unfortunately, the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor lacks any extra sound functions. This would have been a real bonus I think – especially for the price.

Does it operate on mains or battery?

The camera is mains-operated only and the parent unit has a rechargeable battery. When the parent unit is plugged into the mains, the display stays illuminated.

What were your favourite features of the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor?

I found it absolutely brilliant that I could adjust the monitor remotely, and the sheer range of the camera was also very impressive. The time and temperature displays were always useful, and I found the picture quality excellent.

Who would the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor be best for?

This monitor would suit most parents from newborn to toddler age, especially if the ability to adjust the camera or to set movement boundaries were important factors for you. You could really keep track of roaming tots with this!

Is it value for money?

This baby monitor does have a lot of features and capabilities for the cost, but there’s no getting away from the hefty price tag of £199. I could imagine some new parents opting for it though to have both reassurance and the top-notch technology of the 360Tilt camera.

Would you recommend the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor?

Now that we have this baby monitor we wouldn’t be without it, purely for the game-changing ease of being able to adjust the camera remotely. I do think it’s an expensive option though as there are slightly lower-spec versions available for a much lower price.

MadeForMums verdict:

Admittedly the Summer Infant BabyPixel Monitor boasts some really good features like a great camera, a large screen, and the ability to be controlled remotely. Extra functions like the night vision boost and movement boundaries are also appealing, but in my opinion, it is still a little on the expensive side for what it offers.

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