Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor, Non-WiFi Hack-Proof FHSS Connection, Interchangeable Lenses, Pan Tilt Zoom, LED Sound Bar, Night Vision, and Two-Way Talk

Product Information

Based on recommendations from friends, I knew I wanted to get a video monitor that didn't use Wi-Fi because the thought of one getting hacked made me extremely uncomfortable. The last missing piece was an antenna from a retired Alfa card I had bought almost a decade ago to experiment with some long-distance security penetration.

If you need even more range, we recommend you get a WiFi monitor instead (check the Nanit Plus Smart Camera) and boost your home WiFi network with a relay antenna. This monitor has a temperature sensor on the camera, which is handy for ensuring the baby's room is a suitable temperature for avoiding SIDS, but only if the sensor is accurate. This "zoom" lens allows for a closer look at the baby, but we aren't sure it is a handy tool unless you use it as a permanent part of the camera so you can place the camera further from your baby for a decrease in EMF exposure. I've been writing about computers, the internet, and technology professionally for over 30 years, more than half of that time with PCMag.

The last step ominously states, “If unsuccessful, delete the camera channel and attempt to pair again. Night vision is a little darker than average, but the zoom feature helps make things clearer and more evenly lit. it also includes an interchangeable optical zoom lens, though with the zoom function already built into the monitor’s cameras, we never used it. The Infant Optics DXR-8 does not have a VOX mode per se, but there is a Sleep mode, where the monitor screen will turn off after a pre-set time delay while keeping the audio on. It comes with a one-year warranty, but you can extend it to two years by registering the system immediately (within seven days of purchase) on infantoptics.

This is a great upgrade to the Infant Optics DXR-8, but it still doesn’t outshine some of the better monitors like the Eufy Spaceview and most of the wifi/connected monitors. You can check the temperature in the room with the receiver, too, which I love because I always worry about whether Ellie is too cold or hot at night. Alicia's writing has been featured in Scholastic, Brighter Higher Ed, Popsugar, AARP, and Yahoo News. Due to the layout of our house, the master bedroom and our new baby’s room are at literal opposite ends of the house.It just doesn’t fulfill the basic purpose of a baby monitor in terms of reliable performance, and even when it is functioning properly, mediocre visual results are about the best it can deliver. We realize you have thousands of other reviews to decide if this is the right monitor for you so we will cut to the chase. This small advantage is not nearly enough to be a deal breaker when it comes to favoring smartphone-based wifi capable baby monitors. It tops out at 700 feet, and sure enough, we encountered a couple of spotty connections between the camera and the monitor when we took it halfway across a 1,000-square-foot apartment. While it is a higher-scoring dedicated option, it is also a somewhat spendy one given how it stacks up to the competition.