VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor with up to 1,000 ft of Range, Vibrating Sound-Alert, Talk Back Intercom & Night Light Loop, White/Silver

Not overly happy

I am hearing impaired and wear hearing aids so I really needed an audio monitor that I could hear. Once I take out my hearing aids I can still hear my granddaughter if she wakes up and cries during the night. This is a great monitor. I am very happy with my purchase

Todo bueno

Awesome

As a sound monitor it is fine, maybe equal to a more expensive model, maybe not. It is more than adequate for my needs, especially at such a great price. Baby monitors in the ToysRUs were twice the cost and looked cheaper. Out of the gate, the rechargeable battery wouldnt recharge, the VTech replaced it overnight with a working model. Very impressive response! The nightlight on the handle of the baby unit does not stay on past about 15 minutes unless you set the auto-lock to yes. The instruction book is long, but important to read well or you will miss important settings info on the menu. I like that you can use the adapter on the parent unit for power if the battery gets low or dies. It only seems to be able to recharge fully when unit if off, not while in use, but with this newer one, the battery is doing fine. Multiple volume settings, vibration alert and sound beep alert when the baby unit has sound activity. What I like is that it picks up noises NEAR the unit and tends NOT to pick up noises farther away, distant, which is a good thing. We have lots of sirens where I live but I do not hear them loudly at all, since they are literally mostly in the distance. Note: I dont use this for baby monitor, but the quality is good for one. I use this for an outdoor kitty who I cannot hear when she is outside and crying to be let in, now I can hear her and get her in before she panics. Plus I can hear my neighbors, UPS deliveries, whatever is out there beyond my sight and indoor hearing. My favorite bonus on this is that I can be inside and listen to all the birdsong from outside. In the mid-fifties (yes, the 1950s!) we used to have an indoor/outdoor monitor to listen to the morning birds while having breakfast in the kitchen. Nice to be enjoying that again. Very clear. No ambient noise indoors, but outdoor has ambient noise from all the outdoor chaos, the wind and traffic.

**Update 1/5/2016** Since my below review we have used this many more times and Im happy to report that this is still a very solid performer. The range is great, baby noise comes through clear, and my previous complaint about the talk button being easy to press hasnt been a big deal. Four stars remain well deserved. **Original Review 4/18/2015** We have a nice Angelcare monitor that we use at home but wanted something simple we could take with us when traveling to our parents and friends houses. The VTech fit the bill budget wise and after one 5 day trip we have been really happy. Other reviews have done a great job saying what this unit does well so I wont waste time here reiterating those opinions as I agree with them. Couple of cons that I wanted to mention just to keep in mind before you buy, but note I would still buy this product again knowing this so I do like the product a lot. - Battery life on the wireless unit is not great. You will have to charge during awake time at least once during the day if not more. - No battery on the unit that is in the nursery. Minor concern for me since we are used to power outages which would render this useless. How many times is that going to happen though? Not a huge deal. - Biggest complaint is the talk button on the side of the parent unit is extremely easy to press when grabbing the unit. If you wear this on your belt or pocket then when you grab it you will almost certainly press the talk button which will send whatever noise is going on around you straight to the unit by your sleeping baby. Not ideal. Again, Im rating this as 4 stars so obviously I am happy with the unit. For the price, I think youd be hard pressed to find a better option and considering our needs it is near perfect. It is really compact and fits in a pair of shoes easily for simple packing.

The Vox (mic gain) on the highest setting is very sensitive, so I use the next to highest setting for mic gain. The night light is a nice feature. The sound quality of the monitor unit is good, but not hi fidelity. I dont use vibrating alert and I have not had to use the backup battery, so I cant rate those features. Works very well to monitor a room on the main floor when my room is on the 2nd floor.

I have been using this for over 5 years to monitor my child, who is prone to seizures, but gets an aura or warning before they escalate. It has literally been a life saver. The only issue I have had is with the charging cord. Over time, they are prone to fray near the plugs. Anyone who recalls the old chargeable calculators back in the day might remember this issue. If you move your receiver often, your cord will eventually fray. Its not an if, its a when. In order to hopefully prevent this on my new unit, I purchased a set of Cable Protector Spiral Phone Charge Cable Savers for $5.99 here on Amazon. As you see from the pic, the fit seems nice and it should prevent the cord from bending near the plug. Hopefully these work. Also in the spirit of keeping your unit for multiple kids/grand kids, the batteries are replaceable and are the same as in portable land-line phones, naturally also available on Amazon.

This product imagery/wording is purposely misleading to make you believe its 2 wireless units. There isnt a single cord in any of the images but the baby unit requires one to operate.

Weve been using this baby monitor daily and overnight for 2.5 years and it is still going strong. As long as we turn it off between naps and plug it in overnight we havent had any issues with the battery life. It will silence if there is no noise or only low level noise in the babys room and start transmitting sound when there is a an increase in noise. The sensitivity setting is helpful if you want to hear what is going on all the time. The parent unit has a belt clip which is handy for moving around the house or working outside. Overall we have been very happy with the monitor.