I don't have a baby, so I tested a smart baby monitor by watching my pet hedgehog all night - here's what I discovered

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The baby monitor Summer sent me comes with a camera and 5-inch monitor.

The baby monitor Summer sent me comes with a camera and 5-inch monitor.
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From the monitor, you can remotely move the camera, and zoom in.

From the monitor, you can remotely move the camera, and zoom in.
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The camera comes a wall mount, but for my purposes I didn't want my views obstructed by the sides of the cage, so I moved the camera onto her igloo.

The camera comes a wall mount, but for my purposes I didn't want my views obstructed by the sides of the cage, so I moved the camera onto her igloo.

The cage has a wheel, igloo, t-shirt, and a heat lamp, plus food and water dishes. She usually sleeps in the shirt or igloo, and runs on her wheel at night. I wanted the camera trained on the wheel for the best pictures.

Here's another view of the setup.

Here's another view of the setup.
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Here was the view I had when I set up the camera.

Here was the view I had when I set up the camera.

The monitor gives some information useful to both human parents and hedgehog owners. I like that I can see the temperature inside the cage, although the camera was really close to the heat lamp, so its probably a little higher than the actual temperature.

The monitor gives some information useful to both human parents and hedgehog owners. I like that I can see the temperature inside the cage, although the camera was really close to the heat lamp, so its probably a little higher than the actual temperature.
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I turned the lights off and went into another room. Soon, she came out of her igloo to eat.

I turned the lights off and went into another room. Soon, she came out of her igloo to eat.

I used remote steering to get a view of her eating, then turned the camera back to face the wheel.

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Then, she went over to her wheel for some running.

Then, she went over to her wheel for some running.

Despite her tiny legs, she runs really fast. Almost every picture I tried to take ended with her legs in a blur.

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Every so often, she stopped, and it almost seemed like she was looking directly at the camera.

Every so often, she stopped, and it almost seemed like she was looking directly at the camera.

Final thoughts

Final thoughts

I definitely don't need a baby monitor, but I really liked this one. The night vision worked well, with a clear view in a totally dark room.

Remote steering was also useful, and I was able to pan around and see whatever she was doing. Other features, like talking into the microphone and playing lullabies, weren't right for my purposes, but I could see them being great for any actual baby.

Overall, I'm a fan! If you're in the market for a baby monitor, it's worth taking a chance on a "smart" one.

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