The picture quality on this $160 video baby monitor is so sharp that I can actually see my daughter breathing

Alicia Betz/Business Insider

• Parents rely on video baby monitors to help keep an eye on their babies and toddlers when they're sleeping or playing independently.
• I like the VAVA baby monitor ($160) because it doesn't run on Wi-Fi so it can't get hacked, and it has really great picture quality during both day and night. The quality is so sharp that I can even see my daughter breathing on the screen.
• While some non-Wi-Fi monitors can have spotty connections, my VAVA monitor has never lost connection in the month I've been testing it.
• I'd recommend it to any parent looking for a solid video baby monitor that doesn't use Wi-Fi.

As a parent, I've learned that there are some things you can skimp on when you have a new baby. Hello, pacifiers and burp cloths! However, a baby monitor is not one of those things.

Even though my daughter Ellie is a year old now, I still rely heavily on a baby monitor and will continue to do so for years to come. They're great not only for keeping an eye on sleeping babies, but also to supervise toddlers during independent play.

I honestly don't know how parents ever got by without baby monitors. They're one of the most important items on a baby registry, and they've definitely come a long way from the audio-only monitors that my mom used for my sister and I.

After a month of using the VAVA Video Baby Monitor ($159.99) and comparing it to the Infant Optics DXR-8 ($165.99) I was using with Ellie before, I was so surprised and satisfied that I've replaced my old one with the Vava monitor.

Read more: The best video baby monitors you can buy

Set up took less than 5 minutes, and all I really had to do was mount the camera to the wall

After VAVA sent me the baby monitor to test, I had it set up and ready to go in less than 5 minutes.

The camera came already paired to the receiver, so just about all I had to do was mount the camera to the wall. I needed to charge the receiver, but it can be used while plugged in so it was ready to go right away.

The VAVA monitor doesn't use Wi-Fi, which is a must for me. Wi-Fi monitors can get hacked so a non-Wi-Fi device is safer for my family. It also comes in handy if your house has slow or spotty Internet connection.

The VAVA baby monitor has up to 24 hours of battery life, autopilot mode to continuously scan a room, noise indicator lights, and more

• Does not need Wi-Fi
• Five-inch high resolution screen
• Long transmission range
• Two-way talk
• One press digital zoom
• Long battery life (24 hours when audio only, 10 hours when live screen)
• Noise indicator lights
• Automatic night vision
• Autopilot mode continuously scans space
• Capacity for up to four cameras
• External thermostat
• Audio only mode

The night vision is so good that when my husband and I tried it out for the first time, we thought we'd left the lights on in our daughter's room

Amazon

The screen and camera quality on the VAVA baby monitor is the best I've seen and used.

When my husband and I first tested it out, the night vision was so good that we thought we accidentally left a light on in Ellie's room. The 5-inch screen is also a decent size, which helps to give the monitor such a great picture. When I look at the monitor, I can even see Ellie's chest rise and fall as she breathes. Any parent who has rushed into the nursery to check that their baby is breathing can understand how amazing that feature is.

Another really cool feature is the autopilot mode, which continuously scans the nursery. This makes it easy to keep an eye on your toddler during independent play without having to stop what you're doing to move the camera as your toddler moves about the room.

As much as non-Wi-Fi monitors have their pros, one of the main cons is that the connection can be spotty. But the connection and range of the VAVA monitor is amazing.

I've been testing it out for about a month now and it hasn't lost signal once. I actually went into the nursery to turn off the camera to hear what it'd sound like when the monitor does lose signal. It beeps. Notification noise when the monitor loses signal is essential to alert you to fix the problem. The parent unit also beeps if the battery is dying.

Read more: This $166 baby monitor is reliable, safe, and easy to use - it also has over 22,000 5-star Amazon reviews

My biggest concern is that sometimes the volume isn't loud enough to wake me, even when it's on the highest level.

While many Amazon reviewers are impressed with the volume quality (some even say they can hear every little sound their baby makes), that hasn't been my experience. Even with the volume on the loudest setting, I sometimes worry it won't be loud enough to wake me. If you're a very heavy sleeper, this might not be the monitor for you.

I've replaced other baby monitors I've used previously with the VAVA baby monitor because it's that good overall

The overall quality of this baby monitor is excellent, and in many ways, outperforms the highly-rated Infant Optics DXR-8 I was using with Ellie before.

But where the Infant Optics DXR-8 parent unit tends to lose signal even when it's very close to the camera, the VAVA baby monitor hasn't let me down yet. The screen on the VAVA monitor is also much larger and clearer than the Infant Optics DXR-8. The only thing I like better on the DXR-8 is the volume - I never worried that it wouldn't wake me up. You can read my full review of the Infant Optics DXR-8 here.

Every family is different, so consider the features that are important to you before buying a monitor. If you're searching for a video baby monitor that doesn't use Wi-Fi but still has great connectivity, and has great picture quality, the VAVA baby monitor is a strong choice.

Buy the VAVA baby monitor on Amazon for $160

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