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

Alicia Betz / Business Insider

• After researching a ton of different baby monitors, I decided to get the $165.99 Infant Optics DXR-8 because it doesn't use Wi-Fi, so it can't get hacked and will keep working even if your connection goes out.
• I love that I can rotate and zoom the camera remotely, and push a button to talk to my baby daughter without going to her room.
• The picture quality on this monitor is excellent and you can add on extra cameras such as wide-angle lenses, though I didn't need to.
• It also has more than 30,500 reviews and a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, with 73% of reviewers giving it a full 5 stars.

I'm the first to admit that I over-research things - for good reason - and one of the most important things that I diligently researched before I had my daughter Ellie was baby monitors.

Based on recommendations from friends, I knew I wanted to get a video monitor that didn't use Wi-Fi because they can get hacked and the thought of that terrified of me. With everything is hooked up to the Internet these days, finding a good non-Wi-Fi video monitor was actually pretty challenging, but I'm happy with the choice I made in the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor. In fact, more than 30,500 people agree with me as it holds a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, with 73% of reviewers giving it a full 5 stars.

Still, the first few times I left my daughter Ellie alone to sleep when she was a newborn were nerve-racking. As a new mom, I felt like I was hardwired to be with her 24/7. But knowing I had a reliable monitor that would alert me very quickly if something were wrong eased my anxiety. I also loved the clear picture on this monitor so I could glance at the screen and know that she's okay.

Here's a full review of my experience with the $165.99 Infant Optics DXR-8.

Set-up

Because it doesn't use Wi-Fi, the device was very easy to set up.

Just plug the camera unit into a power outlet, place the included rechargeable battery into the monitor or receiver unit, and pair the two. Clear instructions are included, but it's basically pressing a series of buttons. Once you've paired the two once, you never have to do it again.

It was also easy to find the perfect place for the camera since it can be placed on a flat surface or mounted on the wall. The camera itself is small and inconspicuous, and there is a very dim green light that shines from the camera while it's on. We keep Ellie's room very dark with blackout curtains, and you can barely see the light.

Read more: The best video baby monitors you can buy

Specs

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Here are the full specs of the camera unit:

• Input Voltage: 100-240VAC @ 50/60H
• Operating Voltage: 5.9V, 1000mA
• Effective Pixel: 640 x 480 (VGA)
• IR/Night Vision: 8 IR LEDs, 1 Low light sensor
• Picture sensor: GC0308 1/6.5' Color CMOS
• Built-Lens: f 2.5mm, F 2.8
• Operating Temperature: -10° C (+14° F) to +50° C (122° F)
• Power Adapter
  • Input: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz 150mA
  • Output: 5.9V, 1000mA
• Exposure Control: Auto
• White Balance Control: Auto
• Vertical Turning Angle: 95° up, 25° down
• Horizontal Turning Angle: 135° both left and right

Here are the specs for the monitor, or receiver, unit:

• Input Voltage: 100-240VAC @50/60 Hz
• Operating Voltage: 5.0V, 550mA
• Resolution (Pixel): 320 x 240
• Battery: 1200mAH Li-ion 3.7V rechargeable battery
• LCD Display: 3.5" TFT color display at 320 x 240 RGB colors
• Power Adapter:
  • Input: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz 150mA
  • Output: 5.0V, 550mA
• Duration (Standby Mode): 10 hours
• Duration (Screen ON): 6 hours
• Time to charge full: 7 hours

It's easy to electronically move the camera via the receiver, which is the main reason I didn't go with the Willcare Video Baby Monitor and the Babysense Video Baby Monitor when I was researching options. With both of those, you'd have to go in the baby's room to manually adjust the camera. There's nothing worse than accidentally waking up your baby by going into his or her room.

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.

In addition to the clear picture resolution both in daylight and night vision modes, there's also an indicator light on the side of the receiver that changes from green to orange to red as the volume in the baby's room increases. I always play white noise in Ellie's room while she's sleeping, so the volume indicator is continually green or orange, but it always turns red when she cries.

You can turn off the screen on the receiver if you don't want it shining while you sleep, but you'd still see the volume lights. This also helps save on battery.

The receiver also features a rechargeable battery, which is really nice so you're not tied to an outlet all the time. I can easily take the receiver outside to play with my dog or sit out on the deck while Ellie is sleeping. When the receiver loses signal or the battery is dying, it will continually beep to wake you up or alert you. This gives me peace of mind knowing that I don't have to keep looking at the monitor to make sure it's working.

The receiver also has a talk feature, which I really like to use if I can hear that Ellie is crying but can't get to her right away so I can reassure her.

One feature that I haven't used but could be useful is an alarm on the receiver unit. You could use this to wake you up or remind you to feed the baby, or just to remind you to check on the baby for peace of mind.

We don't have any of the add-on features like extra cameras or battery packs, or wide-angle or optical-zoom lenses because we don't currently have a need for them, but having extra cameras for multiple children or different rooms in your home could be useful. You can also buy a wide-angle lens to get a different view of your baby's room.

Stand-out features

Alicia Betz/Business Insider

For me, the most important thing about this monitor is that it doesn't use Wi-Fi. In addition to not getting hacked, being off Wi-Fi also helps ensure that it will work all the time. We sometimes randomly lose our Internet connection, so if that were to happen in the middle of the night, we would lose our monitor's connect too.

Not being on Wi-Fi also makes it very easy to travel with this unit. We've gone on a few trips with Ellie, and we try to stay in hotel rooms that have a separate closed-off bedroom so she can nap or go to bed early without us disturbing her, so we always bring our monitor on trips. Since we don't have to hook it up to Wi-Fi, we just plug it in and it's ready to go.

Unfortunately, we did have one issue with our monitor, but that resulted in a surprisingly great customer service experience.

When Ellie was about six months old (she's now around a year old), I walked into her room and something smelled a little off. I quickly realized that it was coming from the camera, so I turned it off immediately. When I turned it back on, it would no longer connect to the receiver. I contacted customer service, and was sent a new monitor free of charge. We've had no problems with that one since then.

I think the issue we had was a fluke and I don't have any safety concerns about the device, but I was impressed with how quickly customer service handled the problem.

Read more: The best baby monitors you can buy

Cons to consider

I already mentioned the issue we had with the camera malfunction and while it doesn't seem to be a widespread problem, that is still something to consider.

The other major potential con is that it doesn't use Wi-Fi. Even though I didn't want a monitor that had an Internet connection in the first place, there are some really cool features that Wi-Fi-enabled monitors offer - like being able to check in on the baby via an app when you're away at work.

The reception of the monitor can also be a little spotty at times. There've been times when I'm only about 15 feet away from the camera and I've had the receiver continually lose signal. Large metal objects and objects that use Wi-Fi can interfere with the signal, and I've found that if I have my phone too close to the receiver, it can cause interference too.

What are some other options?

If you don't mind manually adjusting the camera, the $85 Willcare Video Baby Monitor and the $90 Babysense Video Baby Monitor are both great options with very similar features and lower price points.

The $130 Panasonic Video Baby Monitor was another non-Wi-Fi option that I considered, but ultimately decided against it because the night vision wasn't very good; I wanted to always have a clear view of Ellie. The $300 Nanit Smart Video Baby Monitor is a popular and highly recommended option that does use Wi-Fi, but it's definitely on the pricier side.

Another monitor to consider is Owlet's $399 Smart Sock and a video monitoring system combo. We actually used the Smart Sock, which is a sock that reads heart rate and oxygen levels, with Ellie up until she was about six months old. Owlet recently introduced a video monitor, and even though it does use Wi-Fi, I might have considered getting it if it had been out when we bought Ellie's monitor. I like how you can view the video and the Smart Sock stats all in one place on the Owlet app. The Owlet is pricey, but the peace of mind is worth it for parents.

The bottom line

There are so many monitors out there, so knowing exactly what you want from your monitor before you start looking will help you narrow it down.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 was the best non-Wi-Fi option that I found; even though the signal can go in and out sometimes, that seems to be unavoidable in non-Wi-Fi monitors.

Some of my favorite features are the convenience of moving the camera with the receiver, superior night vision, temperature monitor, and push-to-talk feature. Being alerted when the camera is dying or the monitor is losing signal helps you actually relax when the baby is sleeping so you're not just staring at the monitor the whole time.

Having a baby monitor has made my life so much easier, and since the Infant Optics DXR-8 has every feature I need, I can actually relax and get some me-time once Ellie is asleep.

Pros: Doesn't use Wi-Fi, temperature reading, push-to-talk feature, indicator lights for volume, monitor screen can be dimmed

Cons: Signal can be spotty, our initial camera unit needed replaced

Buy the Infant Optics DXR-8 Baby Monitor on Amazon for $165.99

Buy the Infant Optics DXR-8 Baby Monitor on Best Buy for $165.99

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