Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor Review

As a mom of two kids two and under, I have used the Infant Optics DXR-8 video baby monitor, which comes highly recommended. It has stellar reviews on Amazon, you can pair two cameras with one parent unit, and it has an impressive pan option which allows you to see the baby’s entire room, depending on where you mount the camera.

Plus, the Infant Optics DXR-8 video baby monitor, is a non-WiFi monitor, which as a new mom, I really appreciated. I appreciated the peace of mind knowing the monitor couldn’t be hacked (a rarity, but still something to consider with a WiFi-enabled baby monitor). Plus, I didn’t want to be tempted to check my baby’s monitor when we got a babysitter or had a night away.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 worked well enough with my first, but once we added a second camera and moved to a bigger house, it became a little less intuitive and harder to use. Here’s our experience with the Infant Optics DXR-8 video baby monitor.

I’ve Got My Eye on You

This monitor’s camera boasts an LCD display, plus remote pan, tilt, and zoom options, which truly help you get the best view of your little one during nap and bedtime. You can literally see your baby’s chest moving up and down, which, as a somewhat neurotic mom, I can appreciate. it also includes an interchangeable optical zoom lens, though with the zoom function already built into the monitor’s cameras, we never used it. It also has night vision, which is a major plus.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 also has eight different volume settings, helpful when trying to get some sleep yourself while still keeping an ear on the monitor. You can also turn the sound completely off and the light gauge on the right-hand side of the monitor will alert you of any noise or crying, from green (quiet noise or fussing) to yellow (moderate crying) to red (loud noises and/or your baby is screaming). This feature is super helpful for sleep training, especially if you use the cry-it-out method.

Pairing the monitor and any additional cameras is also a cinch, which makes this monitor ideal for moms of multiple children. It’s also easy to travel with since the setup is minimal—all you have to do is just plug it in. Another plus? The talk-back button, which means you can virtually (ahem, from your bed) comfort your little one via the camera’s microphone.

Beware the Beep

My house is just shy of 2,500 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It’s also a single-story home, which means that it’s extremely long. Due to the layout of our house, the master bedroom and our new baby’s room are at literal opposite ends of the house.

That means that the camera for our baby’s room is often out of range on the parent unit. Enter the beep of death. When I’d keep the monitor on my nightstand, it would beep intermittently all night long. This became especially irritating when my baby started sleeping through the night and I was woken up by a shrill beep of the monitor, only to see my newborn snoozing peacefully.

We solved the problem by situating the monitor across the room on our dresser. While it’s alleviated the beeping, it’s still not ideal. That’s because every time I hear a noise from either the baby or the toddler’s room, I have to actually get up and get out of bed to look at the monitor.

It’s fine for the baby, who’s now logging a solid 12 or 13 hours a night. But for my toddler, who’s in the throes of a sleep regression, it’s proven to be a real hassle.

Size Does Matter

As mentioned, although the user guide notes the range is 700 feet, the Infant Optics monitor seems to have a smaller range than other non-WiFi monitors. But this won’t be an issue for everyone. For example, if you live in a moderately sized two-story home or an apartment, it’s easily worked around.

And while it may not bother everyone, the Infant Optics’ screen size is also on the smaller size. Though you could opt for the brand’s PRO version, which boasts a 5-inch screen and similar features. Another consideration? The company touts an 8-hour live screen battery life—meaning it should last a full 8 hours with the screen on—and a 12-hour audio-only lifespan. However, I was never able to use the monitor unplugged all night without it dying, and it’s rare that I get a full 8 hours of sleep. This is easily solvable if you can keep the monitor plugged in, but if you know you will be using the monitor for over 8 hours without access to an outlet, definitely keep that in mind.

Why It Worked For Us

While there are some notable cons of the Infant Optics DXR-8 video monitor, for the most part, this monitor has been a great choice for us. It checked all the boxes —no WiFi, the ability to pair more than one camera to one monitor unit, and advanced panning and zooming options.

The fact that the monitor doesn’t use WiFi and its moderate price sealed the deal for us. Another plus? We actually had the monitor’s antenna break off. I contacted Infant Optics’ customer service and they replaced the monitor free of charge. Great, responsive customer service can be a rarity these days, to that was definitely a plus.

For parents with multiple children, who travel frequently and want an easy-to-set up monitor once they get there, and for those who are wary of WiFi options, the Infant Optics DXR-8 is a solid choice.

Buy the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor