iBaby i20 Review

Likes

The iBaby offers better-than-average video quality and WiFi connectivity.

The iBaby video is pretty good. While some of the details were lost in the pattern card, we could still see the fur detail on the bear and the lower lines on the eye chart.   Credit: Rachael Lamore

Night videos aren't as good for the i20 as daytime images, with some of the bear's features becoming washed out, but they're good enough for most baby monitoring.   Credit: Rachael Lamore

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It has loads of features, including a night light, and alerts for breathing rate, heart rate, room temperature, humidity, sound, crying, covered face, noise, and other movement.

Dislikes

The iBaby is expensive, or at least its list price is. It is hard to say what it really costs as it seems to vary widely from day to day and seller to seller. The audio has a delay when the baby starts to cry, and it can sound harsh and hard on the ears. There doesn't seem to be noise cancellation, or if there is, it doesn't work well. It also doesn't seem to have sound activation. Even if you turn off the screen, you can still hear everything in the nursery. It has loud alerts, but they won't play if your device is otherwise in do-not-disturb mode. This makes it less than ideal for monitoring. You can turn the video to silent to create a quiet monitor, but you will need to manually turn it back on after receiving an alert to know what is happening. This is a hassle for sleep-deprived parents and seems silly when so many competitors just have sound activation that wakes the screen and sound automatically.

It is also more challenging to use than it needs to be. The app is intimidating and didn't walk us through setting up preferences like competitors did. Pairing is not automatic, and we had to scan a QR code to get started. Instructions were relayed via the child's voice, which is interesting to say the least.

Connecting to a new or different network is also ridiculously arduous. It requires forgetting the camera device, resetting the camera, and setting up the account as if it were new. This deletes the data in the cloud and unbinds it from the account. It is a major pain; it could be upsetting for parents if they think the video of their little one was going to be saved, and it makes it a terrible choice for travel or for moving between networks with any regularity.

Security

Connecting a camera via WiFi carries risks, and hackers could exploit any security weakness to operate your camera remotely.

Should You Buy the iBaby?

Maybe, but probably not. This monitor is generally average, and while we love some iBaby monitors for their baby-centric, feature-packed designs, this one fell a little flat for us because it is missing useful features like sound activation (which feels like a deal-breaker to us). This monitor has a high list price, and while we see it on sale for different prices everywhere that constantly fluctuate, it isn't worth the list price, in our opinion. However, if you don't mind a monitor that is never quiet and you think you'd actually use all the additional features, it might be worthwhile on sale for under $100.

What Other Video Monitor Should You Consider?

If a WiFi monitor is what you seek, we prefer the Eufy E21. This monitor has a similar list price, excellent video and sound, a hybrid design of a dedicated parent unit, and a WiFi connection with a personal device. If your interest in the iBaby stems from the hope of a movement monitor or a one-and-done solution, we prefer the Sense-U Smart, a sock-based wearable monitor with video and audio capabilities that tracks vital signs many parents are curious about.

Manufacturer Video