Your precious baby is more susceptible to the effects electromagnetic fields (EMF) during this tender stage. That’s why it’s important to get a low EMF baby monitor. Many studies on EMF suggest that long-term radiation (like the kind that comes from certain baby monitors) can contribute to health issues. In this article you’ll find everything you need to know and the right baby monitor for your situation.
Why you should worry about high and low EMF with baby monitors
Because of their smaller size and thinner skulls, children are especially vulnerable to the effects of EMF. Side-effects of over-exposure to EMF range widely… from agitation to increased risk of developing asthma… and in the most serious cases: cancer. But don’t sit and wait around for a final verdict! Do everything you can to protect you and your baby’s health by having a low EMF baby monitor.
Why? Since the baby monitor is often near your infant, it’s the best places to start when it comes to EMF protection for your infant.
How Baby Monitors Work
Wireless baby monitors use radio frequencies (RF)—a type of EMF radiation that all electronics give off. The safest monitors use the FM radio frequency range using MHz (megahertz).
NOTE: With EMF, lower is always better. Pay attention to the MHz and GHz (gigahertz)… 40 MHz might seem higher than 2.4 GHz, but the difference between the M and G is 1000x! So 2.4 GHz is 2400 MHz.
Nowadays, most baby monitor models run in the higher GHz range. This is the same high level that WiFi, cordless phones, and cell phones use. So it’s important to keep your WiFi, wireless devices (printers, laptops, etc.) and cell phones away from your baby and go wired as much as possible.
Analog vs Digital Baby Monitor Signals
There are two types of signals that baby monitors use:
- Analog: The safest wireless option, but becoming more and more difficult to find in the US. These models are sound-only and use the FM radio frequency (usually around 40 MHz).
- Digital: Any monitor with bells and whistles will be of this signal type. They work at the higher 2.4 GHz (or 2400 MHz) microwave frequency using technology like WiFi, Bluetooth, DECT (digital enhanced cordless telecommunications) or FHSS (frequency-hopping spread spectrum)
Digital Options
If you need more features than what analog can offer, make sure your digital monitor comes equipped with one or more of these features:
- Low-emissions
- Eco mode
- Sound activation
Units like these offer a moderate level of EMF protection.
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Best wireless baby monitors for low EMF
Safest – Analog Monitors
By far the safest option with wireless monitors, but analog can be difficult to find. At the time of this writing, we were only able to find one… and even then it’s often out of stock:
- Safety 1st Sure Glow Audio Monitor – This is a no-frills, audio-only monitor that operates at 49 MHz. The parent unit can be clipped onto a belt, and are typically inexpensive.
>>Check availability & price on Amazon
If you’re having a hard time finding one that is analog, then try eBay, yard sales, or asking friends & family if they have an old one that you can use.
Next Best – Low-emission Digital Monitors
Here are two low-emissions digital models we were able to find that operate at 900 MHz. This is still higher than analog models but much lower than the typical digital models. Both are voice-activated.
Sony NTM-910Y 900MHz BabyCall Monitor – Features alerts with both sound and lights.
>>Check current price on Amazon
Babymoov Expert Care – If you ever have to go farther distances from your baby, this low-emissions model has a reception range up to 2650 feet and is sound-activated.
>>Check current price on Amazon
Digital Monitors with Video and Sound Activation/Eco Mode
If you feel that video is a must, then these models are not technically low-emissions (they run at 2.4 GHz), but they do offer sound activation or eco mode to reduce EMF exposure:
Baeishiji Baby Monitor – This monitor has great review and has a 3.5-inch camera that features night vision.
>>Check availability & price on Amazon
Philips AVENT SCD630/37 Video Baby Monitor – Also touting a 3.5-inch video screen, it has both sound-activation mode and audio-only mode with the baby’s unit being wall-mountable. Other features include night vision and room temperature monitoring.
>>Check availability & price on Amazon
Overall Top Pick for Digital Monitors
We had to create a category of our own for this baby monitor! It is our hands-down favorite digital monitor, but is not available for direct purchase in the US:
Nuk BabyMonitor with Eco Control +Video
The manufacturer will ship to American addresses, but the shipping can be expensive.
This monitor features “full-eco mode” that reduces EMF exposure by 90%. It includes night vision, 2-way communication, and a power-saving feature. It’s pricey + shipping, but definitely worth it if you want all the features with the least amount of EMF exposure
Tip: Hardwire your monitor for best EFM protection
Something we haven’t discussed is the option of hard-wiring. This is the safest way to go because it eliminates wireless frequencies altogether. It requires running Ethernet cable to your baby’s room and a monitor that has an Ethernet port. Not many companies make these anymore, but we found one that’s got some great ratings and is feature-rich.
MOM&BB Baby Safe Camera Monitor – It works with Amazon Alexa and features include an ultra HD camera with 360-degree view and pan-and-tilt functions, video recording, cloud storage, night vision, and 2-way audio.
Parting thought
Whichever monitor you choose, you should always place it as far from the baby as possible without sacrificing performance. Remember that EMF weakens with distance, so the closer your baby is to the source, the higher the level of EMF that’s hitting them.
Wireless monitors are not all created equally. A little research goes a long way to reducing EMF radiation and providing a safe home for our children.
