VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor with up to 1,000 ft of Range, Vibrating Sound-Alert, Talk Back Intercom & Night Light Loop, White/Silver

We’ve been using these monitors since our child was born four years ago… we only just now needed to buy a replacement bc the parent unit sound would go in and out (regardless of being plugged in or not, or fully charged). Great monitors! Works well and has longevity.

This works fine, and does the job for which I procured it. I should point out that I am not using it in the traditional way - i.e., to monitor a baby. Rather I am using it to monitor a dog that has a pronounced fear of thunderstorms (not unusual for dogs). I crate my dogs at night in another part of the house. If a thunderstorm arises during the night, my dog will panic and try desperately to escape her (wire) crate. The baby monitor allows me to keep tabs on her during the night, if thunderstorms are likely (I dont use it every night) and I will be awakened by her attempts to escape and can come to her rescue. The baby monitor sender and receiver link with no problems (theyre about 30 feet apart through interior walls). Sound quality is very good, and there is no background noise. So the only time you hear anything from the receiver is when there is actually sound being picked up by the sending unit. The sensitivity can be adjusted to pick up very small sounds or to only pick up louder sounds. My only complaint is that turning the receiver ON and OFF isnt easy. The directions say to Press and hold the power button to turn the unit ON, and Press and hold the power button to turn the unit OFF. However, there is no visual indication of power ON or OFF, and no feedback letting you know which state the unit is in. So it can be a bit tricky to turn it ON, but especially to turn it OFF. A minor annoyance, to be sure, but it points out a design flaw - it should be easier to turn the unit ON/OFF, and there should be a more definitive feedback indicating what state the unit is in.

I think this is a wonderful monitor. There are 2 things I would change if possible, but overall this is the best audio monitor Ive used - and Ive tried 6 different models. 1. This monitor is sound-activated. It only transmits when a sound louder than the ambient background noise is picked up. You can change the sensitivity level, and the highest sensitivity level is very sensitive, but I would still love the option to just have an open channel. Id like to be able to hear my little one breathing (the old monitor this Vtech replaced allowed that). 2. Every time you hit a button, the unit beeps. Even when changing the volume level. I would prefer the option to turn off the key beeps. I like to change the volume or sensitivity in the middle of the night to just check in on the baby, and the beeping of the buttons could wake your parter/spouse if they are a light sleeper. Other than these 2 minor wants, this is a great audio monitor. It is the only one of the 6 models I tried that did not have any interference/buzz/hum/static in our house. Our old monitor started losing its signal constantly and buzzing when we got a new wireless router. We got this Vtech to replace it. We just had a second child, and I was concerned that getting a second Vtech monitor would be a problem - the monitor links automatically and you cant change channels at will. I worried that the two units would cross-link or interfere with each other - no such problems. The two parent units connect to the correct baby units without any issues or interference. We just put name stickers on each of the parent units to tell them apart. And they worked this perfectly right out of the box. I also love the talkback feature. If I am busy with the baby and my toddler wakes up & calls for me, I can use the talkback feature to tell him Ill be there in a minute or to tell him he can come find me in the living room. That is great for slightly older kids.

I feel like a lot of the new baby monitors they’ve come out with now days are amazing…. but also enabling all your new parental fears. Don’t you want to watch your baby to know they’re safe? Don’t you want to know their O2 levels so you can ensure they’re breathing? Don’t you want thermal detection to see if it’s the right temp in their crib? Don’t you want the ability to check on them while you’re at work? Etc etc etc. I understand the fear. And the desire to feel comforted and that your baby is safe. But I also don’t want to obsess and perpetually freak myself out based on readings from the monitors. It’s always tough! Keeping track of another app is too much for me. I needed a simple but reliable monitor to use and this is it. It’s speaker/hearing sensitivity levels are variant enough to give options. The talk button is quiet and super nice when I need to communicate with my hubby. The shape and size are great. My only 2 complaints are that 1) the baby unit needs to be plugged in to work, while the parent unit can be unplugged—it would’ve been nice if they were both wireless. And 2) it would’ve been nice to have a talk button on the baby unit as well as the parent unit. Still, I’d highly recommend.

We use a security camera as our video monitor instead of an actual baby monitor. We cant keep the video feed live all night so we got a sound monitor for our room (if she makes a noise, then we check the video monitor to see if shes actually awake). We originally got the cheapest monitor we could find at Target since we were mainly concerned with the video feed and that was a big mistake. The static was terrible. After a few weeks of our horrible monitor, I went to amazon to find one with good reviews. This was the one with the most positive reviews and I have to say, I agree with them. Compared to our other sound monitor, this one is amazing. No static whatsoever, which makes it way easier to hear when she makes a noise (and way easier to sleep when its on). When ordering, I had the choice of getting 1 or 2 parent units. I opted for 1 because it was cheaper (obviously) and figured I could just take it downstairs with me instead of leaving 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. I wish I had bought 2 units. The battery life is not that great on the parent unit and it even loses charge when its turned off. When I unplug the unit and take it downstairs, it lasts a few hours no problem. But if I dont plug it back in to charge, I cant use it for her 2nd nap (even if Ive only used it the 1st time for a few minutes and I turn it off immediately after Im done using it). It will say it has a full battery when I turn it off, but when I turn it on a gain it will say low battery and continue to beep until I plug it in. That is annoying to me, but not a deal breaker. Overall, great monitor but not a great battery.

I bought this a couple of months ago and seems to be working great. It had unlinked from the other monitor 1 time but I turned it off and on and took it close to the one in the other room and that did it for them to relink. The one thing I don’t like is that one of them has to be connected at all times or else it won’t work. There is a portable one that can utilize the rechargeable battery but it would be nice if both were portable. I also don’t really like that sometimes it will make a loud beep even with the most minimal noise it detects.other than that it’s pretty efficient, doesn’t take to much space and it’s nice that you can talk from one room ti the other by pressing the button on the side. It was a good purchase I really like it.

Everything is great about this monitor except the battery life. You pretty much have to constantly charge it. The other features are great though, I love that you can choose the level of sound that it will start making noise at. The sound is clear even from across the room. The nightlight is nice, but not super bright so it is hard to use it for a diaper change, but still good

I did a lot of research before buying a monitor, and am glad I purchased this one. There is very very minimal white noise. Both the monitors I had used with previous children had a lot of static and would sometimes keep me awake at night. I have heard white noise once from this monitor. It was during a storm and not loud enough to be bothersome. The part that goes in the childs room has a night light on the top that you can turn on and off from the parent unit. Its a great feature, I do however, wish that the light could be turned on/off using the baby unit. Or that it would go off on its own after a set time. But it is a nice feature. The parent unit has a light system to guage how loud the noise is, I havent really found this useful yet, but I guess its a way to have the volume on low and be able to tell if the baby is crying or just talking. I know my so hums himself to sleep sometimes, so it might help in a situation like that. Another feature I havent found useful with the baby is the two-way talk. That isnt to say I havent used it though. I use it quite frequently to call my other son to me without having to yell across the house. I just havent found a way to use it for the baby. But I still love that it has the capability. All in all, this product does exactly what is it is intended for and does it well. I love it and have recommended it to all my friends having babies and even bought one as a baby shower gift. I also want to note that I live in an 1110 square foot apartment. I have reception from everywhere in the apartment. I dont know if there are any other monitors in the building, but there are other babies and small children, and I have never had any interferance.

Distance was about 40-40 feet. Voice is clear and no buzzing or random noise from either end

I received this product today and have tested it. It seems to be working as advertised. Amazon asked to rate vibration strength and battery life, neither one of which is of any interest to me and I have not tested these features. This item will be used by me exclusively on line current. It works, and I hope it will help me protect my 93-year old mother. But, I wish the receiver could produce enough sound volume to wake me from a sound sleep. Im afraid that is not the case. It will be fine, assuming Im already awake...but, not if Im asleep which was the desire when I bought it.