At a glance:
Out of all the baby monitors tested in the awards, our panel of mum testers chose the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 with light projector to win because of the simplicity and the soothing songs. It's super easy to use and the light projector provides a beautiful calming lightshow your baby is bound to love.
What they say:
"With a cute star and moon lightshow and 18 different lullabies to help your little one drift off to sleep, the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 also has two-way communication, so you can speak to your baby too. With plenty of additional features, such as an adjustable nightlight and a portable parent unit to make bedtime easier."
Tested by mum Jade Carrick for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I was taken aback at how easy the monitor was to set up and quickly fell in love with the additional features. The sweet little light show and lovely music is perfect for setting a calming environment and my baby loved gazing at the lights. The talk back function was brilliant and the monitor is sensitive enough yet not too loud. The no interference feature is also great – our usual monitor picked up everything and crackled like a horror film! The biggest sign I’d recommend the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 to other mums? We ditched our more expensive monitor with a movement sensor and have stuck with this – it hasn’t been switched on since!
How did this product make your life easier?
It is so easy to set up and transport and small enough to fit in my changing bag. The peace of mind factor is amazing – I’ve found I’ve been spending more time downstairs and this monitor has let me get back into the activities I enjoyed before having my baby. It’s also so easy to use – my husband is usually in charge of our monitor as I find them too fiddly to use, but I was able to operate this one myself, hassle free!
Would you choose this product to win?
I would definitely choose this above other baby monitors on the market – it’s affordable, packed with great features and surpasses other, more expensive products on the market. For me, it beats the other products with video and movement sensors – all you really need is a good quality monitor that allows you to hear your baby. If this doesn’t win, the competitors must have an in-built babysitter mode!
What changes would you make to this product?
The only thing I’d change about the monitor would be to add a clip to the back of it, as I had to keep dashing back to collect it when moving between rooms with my hands full.
Tested by mum Ros Dawson for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would definitely recommend this product to a friend. It is easy to use, has great features and is very affordable. BT have thought of everything and I especially like the fact that you can turn the beep on or off for the crying alert when the monitor is on mute, which is something that other models are lacking. I love the lightshow and the choice of lullabies and found that the monitor was really clear all around the house and the parent unit was very portable. I also loved how clear and easy the menu was to use and that you could control features such as the lightshow and nightlight from the parent monitor, without having to go into the nursery.
How did this product make your life easier?
When my baby was starting to stir in the morning, I found that if I put on the lightshow and one of the lullabies, she was content listening and watching these whilst I went downstairs to make her morning bottle. I also used the temperature feature every day to check how hot it was and what to dress my baby in. My daughter loved the lullabies and I found on a few occasions putting a lullaby on in the night allowed her to drift back to sleep without me having to go into the nursery.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose this product to win this award as it is very affordable and has lots of good features. The best features by far are the lightshow and the huge range of lullabies, and this is what makes the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 stand out from its competitors in the same price brand. This is the third baby monitor that I have tried, one a similar price and one more expensive, and this is definitely the most useful.
What changes would you make to this product?
It would be useful to have a docking station to charge the parent unit in, which would mean you only had to rest the parent unit in the dock to charge, rather than searching behind the bedside table for the charging wire before bed!
Tested by mum Emily Goyal for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would definitely recommend this monitor to other mums. I absolutely love the two-way function on the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 – if my little boy wakes up I can talk to him and settle him without having to go into his room. This is a great timesaver and is something my original baby monitor didn’t have. I also love the design of the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450; it’s very stylish and would look good in any nursery.
How did this product make your life easier?
The monitor has really clear sound quality, allowing me to hear my baby as soon as he stirs and get to him quicker. It has also made the bedtime routine much easier as I can play a lullaby and put the lightshow on to soothe my baby to sleep. The monitor reaches all over the house, so I have the peace of mind that wherever I go, I’ll still hear my baby if he wakes up.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would yes. The two-way talkback function and the lightshow and lullabies make this more like a babysitter than a baby monitor! As a busy mum, this product has been a lifesaver. They’ve thought of everything and the monitor even comes with batteries. It’s very good value for money and comes from a trusted brand.
What changes would you make to this product?
I think having the option to turn this into a video monitor, or use a movement sensor pad with the monitor would enhance this product further, but I would still recommend it just as it is.
Tested by mum Laura Cowdell for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would definitely recommend this product to friends and fellow mums. It comes in a sleek, hygienic, compact design that takes minutes to set up. The manual is very clear and there is a free phone number should you have any problems. The digital screen is clear and easy to scroll between the options. The sound quality is amazing and far superior to my current Angel monitor, I also love the two-way talkback feature.
How did this product make your life easier?
The small and compact design is a must in my small nursery, where there is limited space and plug sockets. The BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 cuts down on all the essential gadgets by incorporating lights, sound, music and temperature as well as the two-way audio monitor. I feel much more reassured about being able to hear my baby clearly and love the addition of lullabies and a lightshow to help my baby drift off to sleep.
Would you choose this product to win?
The BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 particularly stands out to me because of the simple set up, excellent two-way sound quality, wide range of lullabies and cute lightshow, all incorporated into a small device.
What changes would you make to this product?
The only thing I would change about the baby monitor would be the nightlight, which is fairly dim.
Tested by mum Fiona Spencer for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
The BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 definitely gave me everything I was looking for in a baby monitor, so I’d definitely recommend it to my friends. It is easy to use and set up the design functions and I thought the temperature monitor was a nice feature since it is one of the crucial elements to monitor in the baby’s room. Although my five-month-old baby was too young to concentrate properly on the lightshow, he did enjoy the music which helped soothe him to sleep.
How did this product make your life easier?
The obvious benefit of this baby monitor is being able to leave my baby safely in the cot and monitor him from afar, but there are also other amazing functions. The sound quality on this product is great – loud enough that you can hear as soon as your baby wakes up and react fact. The talkback function was great, as it meant I could speak to my son and soothe him without having to go into his room. These extra touches were surprising and great.
Would you choose this product to win?
The functionality of the BT Audio Baby Monitor 450 was good and it provided exactly what I needed from a baby monitor, with the added bonus of the lightshow and lullabies. The sound quality was also very good – much better than expected.
What changes would you make to this product?
The battery life could be improved as I had to charge the monitor more often than expected.