Video Monitor Review- iBaby M7 Video Monitor Review: iBaby

ibabylabs.com

(Last update: May 7, 2019 @ 11:30 am)

Video Monitor Review: iBaby. iBaby is the latest streaming baby video monitor to hit the market. The company offers both fixed and point/tilt/zoom models. FYI: all of these monitors are BYOD—bring your own device as a viewer (smartphone, etc).

iBaby’s flagship monitor is the M7 ($243.85 ; pictured), a Pixar-cute camera with PTZ, HD picture recording, intercom feature, cloud storage and sharing.

As the their top-of-the-line model, iBaby throws in night light projection, lullabies, motion and cry alerts, temperature/humidity/CO2 detectors and more.

iBaby has a slew of older models for sale on in the clearance section of its web site—these include a model with a fixed camera (M2) and the previous generation (M6) of the M7.

The M2 ($86) is a fixed camera with a magnetic base that allows you to rotate it for the best view. The camera can be operated on battery only if you want to move it to another room. iBaby has an app (Apple only) that allows four users at once to see the feed. The M2 connects via WiFi or ethernet to your router and has a two-way intercom feature plus the ability to capture snapshots. This monitor looks to be discontinued, but we still see it for sale online.

So, how’s the quality? iBaby launched back in 2011 with models that didn’t impress us, quality-wise (video, audio were sub par). Since this camera relies on WiFi, unstable connections were a common gripe, with some users reporting signal drops. Lack of volume is another complaint, as is a five second delay in transmitted images. iBaby’s iPhone app also got a huge share of unlove on the iTunes store.

We’re happy to report, however, iBaby has improved over time. The most recent monitor, M7, performs much better—both in video quality and the app experience. We were impressed with the picture quality (1080p or HD) and app is more stable. However, one big issue remains: audio for the M7 is sub par compared to other streaming monitors we tested.

And when we said the app is more stable, that is compared to the previous unusable version. We still see reports (iTunes app reviews) like this one from March 2019:

Can’t recommend

The camera is great while working, but is constantly glitchy. You’ll have the app running in the background, and then when you go to open it again, it freezes and then crashes. Don’t expect to check on your baby quickly, as every time you open the app you’ll have to wait for it to shut down and then restart. We also have occasional issues where the screen just goes black with a spinning wheel, and we have to sneak into our baby’s nursery (while trying not to wake the baby) and reconnect the monitor (just as you did with initial set up).

Contacting customer service is a complete waste of time. They will just cut and paste a canned response (usually unrelated to your issue), and provide no personal response at all. I wrote to them about the app crashing, and they responded with WiFi tips (our WiFi is very strong and works consistently, and the router is right near the cam, so no issue there at all). I’ve tried calling them as well, and never actually spoken to a person.

This could be a great cam, but not as it is.

To iBaby’s credit, they continue to patch and upgrade the app.

So here’s the take-home message: fans of iBaby say when it is working, it is an excellent baby monitor. But if you have WiFi issues in your house or the app decides to be glitchy, you may be tempted to smash this thing. So we’ll raise iBaby’s rating to a C with hopes they continue to improve. Rating: C