Video Monitor Review: Project NurseryWeb: projectnursery.com

Project Nursery started as a design blog focused on DIY nursery projects and has branched out into licensed electronics that share brands “design conscious” ethos. We’re not exactly sure how a baby monitor could be designed unconsciously, but nevertheless . . .

Project Nursery’s baby monitors are a joint venture with VOXX International, a Chinese-based consumer products company better known for its licensed audio and automotive gadgets.

Project Nursery’s flagship monitor (PNM4W01, ) features a 5″ screen on the parent unit plus something unique: a 1.5″ “mini monitor” that can be worn in the wrist or a lanyard with eight hours of battery life.

This monitor’s key features include point-tilt-zoom, two-way intercom, lullabies that can be triggered remotely and the ability to record video/snap photos to a SD card. You can add up to four additional cameras (about $100 each) that can be monitored in a “quad view” mode on the parent unit.

While the above monitors are closed systems (non-streaming), Project Nursery does have a Wi-Fi streaming model, cleverly called the Project Nursery Wi-Fi Baby Monitor . This model does have PTZ (point, tilt, zoom), two-way intercom and both Android and iPhone apps.

So what really makes Project Nursery monitors different from others on the market like our top pick the Infant Optics DXR-8? We sat down with a rep from Project Nursery’s video monitor supplier, VOXX at a recent trade show, who explained ease of use is the brand’s key feature—the user interface with its colorized icons and simple navigation scroll wheel are a stand out. Project Nursery boasts its “best in class” night vision and first-in-the-market mini monitor.

Well, what do our readers think of these monitors? The verdict is mixed. We see numerous complaints about range issues, with picture dropping out even when the parent unit is nearby the camera. Yes, it doesn’t matter how nice the navigation is on the monitor if you get the “white screen of death” when trying to use it.

Then there is the two monitor glitch—while the mini monitor is nice, you can only watch the nursery stream from one monitor at a time. That is, if one parent has the mini monitor and another the larger unit, only one parent can see the picture at a time. For parents this was a huge disappointment.

More than one parent told us of quality woes for their Project Nursery monitor—they loved the HD picture and decent audio . . . until the monitor stopped working after a month or so of use. While Project Nursery’s customer service has stepped to the plate and replaced defective units, it would be great if they didn’t ship these out in the first place.

Bottom line: these pricey baby monitors don’t deliver. Rating: D