When our daughter was first born, we honestly had a really hard time deciding what to do about a monitor. We knew we wanted to get a low EMF baby monitor if possible but didn’t know where to look or how to find one. Honestly, the unfortunate thing is that not that many companies make intentionally low EMF baby monitors anymore and I had to really research, test, and inquire about dozens of baby monitors in order to put this list together.
In this article not only will I thoroughly break down the 5 best low EMF baby monitors with in-depth reviews, but we’ll also be talking about how and why baby monitors emit any EMF radiation at all. We’ll cover whether this is dangerous, why it could be more dangerous for children, how you can create a low EMF nursery for your child and so much more.
If you’re just wondering what Baby Monitors I’ll be recommending later, here is a table showing the 5 absolute best Low EMF Baby monitors:
Best Low EMF Baby Monitors
| Rank | Product | Video/Audio | Reliability | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | BebCare Low EMF Baby Monitors | Both Available | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2. | TimeFlys Audio Baby Monitor | Audio Only | 5/5 | 4.75/5 |
| 3. | LeReve EMF Reduction Baby Monitor | Video | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| 4. | BabyMoov | Audio Only | 3.7/5 | 4.2/5 |
| 5. | Phillips Avent Video Baby Monitor | Video | 3.9/5 | 4/5 |
| 6. | HelloBaby Monitor | Audio Only | 4.2/5 | 3.8/5 |
| 7. | Safety First Baby Monitor | Audio Only | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
To start with, let’s talk about whether baby monitors in fact emit EMF radiation, how much, and why you should care.
Do Baby Monitors Emit EMF Radiation?
Yes, nearly all baby monitors will emit some level of EMF radiation. Most baby monitors maintain a connection between the camera and the monitor via radio waves, similar to how a cell phone sends data to a cell tower. These radio waves are a form of electromagnetic field radiation called radiofrequency radiation.
We’ll get to why this type of RF radiation can be dangerous in a minute. First, it’s important to understand that baby monitors not only emit RF radiation, which is likely the most harmful, but the electrical components also emit another form of EMF radiation called magnetic field radiation. For the most part, this type isn’t that dangerous unless you are very close to it, but it’s important to know.
The way that most audio baby monitors operate is using DECT or FHSS technologies that utilize 1.89 and 2.4 GHz frequencies in order to transmit information to your monitor. These radio frequency waves emit the same type of EMF radiation as your WiFi router or microwave and depending on the power level and proximity to your child could potentially be quite harmful.
It actually surprises many parents when I tell them that according to PowerWatch, a baby monitor placed 3 feet from a baby’s crib emits the same amount of radiation as a cell tower that is 150 feet away.
You see, because baby monitors have to constantly transmit data from the camera (or microphone) to the monitor, they are constantly emitting radio waves, sometimes as often as 100 times a second.
Almost regardless of what baby monitor you are using, it likely emits at least some EMF radiation in the form of radio waves and magnetic field radiation. However, we can significantly reduce exposure by purchasing lower EMF baby monitors. We can also reduce exposure through simple steps like gaining distance, adjusting settings, and a few other ideas we’ll cover at the end of this article.
Take a look at the video below to get a real-life example of the radiation that can be emitted from baby monitors.
Now that we understand that baby monitors do in fact emit electromagnetic radiation, let’s talk about why that matters and why it could be dangerous for your child.
What Are Potential Dangers From Using A Baby Monitor?
According to the National Association for Children and Safe Technologies, which I talk about in my huge guide to Children and EMF Radiation, possible side effects to this EMF radiation exposure from baby monitors include:
- Impacted Brain Development
- Decreased Quality of Sleep
- Reduced Immune System
- Impact on the Reproductive System.
- and more…
If you’ve read my post about children and EMF radiation, then you are probably much aware of the ways that children, especially babies, are significantly more susceptible to the dangers of EMF radiation as their brains and bodies are still developing.
In case you haven’t though, let’s talk about it for a second.
Why Are Children More Susceptible To EMF Radiation?
It’s important to remember that children are not just smaller adults, in fact, their entire biological and physiological makeup is actually quite different, especially when they are very young. This makes them more susceptible to many things like EMF radiation, pollution, etc.
For example, a 2003 study found that children have thinner skulls and bones. These thinner bones are less able to protect them from the permeability of EMF radiation, which can allow their brains to absorb as much as twice the EMF radiation from things like cell phones, WiFi, and even certain baby monitors.
A 2011 study found that “When electrical properties are considered, a child’s head’s absorption can be over two times greater, and absorption of the skull’s bone marrow can be ten times greater than adults”
In addition, children’s brains also have an entirely different chemical makeup, containing more fluid and ions that can allow EMF radiation to penetrate much deeper into their brain tissue. Children also have smaller heads, meaning the brain stem is closer to the edges of their skull meaning radiation has to literally travel less distance, removing some of the protective concepts of the inverse square principle.
In fact, in 2012 the GAO (Government Accountability Office) published a report titled “Exposure and Testing Requirements for Mobile Phones Should Be Reassessed.” The report was a formal call for the FCC to reassess its regulatory requirements and specifically stated that: “The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RF energy exposure limit may not reflect the latest research, and testing requirements may not identify maximum exposure in all possible usage conditions.”
As of the writing of this article, these regulations have still not been changed whatsoever since they were first established in 1996.
It isn’t only these things though, it’s also the fact that children can’t easily control the radiation exposures around them, those are usually decided by the parents.
In fact, a 2008 study called “Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure” found that out of the 13,000 children who were surveyed, children whose mother’s used their cell phones more were more likely to have a variety of behavioral problems.
Another study in 2002 found that excessive cell phone use could possibly be linked to increased risks of miscarriage or birth defects.
How Does EMF Radiation Harm Children?
one of the hard things about evaluating how EMF radiation affects us and our children, and why it affects us, is understanding the regulatory levels that are meant to protect us.
You see, the vast majority of scientists and regulators recognize that RF radiation (like what you get from cell phones, WiFi, and baby monitors) in large amounts is certainly dangerous, which is why the FCC and other international regulatory agencies have limits for electronics.
However, these limits are based mostly on the heating effect of this radiation. However, we now know that even the non-ionizing, or non-heating, a portion of EMF radiation can still have many health effects.
In 2015 the California Medical Association called for stricter regulation, stating that:
“Whereas peer-reviewed research has demonstrated adverse biological effects of wireless EMF including single and double-stranded DNA breaks, creation of reactive oxygen species, immune dysfunction, cognitive processing effects, stress protein synthesis in the brain, altered brain development, sleep, and memory disturbances, ADHD, abnormal behavior, sperm dysfunction, and brain tumors.”
There are also potentially increased cancer risks from too much EMF exposure.
Increased Cancer Risks
For a while now, we’ve known that even non-ionizing radiation can increase the risks of glioma and other cancers. Recent studies have further strengthened this realization, including:
- In 2014 a French study published in the Occup Environ Med. found that there was a statistically significant association between increased change for meningiomas, gliomas, and other cancerous tumors, with the heaviest users of cell phones when looking at cumulative use over a lifetime.
- In 2015 a study published in the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications showed that even a weak cell phone signal promoted the growth of tumors in mice. This experiment replicated previous ones that showed the same results. You can read the full results here.
- In 2016 the National Toxicology Program released the results of a study that found carcinogenic effects resulting from low exposure at non-thermal levels in mice over a period of 2 years.
For a ton more information about the specific dangers of EMF radiation to children, take a look at this paper from the Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure titled: “Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: The consequences”
Alright, now that we’ve gone super in-depth about the potential dangers of EMF radiation exposure for children from things like Baby Monitors, let’s spend some time talking about lower EMF baby monitors, and which products could be best to buy.
Low EMF Baby Monitors – What To Look For
I’ve personally tested so many baby monitors for their EMF radiation levels. In fact, years ago when I first got started on this journey, radiation emissions from a baby monitor were one of my very first concerns, and one of the things that sparked my interest in the dangers of EMF radiation.
Baby monitors have changed quite a bit even since then, and luckily there are some much better options than what I had.
The things you really want to look for are:
- Low EMF radiation emissions obviously
- Is it a video or audio-only monitor
- Does it have all the safety features I want
- Does it have all the convenience features I want
- Is it a quality product that I can trust?
We have to remember that even though we’re looking for a low-EMF baby monitor, we also want it to be a safe and trustworthy product that will work when we need it to.
So, when putting together this list, I made sure to take all of these things into consideration.
Best Low EMF Baby Monitors of 2022
I’m going to outline many of the absolute best low EMF baby monitors on the market. These aren’t specifically in a list of lowest – most radiation, instead, they are an overall ranking for quality/cost/ as well as emission levels.
The first set of monitors I’ll be talking about though, I’m extremely excited about. They are from a company called Bebcare, and they are absolutely leading the industry in making innovative baby monitor products specifically to have low emissions without compromising quality. In fact, their monitors offer up to 97% less radiation than the average baby monitor.
1. Bebcare DSR Baby Monitors
Check themhttps://www.amazon.com/s?me=A1J35FRY3TXJHW&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER out here
Ok, there is so much we need to talk about with these video monitors from Bebcare, and I couldn’t be more excited. There have only been a few baby monitors that have come out over the years specifically designed to offer extremely low EMF emissions as a foundational feature, and this is the best of the bunch.
First of all, before we talk about the specific products, we need to talk about Digital Safe Radio Technology, or DSR, which is Bebcare’s proprietary technology that allows these monitors to function wirelessly at only a fraction of the emission levels of other monitors. In fact, as they put it, “The DSR radio module sets an industry standard for one of the lowest wireless emission technology that is suitable for young children use.”
Essentially the technology allows for:
- Crystal clear audio
- Zero Delays
- Incredible Range
- Multiple-day battery life
- As well as an extremely low emission environment.
They mention on their site that:
The Bebcare DSR module employs advanced computer algorithms that modulate and limit the amount of power it uses in everyday monitoring of your baby. A series of tests conducted at a certified laboratory revealed that Bebcare baby monitor emits up to 94 to 97% less wireless emission than your average baby monitor. Under idle circumstances, the unique DSR radio module even cuts transmission power to zero.
Take a quick look at this video to better understand the technology and the testing that went into proving its low emissions:
Alright, now that we better understand the technology behind how these monitors emit less radiation, let’s break down a few of the products individually so you can figure out which one might be best for you.
Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
This is one of their most popular baby monitors and for good reason, it basically has everything that a parent would be looking for in one simple package, including emitting extremely low EMF radiation through the DSR technology that we talked about above.
The main difference with this monitor over some of the others is that this one utilizes WiFi (don’t worry, it still dramatically reduces the EMF radiation).
Also, the parent unit doesn’t include a monitor, so you will need to use your android or apple phone if you want to have a video of the baby. In my opinion, this makes things really convenient, but if you do want even lower EMFs, you can check out a few of the other Bebcare products I’ll talk about below.
The system comes with a baby unit that includes an extremely clear camera (with night vision), the ability to turn on lullabies for your baby if that is something they enjoy, as well as a white noise maker that is very highly rated. Obviously, all these features can be disabled if you have your own, but they are great to have and can be controlled through the parent app.
You can view your child (or multiple children!) through the accompanying app, but you also get a parent unit that lets you keep an eye on what’s happening in the room and control many of the features, as well as listen to the baby. The unit has a range of around 650 meters and can last up to 70 hours on a single charge!
One of the things I love about this unit is that the camera includes a 360-degree pan and tilt camera so that you can completely look around the room. You can also monitor multiple rooms with multiple cameras if you have more than one kid which is awesome.
Basically, even though this unit was specifically designed to offer lower EMF radiation than most baby monitors, you aren’t having to sacrifice any of the control or safety features offered by standard monitors.
Bebcare Motion Digital Video Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
I think this may be their most popular unit overall, partly because it won a Mom’s Choice award, and partly because it’s just a great overall product that offers everything you’d expect from a high-end baby monitor (with a digital parent unit) while also still emitting significantly less EMF radiation than most monitors.
Like the WiFi monitor above, this unit does include features like:
- Two-way Talk
- Night Vision
- Temperature Display
- Zoom
- 360-degree pan and tilt
- Lullabies
- White noise
- Etc.
One of the main differences with this unit is that it includes a 4.3-inch “True Color” display. So, instead of having to visually monitor your baby using your phone, you can instead use this wireless parent unit to monitor and control the camera.
The parent unit works from up to 1,000 feet away and has about a 20-hour battery life (in standby mode). The unit does give you warnings if the room gets too hot or cold which I really like.
One of the things I also wanted to mention about just about all of these Bebcare units is that you can add on a breathing sensor mat for just a little bit more. The breathing sensor mat will work with the units and let you keep an eye on the baby’s breathing.
It will also loudly alarm if it senses that baby has stopped breathing for any reason, which is such an amazing feature that will help you sleep a bit easier at night.
I know personally that when our kid was really young, we worried so much at night, and features like a breathing sensor mat would have made such a difference for us.
Basically I’m saying that these baby monitors are amazing, and almost certainly the best low EMF baby monitors that you are going to find anywhere.
You’ll also see as I continue to go through them that they give you a lot of variety to choose from so you can find the perfect fit for your family.
Bebcare Hear Audio Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
This is by far the lowest radiation baby monitor on this entire list. In fact, Bebcare calls it “The World’s First Emission-Free Digital Baby Monitor.” They say this because when the monitor is in it’s idle state, it really does lower the emissions to literally 0.
However, when the monitor is actively listening, it still emits 94% less radiation than other baby monitors.
Basically, the way that this monitor was designed it really does emit essentially no emissions, especially to baby, which is incredible.
The only thing you’re sacrificing with this monitor is that it doesn’t actually have video, so if that is something that you really want I would go with one of the other monitors, but if you’re just needing audio and want the lowest possible radiation emissions than this is a great fit.
The baby unit includes lullabies and a starry night light if that is something your baby prefers, as well as white noise.
The parent unit delivers super clear audio at ranges up to 2,000 feet. This literally means that you could go a few doors down or even to a restaurant around the block and still be in range (not actually recommending this).
Just like the other Bebcare monitors on this list, this one also works with the optional breathing mat, which I personally think is so absolutely worth it (and cheaper if you buy it with the monitor.
Overall, this is the absolute lowest EMF baby monitor on the market in 2022, but any Bebcare monitor will be a great idea, so just choose the one that is best suited for your needs.
Now that we’ve completely exhausted talking about Bebcare’s full line of low EMF baby monitors, let’s talk about a few of the other options on the market.
Before I do though, a few things to note:
I tried to find the right balance between suggesting very low EMF baby monitors, but also ones that offer many of the convenience and safety features of traditional baby monitors.
Obviously, your lowest EMF baby monitors will always be the ones with only sound and no video, because there is much less information that needs to travel from the camera to your phone or parent unit.
However, understandably, many parents do want a screen to actually view their children while they sleep, and this can actually be a safer option for many.
So, the suggestions below are a mix of audio-only baby monitors that offer very low RF emissions, as well as some more standard baby monitors that are still much lower than their peers.
2. TimeFlys Audio Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
I think that this is one of the best digital options for a low EMF baby monitor on the market. We’ll talk more about analog baby monitors in the section below (I’m not talking about them first because they are very hard to find these days, and not really sold in the United States).
The reason this monitor from TRimeFlys is a great option is that it has a “zero-emission” night mode. Essentially, until there is a sound of about 50 dB detected by the baby unit, nothing is being transmitted to or from the baby unit or the parent unit, achieving zero radio emissions and exposing your baby to no radiation.
Once a sound is heard, then transmissions occur but are still much lower radiation than your standard digital baby monitor.
To activate this night mode just press the ON/OFF button three times quickly on the parent unit. You should see an orange light come on if you did this correctly.
On top of being a very safe baby monitor and offering extremely low radiation emissions, it’s also a fairly feature-rich digital baby monitor. Here are some of the things I like most:
Temperature Sensor and Alarm
The TimeFlys audio baby monitor offers real-time temperatures from the baby’s room displayed on the LCD screen of the parent unit. If temperatures fall outside of a comfortable range (<60°F, or > 86°F), an alarm will sound telling you if the temperature is too high or too low.
Vibration
This is something that I wish more digital baby monitors offered on the parent unit. When you’re doing chores around the house that are noisy such as vacuuming, it can be difficult sometimes to hear your baby over the monitor, but the parent unit for the TimeFlys baby monitor will also vibrate to alert you to the sounds. You can even adjust how much volume and vibration you receive.
Two Way Talk
For being a fairly inexpensive and low radiation baby monitor, I was surprised by how well the two-way talk feature worked. You can easily talk to baby within 150 feet inside the house or 1000 feet outdoors.
Overall, this is a fantastic digital baby monitor and one of the lowest radiation baby monitors that you will find on the market.
3. LeReve EMF Reduction Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
This is a newer digital monitor to this list, but one that I’m really excited about. This is probably one of the most feature-rich baby monitors to offer lower EMF radiation.
The way that the LeReve accomplishes this is through their exclusive “Radio Hibernation Technology” which they say significantly reduces the electric field, magnetic field, and radiofrequency radiation emitted from the baby monitor when it is in power saving/ECO mode. This keeps the radiation levels at safe values.
This is not a wifi baby monitor, and there is no app, so it’s a hack free 2.4 GHz FHSS technology monitor that passes transmissions directly between the parent and baby units.
On top of offering lower EMF radiation and being hack-free, here are some things I really like about the LeReeve baby monitor:
- Split Screen: You can connect up to 4 cameras to this monitor and then view them all simultaneously (will auto-detect them) and you can set it to rotate between the cameras every 10 seconds as well.
- 5″ Screen: The parent unit has a really nice screen that displays extremely clearly, much better than many other low EMF baby monitors.
- 20-Day Battery Life: When the monitor is in the low EMF mode (ECO mode) the power efficiency is nearly 50 times higher and gives a battery life of nearly 20 days.
4. Babymoov Premium Care Baby Monitor
This is one of only a few baby monitors (other than the Bebcare series) that actually advertises that it was designed specifically to offer lower radiation emissions than your standard monitor. In fact, it says that it emits up to 33 times less EMF waves than other baby monitors.
Like I talked about above, one of the reasons that this monitor can offer lower EMF levels is because it is an audio-only baby monitor. So, although you won’t have video, you will have really crystal clear audio to know when your baby wakes up or is having a hard time sleeping.
The monitor does include features like a walkie-talkie so that you can talk to your baby or soothe them to sleep if you need to.
The baby unit contains an optional night-light and can be set to either offer continuous sound monitoring or to only turn on when voice-activated (which will be your better option in my opinion).
The parent unit has one of the farthest ranges I’ve seen at 3,300 feet which is amazing. In fact, one reviewer was raving about this monitor saying that it’s perfect if you own a farm or a large property because the range allows you to continue to go about your day and still keep an ear on the baby.
Overall this is a great low EMF baby monitor option if you’re looking for something less expensive than the Bebcare units.
5. Phillips AVENT Video Baby Monitor
This is the first baby monitor on the list that wasn’t specifically designed to offer lower EMFs, but it just so happens to.
The Phillips AVENT monitor was actually designed more with privacy security in mind. It uses something called FHSS (frequency-hopping spread spectrum). This allows the baby monitor to pass the video and audio data over a secure network, which makes it perfect for security-conscious parents.
However, the result is a video monitor with lower radiation emissions than many others, which makes it one of the better low EMF video baby monitor options if you aren’t going to go with Bebcare. Another thing that makes this monitor a bit lower EMF than others is that it has a voice-activation mode, which means that it is transmitting less data when baby is just sleeping, which is always a great feature to look out for when buying a baby monitor.
It offers just about all of the features you would want and expect to get with a quality monitor like:
- Clear video
- Temperature sensor
- Talkback feature
- Etc.
Overall this is a great option if you’re looking for a low EMF video baby monitor.
6. HelloBaby Audio Baby Monitor
Check the current price on Amazon.
Outside of the Bebcare Hear, I think this might be the best audio-only baby monitor on the market right now.
First of all, it’s just a really simple, really easy-to-use baby monitor with great features. It includes a really sensitive microphone so you’ll be able to hear baby really well, a sound indicator so you can visually see how loud baby is, etc.
Because it’s so simple and uses DECT technology to transmit sound, the resulting EMF radiation emissions are actually quite low. However, the range of the parent unit is still 1,000 feet which should be more than enough for most homes or properties.
It’s inexpensive compared to most baby monitors, so it can be a really good introductory monitor for many people.
Overall, not a ton to say about the HelloBaby monitor other than the fact that it is simple, has low EMF, and works really well.
7. Safety 1st Audio Baby Monitor
I had to include this one on the list because it’s truly one of the lowest EMF radiation-emitting baby monitors that have been made, unfortunately (at the time of writing this) it’s not currently available. I’ve heard talk that the company is bringing it back, so feel free to use the link above to check if it’s currently available.
I would personally still go with one of the Bebcare units, or any of the products above are a good choice. However, if the Safety 1st monitor is available when you’re reading this, it could actually be a really good fit for you.
Basically, it’s just an extremely simple audio baby monitor that uses very low frequency (49 MHZ) analog radio signals to send the sound, even lower than a simple FM radio. So, it still provides good sound quality, but with virtually no radiation emissions.
The range is a bit less than some of the other monitors on this list at 600 feet, but that should still be more than enough for most homes and properties. You’ll see this product listed on many “safest baby” monitor lists for these reasons, it’s just a super simple product with no frills.
However, because it’s so simple it also doesn’t offer some of the protection or convenience of more modern baby monitors, or even the Bebcare ones on this list.
Alright, now that we’ve covered what I think are the 7 best low EMF baby monitors (and also the safest), let’s go over a few related topics that I think are really important.
Best Analog Baby Monitors for EMF Protection
The above list is pretty comprehensive as far as the best overall low EMF baby monitors go, but now I want to talk a bit about analog monitors and why they are important to consider.
Analog baby monitors use simple radio frequencies to transmit audio to and from the baby unit and parent unit and are generally considered to emit less EMF radiation.
The problem is that nearly all modern baby monitors are not digital or connect to wifi-routers, and therefore it is difficult to find analog baby monitors, especially in the united states.
You can occasionally find the ones I list below on places like eBay, but generally, they are more difficult to find.
1. First Years Crisp and Clear Audio Monitor
This is my personal favorite audio-only analog baby monitor, but it’s really difficult to find. It’s extremely simple to use, doesn’t utilize WiFi or Bluetooth, and has a fairly good range.
I like that the parent unit includes a light display that will give you an indication of how much sound is being emitted from the monitor, in case you’re watching a show or doing a loud chore and just want to give a quick glance to see if the baby is awake.
You can plug in or battery operate the baby unit or the parent unit which is a nice feature. Overall, this is just a very simple, no-frills analog baby monitor that is going to offer very low electromagnetic frequencies and has no internet connectivity whatsoever.
2. Safety 1st Crystal Clear Audio Monitor
This is another popular audio-only analog baby monitor, and use to reside on this list among my favorite overall low EMF baby monitors until it became too difficult to purchase and stopped being sold in the United States.
It’s inexpensive, operates likes you’d expect, and offers very low EMF emissions.
There are a few downsides though, such as the frequency being fairly common (could interfere with neighbors) and some reviewers noting a bit of static from the parent unit.
Now that we’ve talked about some of my favorite analog baby monitors, let’s talk a little bit about wired baby monitor setups and if they are a good choice for you.
Hardwired Low EMF Baby Monitors – What You Should Know
Hardwired baby monitors are one of the best options when it comes to low EMF baby monitoring, mostly because they don’t utilize wi-fi routers or any internet connectivity whatsoever. Instead, these units use ethernet cables connected directly to the modem, or directly between the devices, to pass information from the baby unit and the parent unit.
I’m not going to go into a ton of detail about why hardwired baby monitors are better than wireless baby monitors for EMF protection because I already have plenty of articles covering this topic on my site.
Simply put though, radio frequency radiation is the greatest EMF radiation danger posed by wireless baby monitors and can be potentially harmful to your baby (like we talked about at the beginning of this article). Hardwiring your baby monitor provides you with just as good of (if not better) data transmissions without utilizing wireless radiation.
How to Install a Hardwire Baby Monitor
There are a few good options when it comes to installing a hardwire baby monitor, but by far the best way I’ve found is utilizing the D-Link baby monitor that you can pick up on Amazon. It is technically a WiFi baby monitor, but that feature can be turned off, and you can instead use the ethernet port on the back.
I wrote an entire article that walks you step-by-step through setting up this hardwire baby monitor system that you should check out if you’re interested in setting this up for your home.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve comprehensively covered why EMF radiation from baby monitors matters, and what the best low EMF baby monitors are, let’s cover some important related questions.
How To Measure EMF Radiation From A Baby Monitor
This is a really important topic because many people do not quite understand how to do this.
There is a good reason that I recommend purchasing a quality EMF meter in so many of my posts. Having an EMF meter not only helps you to determine the location and severity of exposure in your home, but it also helps you to understand how well many of the solutions that you’re implementing are actually working.
I personally use and recommend the Trifield TF2 from Alphalabs, which you can pick up on Amazon. I think this is not only one of the simplest to use and understand EMF meters, but it’s also one of the most accurate. More importantly, though, it actually allows you to get readings from all three types of EMF radiation: magnetic field, electric field, and radio frequency.
If you’re going to take measurements of your baby monitors radiation levels, you’ll need a meter that can read all three types of radiation like the Trifield.
So, here is how I would go about measuring the radiation emissions from your baby monitor:
- First, let’s measure the parent unit. Go into a room or space that is away from most EMF sources.
- Get a baseline reading of the room, there is likely to be some ambient EMF radiation.
- Then, turn on the baby monitor, making sure that it’s actually transmitting data from the baby’s room.
- First, turn your meter to the magnetic and electric field settings and get readings.
- Then, more importantly, change your meter to the RF setting and get a reading of the radiofrequency radiation levels, this is likely to be the highest. Use this article that I wrote to determine how high your readings were.
- Now, more importantly, let’s measure the baby’s unit.
- First, set up the camera or audio baby unit where you’re likely to have it in the room.
- Next, be sure that it’s actually transmitting data by ensuring that the parent unit is on and can see or hear what is happening in the room (keep the parent unit out of the nursery so we don’t mess up the readings).
- Then, place your EMF meter (on the RF setting) in the crib about where the baby would lay, and be sure to point it in the direction of the camera or audio monitor. Record the reading. The reason that we don’t measure the electric or magnetic radiation here is that unless the monitor is inside the baby’s crib (which some are) or very close, these readings are likely to be negligible. However, RF radiation tends to travel much further.
- Finally, move the monitor slowly closer to the transmitting monitor and see how quickly the radiation levels rise.
What you’ll learn from doing this is not only how much (or little) radiation is being emitted, but how fast those levels fall off with distance. Like we talked about towards the beginning of this article, EMF radiation falls off quickly the further away you get because of the inverse square law of physics.
So, regardless of what baby monitor you choose, be sure to keep the listening unit or camera as far away from the crib as you reasonably can to dramatically lower your baby’s exposure.
How far away should a baby monitor be?
There are several important reasons to keep your baby monitor away from the baby’s crib, and it’s not just due to the EMF radiation exposures from the monitor.
Since 2002, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recorded seven deaths and three near-suffocations just from baby monitor cords.
So, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) tells parents to keep all monitors at least 3 feet away from the crib.
However, many other organizations recommend that you keep the baby monitor at least 6 feet away to limit your baby’s exposure to potentially harmful radiofrequency radiation.
How can I reduce EMF from my baby monitor?
The most important step you can take, regardless of what baby monitor you are using, is to place it far enough away from the crib. As we’ve talked about in this article and others, radio frequency radiation and EMF radiation fall off quickly with distance. So, even adding a few more feet between the monitor and your baby’s crib will dramatically cut down on radiation exposure.
Next, try to get a lower EMF baby monitor (what this article has been all about). There are lots of options, between analog baby monitors, hardwire systems, and even modern full-featured baby monitors with night modes and lower EMF settings.
Finally, try to only use the monitor when necessary, and turn it off when it isn’t in use.
If you have any questions about my choices for the best low EMF baby monitors or any comments on this article in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
