Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Baby Monitor Review
* Review updated on 24th July 2023 to reflect the newest features on the Bebcare iQ smart baby monitor
The Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid baby monitor is the bigger brother of the Bebcare Motion Digital Video Baby Monitor, which won the best baby monitor of 2023. Unlike the Bebcare Motion, the Bebcare iQ is a connected baby monitor that works with a smartphone or tablet app. You can see and hear your baby from anywhere in the world, as long as your smartphone has internet connection. As we move towards a more connected world, parents want a smarter device in their nursery. The Bebcare iQ WiFi HD baby monitor may just be the perfect baby monitor for you.
This baby monitor is fantastic for those who want high tech video baby monitor that connects to your smartphone. You can also check out similar smart monitors such as the Nanit Pro, the Owlet Smart Sock, and the iBaby M7. If you are looking for a traditional video baby monitor that uses radiofrequency signal instead of WiFi connection, then the Bebcare Motion digital video baby monitor with low emissions and the Infant Optics DXR-8 are great baby monitors with a great set of features and a more affordable price.
With that said, let’s dive in our review of the Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid smart video baby monitor to see why this could be the perfect smart baby monitor for your nursery.
Our Rating: 9.6/10
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Summary
We Like
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Best HD video quality on a smart monitor in our testing
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Hybrid function with a low EMF audio monitor
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Supports iOS and Android app
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Supports a baby breathing sensor mat accessory
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Excellent night vision performance
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Lots of helpful bells and whistles features
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VOX, room temperature, lullabies, nightlight, and many more
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Secure data transmission using HTTPS. No hacking possible
We Don't Like
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It’s the most expensive model in our tests
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The sound cannot play in background of the app
Where to Buy It
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Alternatives
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The Bebcare Motion digital video baby monitor if you want a RF video monitor with low EMF emissions ($289.00 on Bebcare.com)
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The Nanit Plus version if you want a HD high definition WiFi video baby monitor ($224.00 on Amazon)
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The iBaby Care M7 if you want the next best Wifi baby monitor at a more affordable price ($168.86 on Amazon).
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The Infant Optics DXR-8 is the second best baby video monitor that is a popular option for parents with its interchangeable lens ($165.99 on Amazon).
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The Angelcare AC517 if you want a similarly comprehensive package with breathing and movement monitoring but with a smaller display ($157.96 on Amazon).
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The Lollipop baby monitor if you want a WiFi camera that has a unique physical design and a good quality camera ($149.00 on Amazon)
Overview Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid Video Baby Monitor
Health & Safety
10/10
Audio Quality
9/10
Privacy
10/10
Video Quality
10/10
Range
10/10
Battery
10/10
Features Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid Video Baby Monitor
Infrared Night Vision
YES
Play Lullabies
YES
Remote Zoom
YES
VOX
YES
Room temperature
YES
Night Lights
YES
Multiple Cameras
YES
Humidity
YES
Video Recording
Yes
Two-Way Talk
YES
Remote Pan & Tilt
YES
Our Hands-on Review of the Bebcare iQ Smart Baby Monitor
With a ton of feature and a superb video performance, the Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid Smart Baby Monitor really is the king of baby monitor. It has all the bells and whistles you need for monitoring your child. Its 4.3-inch display screen has the highest resolution and the best color accuracy we have seen on any digital baby monitor. The optional Bebcare Mat ($99.00 on Bebare.com) breathing sensor mat is a must-have accessory if you want to enhance the functionality of your Bebcare monitor to include breathing detection.
There are cheaper video baby monitors available that are less complicated to use and will do the job just as well. In the end, it really depends on what you expect from a video baby monitor. The Bebcare iQ is a fantastic smart app-based monitor. Its high price ($309.00 on Bebcare.com) is well justified if you want the very best baby monitoring system that has the highest level of product safety.
Audio and Video quality
The audio and video quality with the Bebcare iQ smart WiFi baby monitor is excellent. You get a full 1080p high definition resolution camera, which connects to your smartphone device. You can view and hear your baby from anywhere and anytime, as long as you have good internet connection on your smartphone. This is one of the key advantages of having a smart WiFi baby monitor. It works anywhere! The video quality is the best we have seen and has little to no noticeable lag. The video quality is noticeably clearer and better than even the best WiFi security cameras on the market, including the Google Nest camera and the Amazon Ring camera.
You’ll get a perfectly smooth video streaming experience on your smartphone with no interference issues. The audio quality is excellent as well. The best part is that the phone app works even if you are outside of home. The app also supports multiple Bebcare iQ camera units, so that means you can have a camera in the nursery and be able to set up additional cameras for twins or in the living room. The Bebcare iQ uses enterprise grade HTTPS encryption technology to secure the video connection. This means it's very safe and completely unhackable. HTTPS is the same kind of encryption technology used by banks.
The Bebcare iQ WiFi HD Hybrid Smart Baby Monitor with 1080p Camera
Tons of Useful Features
The Bebcare iQ high definition baby camera has 8 infrared LEDs bulbs to give you a crystal clear night vision. You’ll be able to see your baby clearly even in the dark or low light. The camera will automatically switch to night mode once the light is too dim in your baby’s bedroom. You can also adjust the night vision sensitivity, so you can control the brightness level at which the night vision turns on or off.
The camera unit supports remote pan-and-tilt control. You can control the orientation of the camera using the arrow buttons on the parent unit. The control is intuitive and easy. The camera unit reacts instantly the moment you press the arrow keys, so there's no delay at all in the video feed. You get full 360-degree coverage left-and-right, and around 120-degree coverage up-and-down.
The Bebcare baby monitor comes with a choice of six music lullabies, including Beethoven, flowing water, and heartbeat sound. You have the option of controlling the playback remotely on the parent unit. The music volume can be adjusted, so it's at just the right volume for your nursery set-up. The sound quality of the music lullabies is good, but definitely not as good as the speakers on your smartphone. There is a tiny level of scratchy static noise when the music lullaby is playing. It's like listening to an old LP record. You can control the music lullaby on the app or on the audio parent unit.
You can also set a feeding alarm on the parent unit to remind yourself it's time to feed the little one. You can configure the alarm to go off in 15-min intervals, with a maximum time duration of 6 hours. It's a nifty little feature because sometimes you may not have your phone with you all the time, but you normally have your baby monitor by your side.
You can also pair the Bebcare iQ smart WiFi baby monitor with the optional baby breathing sensor mat. More on this later.
Safety And Security of Bebcare
The Bebcare iQ WiFi HD camera unit connects to your smartphone app via your home WiFi. It means that an electromagnetic field (EMF) will be constantly emitted from the camera to the monitor in order for you to receive an audio and video feed. We recommend that you read our article on electromagnetic field if you want to understand what it means in terms of health and safety for your baby. That said, Bebcare uses a special DSR Digital Safe Radio technology that is ultra low EMF emissions compared to other baby monitors on the market.
The Bebcare iQ comes equipped with Bebcare's ultra-low wireless EMF radio technology. The technology is called DSR Digital Safe Radio, which is designed to reduce wireless radiation by over 90% in certain scenarios. The camera unit actually shuts off completely when the baby is not moving or crying, thus removing the need to transmit signal when there is nothing to report. We think this is a really great design in terms of the safety of the baby monitor.
The parent also has the option of shutting down the WiFi module completely to reduce the wireless emissions to zero. This can be accomplished easily by pressing a dedicated WiFi button on the parent unit. When the WiFi module is shut down, only the audio parent unit can be used, as the camera goes into a sleep mode without the WiFi.
The Bebcare Breathing Sensor Mat Accessory
The Bebcare baby monitor can be paired with an optional breathing sensor mat accessory. What this mat does is that it continuously monitor the baby's breathing pattern. While the mat is not a medical device, it is supposed to prevent one of the most common forms of infant death called SIDS. Infant deaths occur when the baby rolls over onto his / her face, causing the baby to suffocate. An early detection mechanism such as the breathing mat can save lives.
The mat did not come paired when we received the monitor, so we had to pair it ourselves. While the actual process is not too complicated, we wish the product would be pre-paired by the manufacturer. We had to dig through the user manual to find the instructions for pairing the units. Once paired the breathing mat worked exactly as expected.
The breathing mat is very sensitive to any movements. We tested brushing a light feather on the mat's surface, and it registered a reading. The proper way to place the mat is to put it underneath the baby's mattress, out of reach of the children. Because the mat is underneath the mattress, it does not affect the baby's sleep quality. We were able to simulate a situation where the baby stopped breathing by picking up the baby. In this scenario, the parent unit is able to alert our tester with a loud recurring beep, and text alert on the display screen.
Parents should not substitute the proper administration and monitoring of the baby with any baby monitoring or breathing sensor device.
The Bebcare iQ camera unit comes with music lullabies to calm your baby
Security: Bebcare camera hacking
The Bebcare iQ video baby monitor uses an encrypted HTTPS encryption signal, risks of hacking and security breach are minimal. It’s impossible for someone to hack into the Bebcare baby monitor via your WiFi connection, as modern WiFi are encrypted. They would also need to be able to decrypt the secured signal, which is not possible unless you have a supercomputer. We evaluate this to be one of the safer choices out there in terms of security. If you are someone concerned about your personal privacy and the risk of being hacked, we strongly recommend getting a traditional radio-frequency based baby monitors. Both the Bebcare Motion and the Infant Optics DXR-8 are excellent choices.
Signal Strength and Wireless Range
We had no issues with the wireless range of the Bebcare baby monitor audio parent unit. The 2,000 feet maximum range is adequate for normal indoors usage. During our testing in a 2,500 sq feet apartment and in a 4,000 sq feet house, we managed to get full reception throughout the household. The audio parent unit comes equipped with an out-of-range sensor for both the camera unit and the breathing sensor mat. Obviously, the Bebcare app works anywhere, as long as you have internet connection on the phone. This means you can watch your baby from anywhere even if you're not at home.
Battery Life
In our testing, the battery life on the Bebcare iQ was excellent. It’s enough to be used unplugged throughout the whole day, unless your baby is crying constantly. Since the parent unit is voice activated, you can run the audio parent unit for up to 70 hours on standby. The battery takes about three hours to be fully charged, so you can do that once you go to bed yourself. Your monitor will start beeping when its battery is low. This is an important feature that prevents you from having a malfunctioning baby monitor because the battery has run out.
Bebcare iQ Smart Video Baby Monitor: What's in the box
Wondering what’s in the box? Here’s everything that will be included in the standard Bebcare iQ WiFi HD baby monitor package:
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1 x Baby monitor unit (the iQ camera)
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1 x Audio Parent unit (the small round handheld unit)
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2 x USB Type-C Power Adaptor
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1 x Neck string
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1 x Kick stand for parent unit
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1 x Breathing sensor mat (if you chooses the optional package)
You can also purchase the Bebcare Mat breathing sensor mat accessory if you want something that can also monitor your baby's breathing pattern.