Foscam.com

Like many other new entrants into the baby monitor category, Foscam got its start as a security camera company.

Foscam also has traditional baby monitors called FosBaby ($50 to $80), that are basically a fixed security camera with pink or blue accents (no joke). Fosbaby monitors feature 720 HD vision and recording to a SD card. Also included: optional motion detector alerts via smartphone app, two-way audio and temperature.

Fosbaby Digital Video Monitor

Fosbaby Digital Video Monitor

 

Foscam has recently debuted the FosBaby P1 with pan/tilt control. It also has a 720p HD picture, infrared lights to see baby in the dark and built in nightlight on top of the features of the original FosBaby. The P1 looks a bit different than the original with a more elongated shape. Weirdly, you can’t purchase the P1 online except directly from Foscam.

Here’s our take on Foscam and other security cameras that can be used to monitor baby’s nursery: don’t buy them.

First, Foscam’s FosBaby monitors have been in the news lately, as parents discovered some Foscam cameras can be easily hacked. We have blogged on this subject, but the basic advice is: change the default password. Many hacked cameras were still using the default password.

Another issue: quality. Many low-end security cameras (under $100) work great for a few months. Then the audio fizzes out. Or the camera refuses to connect to your network. Or just plain dies.

Fosbaby’s quality is low and the app is glitchy, in our tests. Bottom line: there are better options out there if you want to monitor your baby’s nursery via a smartphone.

Rating: D