We can hear you, baby—loud and clear

As parents, one thing we always are angling for is a little peace of mind, followed closely by a small amount of time for ourselves. With the investment in a good baby monitor, we can have both. The LCD Digital Baby Monitor ($199.99) from Philips, Stamford, Conn., allows us to keep tabs on the baby while still enjoying the freedom of movement.

We've burned through a lot of baby monitors in our day, and the sound quality of this Philips unit is unparalleled. What's more, with digital enhanced cordless telecommunications, we know that our connection is secure and private. The data encryption means that we're no longer treated to the sounds of the inner workings of our neighbors' houses, nor are they privy to ours. The DECT technology guarantees zero interference from other baby monitors as well as cordless and cell phones. With more than 60 radio channels, it automatically chooses an unused one for its voice transmission. If it detects another device, it immediately switches to ensure a crystal clear connection without interference.

Since it has walkie-talkie capability, we're able to soothe our little one or tell him we're on our way before we get there. Through the parent unit, we're also able to monitor the baby's room temperature--and set the beep-alert to let us know if it gets too hot or cold--and remotely activate the starry nightlight and five lullabies. The parent unit works on rechargeable batteries capable of running for eight hours and it has a range of up to 900 feet. Also included is a belt clip and neck cord, so we're free to move about the house and the yard without worrying about staying within earshot of the device.

As much as we love to have our little ones around, we relish that hour or two when they are napping--and the Philips LCD Digital Baby Monitor allows us to enjoy that time. For more information, visit www.philips.com.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning