Every parent needs a great baby monitor. But choosing the perfect one can be difficult. If you are interested in the Summer Wide View 2.0 Baby Video Monitor then this is the review for you!
Our Summer Infant Wide View review will take a look at the camera’s specifications, its competitors, and its most notable features; helping you make an informed choice.
We think that the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 is one of the best baby monitors for parents who want to watch a large space and love an affordable device packed with all the features needed to monitor your bundle of joy.
That said, let’s go through the details of this device.
The Summer Infant Wide 2.0
The Summer Wide View 2.0 was preceded by the Summer Infant Wide View. It has a couple of great upgrades like a new camera and a sleeker parent unit.
The wide view allows parents to see four times more of their child’s room. It is perfect for parents who have twins and need two cribs.
It is also ideal for those who want to watch children who can move about the room. The system includes a single camera and parent unit, but it can be expanded to include additional cameras.
Summer Infant has been making products to care for children for over three decades. Some of their products are considered pioneering, yet they remain very affordable. Contenders like the Moonybaby WideView are similar but may lack the user-friendly features synonymous with Summer Infant.
This baby monitor not only provides you with a wide-angle view but also parent-minded offerings such as two-way talk, night vision, and LED sound indicators. It is a great monitor that can see you through the infant stage and beyond.
Pros:
- A wide-angle lens allows you to see 4x more of the room
- Large 5” high resolution viewing screen
- Automatic night vision
- Expandable up to four cameras
- Remote zoom
Cons:
- Short battery life
- May experience intermittent connectivity issues
Commonly Asked Questions Before Buying a Summer Infant Wide Baby Monitor
The Summer Wide View baby monitor is an excellent pick for those with twins or mobile children. You can see up to 4x more of the room than with standard monitors. It will allow you to see both cribs at once or your toddler scooting across the floor while playing.
It is also great for those with one child or young children. However, it does not have many of the smart features sought after today like breathing technology or heart rate monitoring. Nevertheless, it is an affordable option that offers parents a large view.
Common questions about the Summer Infant Wide View digital video monitor include:
Does the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 monitor use WIFI?
The monitor does not use WiFi, it is 100% digital.
Is it better to have a wide-angle view for monitoring my baby?
This depends on your preference and your child. Wide-angle viewing can help you see more of your child’s room. This is great when you want to see multiple children or children moving about the room.
However, it may not be able to zoom as close or provide as clear a picture as traditional monitors.
Can you add a second camera to the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 monitor?
The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 system is expandable to up to four cameras.
To add additional cameras, make sure that your camera and parent unit are plugged in and powered on. Then use the menu button and toggles to select “add camera”. Select from the available highlighted cameras.
The code button on the camera should begin to flash green when the camera is establishing a connection. Once connected the flashing will stop and the view from the camera should appear on the parent unit screen. You can use this process to add up to four additional cameras.
Can I sync other Summer cameras to the Wide View 2.0 baby monitor?
All Summer Infant cameras and parent units are model specific. As such other cameras cannot be paired with the Wide View 2.0.
Summer Infant Wide View Review: Features & Benefits
Setup & Mounting. This camera can be wall-mounted or used on a flat surface. It does have to be plugged in at all times so you need to consider your outlet locations.
Mounting it on the wall is easy with the included wall mounting kit. Some parents noted that to clearly see your child in the crib, it must be mounted directly over the crib.
Additionally, because of the wide view, there are issues with using it on a flat surface. It can only be used on a table or shelf that is at a minimum of three feet from the crib. It may also be difficult to angle the camera downward enough to see your crib if you do not place it high enough.
Aside from the mounting issues, setup is quite easy. Once the camera is plugged in and the parent unit is turned on the two devices automatically recognize each other.
Screen Display. The high resolution 5” color LCD video display is great for capturing the wide-angle lens image. During the day the picture is quite clear. At night, the camera automatically switches to black and white night vision. The screen also shows the battery life and connectivity.
However, the general Summer baby monitor review observation from other parents is that the screen seems to break very easily.
Night Vision. The automatic night vision is a wonderful feature for parents wanting to watch their children at night. It does change from a color picture to a black and white image. The downside is that the night vision is a bit grainy.
The night vision does not use any external lights so it should not disrupt your child’s sleep. The camera is very sensitive to light changes and the night vision is prone to turn on at the slightest dimming, which may affect the picture.
Camera & Lenses. The camera does not come with any additional lenses, only the wide view. It is a bulky camera but its white housing makes it pretty unobtrusive. It also doesn’t use any sort of illuminated light or flashing light so as not to disturb sleeping babies.
Two-Way Talk. This camera does include two-way talk. With the press of a button, you can speak or sing to your little one. This is a great feature to use when you want to calm your child down without having to physically enter their room.
Connectivity. This camera has an 800-foot range, though that range is barrier-free and walls or other obstructions in your house may shorten the range. The range is not unlimited because the Summer Wide View 2.0 is a digital camera, meaning it does not use WiFi or Bluetooth.
The 100% digital technology makes it very safe and secure, nearly unhackable. Parents can take comfort in the fact that they are the only ones seeing and hearing their children.
Detection Range. The range for the camera is 800 feet. This is not a long range, as many cameras have a range of around 1000 feet. Still, this should be adequate for most households.
Battery Performance. The camera of the Summer Infant Wide View must be plugged in at all times. The parent unit uses a charging cord and a rechargeable battery. Unfortunately, the battery life is astonishingly short.
When not plugged in the screen will go to sleep. All Summer Infant monitors are equipped with this battery saving mode.
For some parents, having the screen go to sleep frequently can be an inconvenience. However, without this mode, the battery life would be even shorter. This monitor does not have VOX mode.
Portability. The Summer Infant Wide View is adequate for travel. Because it doesn’t use WiFi you only need two outlets, one to plug in the camera and the other for the parent unit.
The camera is a bit bulky so it isn’t the most practical to pack. Additionally, when using the camera on a flat surface instead of mounting it, it can be very hard to find a good angle.
Expandability. This system is expandable. You can pair up to four cameras to a single parent unit. This is great for when you want to monitor two rooms or more than one child at a time. Pairing additional cameras is quick and painless.
When you have the cameras paired you can either use the scan mode or choose to view just one camera. Scan mode will automatically rotate between cameras every eight seconds.
Remote Steering. This camera does not have a remote pan or tilt. Because of the wide-angle view finding the correct positioning for your camera shouldn’t be too difficult.
However, you need to make sure it is positioned properly before you leave the room since it does not have remote steering.
It does have remote zoom though. You can easily get a closer view of your child using the parent unit zoom feature.
Night Light. The Summer Infant Wide View does have a soft glow night light on the camera. It is in the form of a ring below the camera lens. It can be turned on and off via the parent unit. It is a nice calming feature for some children.
Alternatives to the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0
The Summer Infant Wide View is not the only baby monitor on the market. Here are a few alternatives to consider.
Infant Optics DXR-8
The Infant Optics DXR-8 is portable, lightweight, and versatile. With interchangeable lenses, you can always get the perfect view. There is a standard lens, a zoom lens, and a wide-angle lens.
The parent unit may not have as large as a screen but it is easy to carry around. The VOX mode helps to save energy and it has a pretty good battery life.
Like the Summer Infant, it is expandable up to four cameras. Its range is a touch shorter at 700 feet. Both systems have a two-way talk but the Infant Optics can also play lullabies.
The parent unit shows room temperature, battery life, connectivity, and even has an alarm function. This is a wonderful monitor for those who want more versatility than just a wide-angle setup. You can read more about the monitor in our Infant Optics DXR-8 review.
Similarities and Differences
- Both cameras are 100% digital connection
- Both cameras have automatic night vision
- The Infant Optics has interchangeable lenses
- The Infant Optics can play sounds and lullabies
- The Infant Optics has a slightly shorter range
- 2022 AWARD WINNER: Awarded "Best Baby Monitor Overall, 2022" by NBC News. The DXR-8 video baby monitor offers clear and reliable sound/video, long battery life, exceptional signal range and user-friendly controls — the dependable choice to help keep your baby safe and provide you with peace of mind.
- INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES: Conveniently switch between different lenses to choose the perfect viewing angle. Use a zoom lens to get a closer look at your baby and a wide-angle lens (sold separately) to capture a broader view of the room. Keep a trustful eye on your children while they sleep or play using this kids' room camera.
- OPERATES WITHOUT WIFI: Unlike wifi baby monitors for smartphones, there is no loading time to open apps, offering instant playback with lag-free video. With a dedicated monitor unit, no phones are necessary to view your baby, enabling parents to efficiently manage day-to-day tasks on their phone screen without compromising their baby's safety.
Motorola MBP50-G2 Baby Monitor
The Motorola MBP50-G2 Baby Monitor is considered to be a wide-angle viewing system. However, it allows you to see the entire room by using two cameras.
Unlike the Summer Infant, it has a split-screen option so you can see a bird’s eye view of everything simultaneously. It similarly has two-way talk, a 5 inch LCD screen, and a 1000 foot range.
Its infrared night vision tends to be a bit clearer. Unlike the Summer Infant, it has a remote pan, tilt, and zoom so that you can adjust your camera angles from afar. This monitor also allows for room temperature monitoring and the ability to play lullabies.
Due to the split-screen, this is a wonderful option for parents of twins or multiples.
Similarities & Differences
- Both monitors have 1000 foot range
- Both monitors have wide-angle viewing
- The Motorola uses 2 cameras and allows for split-screen viewing
- The Motorola includes remote pan, tilt, and zoom
- The Motorola has both two-way talk and lullaby playing capability
- ✅ FULL ROOM COVERAGE - Our baby camera monitor comes with 2 portable cameras, which will give you a bird's eye view of the whole room. View both feeds at once with the split-screen viewing feature.
- ✅ REMOTE CAMERA CONTROL - Want to check on other areas of the baby's room? Easily adjust the viewing angle (pan, tilt, or zoom) of both cameras remotely via the handy parent unit.
- ✅ IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY - View a real-time video feed of your little one's room on the parent unit's 5" LCD color screen. Its infrared night vision feature gives you a clear video feed at night time.
eufy Security SpaceView Baby Monitor
The eufy Security SpaceView Baby Monitor has a wide-angle lens, much like the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0. The eufy can be wall-mounted or used on a flat surface.
Thanks to its remote pan, tilt, and zoom you can change the viewing angle without having to touch the camera. Its remote night vision is also a nice feature.
Unlike the Summer Infant, this camera has both a two-way talk feature and the ability to play lullabies. It has a much longer battery life, at 15 hours, but a much shorter range at only 460 feet.
This camera is great for infants or older children and will transition well from crib viewing to entire room viewing.
Similarities & Differences
- Both are completely digital
- Both cameras have a wide-angle lens
- The eufy has remote camera steering
- The eufy can play lullabies via the camera
- The eufy has a much shorter range (460 ft)
- Sweet Dreams on the Big Screen: The large 5" 720p video baby monitor display shows a sharp picture with 10 times more detail than ordinary 240p-display baby monitors.
- Ready for Their First Steps: When your baby starts to walk and run around, just attach the included lens to expand the view to 110 Degrees. No need to purchase another lens.
- Pan from Pillow to Pinky Toes: Pan the lens 330° to see corner-to-corner and tilt 110° to see floor to ceiling.
In Summary
- 5.0-inch portable flat-screen color LCD handheld video monitor operates on 2.4GHz wireless digital technology
- Wide angle lens camera to see 4x more of baby's room
- Digital zoom camera with automatic black and white night vision
The Summer Infant Wide View is an ideal camera for those who want to watch a large space, such as the entire nursery. You can see up to four times more of the room than with a traditional camera. This is great for parents with mobile children or those with more than one child sleeping in a room.
While it does have a handful of helpful features, like two-way talk and automatic night vision, it does lack some modern standard offerings. Parents who want to remote steer their camera or play lullabies may be happier with one of the alternatives.
Nevertheless, if you are interested in a simple-to-use, budget-friendly, wide-view camera then the Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 is for you!
Hope this Summer Infant Wide View review guide helps you understand more about this baby monitor. Feel free to comment your thoughts below!
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Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
